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Jo_D_'s avatar
Jo_D_
Member
9 years ago

Femara, side effects

i have been taking Femara (Letrozole ) for two years now and one of the side effects is that my hair has thinned so much that I now have a worse comb over than Donald Trump. Does anyone have a solution to this problem? Do I need to buy a wig?

3 Replies

  • Good advice from Deanne. I too am very careful what I use on my hair - I treat it very gently! I was tested for thyroid, zinc and iron deficiencies and a host of other possibles, and was fine for all, which is reassuring to know all those things you rather take for granted are OK! But if the hair loss is significant, then it is worth checking.
  • I know a few women on here have reported hair thinning with Femara. I have been on Femara for just over a year. Before that I was on Tamoxifen for 2 years. My hair is a lot thinner than it was before Chemo and I definitely have a receeding hairline too. I have to style my hair to conceal these issues. 
    I have known that a couple of women have discovered other issues such as thyroid levels have actually been causing the hair loss that they were blaming on treatment so that is always something to check. Many thyroid symptoms are very similar to side effects we expect from treatment. 
    As @Afraser says it could be a combination of things. My hair has thickened up a little in the last couple of years. It was very thin and slow growing for about 12 months after chemo.
     I guess doing anything that helps our general health can't hurt. Making healthy changes so that your body has all the vitamins and minerals it needs for healthy hair growth. Using gentle shampoos. I now use a natural one that seems to make my hair have more volume. It is called 100% Pure Honey and Virgin Coconut Restorative Shampoo and I use the Conditioner too.
    Maybe someone else will have something to recommend that has worked for them. Hope that you can find something that helps. Deanne xxx
  • Ow, that's difficult to put up with! I have been on Femara for four years, no problem with hair for the first two, and then suddenly some thinning. Nothing too dramatic, but a lot more shedding than normal. Had everything checked, dermatologist too, but couldn't pin it down to anything particular. It's stabilised now for 18 months or so. I still shed a bit more than I used to, but within normal daily limits, and my hair isn't thinning. So I am just gritting my teeth for another year!! It could of course be age, or more likely I think it's a combination of things. I hung on to my chemo wig though, just in case