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

Posted by francine6829 @francine6829, Mar 8, 2019

I started taking Letrozole (Femura) about a month ago. When will I start feeling/seeing side effects? what are the main side effects you have? Does anyone not have any side effects?

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 17 5:23pm
In reply to @heatl1 "Hey, edwendt! Kudos to you for doing your best at protecting yourself, even through non-positive side..." + (show)
@heatl1

Hey, edwendt! Kudos to you for doing your best at protecting yourself, even through non-positive side effects! 1st, each person's body will likely react differently to any drug, so remember that your experience may not be exactly like mine. I took Letrazole for 5 years after lumpectomy and radiation. It made me nauseous, also. I finally found 2 things to be true for me: 1st, if I took it before bed, on a full stomach, the nausea was much dimmenished. 2nd, after a period of time (couple of weeks, maybe?) the nausea seemed to lessen and go away. I encourage you to continue to do the best you can, and to seek help if it becomes too much. Hugs and best wishes to you on your journey!! God bless you!!

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Hi @heatl1, I wanted to pop in to say "welcome". Such great tips for others dealing with letrozole and nausea.

I look forward to getting to know you. It sounds like you might be finished with treatment. When were treatments done for you? How are you doing now?

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heatl1 | @heatl1 | Apr 14 12:44pm
In reply to @edwendt "i've been on it now a couple of months since my mastectomy and I feel nauseous..." + (show)
@edwendt

i've been on it now a couple of months since my mastectomy and I feel nauseous all the time. i've tried taking it with lots of water, food, not with other meds i take etc-but the nausea doesn't change.
anyone else feel nauseous?

Jump to this post

Hey, edwendt! Kudos to you for doing your best at protecting yourself, even through non-positive side effects! 1st, each person's body will likely react differently to any drug, so remember that your experience may not be exactly like mine. I took Letrazole for 5 years after lumpectomy and radiation. It made me nauseous, also. I finally found 2 things to be true for me: 1st, if I took it before bed, on a full stomach, the nausea was much dimmenished. 2nd, after a period of time (couple of weeks, maybe?) the nausea seemed to lessen and go away. I encourage you to continue to do the best you can, and to seek help if it becomes too much. Hugs and best wishes to you on your journey!! God bless you!!

REPLY
1 reply
edwendt | @edwendt | Apr 13 8:40am

i've been on it now a couple of months since my mastectomy and I feel nauseous all the time. i've tried taking it with lots of water, food, not with other meds i take etc-but the nausea doesn't change.
anyone else feel nauseous?

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1 reply
windyshores | @windyshores | Feb 23 9:08am
In reply to @melanid "I did my research on letrozole. And the 2.5 mg is the standard dosage. Didn't matter..." + (show)
@melanid

I did my research on letrozole. And the 2.5 mg is the standard dosage. Didn't matter if your 200 lbs or 100 lbs, 20 years old or 100 years old. The half life is around 48 hours so it is possible (just my thought) that a person could take it once every 48 hours and you would still have 50 percent of the medication in your system. If you don't take it at all the medication lasts in your system up to a week. So🤷. I wonder if they have done any studies on this dosaging. I don't know why there are not more options on this.

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@melanid my doc was fine with alternate days. I imagine you need a "steady state," so maybe every 48 hours doesn't achieve that-? I continued with full dose and am curious if anyone who did alternate days had a decrease in side effects.

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melanid | @melanid | Feb 23 7:47am
In reply to @ellerbracke "I want to thank everyone for their comments. I've taken Letrozole now for almost 3 years,..." + (show)
@ellerbracke

I want to thank everyone for their comments. I've taken Letrozole now for almost 3 years, with no major side effects at all. From time to time I have some joint or muscle pain, but with stenosis, sciatica, piriformis issues, and overdoing it with yard work, that may be totally unrelated.
However, I just checked my prescription bottle, and saw that I am on 2.5 mg once every day. I will look into research on this, and discuss the dosage with my oncologist during my next visit.

Jump to this post

I did my research on letrozole. And the 2.5 mg is the standard dosage. Didn't matter if your 200 lbs or 100 lbs, 20 years old or 100 years old. The half life is around 48 hours so it is possible (just my thought) that a person could take it once every 48 hours and you would still have 50 percent of the medication in your system. If you don't take it at all the medication lasts in your system up to a week. So🤷. I wonder if they have done any studies on this dosaging. I don't know why there are not more options on this.

REPLY
1 reply
anjalima | @anjalima | Feb 22 3:04pm
In reply to @windyshores "@anjalima I took brand name Femara (letrozole) though at the end I found one generic manufacturer..." + (show)
@windyshores

@anjalima I took brand name Femara (letrozole) though at the end I found one generic manufacturer whose version didn't bother me.

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I’m able to get Arimidex for 60.00/month vs 25 for generic. I’m much happier on the brand but if I needed to go back I could manage the original ACCORD. Which manufacturer was ultimately good for you?

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windyshores | @windyshores | Feb 22 2:55pm

@anjalima I took brand name Femara (letrozole) though at the end I found one generic manufacturer whose version didn't bother me.

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1 reply
curveball2023 | @curveball2023 | Feb 22 12:31pm
In reply to @windyshores "The drug insert for letrozole says that a 20% does of 0.5 mg suppresses estrone and..." + (show)
@windyshores

The drug insert for letrozole says that a 20% does of 0.5 mg suppresses estrone and estrone sulfate below detectable levels. This info comes with the medicine and is online.

Even 0.1 mg suppresses estrogen by 75%.

https://www.drugs.com/pro/letrozole.html

The thing is, if estrogen is suppressed, no matter what the dose is, won't side effects be the same?

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I would think the dose does not matter because the side effects are caused by lack on Estrogen.

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anjalima | @anjalima | Feb 22 9:40am
In reply to @windyshores "@ellerbracke I took the full 2.5mg every day for 5 years. My doc was okay with..." + (show)
@windyshores

@ellerbracke I took the full 2.5mg every day for 5 years. My doc was okay with a half dose but I continued on the full dose. I would love info on whether reducing dose even makes a difference in terms of side effects because effectiveness depends on suppressing estrogen, regardless of dose, and that is what causes side effects. So whether 1.25mg or 2.5mg or even 0.5mg I would think the side effects would be the same. But I don't know.

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Stands to reason. It’s the fillers that can cause unwanted side effects beyond estrogen suppression effects. I have now taken the Anastrozole brand Arimidix and side effects much less ( hardly at all) which is a change as I had mild to moderate joint stiffness and discomfort ( which I mitigated by yoga and walking/hiking) insomnia and night sweats . Now much milder in all areas. SAME amt. of drug, 1mg Anastrozole

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windyshores | @windyshores | Feb 22 7:45am
In reply to @ellerbracke "I want to thank everyone for their comments. I've taken Letrozole now for almost 3 years,..." + (show)
@ellerbracke

I want to thank everyone for their comments. I've taken Letrozole now for almost 3 years, with no major side effects at all. From time to time I have some joint or muscle pain, but with stenosis, sciatica, piriformis issues, and overdoing it with yard work, that may be totally unrelated.
However, I just checked my prescription bottle, and saw that I am on 2.5 mg once every day. I will look into research on this, and discuss the dosage with my oncologist during my next visit.

Jump to this post

@ellerbracke I took the full 2.5mg every day for 5 years. My doc was okay with a half dose but I continued on the full dose. I would love info on whether reducing dose even makes a difference in terms of side effects because effectiveness depends on suppressing estrogen, regardless of dose, and that is what causes side effects. So whether 1.25mg or 2.5mg or even 0.5mg I would think the side effects would be the same. But I don't know.

REPLY
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