No Femara Today

carrie61
carrie61 Member Posts: 23
in Breast Cancer #1
I made a personal "executive" decision to skip my Femara pill today. I've had it with the hot flashes, swelling (can't fit rings on my finger,swollen feet, breasts, everywhere)excruciating feet pain etc etc....

I plan to call my doctor's office and tell them I'm taking a brief vacation from it to see if the symptoms clear up. If they do, something needs to be changed.

Has anyone else had this exerience??

Comments

  • jphilpo
    jphilpo Member Posts: 177
    #2
    femara
    Hi Carrie,

    I can SO relate!! After 6 months of trying so hard to tolerate femara, I called my onc. in tears! I was in pain, I couldn't walk, depression etc... He told me to stop the drug right away. Six weeks later, he put me on tamoxifen. Side effects are better, but I still have to deal with "issues". I too can't wear my rings, swollen feet and joint pain. I take 2 tramadol each night to help me sleep. My dr. said that most women do not have side effects, but that I am one of the "unlucky" ones. I try to walk as much as possible and eat healthily. I also take 1 day off a week from work because of fatigue. I assume this will be my life for the next 3 years which is how long I have left. I try to have a positive attitude and know that things could be worse. My sister has stage 4 breast cancer. Mine was stage2. Keep talking to your dr. and do whatever you can to feel better.

    Sincerely,

    Jean
  • mollyz
    mollyz Member Posts: 756 Member
    #3
    jphilpo said:

    femara
    Hi Carrie,

    I can SO relate!! After 6 months of trying so hard to tolerate femara, I called my onc. in tears! I was in pain, I couldn't walk, depression etc... He told me to stop the drug right away. Six weeks later, he put me on tamoxifen. Side effects are better, but I still have to deal with "issues". I too can't wear my rings, swollen feet and joint pain. I take 2 tramadol each night to help me sleep. My dr. said that most women do not have side effects, but that I am one of the "unlucky" ones. I try to walk as much as possible and eat healthily. I also take 1 day off a week from work because of fatigue. I assume this will be my life for the next 3 years which is how long I have left. I try to have a positive attitude and know that things could be worse. My sister has stage 4 breast cancer. Mine was stage2. Keep talking to your dr. and do whatever you can to feel better.

    Sincerely,

    Jean

    femara
    Hello Carrie,I'm on famara also and it's really rough I've been on it almost a year and yes all of me hurts at times,what i find different from everyone else is i sleep very well on it,but my knees hurt when i go to sit down my back hurts and when i first get up i have trouble walking but after i get going i can handle it better,i think the W O R S T for me is the wrist pain OH MY IT HURTS when i wake up its like they want move and when they do they snap lol, my Dr. told me to take advil for the pain and i do at times but i don't like taking a whole lot of medicine,i just went back to exercising and i feel a lot better when i work out. i would love to take a break but im scared that estrogen would start trying to come back so on forward for me. MollyZ~~
  • carrie61
    carrie61 Member Posts: 23
    #4
    mollyz said:

    femara
    Hello Carrie,I'm on famara also and it's really rough I've been on it almost a year and yes all of me hurts at times,what i find different from everyone else is i sleep very well on it,but my knees hurt when i go to sit down my back hurts and when i first get up i have trouble walking but after i get going i can handle it better,i think the W O R S T for me is the wrist pain OH MY IT HURTS when i wake up its like they want move and when they do they snap lol, my Dr. told me to take advil for the pain and i do at times but i don't like taking a whole lot of medicine,i just went back to exercising and i feel a lot better when i work out. i would love to take a break but im scared that estrogen would start trying to come back so on forward for me. MollyZ~~

    2 weeks off
    My onc is agreeing that I should take 2 weeks off Femara & see if the symptoms are better or have subsided. If I'm feeling good, he'll try something else. If not, then I'll have to visit my GP to figure out what's happening. I know Femara's the culprit...but I'll keep you posted. Thanks for sharing!
  • cctiz
    cctiz Member Posts: 47
    #5
    my experience with femara
    Absolutely, i have those side effects and more, you didn't tell us for how long you've been taking it, i started in january and it's been rough, my entire frame hurts like dickens, i take it with large amounts of vitamin B12 and food and i take it 5 or 6 days a week, it depends, and rest of it when it becomes too much to handle, as soon as i start my break i can move and be my old self, multitask and be up and down, i miss my old life so much, besides work i hardly accomplish anything else at home because im in constant pain

Discussion Boards