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Letrozole: When will I start feeling/seeing side effects?

Breast Cancer | Last Active: May 19 10:48pm | Replies (145)
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@dlmdinia

I had terrible joint pain with Anastrozole. My oncologist switched me to Letrozole at half dosage - my choice of a full tab every other day or 1/2 tab everyday. Shortly after I also started taking collagen supplements. I also have osteoarthritis in my knees, but with this change I am relatively pain-free suffering mostly from stiffness when immobile too long.

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Replies to "I had terrible joint pain with Anastrozole. My oncologist switched me to Letrozole at half dosage..."
lgay | @lgay | Feb 5, 2023

I will stop my 5 years of letrozole in 8 days. When I first started I was so afraid of side effects I cut pill in half (did not have permission and did not tell the doc until later).

I started 1 whole pill after 3-4 months of spliting pill and then confessed to the doctor. Splitting is NOT recommended per package insert and they “have no data to approve efficacy of a split pill,” but that is water under the bridge now.

I’m surprised that your doc approved the split but I have always wondered if it still works.

I know Letrozole is absorbed in the jejunem where the pH is 4-6, and not in the stomach where the pH is 1-2. Even though the letrozole would have been exposed to an acidic aqueous environment, it is a stable in acid. It is soluble in dicholomethane.

Either way I’ve done 4.9 months of full dose and I’m going to celebrate when I’m done.

I hope you can tolerate the full dose.

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