Forum Discussion
Early Days on Letrozole
So, I started taking Letrozole on the 1/6/18.
My oncologist says I have to be on it for 10 years as several ongoing studies are indicating cancer preventing benefits beyond the seven year mark. It's a watching brief though, so I'm prepared that the advice might change in this time.
Three days after starting it my ankles started to ache. A lot. It got worse and started to wake me up at night. Whether I exercised or not didn't make any difference. I took some osteo-panadol for when it was really painful but I didn't fancy living on that, so on the advice of many people here, and my oncologist, I started taking krill oil. Within a few days the pain was down to a manageable level. Hooray!
Three weeks later though the ache ramped up. At exactly the same time my hot flushes, which had subsided to a bearable level after chemo, suddenly got a lot worse. Longer, stronger and now with extra bonus sweat!
I persisted with the krill oil for another week but there was no change. So in my personal clinical trial, I came off the krill oil for a (painful) week, and then started magnesium. Again on the anecdotal evidence from the good folk here, many of whom say it helps.
I also had a foot, ankle and lower leg massage at one of those mall massage joints on the same day as I started magnesium. It was utter bliss having my aching ankles worked on!
Something changed, because again the ankle pain subsided to a bearable level. Now whether this was something to do with the massage, or the magnesium, a combination of both, or my body simply adjusting to the rapid withdrawal of oestrogen, I simply don't know.
My oncologist says no evidence that magnesium works on anything other than cramps. However I'll keep taking it for a couole more weeks and then stop. I'll observe what happens and then, if the pain returns, I'll move on to the next thing in my 'clinical trial', which is curcumin. The onc says her patients have reported success with that. There'll be a magnesium spray test at some point as well!
My ankles still ache but it's at a lower level at the moment. All our bodies are different, der, but I thought I'd share my experiments in managing Letrozole side effects. It might be useful to someone! K xox
My oncologist says I have to be on it for 10 years as several ongoing studies are indicating cancer preventing benefits beyond the seven year mark. It's a watching brief though, so I'm prepared that the advice might change in this time.
Three days after starting it my ankles started to ache. A lot. It got worse and started to wake me up at night. Whether I exercised or not didn't make any difference. I took some osteo-panadol for when it was really painful but I didn't fancy living on that, so on the advice of many people here, and my oncologist, I started taking krill oil. Within a few days the pain was down to a manageable level. Hooray!
Three weeks later though the ache ramped up. At exactly the same time my hot flushes, which had subsided to a bearable level after chemo, suddenly got a lot worse. Longer, stronger and now with extra bonus sweat!
I persisted with the krill oil for another week but there was no change. So in my personal clinical trial, I came off the krill oil for a (painful) week, and then started magnesium. Again on the anecdotal evidence from the good folk here, many of whom say it helps.
I also had a foot, ankle and lower leg massage at one of those mall massage joints on the same day as I started magnesium. It was utter bliss having my aching ankles worked on!
Something changed, because again the ankle pain subsided to a bearable level. Now whether this was something to do with the massage, or the magnesium, a combination of both, or my body simply adjusting to the rapid withdrawal of oestrogen, I simply don't know.
My oncologist says no evidence that magnesium works on anything other than cramps. However I'll keep taking it for a couole more weeks and then stop. I'll observe what happens and then, if the pain returns, I'll move on to the next thing in my 'clinical trial', which is curcumin. The onc says her patients have reported success with that. There'll be a magnesium spray test at some point as well!
My ankles still ache but it's at a lower level at the moment. All our bodies are different, der, but I thought I'd share my experiments in managing Letrozole side effects. It might be useful to someone! K xox
373 Replies
- Yep, I take all my drugs at night too ... for the same reason.
Dont know if it's been proven ... but i think it works.
Specially for aches, pains and strains .... let it work it's magic whilst your body is resting ..... even if not necessarily sleeping! ;) - @primek @tigerbeth Both my BS and oncologist think I'm better off taking it in the morning but I think I'll give the night a try next month. I may as well. If it makes it worse I can just change back.
- @kmakm I also take all my drugs at night who knows if that helps but it seems to work for me !
Just realised part of my post is missing from the post above the
link goes to a song by Josh Groban that has words that probably resonate to a lot of us . Check it out !
Have a great day xx - @kmakm one of the things I did was switched my letrozole time to night time. Although very stiff on morning with ankles I had less pain throughout the day. Plus I took fish oil and panadol osteo. I don't need any now 2 years on and I do wonder if some of the pain was related to chemo side effects.
- @kmakm sorry your feeling crap ! Not good lovey , need more deep breathes & try not be everyone's answer! Take it slower !and don't be so hard on yourself ! You're amazing !
Find your river !
https://youtu.be/-uoKsEqFppo - @kmakm So sorry about that. Big virtual hugs coming. xox
- @kmakm I really do wonder if some different medication may help your mood enormously too as I know someone who went through hell emotionally on this drug. You can’t live with joint pain like this for the next 4 years. Your would think it should be starting to setting down now but it’s getting worse.
- @iserbrown I prefer to think that it's cancer & the AI that's driving me batty as I was fine before 4/12/17... I was known as the sane one in my family! Thank you for the virtual hug. K xox
- @kmakm deep breath hun. Spring is the healing season. Breathe it in. Do some simple things. Find some daisies & make a daisy chain, watch bees humming, plant a few flowers, go to the beach & build a sandcastle. All those things we did as kids. The simplest things in life are always the best!! You are such a beautiful person & I don’t mean for anything you have done for anyone else!! I simply mean because you are you. Look after yourself xxoo
