Letrozole and dizziness

Thank you @"Beryl C." I was convinced that it is due to letrozole, it may be tat herceptin is causing it.

Thank you wonderful ladies for taking the time to respond, this is such an incredibly supportive network.  

Herceptin can also cause dizziness. Oncologists do not like to acknowledge too many side effects as they are concerned you may stop treatment. The Herceptin manufacturers warn dizziness is a side effect.

Hi @PV123 I don’t mind you asking at all.  I was started on Tamoxifen because I was pre-menopausal when all this happened and that’s usually what they put you on.  During the six months I was on it I had dreadful anxiety, fogginess, panic and finally suicidal thoughts.  By then I had moved into menopause so I was changed to Arimidex.  It was much better but I couldn’t sleep and my work was suffering. So the onc said let’s try and tweak that so we tried Aromasin, but that put me right back at the anxiety and panic again.  This was confusing because it’s a different family of drugs to the Tamoxifen so evidently shouldn’t have done that.  So the final drug to try was Letrozole. It’s taken away the mental symptoms but does give me the aches when I get out of bed each morning and my bone density has diminished slightly so now that will be monitored.  But everyone is different as you will read here and everyone reacts differently.  The important thing is to navigate your own path with the help of your Onc, GP, Physio etc.  They are all there to help you but only you know how you’re feeling and you need to be the voice.  I put up with Tamoxifen for six months because I thought that’s what I had to do and the side effects were what I had to live with.  It’s not an easy journey but I’m thankful for early detection and having treatment available.  I am so much more fortunate than others.  Take care xxx

You may find as time passes your body may adjust and the severity of symptoms may reduce.
I have experienced dizziness on each of the medications but it is only in the evening and now it is only occasional.
Early days before the body adjusted I had stemitil too.
Did your Onc suggest how long you are to be on these meds?  Initially I was told 5 years but since then it has changed to 10 years and l live in hope that the timeframe may reduce. Bone pain is my horrid side effect.
It's still early days for you.
It's a long road that we are on!
Take care 

Thank you @Afraser, I will have to speak to the oncologist when I see her next.  As many others have said earlier it is difficult to continue with a medication that causes these type of side effects.  I was planning to go go back to work next month, that would be difficult with these side effects.

Thank you @Wonk for your response, when I mentioned the dizziness to the oncologist, she was very adamant that it is not due to letrozole.  What you said is so true, sometimes I think I am creating symptoms in my mind.  I might visit the GP or physio to find out if any exercises may help.  If you don’t mind my asking why did you need to change others like Tamoxifen, Arimidex and Aromasin? I was going to ask the Onco if I could try another brand or another medication.

Hi @PV123 it’s interesting you say that because I’ve been on Letrozole for about 4 months now and experienced 2 bouts of what I realise is vertigo.  I have never had it before so it was a weird sensation.  I’ve been on each of the drugs Tamoxifen, Arimidex, Aromasin and now Letrozole which seems to suit me best.  I found that my oncologist told me the drugs wouldn’t be giving me the symptoms I was getting but when I come onto this forum I can always find someone experiencing the same thing.  It’s nice to know we are not alone or going crazy.  But then again we probably are just going crazy together  😜 😊
Take care xxx

I take femara too and dizziness is one of the side effects listed on the product information. If may not be as common as some other side effects but if the maker lists it.........
I’ve never had that problem myself but clearly it can happen.
The binding agents used in pill manufacture vary, although the active ingredients remain the same for different brands of the same medication. If you are sensitive to lactose for example,a brand with more lactose in the binder may cause a reaction (to the lactose not the prescribed medication). It may be worth trying another brand, just in case but worth discussing again with your oncologist. Best wishes.