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
- Hey Guys have only been on Femara a few weeks. I get really itchy on my torso as well as my feet feel like walking on river stones. Don't have any pins and needles though. Anyone else had these problems with it. Would appreciate some advice as driving me crazy. (crazier more like) xo
- Dear @Suwal, there is often not much you can do to avoid side effects. The reasons some people get them and others don't are very far from clear. Eat healthily, exercise, keep as positive as possible which may all help deal with any side effects you do get, but may not stop them. Arthritis type pains are common with Femara but in nearly 6 years I have never had any. I have vaginal atrophy though! Which may be in part (now, not in the beginning) attributable to age. Discuss and ask your medical team for relief from any difficult side effects, which may or may not help, but always worth trying. Best wishes.
- About to start Femara tomorrow. Any hints to keep healthy with no side effects?
- @Brenda5 my onc suggested Krill oil capsules for joint pain brought on by Letrozole which is a stronger “ fish oil” if you’re interested in trying it.
- I tried the fish oil as I had a bad knee for weeks. It fixed it instantly from the first capsule but now my hips going bung lol.
- @kmakm I have had some joint aches in my hips (which are arthritic), knees and ankles some nights on the tamoxifen and sometimes when I first wake up in the morning my knuckle joints are sore. Probably not as bad as u though. Bloody estrogen!!
- @"Kiwi Angel" Interesting.
- @kmakm I have been using curcumin for a couple of months and are starting to ease off the panadol osteo before I go to bed at night.
- @arpie and @kmakm Curcumin is the refined version of turmeric and much stronger.Quite a lot of ladies I know who have arthritis find it useful.Here’s hoping it helps you both.
- So clever of you @arpie. I don't have the time for that unfortunately. K xox
