Aromosin VS. Femara

kln

Hello Ladies, I am hoping I am not alone. I was on Aromosin for a few months after my bilateral mysectomey. The side affects got worse and worse as time went on. I could have been the poster child for the side affect list. Bone pain and lethargic being the worse. I am now on Femara. It's only been a week. The bonne pain is worse. The oncologist states they  don't give anything for the bone pain for estrogen blockers. The pain is only in both legs as a comparosin to chemo when it was my whole body then. As I understand the importance of these medications to stop the estrogen positive cancer I don't understand how we should be on them for five years in pain. Am I the only one who can check off the side affect lists one by one on these medications? Thank you in advance for all your experience and wisdom. Kelly

Gm2873

Aromosin vs. Femara
I've been on Letrozole (Femara) for about 3 months now and I'm starting to experience quite a bit of joint pain. Especially knees, hips, wrists and elbows. Been doing a lot of research to see what I might be able to do to help with it. Anti-inflammatory drugs don't seem to help. Looks like the best options are exercise and supplements such as D, B and glucosamine (though I read a couple of years ago that in a study there was no difference between placebo and glucosamine). as soon as I recover from my mastectomy, I have radiation for about 6 weeks. Then I plan to get into a water aerobics class at the Y. Figure that will be easy on the painful joints but will also exercise them. I don't want to stop the AI because my tumor was strongly ER+/PR+. It's already metastatastized to bone, so I feel like the AI and Herceptin are keeping me alive. Just need to find the best way to deal with the pain. I see my oncologist again on 5/26 and I plan to talk to her about then. I lost 40 lbs while on Taxotere and I'm thinking maybe I should try to loose more weight. If I get skinny, that should help ease some of the joint pain, especially the knees and hips. I'll let you know what my Dr says.

Gm2873

Gm2873 said:

Aromosin vs. Femara
I've been on Letrozole (Femara) for about 3 months now and I'm starting to experience quite a bit of joint pain. Especially knees, hips, wrists and elbows. Been doing a lot of research to see what I might be able to do to help with it. Anti-inflammatory drugs don't seem to help. Looks like the best options are exercise and supplements such as D, B and glucosamine (though I read a couple of years ago that in a study there was no difference between placebo and glucosamine). as soon as I recover from my mastectomy, I have radiation for about 6 weeks. Then I plan to get into a water aerobics class at the Y. Figure that will be easy on the painful joints but will also exercise them. I don't want to stop the AI because my tumor was strongly ER+/PR+. It's already metastatastized to bone, so I feel like the AI and Herceptin are keeping me alive. Just need to find the best way to deal with the pain. I see my oncologist again on 5/26 and I plan to talk to her about then. I lost 40 lbs while on Taxotere and I'm thinking maybe I should try to loose more weight. If I get skinny, that should help ease some of the joint pain, especially the knees and hips. I'll let you know what my Dr says.

please excuse the double

please excuse the double submission. Don't know why it did that, and don't see a way to delete one of them.

GlowMore

Gm2873 said:

please excuse the double

please excuse the double submission. Don't know why it did that, and don't see a way to delete one of them.

negative vs positive

Hi ladies...........i'm negative vs positive so cant use any of the drugs you gals are talking about....but I do remember the terrible full body pain during chemo.   I used tylenol extra strength gel caps every 6 hours for about 6 or 8 months and that helped me maintain....my oncologist told me I was blessed with perfect kidneys.  I like that idea of the Y for swimming exercises........ sending prayers for strength and courage and hope for easing of the pain.   Glo

duck1255

Femara

I have been on Femara for 11 months and really have had no major side effects just minor joint stiffness after sitting for awhile that goes away after moving around. I have recently added Ibrance along with Femara and that has been a challenge with white blood counts dropping but that is happening to most that use it until they get you on the right dosage. Femara has worked for me so I hope you have good luck with it too

kln

Thank you for your comments.

Thank you for your comments. This past year has been a a roller coaster ride. It's comforting to have someone along for the ride. Even though a real ride would have been much more fun. Thanks again Kelly

camul

kln said:

Thank you for your comments.

