1. < Breast Cancer

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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curveball2023 | @curveball2023 | Feb 21 2:56pm

My mother just started Lestrozole and I wanted to learn about it so I can help her. Thank you all for your comments. She has been on it for exactly 7 days, so far so good, only complaint is poor sleep first two days, so we switched to morning dose and she is sleeping much better.

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curveball2023 | @curveball2023 | Feb 21 2:54pm
In reply to @lgay "I will stop my 5 years of letrozole in 8 days. When I first started I..." + (show)
@lgay

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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Double-blind, Randomized Trial of Alternative Letrozole Dosing Regimens in Postmenopausal Women with Increased Breast Cancer Risk
This research article found supporting evidence for Lestrozole at lower doses. Changes must be discussed with doctors though.

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curveball2023 | @curveball2023 | Feb 21 2:53pm
In reply to @pbnew "Thank you for your info on manufacturers. Please tell us the info source where you learned..." + (show)
@pbnew

Thank you for your info on manufacturers. Please tell us the info source where you learned Letrozole eliminates lingering breast cancer cells. I thought it was limited to disrupting estrogen.

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AIs, like Lestrozole, are used to shrink tumors sometimes in more advanced cases before surgery. When the tumors do not have the Lestrozole to "feed on" they shrink.

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curveball2023 | @curveball2023 | Feb 21 2:47pm
In reply to @curveball2023 "Here is a trial I found that concluded that Lestrozole is effective at 1mg everyday, 2.5..." + (show)
@curveball2023

Here is a trial I found that concluded that Lestrozole is effective at 1mg everyday, 2.5 mg every other day, and it is even effective at 0.5 mg. You are probably finished with treatment I hope. But thought I would share it anyway for newcomers like me.

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They would not allow me to post the link but the title of the article is: Double-blind, Randomized Trial of Alternative Letrozole Dosing Regimens in Postmenopausal Women with Increased Breast Cancer Risk.

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curveball2023 | @curveball2023 | Feb 21 2:45pm
In reply to @mugs24cancer "I have been taking letrozole for 6 months. When I take the full dose I often..." + (show)
@mugs24cancer

I have been taking letrozole for 6 months. When I take the full dose I often have abdominal pain, nausea and heartburn...wakes me up in middle of the night. If I take half a dose I have no side effects. My oncologist says there are no studies for the effectiveness of half a dose so he does not support it. He says nausea and heartburn are not side effects of letrozole thus he referred me to a gastroenterologist. I have had several tests and my insides are fine. I am following a GERD diet but still experience digestive issues when I try to go back to full dose of letrozole. May be trying exemestane In the future as it it is the only one I have not been prescribed. My digestive issues were worse on Tamoxifen. Also was diagnosed with gastritis then. Again, could not tolerate full dose of Tamoxifen but did fine with half dose. It is so hard to know the right thing to do. Hoping you get some answers and will stay in touch.

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Here is a trial I found that concluded that Lestrozole is effective at 1mg everyday, 2.5 mg every other day, and it is even effective at 0.5 mg. You are probably finished with treatment I hope. But thought I would share it anyway for newcomers like me.

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1 reply
sandybainy1 | @sandybainy1 | Apr 2, 2023

I had no problems for the first 6 months, now I have pain in my wrists. Doc says 2 weeks on Aleve and Ibuprofen and then we’ll see. I may have to switch meds. Good luck

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southgawalker | @southgawalker | Apr 2, 2023

I have been on it for 3 months . At first there were some random pains in my legs but that went away. So far no side effects. Good luck!!!

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Zebra | @californiazebra | Apr 2, 2023
In reply to @deluga "How Fast Can Letrozole Side effects appear? On the third day of taking letrozole, I felt..." + (show)
@deluga

How Fast Can Letrozole Side effects appear?
On the third day of taking letrozole, I felt as if an ice-pick had pierced my ear. The pain was excruciating and I stopped. Many painful side effects are still there - pain in ears, jaws, neck, mouth. My oncologist says this can't be caused by letrozole because it takes more than 3 days and the side effects would disappear when I stopped taking it. I've gotten some relief from increasing the meds I take for peripheral neuropathy. Does anyone have any information on how long it takes for letrozole side effects to appear? Any scientific studies too?
Thanks for any information.

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I also had increased neuropathy issues (I have hereditary neuropathy with pressure palsies HNPP) when I started taking letrozole; however, I started taking kisqali at the same time so it's hard to say which med caused which side effect. I've been on both for two years so I don't remember if it was immediate or if there was a slight delay, but most side effects started pretty quickly I believe. My increase was to shooting pains in my feet mostly, but also legs and other random places. Mostly when resting. Best of luck to you.

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georga35 | @georga35 | Feb 6, 2023
In reply to @pbnew "Thank you for your info on manufacturers. Please tell us the info source where you learned..." + (show)
@pbnew

Thank you for your info on manufacturers. Please tell us the info source where you learned Letrozole eliminates lingering breast cancer cells. I thought it was limited to disrupting estrogen.

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Aromatase inhibitors lower estrogen levels by stopping an enzyme in fat tissue (called aromatase) from changing other hormones into estrogen. Estrogen can fuel the growth of breast cancer cells. [Cancer. org]
My BC is HR+, HER2- and I'm postmenopausal. So I look at Letrozole as 'playing clean up' role in my treatment regimen.

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windyshores | @windyshores | Feb 6, 2023
In reply to @pbnew "Thank you for your info on manufacturers. Please tell us the info source where you learned..." + (show)
@pbnew

Thank you for your info on manufacturers. Please tell us the info source where you learned Letrozole eliminates lingering breast cancer cells. I thought it was limited to disrupting estrogen.

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@pbnew these meds decrease estrogen below detectable levels. The estrogen fed our cancers, so disrupting it starves the cancer cells. I believe that is the idea. Your doc can explain!

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