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DianeD's avatar
DianeD
Member
3 days ago

Letrozole - aches and pains continue

Last year I was switched from Tamoxifen to Letrozole.  At first I was feeling okay on the Letrozole but then I had a post menopausal heavy bleed (thats a whole other story), so had a medication holiday.  When I resumed the Letrozole I started to ache and have body pains constantly, usually at night which resulted in ongoing fatigue.  I saw my doctor who advised to stop taking the Letrozole - I was 4 years post breast cancer at this stage, so it was felt, as my initial prognosis was good, this would be okay.  My issue is now, 6 weeks after ceasing the Letrozole, I still get the body aches and pains.  It seems to be getting slightly worse.  Does anyone have any experience of ceasing the meds and how long does it take to start feeling pain free?

2 Replies

  • HelloDianeD​ sorry to hear about your ongoing aches - that’s not the outcome you were hoping for. I have only had a “holiday” from Letrozole so can’t shed light on the time taken if you cease completely but I did notice reduced aches at night when I paused my Letrozole.

    This is a bit left field but if you are taking any vitamin supplements or shakes, it might also be worth checking with your GP and potentially considering a blood test. We had a bit of a discussion earlier this year about news reports of people experiencing muscular aches and neuropathy type symptoms. They were found - through blood tests - to have vitamin B toxicity. 
    Peripheral neuropathy, aches and vitamin supplements- caution about B6 | BCNA Online Network

     

  • Sorry to hear your aches & pains issues, DianeD​ ... Sadly, Letrozole can cause these issues .... the bleed could be a mix of changing from the Tamoxifen to the Letrozole ... but it happened & it would have been scary xx

    Going from one AI to another - may take a while before they get 'out of your system' and everyone is different ... so some may take longer than others  :(   

    I went from Letrozole to Exemestane and then Anastrozole within a 3 month period at the start of my AI journey ..... and for me, found that Anastrozole suited me better than the other two.   I have been on it for the last 6+ years, and just weaning off them now, as my AI journey comes to an end.
    Take care - I hope these side effects lessen very soon