Letrozole and fatigue

Thiamine is not looking a wise supplement choice as is a suggestion causes tumour growth but did also note anaemia often a problem with some bc treatment eg chemo @Cyclo whilst I don't have headache - should I say yet as am only 7 plus weeks in -  which is another Letrozole side effect  if I "overdo it " ie live my life at my normal pace -  I too end up exhausted. - fatigue also effects my thinking and I feel a lot less able to juggle what I used to .The web site breastcancer.org covers the common side effects http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/druglist/femara  . I think exercise for all of us might be very important on this drug but we are going to have to pace ourselves and maybe accept going slower than we would like - I do feel better after an hour walk  -must be getting more oxygen into the bloodstream .I too only had radiotherapy but experienced major fatigue after it ended for a week . I wonder if this is a side effect of letrozole that eases over time .Kath has been on it 12 months but has had chemo which also causes fatigue - wonder if anyone on here has been on it for a while and found fatigue has eased ?

I agree with Kath and Cyclo. It's hard to sort out what is stress, fatigue or side effects from the drugs. Three months into Letrazole, I'm still very tired, stiff and sore, but gradually getting better. Exercise really does help. To start with, I thought I was wearing myself out by walking in the morning, then I figured out that I felt like shite by mid afternoon regardless of what I had done in the morning. Overall, getting my body moving again has helped my mood and made me a bit more optimistic about recovering a bit more.

I should add that I hadn't had a headache for 25 years, which coincides with the time I left a really bad marriage .

Hi Romla I've been on letrozole for 5 months and have regular bouts of fatigue, I'm working 4 days a week and exercise quite a lot mostly cycling but also now doing weights with a PT . As soon as I do much more than that I end up fatigued and spend the weekend trying to recover. The fatigue includes a very fussy head like a headache but not quite, sometimes I panic and think the cancer has spread to my brain . I don't know if the fussy head and fatigue are  caused by letrozole or not. I know I'm meant to pace myself but like to live a busy life too.  I've given up a lot of things I used to do , like committees and have also stopped working really  long hours like I used to  (both good things to reduce) I need to increase my hours to 5 days a week soon and wonder how I will manage. How have you managed FT work Kath? Lucky for me I didn't have chemo but did have radio which wasn't really the doddle I expected. Lyn 

You are amazing Kath ! I am retired and struggling - how you work full time I do not know.You are right about exercise - I know I feel better when I have a daily 1 hour walk but need to go early (7am) or else something always crops up Am thinking about Thiamine tablets and maybe having my iron levels checked as not much red meat consumed in this household ( my kids don't like it ) - but will check mskcc before I self medicate.Other than that may have to accept life in the slow lane .Mercifully mentally am not sluggish as that would be frightening -just wish a night's sleep put some petrol back in my tank

I am much tireder since starting but I had also just finished chemo so I don't know if it recovery from that or the letrozole. It's now 12 months so I am really trying to work on that. I have recently started to increase my activity, knowing exercise can reduce fatigue. I just started with 10 minutes a day and kept building. I walk around my work area at lunch and do the extras like parking further away. So I have gone from around 4000 steps a day to 8-10000 a day now. I do work FT and I did need to increase my hours gradually. I don't know if I will ever have my original zeal but it certainly is better. Kath x