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

You might speak with your doc about exemestane. All have side effects but she said that for some people the exemestane is a little easoer on the joints. There were abd still are days that I just throw up for no reason, feel as though I have the flu, deep feeling of being unwell, it is frightning but then it goes away for a few days and I know it is meds. Life afyer bc is just like that. The reset was a miracle for me. It eventually comes back but for a while better. Good luck

Yay for you! Good news.

I was on letrozole for over a year. Miserable. I switched to exemestane and it is much better. Last year I started feeling pretty crummy on it so I took a week off. It reset my body and went over 9 months with few symptoms. Just now getting a few back. My doc said a week off would be fine and if it made the drugs easier to live witb to do it once a year.

@tammyp
I've just been on letrozole for 1 1/2 months. By any chance, have you tried taking the pills in the evening? I find I'll wake up in the middle of the night with some sweats, but go right back to sleep and if I don't then I ready my Nook books for a bit and then fall asleep. I'll have a few hot sweats in the day, but not bad. The aches and pains aren't great but not as bad as when I took anastrozole. I do take 5,000 units of vitamin D which has helped the joint pain...I started with 1,000 after first speaking with my oncologist and gradually moved it up. I do have some nausea and sometimes diarrhea, but the chemo touched off diverticulitis and anastrozole did as well but that's in control now. Am having Zometa infusion in a few weeks and have heard that helps with some bone pain. I hope you start feeling better soon.

I've been on Letrazole since February 2019. I developed hot flashes almost immediately. The joint/muscle pain began shortly after. One day it was so excruciating, I was in the bed all day. I'm fatigued most days. The pain is concentrated in my hips, legs and hands. Yoga, Mindfulness and Acupuncture help. Recently I have been experiencing nausea and diarrhea symptoms. Not sure they are related to the medication. I'm keeping track when something happens. It's been a journey. Ups and downs.

Yes, I did try Tamoxifen--the low dose of 5 mg per day. I was quite hopeful about this minimal dosage. I lasted just 10 days. Felt like a war going on in my body that was contained only by my skin. If it were a street drug, I would be on a very bad trip. Evista/Raloxifene has, for me, none of the unbearable side effects of the other endocrine drugs I have taken. But I must be awakened by my husband in the middle of the night to stretch or risk severe leg cramps that can leave me hobbled for days. He is up in the night a couple of times, serving as an alarm wakeup.

Despite the various side effects of the different drugs, I think it is worthwhile to try them. Some people do just fine.

Geronimo- except same for me regarding side effects. I went off after a month. Did you switch to something else? I am on tamoxifen now

I only took Letrazole for a few weeks. The side effects I got were lack of sleep, severe bone and joint pain in my legs,depression. Oncologist took me off of them

If your goal is to be protected and not have joint pain, try Tomoxifen. Femura gave me terrible joint pain

Thanks Trixie for the info about Femara. I’ll ask my doc. about it next week when I see her! I appreciate your info.!