Thank you for your comments. This past year has been a a roller coaster ride. It's comforting to have someone along for the ride. Even though a real ride would have been much more fun. Thanks again Kelly

Femera was hell for me!
I stayed on it for 7 weeks and my joints hurt so bad, I needed help getting up and had trouble standing up straight.
Waited a month b4 I would start Aromason so I could tell if it was the Femara causing the pain. It was. I have been on Aromason for 15 months and only issue is sone dry mouth. My tumor makers went from 500+ down to 24 from both the Femara and Aromason. So they were effective for over 18 months now:))

kln

Thanks again everyone for

Thanks again everyone for support . Kelly

kln

Aromasin made me lethargic  

Aromasin made me lethargic  I couldn't get out of bed. I had bone pain also however,not as bad as with Femera. There has to be a medication that blocks the estrogen and doesn't cause pain. I go to the oncologist on thursday. Maybe he will have the answer. One could only hope. Kelly

artistatheart

duck1255 said:

Femara

I have been on Femara for 11 months and really have had no major side effects just minor joint stiffness after sitting for awhile that goes away after moving around. I have recently added Ibrance along with Femara and that has been a challenge with white blood counts dropping but that is happening to most that use it until they get you on the right dosage. Femara has worked for me so I hope you have good luck with it too

Same regimen for me

I am starting this same combo in a few days. Good to know about watching the white blood cell count. I hope it works for me......

Jazz88

Good Morning
I also have had

Good Morning

I also have had bad side effects from Aromosin and Femera it caused my Legs to swell and become bright red, Joint and Muscle pain was horrible. Quality of life became an issue for me because I had been very active.  After about 4 months of trying both of these they have now put me back on Tamoxifin to do the remainder of my 5 Years and then we will take a look at our options at that time.  Hang in there, keep open communication with your oncologist. You will find the right combination

 

 

MrsBob

camul said:

Femera was hell for me!
I stayed on it for 7 weeks and my joints hurt so bad, I needed help getting up and had trouble standing up straight.
Waited a month b4 I would start Aromason so I could tell if it was the Femara causing the pain. It was. I have been on Aromason for 15 months and only issue is sone dry mouth. My tumor makers went from 500+ down to 24 from both the Femara and Aromason. So they were effective for over 18 months now:))

Camul, I just started

Camul, I just started Aromasin after getting off of Arimidex due to intolerable pain and misery after 2 years of it, and I pray I get along fine with Aromasin like you have!!!! That was good for me to hear.

Also, I was so thankful I found the Aromasin savings card online to help with the copay. Instead of $129.00 I only pay $4.

Missy

Kkaec

estrogen blocker

this is only the second day of taking the one that starts with an "a". so many drugs to remember! After reading comments, I want to cry. This is so depressing.  My chemo treatments were a nightmare.  So sick. I was in the hospital after every treatment. They stopped the two drugs with the bad side effects and was so much better. Then my heart function dropped to low, so they stopped the last one.  I am 70 yrs old and my body hurts most of the time anyway. Had 3 of the Nuelasta shots with the first 3 treatments And so much pain with those. I am suppose to start radiation soon and have a mastectomy. I really wonder a lot of the time if this is worth it. I am praying that this pill doesn't cause me trouble. I had a complete hysterectomy at age 47 and still can't believe you produce that much estrogen to feed cancer.

Kkaec

Radiation on breast

i have super sensitive skin. Am suppose to start radiation soon. Is there any advise as to what I can do before the treatments? 

KathyLQ

Are they worth it?

I was on Femara for about 5 months until I couldn't tolerate the joint pains.   Switched to Arimidex but eventually I had such back pain that I couldn't sit and do my work.   I went to a pain doc, who did a MRI which showed a pinched nerve, and he said it would be like this the rest of my life.  Oncologist then wanted me to take Tamoxifen, but it made me worry I could get blood clots or uterine cancer, so I stopped it too.   I couldn't deal mentally with any of these drugs.   After being off all of them, about 5-6 months later my back began to get somewhat better.   I was relieved, and knew I'd never take aromatase inhibitors again.   They had negatively affected my bone health.   I'm 7 years out after my masectomy, no chemo, no radiation.   Just living life each day and not worrying.  Depending on the day, I take pain meds, I sit, I walk, I do gardening.   Just whatever I can.

