Femara

BCsur5or
BCsur5or Member Posts: 4
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
My oncology nurse practitioner changed my medication from Tamoxifen to Femara. She said I am close enough to my 5 years on Tamoxifen to change it. However, I just read on the Femara website that one should be within 3 months of the 5 year mark and I am 7 months away still and have had NO adverse reactions to this medication. I stopped taking Tamoxifen a week ago and am due to begin taking Femara tomorrow. My question is should I wait and talk to my oncologist before starting this or start anyway and call the oncologist on Monday?
Thank you for any help anyone can give me.

Comments

  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #2
    Why Change at all?
    If Tamoxifen has been okay for you why is she changing you?
    Femara can have adverse side effects of it's own. I have been on it since Jan. and took myself off because of horrible mood swings. I will see a new onc. next month and switch to something else.
    What was her reasoning to change you when you could just finish the 5 years on Tamox?
    I will be interested to hear.
    Best of Luck,
    Wanda
  • BCsur5or
    BCsur5or Member Posts: 4
    #3
    Lighthouse_7 said:

    Why Change at all?
    If Tamoxifen has been okay for you why is she changing you?
    Femara can have adverse side effects of it's own. I have been on it since Jan. and took myself off because of horrible mood swings. I will see a new onc. next month and switch to something else.
    What was her reasoning to change you when you could just finish the 5 years on Tamox?
    I will be interested to hear.
    Best of Luck,
    Wanda

    Change to Femara
    I just spoke with the cancer center and they made an appointment for me to see their new Oncologist next week about this concern (this is the 4th or 5th Oncologist change since my diagnosis 5 years ago). I was told that the reason for the medication change is that it has been definitively determined that I am now postmenapausal and Femara is the better choice in postmenapausal women. I am supposed to start the Femara now and see how I respond to it this week. I just pray that we are making all the right choices.
    Thank you for the reply.
    ~~~Bertie
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #4
    Lighthouse_7 said:

    Why Change at all?
    If Tamoxifen has been okay for you why is she changing you?
    Femara can have adverse side effects of it's own. I have been on it since Jan. and took myself off because of horrible mood swings. I will see a new onc. next month and switch to something else.
    What was her reasoning to change you when you could just finish the 5 years on Tamox?
    I will be interested to hear.
    Best of Luck,
    Wanda

    I would probably talk to my
    I would probably talk to my oncologist and get definite answers. And, since you are questioning the change, I hope you did or do that. Keep us updated!

    HUGS
  • BCsur5or
    BCsur5or Member Posts: 4
    #5
    Lighthouse_7 said:

    Why Change at all?
    If Tamoxifen has been okay for you why is she changing you?
    Femara can have adverse side effects of it's own. I have been on it since Jan. and took myself off because of horrible mood swings. I will see a new onc. next month and switch to something else.
    What was her reasoning to change you when you could just finish the 5 years on Tamox?
    I will be interested to hear.
    Best of Luck,
    Wanda

    Saw the Dr on Monday...
    The oncologist agrees with the change and said that it is because Femara works better and that it's better to start it as soon as possible. I've been on it for 10 days and haven't had any adverse side effects except that my arthritic knees seem to be more sore. My other joints seem to be fine and so far no mood changes. We shall see as time goes on. My oncologist also ordered blood work, a chest xray and a pelvic ultrasound, which were all done on Monday.
    Wanda, good luck to you with the new oncologist and meds change.
    ~~~Bertie
  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #6
    BCsur5or said:

    Saw the Dr on Monday...
    The oncologist agrees with the change and said that it is because Femara works better and that it's better to start it as soon as possible. I've been on it for 10 days and haven't had any adverse side effects except that my arthritic knees seem to be more sore. My other joints seem to be fine and so far no mood changes. We shall see as time goes on. My oncologist also ordered blood work, a chest xray and a pelvic ultrasound, which were all done on Monday.
    Wanda, good luck to you with the new oncologist and meds change.
    ~~~Bertie

    Femara
    Thanks so much Bertie. Hope the Femara works for you. I am also postmenapausal and they did recommend Femara also.
    I see my new onc. in June.
    Thanks again.
    I was on it about a month before any symptons started.

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