Letrozole and TMJ?

I've had no side side effects from taking it since last September.

Just started this medication a few weeks ago . No issues yet.

I’m sorry to hear about your problems with TMJ while taking Letrozole. In 2020, after taking 1/2 dose of anastrozole for one month, I began to take a full dose. I had MANY side effects, one of which was TMJ. My quality of life was very poor. Being new to this medicine, I was not aware that an aromatase inhibitor could cause TMJ. My former oncologist did not acknowledge TMJ or most of my other complaints as being caused by anastrozole. I stopped taking the drug after 6 weeks at full dose. Nearly all of the side effects, including TMJ, went away after some time.

Hello dear people, I'm having an awful time taking anastrozole. It's only been 4 weeks. I was just treated for the worse UTI I've ever had. Blood in urine, bladder pressure, pain in sides. The antibiotics helped me recover. Felt wonderful again. I started taking anastrozole again and I'm back to feeling sick with UTI symptoms again! March 1st is my oncologist appt. I think they will have me try another med right?
I feel so alone.

This is a wonderful site for information, especially when you feel alone. While I’m very happy for others who have few side effects from aromatase inhibitors, many of us do have an awful time while taking these drugs. Others can not tolerate them at all. We are all different. Be gentle with yourself. I wish you well.

Thank you💜

I had painful TMJ many years ago that was completely resolved after wearing a custom dental guard for a few+ months. Hadn’t had any issues for all these years since. None. Now, after starting Letrozole for only a couple months, I’m starting to have clicking TMJ symptoms reappear. I was wondering if it was just coincidence or if it’s from the medication already. I really don’t want to have to wear a dental guard for 5 years thru this treatment😩…or maybe indefinitely if the joint ‘damage’ is permanent. What to do?!!!

This is just a thought. The stress of taking the AI might be causing you to clench/grind your teeth at night. You might think back , when you had the TMJ, was there life stresses at that time. Like I said just a thought.
Also, on another note, I use acupressure on my clicking jaw and it seems to help. Mine comes and goes. Check out YouTube videos. Good luck. 💜

I also developed jaw pain while on anastrozole. I saw an ENT specialist, who did not find a cause. I had MANY other side effects (SE). After 2 1/2 months, I called the cancer center and the NP told me to stop taking the medicine. I was very frustrated by the fact that my oncologist did not acknowledge that any of my SE were caused by the aromatase inhibitor.
It is possible that our TMJ was caused by clenching our teeth due to the stress caused by a cancer diagnosis. However, after I got off the meds, my symptoms subsided. But the fact that I will always have a chance of my breast cancer recurring has not changed. I still find that stressful. So, if all my side effects resolved after stopping the meds, but the stress remains, the only logical conclusion is that the cause of my TMJ and myriad of other SE
was anastrozole and not just stress. We should not be made to feel like a wimp who should just buck up. Needless to say, I am no longer seeing this oncologist.

@bloncape Good for you at finding a new oncologist. We must advocate for ourselves & be proactive. When o started taking Anastrozole, my Onco Dr. never told me that it affected my bones and I don’t remember the time frame but at ‘least’ 6 months, THEN he told me I had to have infusions to help my bone density. When asked about estrogen levels and Anastrozole helping lower levels, (I never was tested for estrogen levels before stating med) he said “we just take it for granted that it’s working!
Like you ‘needless to say, I’m no longer seeing this oncologist’
@bloncape Keep On Keeping On! Blessings