This includes the breast cancer medication tamoxifen. Learn more. Femara belongs to a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe Femara after youve taken tamoxifen for your cancer for at least 5 years. Liver problems. HR+ breast cancer is encouraged to grow by hormones, including estrogen. Hi Dancey, i came across your post because I just stopped taking letrozole. breast and liver cancer in 2010. chemo and radio. hot flashes flushed skin increased sweating joint pain weakness edema (swelling), possibly in your ankles or feet headache dizziness bone pain The mild side effects of Femara that are less. To find out how often this side effect occurred in clinical studies, see the drugs prescribing information. reduces the risk of a new breast cancer . Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Its a hormone therapy for breast cancer. Medically reviewed by Carmen Fookes, BPharm. Both Femara and Arimidex belong to a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors. When you take the drug, it stops androgens in your body from converting into estrogen. was on it for 10 years!!! But studies comparing the two drugs have found slightly differing results. For advanced breast cancer, Femara is primarily used for breast cancer thats known to be HR+. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. Common side effects can be like menopause symptomsand include hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, tiredness and low mood. All rights reserved. Femara can decrease bone mineral density in some people. No, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasnt approved Femara for use in bodybuilding. When Femara is used off-label to treat infertility, the drug doesnt increase the risk of birth defects or miscarriage. You can take Femara at any time of day. It should be safe to drink alcohol during your Femara treatment. After surgery, the women were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 5 years of letrozole (letrozole monotherapy), 5 years of tamoxifen (tamoxifen monotherapy), or one of the two sequential treatment groups. Femara is also FDA-approved for extended adjuvant treatment of early HR+ breast cancer. Most people who use Femara take the drug for at least 5 years. Clomiphene is approved to treat infertility in females. This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. If you think youve taken too much of this drug, call your doctor. Instead, Femara is a hormone therapy. Femara isnt approved to treat infertility in males. The recommended length of time that letrozole is taken for will depend on your individual situation. What can I do to help relieve this side effect? If youre concerned about how Femara might affect your cholesterol levels, talk with your doctor. Because these drugs work in the same way, their side effects are very similar. Arimidex (anastrozole) is a brand-name prescription drug thats used for certain types of breast cancer. The drugs work by lowering estrogen levels in your body, which helps stop breast cancer from growing. Alexander M. Castellino, PhD & Zosia Chustecka. Femara isnt currently approved to treat infertility in females. Certain drugs, such as paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil), are used to treat hot flashes. (A drug class is a group of medications that work in a similar way.). Spotting refers to slight vaginal bleeding when you arent having your period. If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Femara may be used off-label to treat infertility due to PCOS and other causes. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think youre having a medical emergency. Before taking Femara, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter types. This is how Femara causes ovulation. It is usually used when you have been through a natural menopause. But try to always stick to the same time each day. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses. Mild side effects of Femara can usually go away within a few days or a couple weeks. Also, if you experience fatigue, extreme tiredness, or dizziness while taking Femara, you shouldnt drive or operate heavy machinery. They may be able to suggest ways may help improve your energy level during your treatment. But you wont be able to notice it working in your body. Weight gain. The usual dosage of Femara for inducing ovulation is 2.5 mg taken by mouth once daily for 5 days. There are also some things you can do to help minimize loss of bone strength while youre taking Femara. Most side effects of Femara are mild. Femara will start working soon after you start taking it. Here are some common questions about taking Femara tablets. But this side effect wasnt reported in studies. If youre already ovulating before taking Femara, the drug may cause more eggs than usual to mature and be released from your ovaries. bone, muscle, or joint pain*. The list below includes factors to consider. How to Use Letrozole for Fertility Femara (letrozole) is offered in 2.5-milligram yellow, film-coated tablets. However, its important to note that alcohol and Femara can have similar side effects. For information on how the drug performed in clinical studies, see Femaras prescribing information. Generally it takes four to five half-lives for a drug to be eliminated from the body, so in the case of Arimidex this would be 150 to 300 hours, or six to 12 days. I've been on Ibrance/letrozole since October 2015, so 2 1/2 years so far and it's still working. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Femara to treat certain conditions. These cancers can be treated with hormone therapies that work by lowering estrogen levels in your body. However, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. If youre concerned about aches and pains during your Femara treatment, talk with your doctor about exercises and complementary therapies that are safe for you to try. If youre taking Femara, your doctor may want to measure your bone mineral density. (To learn more, see Is Femara used for infertility? right above.) All rights reserved. And your doctor can use this information to adjust your treatment plan if needed. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article. This also includes the release of bisphosphonates from bone surfaces that end up in the bloodstream, because they can't attach themselves to the bone cells and are simply unused. Letrozole's terminal elimination half-life is about 2 days and steady-state plasma concentration after daily 2.5 mg dosing is reached in 2-6 weeks. What should I know about Femara vs. Arimidex? Its used to treat the following types of cancer: Femara comes as a tablet you take by mouth once per day. What Types of Breast Cancer Have the Highest Recurrence Rates? Your doctor can recommend treatment options other than Femara. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. You shouldnt take Femara unless its been prescribed by a healthcare professional. After menopause, your body produces less estrogen, which can weaken your bones. Femara comes as tablets that are taken by mouth. If you drink alcohol and youre concerned about how this might affect your condition, talk with your doctor. In other words, it takes about 2 days for your body to get rid of half of a Femara dose. But its not known how often this occurs in people using Femara. If you experienced side effects while taking Femara, those side effects may not go away for a few weeks after your last dose . Your doctor will help you to weigh potential risks and benefits of taking Femara for a long period of time. Maintaining a moderate weight. If you no longer need to take Femara and have leftover medication, its important to dispose of it safely. At that point, the aromatase enzyme is the main pathway that your body uses to make estrogen. One way your doctor will monitor your bone strength is by measuring your bone mineral density. Clomid has been discontinued, but generic versions of clomiphene are still available. Femara can interact with several types of drugs. But actual success rates of Femara for achieving pregnancy or having live births depend on many factors. What happens when you stop taking letrozole? In this case, stopping Femara can sometimes improve your breast cancer, rather than causing side effects. Headaches were a common side effect in studies of Femara. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if youre taking tamoxifen or any products that have estrogen in them. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. Taking more than the recommended dosage of Femara may result in overdose in some people. Femara can stay in your system after you stop taking the drug. A medication timer may be useful, too. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. How to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer: 10 Lifestyle Recommendations, Symptoms of Late Stage Metastatic Breast Cancer, What to Know and Consider Before Having Prophylactic Mastectomy. Letrozole's terminal elimination half-life is about 2 days and steady-state plasma concentration after daily 2.5 mg dosing is reached in 2-6 weeks. Can Breast Cancer Be Detected in a Complete Blood Count (CBC)? Femara can stay in your system after you stop taking the drug. ChildrenUse and dose must be determined by your doctor. hormone therapies, other than Femara, such as: chemotherapy (traditional drugs used to treat cancer), such as: vaginal estrogen products, such as creams, tablets, suppositories, and rings, certain birth control medications, such as. If you have questions about any symptoms after stopping Femara, talk with your doctor. If you have more questions about how Femara and clomiphene are alike and different, talk with your doctor. Cancer cells usually increase in number more quickly than healthy cells. reduced the number of deaths from breast cancer. One of the possible triggers for this abnormal cell growth is the hormone estrogen. * In this article, we use the term female to refer to someones sex assigned at birth. If you have questions about how Femara may affect your bone density, talk with your doctor. Femara and clomiphene are both used to induce (cause) ovulation in females* who are having trouble becoming pregnant. Start taking it measuring your bone density, talk with your doctor or pharmacist which can your. Medical emergency having your period refers to slight vaginal bleeding when you arent having period. Have leftover medication, its important to note that alcohol and youre concerned about how Femara might affect your levels. Slightly differing how long does letrozole stay in your system after you stop taking it cystone found slightly differing results as paroxetine ( Brisdelle, Paxil ), used... Which can weaken your bones CBC ) trouble becoming pregnant once daily for 5 days, Femara primarily! 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