Letrozole
Comments
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Sorry to see you join our select little group @KimR xx And also sorry to read of your recent diagnosis xx. Feel free to jump onto 'Newly diagnosed' and tell us the story of your diagnosis & treatments so far ....
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/categories/newly-diagnosed
Being in Alstonville - you'd have to travel to some of your appointments? If you ever have to travel 100k+ (one way) you will qualify to join IPTAAS for fuel & accommodation subsidies. We have a 'rural/regional & remote' group that you may like to join, where we put up any 'new' info re claiming the Patient Travel subsidies in all states. If you'd like - just click on this link & then click 'join'.
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/group/28-living-in-regional-rural-and-remote-areas
Clicking this link will help you see what is available to you from IPTAAS NSW
https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/sites/default/files/publications/pats-fact-sheet-and-guide-2023.pdf
Being Metastatic, you may also like to join the private Living with Mets group as well - where you can discuss all aspects of your treatment in total privacy xx
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/group/2-living-with-metastatic-breast-cancer
Take care & all the best
Also check out this post for lots of things on the forum you may like to check out ..... you can show us your gardens, art & craft, your fur kids, and there are also 'tick sheets' you can print off & fill in re your mental & physical health as you proceed ... print off 2 copies & give one to your team member as sometimes it is easier to do that than to 'talk' about it!!
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/23477/a-big-welcome-to-all-new-online-network-members#latest
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@GorgyS. I tried different times of day. Eventually settled on night time. I’m in the routine now when I finish dinner I take my pills. Palbociclib Anastrosol calcium with vit D had to break a bone to discover I was borderline osteoporosis & magnesium helps with the cramps If I take them on an empty stomach I get nauseous. then just before bed I take panadol osteo to combat the bone pain from my lesions and arthritis.Hope you find your ideal time to take the drugs3
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thank you @cranky_granny. I am taking it at night. I did my bone density scan yesterday so I will find out soon if I will be taking any supplements.1
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@GorgyS I’m regretting not starting the calcium supplements earlier. I was mildly osteopenia before all this cancer crap and having gone through menopause young. A known side effect.2
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Hi @Mahjah
I've now been on Letrozole for 5 months. Like some others have mentioned, I too tried different times of day, and have settled into now taking this at night, usually about 1 hour before bed.
At first, I had a really hard time with side effects. I described it as my joints screaming at me. hips & shoulders were ok, it was knees, ankles and wrists mainly. It would take me a while to get into a comfortable position before sleeping, and I took painkillers too.
Starting to be more OK now - rarely do I take painkillers, and i'm only creaky if I've been sitting for too long (like after driving somewhere more than 30 minutes or working from a desk).
I too exercise (swimming twice a week and lifting weights) and also take Calcium, Vitamin D and powdered magnesium before bed.
(i'm also on Ribociclib, Zoladex and Zometa, as well as thyroid hormone from my first cancer many years ago).
I was really scared at first that the side effects would get on top of me, but am feeling much better now.
I really hope you follow the 'no side effects for me' tribe as opposed to those of us who feel the effects much more accutely.
Still amazes me that our bodies react so differently.
Very best wishes to you
Kelly6 -
Hi. Wondering if anyone had red irritated bloodshot eyes as a side effect from letrozole.1
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Hi @GorgyS, My eyes haven't been red but they've been very dry since I had chemotherapy. I discovered this because I had some trouble with my contact lenses and went to see the optometrist. Just mentioning in case it's related to your chemo? But you're probably right if it's happened soon after Letrozole.0
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Thank you @HelenlovesSnoopy. As it comes and goes, I am going to see a GP tomorrow because it is extremely red today. I will also report this to my oncologist. It is just very red. I do not have any other discomfort in my eye.
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I haven't noticed bloodshot eyes, @GorgyS - Have you been rubbing them much recently? There's been a lot of pollen in the air that could aggravate and it has also been very windy (in my area, anyway!).... Or do you live in a rural area where there may be aerial spraying of crops? Maybe ask your GP/Onc if others have complained of the same thing?
However, Since going onto AIs, my eyes have been very dry - sometimes as if a thin veil is over my eyes! Yet the ophthalmologist can't see it thru his microscope!! So I tend to blink a lot to keep them moist - and have some of those tiny little vials of saline that I use, if they get really bad.
take care - I hope it rectifies quickly xx
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Hi @GorgyS, I've had very dry eyes since I started chemo and seemed to get slightly worse since I've started letrozole. It started affecting the vision in my right eye, and my ophthalmologist told me to alternate hylo forte and nova tears every hour until they improved. I did that for a week or so, and slowly reduced it to a couple of times a day. They still get very dry at night, and some days I need to use it more.1
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thank you @arpie and @Katie46. I saw an optometrist two months ago and was prescribed Hylo-Forte eye drops for dry eyes. I need to find out why my eyes often become bloodshot, as it looks quite alarming. I've also heard that heavy lifting can cause eye vessels to burst, and since I'm doing a lot of weight training as part of my exercise program (recommended by my exercise physiologist), I’ll need to check into all of this.1
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Sounds like you may have identified the cause! Get it checked!
Take care1 -
Hi. Just an update on my red eye. I visited an optometrist this morning who checked my eyes. Everything is fine except for a burst blood vessel, which the optometrist believes was caused by heavy lifting. As a result, I’ve had to postpone exercising until the blood vessel heals. I was concerned about the weights, especially since the exercise physiologist recently increased them to 16 kg. I think it might have been too much, especially for someone older who hasn’t done much heavy lifting in the past, particularly while recovering from cancer treatment. I will ask my EP to review my plan and come up with something more suitable for me. At least it is not caused by Letrozole.1
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Yep, the weights would definitely cause it ... watch out for your shoulders too. A buddy who started weights when she was well into her 50s (and was lifting serious weights - even doing comps) has had to have shoulder reconstruction. I don't think she is doing weights any more.
Did your EP know about your medical history & age? If 'yes' it is Surprising that they put you onto the biggish weights fairly quickly! ... Repetition of smaller weights would probably do the job just as well .... and hopefully not cause injuries!
take care & I hope it heals well xx0 -
Of course, the EP knows everything about my age and condition. I really don’t understand why they are pushing these weights. I mentioned to one of the EPs that my eyes had become red, and I was concerned that I shouldn't be lifting weights. She added even more weight that day, saying that red eyes have nothing to do with exercise.
Thanks, Arpie, for your comments. I really appreciate it.
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