Beepositive

Kkaec said:

Radiation on breast

i have super sensitive skin. Am suppose to start radiation soon. Is there any advise as to what I can do before the treatments? 

hello KKaec

my radiation Experience we well until mid way thru and after I finished started having the peeling under arm raw and back some sunburn .but I DEALT WITH IT....no pain no gain I guess! but it heal really fast after about a week or two .. blessing things were not a lot worse!  be sure and let your Dr know your skin is very sensitive and they will give you the best cream or recommend something to help...  the radiation itself is painless and very fast you are in and out in matter of minutes. dr told me to start using the cream early even before the symptons.

BEST WISHES AND PRAYERS FOR YOU...YOU WILL BE FINE!

BEEPOSITIVE!!

Apaugh

so much pain

My chemo was rough.  The Herceptin treatments were too.  The Arimedex is awful as well.  I dont know if I can do 5 yrs of this.  My joints hurt so bad all the time. 

I hope you get to feeling better.

Hugs,

Annie

Kkaec

Beepositive said:

hello KKaec

my radiation Experience we well until mid way thru and after I finished started having the peeling under arm raw and back some sunburn .but I DEALT WITH IT....no pain no gain I guess! but it heal really fast after about a week or two .. blessing things were not a lot worse!  be sure and let your Dr know your skin is very sensitive and they will give you the best cream or recommend something to help...  the radiation itself is painless and very fast you are in and out in matter of minutes. dr told me to start using the cream early even before the symptons.

BEST WISHES AND PRAYERS FOR YOU...YOU WILL BE FINE!

BEEPOSITIVE!!

Radiation

Thank you so much Bee! I see my surgeon on Monday and the radiation doc on Friday. This has all been a nightmare. Chemo put me in the hospital every time. Didn't know I was going to have radiation. Thought the next thing was mastectomy. I have been a very independent person and this just rocked my boat. Plus I just lost a grand daughter to brain cancer on Labor Day. She was 9 and fighting for 7 years. I try to be positive. I do get down a lot but talk myself out of it and do some yoga. I know I have a long way to go yet and I pray every day for the strength to get me through. It gives me strength also to know that so many other women have gone through this and survived. 

Mira123

Brands of Letrozole being changed

Hi all:  I was ER+HER-, post-menopausal.  Tumor removed May3, not clear margins and after 2nd surgery with clear margins started RT in September.  I just rang the bell yesterday and got my "Femara" refills today.  Well, it WAS Femara and I've had no side effects at all from it for 3.5 months.  This new brand is AvKare.  Anyone else take it?  I've heard horror stories of generic brands and am scared to death to change.  Any advice?  Mira

Blondie57

Arimedex vs.Aromosin

A4GLjhfter lumpectomy and radiation, was put on Arimedex. The joint pain all over my body, lethargy, and a little fogginess became terrible, but I figured if that was what I had to do, I would pull on my big girl pants and do it. Went into the hospital for another issue in June and they took me off all meds. I couldn't believe how normal I felt! It was wonderful! Spoke to my oncologist about my concerns about going back on Arimedex and he put me on Aromosin and its been 3 months. I have a bit of pain but nothing like before. Am hoping it stays this way....5 years and possibly beyond is a long time.

HapB

Letrozole

I have been on Letrozole for about a month. About a week ago, my lower back started really hurting. Now, it is so bad that I can barely walk or get out of a chair. It hurts so much to even move my legs, so i cannot drive. I feel horrible!  I have also developed severe gastrointestinal problems.  I am stopping today to see if it getsmany better. I hadmto cancel my doctor appointment last week because I could not drive. I go in 2 days if i can get into the car. I just want to cry!