Femara versus generic brands

I think that Apotex brand has less impact on me but to be honest, the severity and places that hurt can change day to day so I'm not really sure.

It didn't matter which brand I used it all sadly caused these side effects. I'm now on anastrazole after 3 years of letrozole. It too has side effects but less so for me. 

I've been on letrozole for nearly 2 years,  had various generic brands including Femara with no ill effect apart from the usual side effects of joint pain and muscle stiffness. I think it just varies from person to person and as you are in the early stages of taking the drug your body may have not settled into it yet. I know it took several months for the side effects to really ramp up with me. Down the track you can ask for a break if it gets severe. Exercise helps.

I have been on Letrazole/Femara for 12 weeks, so far I have aches and pain in my feet and hips but once I start moving it improves. I also get sore elbows and finger joints when in bed, but it dissipates upon rising. I’m hoping it doesn’t get any worse. 

Prescriptions have a box to tick/cross if you don't want the generic brands.
Some of the generics don't suit some people, for example the coatings etc can sometimes affect the stomach of sensitive people.
When I receive a prescription now I always ask the doctor if they mean the name brand or a generic.

The active ingredient is the same, but the binders, colouring, preservative if any, and so on can differ. Same principal as paracetemol. You can buy the generic house brands of paracetemol, Herron, Chemmart, Woolworths Homebrand, Coles, Aldi and so on, or pay more for Panadol. So long as the strength of the paracetemol is the same, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. Even some of the Panadol branded tablets are much more expensive, when you read the ingredients list, some have 300mg rather than 200mg So you can take three of the regular ones or two of the "special" ones for the same result.

Thanks for your answer.  I will try Femara I think.  Joint pain is better today, so will see how the next 10 days go

The variation is possible. It’s also true that letrozole can have joint pain as a side effect. I get quite a bit short with chemists giving generic brands if not asked specifically to do so, they have no way of knowing your oncologist’s reasoning for prescribing a specific medication. It’s often done because the other brand is cheaper but even so....It’s certainly worth trying Femara instead, but the difference is in the binding materials (both have the same therapeutic ingredient), and it’s hard to know what you may be reacting to. I have been on Femara for 7 years and have no joint pain (do have other side effects) but I had no arthritis or joint pain prior either. Give Femara a shot but if pain persists, you may need to talk again with your oncologist about options. Best wishes.