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CassieB's avatar
CassieB
Member
11 years ago

Hormone Therapy part 2

Help!

Ok i've been taking Femara for three months now and am really suffering bad joint pain in my ankles, knees, wrists and fingers, swollen puffy legs, pins and needles feeling in legs and arms all day and night, hot flushes, headaches, fatigue the list goes on.

I see my Onco on 2 March, can anyone help with some tips on how to manage these side effects. I'm seriously close to stopping this medication altogether. Has anyone done that? I can't see this going on for 5 years! 

TIA

Cassie

 

hormone-therapy

5 Replies

  • Colombian_Rose's avatar
    Colombian_Rose
    Member
    11 years ago
    Hi Cassie, Yes I too walk like a 90 yr old for the first 5 mins of walking, when just out of bed in the morning. But a nice warm shower helps to get the circulation running in the mornings...and those white Teds stockings put on those swollen feet & ankles in the evening (prior to bed) help reduce this swelling by the next morning. I haven't taken any krill or fish oil tablets or magnesium tablets- as I don't know whether this interferes with the rest of my treatment - 4 weekly injections. Hope this helps :)
  • Chris's avatar
    Chris
    Member
    11 years ago
    Hi Cassie, I have been on Femara for 3.5 years now, and I had all those side effects too. Now I am pretty good, though can still walk like a 90 year old for the first few steps in the morning. I had ankle swelling, but it hasn't been an issue this year. My joints and tendons seem to be better if I take fish oil and krill. This year I have even started seeing a personal trainer at the gym (I hate gyms). I realised today that I can now squat down and get up again without needing to haul myself up using the furniture. So, the exercise has helped my knees and added lots of strength. Even the hot flushes aren't as bad as before. I still get some, but the intensity has come out of them. It is a bugger, but I am just pleased like Dawn, to have this drug to reduce the chance of recurrence. I have no desire to stop taking this drug till I get to the 10 year mark. I hope your side effects will start to ease soon.
  • dawngirl's avatar
    dawngirl
    Member
    11 years ago

    Oh Cassie that definitely sounds extreme. I'm so sorry you're suffering like this. I have had periods like this too but they went eventually. And they come back. And then they go. I'd like my pre bc life back too but if wishes were cures were possible :-} Are you taking fish oil? Krill oil? Magnesium? These things can help ease things a bit. I hope your oncologist can come up with a plan to ease the worst of it. Sometimes switching types of AI can help apparently. Hope you get some relief soon. x

  • CassieB's avatar
    CassieB
    Member
    11 years ago

    Thanks Dawngirl

    Yes all the time. It is stopping me from doing things....eg living! On Saturday night I went to a concert at the Zoo and had to leave 3/4 way through. Spent most of Sunday in bed crying on panadeine forte. Cancelled Sunday night plans to go into the city to see the Chinese new year parade with friends. For a whole year of treatment I have never once cried or had a sick day off work. I work in retail so swollen, painful feet, legs, hands and back are not an option!

    I've just read all the blog entries re Femara side effects and thinking of trying something natural. I see my Onco next Monday to discuss alternatives.

    I'm coming to the end of treatment now with 5 more herceptin to go, I just want my life back!

    Cassie xx

    I 

     

     

  • dawngirl's avatar
    dawngirl
    Member
    11 years ago

    Greetings. I feel all your pains (having experienced most of them) but it does get better and I am grateful every day I get to take something that halves my risk of it coming back. In fact I plan to take it for ten. There's no easy solution: I take mega doses of fish oil and vit d, hardly ever drink alcohol and eat healthy as much as possible (but by no means a paragon of virtue). It's been about 18 months now and the side effects have lessened: I still walk like a 90 year old for the guest few steps if I've been sitting for a while; I'm talking to my oncologist about the ankle swelling I'm experiencing at the moment this coming Wednesday; I find I'm suffering one side effect or other at all times (golfers elbow at mo) but I'm still here and I'd be way too scared to stop doing my meds. I'm really sorry you're having such a hard time with ... but I really hope you persevere for longer. Whenever it's bad I tell myself: how would I feel if it came back and I hadn't done everything to try to stay healthy? Oh, and for fatigue: exercise always works for me. Swimming the best. I get out if the pool or ocean and feel I can do anything. In my case the side effects come and go. One flares up. Another does down. Another one comes back. Are yours all at the same time? :-( xo