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
- @Vangirl, I just had a read. Interesting, lol there is sooo much to look forward to. :)
- @LMK74 good stuff. I've been doing a bit of reading and urinary incontinence is apparently a known side effect of lack of oestrogen but there are treatments.
https://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/womens-guide/bladder-control-menopause
If it's any consolation, I'm 42 and some days feel more like 82! - @Vangirl, I'm a year post chemo and haven't brought this up yet. Next appointment i will discuss it. It just sucks i have swapped one lot of sanitary products for incontinence ones. At 44 i feel like an old lady lol.
- My onc puts them in my file so I'm assuming he's keeping them as a record :)
- @Sister I usually take a list but I just need to get over the bit where I have to say it aloud :blush:
I will consider making two copies as you suggest. Good idea! - I was a little uncomfortable as well. I found it easier, particularly at the post-chemo review appointment, to list the symptoms I was having, with a description of the current state of play, and give the onc a copy. Then he went through each and discussed them - I had libido and dryness on the list as well as the diarrhoea issues - it just became matter of fact doing it that way.
- @Vangirl We all have things that we're ninnies about. I'm really not looking forward to discussing my vagina and sex life. But if I want to have the latter I'm going to have to bite the bullet. I'm between oncologists at the moment. The one I choose will depend on how well I think I'll be able to talk to them.
- Thanks @kmakm and @SoldierCrab - either I will pull myself together and bring it up with him or I will talk to my (older, female) GP, who is also very experienced in cancer-care.
Only two weeks out of chemo so there is a good chance it might resolve itself.
PS, just want to add, my oncologist is the best, an absolute sweetie, it is I who is the ninny! - Ladies if you have a breast care nurse speak with her regarding this there is help available I will say I am better now took a few years out from Chemo for me to regain control of my bladder from wee leakage.
- @Vangirl Perhaps you could say to him you've got some issues you'd rather discuss with a woman? I think it's really important you have a doc you're comfortable with. It worries me that you don't! K xox
