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
- @kmakm
Hopefully you can come up with some coping strategies as it would appear you are driving yourself nutty
Take care and take time out for self, sending you a virtual hug - @"Kiwi Angel" @Doodoo Hopeless sobbing meltdown at the gym (after my workout thank goodness) after I called my sister back in response to a call me asap message. Shit I think, has something happened to our parents (both over 80)? No. She just wants to change an organisational plan. She's stressed, I'm stressed, it gets contentious, I can't cope, I don't have the answers she needs, and then she hangs up on me. I don't hang up on people, I find it the height of rudeness. So now I'm sobbing. And stressing about the genetic testing appointment I'm about to have. At her behest, so she can get more information to decide whether to prophylactically remove her breasts.
I agree. I can't go on like this but I don't know what to do. I just have to keep slogging on. I want the old me back but she's gone, along with my boobs. - @kmakm Have you investigated the cannabis oil? I don't know how you're keeping going with so much pain.
- Oh @kmakm, wish I could help you. Do take care. Sending hugs 🤗 xx
- @@kmakm u can’t keep going on like this love :'(
- @"Kiwi Angel" @Doodoo I am rubbish this morning. My ankles are very sore. My mood is distressed.
- @kmakm how are you this morning?
- @arpie thanks for that. There’s so much to this BC!!!!
- I can't do Endone, either - Tramadol is okay, but I usually go for the Panadeine Forte, too. Hope it's feeling better @kmakm
- @kmakm. How are your aches and pains this morning. @Romla so many people have an issue with endone and nausea more people do than don’t I think. I luckily am ok with it - was great for me with bone pain the last couple of rounds of chemo. I can’t have morphine as it makes me nauseous.
