It's Letrozole For Me

I do agree with @Romla in that exercise is pivotal more for the mental I've found, in 3yrs I can't say exercise has been the answer for my pain, it really doesn't alter alot, it just is. I still continue to exercise as much as I can and am super active in my job. Strangely I still remember reading a report my Oncologist wrote my insurance company about my capacity to work full time...Ummmm......he said as long as I am on medication, my side effects and symptoms will remain the same and render my capacity of full time work very difficult. I guess he forgot the memo of I CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO WORK FULL TIME!!!! OR ooops sorry I forgot to tell you worst case scenario of what treatment can do to your quality of life. Hmmm...thank god for a sense of humor!!!! My exercise Physiologist said nothing I do or take can reverse the damage done by treatment and so I have constant cramping inside my chest and back, and strangely that was triggered by radiation treatment back in 2011. Whoa!!!! hahaha!!! I have to be careful how I move as they trigger easily. But NOBODY knows....I dont tell anyone, everyone at work thinks wow youre fantastic for your age the way I fly around haha!!! so sometimes a little comes out and there is nothing but shock...who knew? this is my private journey nobody can help me with the pain, so I do the things that help. So keep on ladies, Im not debilitated, compromised? absolutely, but doing Ok I think :) 

@kmakm It may well be Krill or exercise or you body adapting but my guess is it’s a little early ,based on my experience , to say  - I found it took a 3 months or so but maybe I’ve been lucky on Letrozole.

I can’t speak for Tamoxifen as have not had it @kezmusc and is a whole different drug.I had read it’s better for bones than Letrozole but was told by my eye specialist it can have vision side effects that Letrozole  does not.

We are going thru winter when cold/damp might not be helping your bones.I started Letrozole August last year and things had eased off by summer although had a small  numberof whopper hot flushes.All I know atm is my eye specialist says I am now able to do my walking again which I will start today as have noticed a bit of aches from 6 weeks of being sedentary.

My only real worry is my bone density and cholesterol which will be checked soon - hope you are being monitored for both - not trying to alarm you but lower back pain sitting on the bus going home after work is how my osteoporosis was picked up.

I am looking forward to going back to Stretch/Balance class twice weekly and using light weights as I think that helped a lot too and I remember what we have been told about the success of the weights program run by the Bone Clinic .Think it was @Deanne  and if you want a refresh on her comments you could use the search bar above.

I can’t vouch for any pills but I believe the exercise is what helped me both physically and emotionally. And that comes from a 64 year old former committed couch potato to whom exercise was formerly an anathema.My advice - keep going @ kmakm and @ arpie and I believe you will get thru this .

 I know you eat a lot of fish @ arpie but maybe the very high levels of omega 3 in Krill might be worth a shot to help with your joints. Turmeric is not as effective as Curcumin I gather. Curcumin is refined from Turmeric and much more potent .The ladiesI speak to hear swear by it for pain relief from arthritis and even a pinched nerve without tummy side effects like ibuprofen- it acts like an anti inflammatory.

I am sorry @kezmusc but am out of my depth re Tamoxifen but agree with the concerns @melclarity raised.Hope some people who are taking Tamoxifen can advise you but bit worried it may not be spotted under this thread title - might be an idea to open up a new thread to draw attention to your concerns with other Tamoxifen users.Best I can come up with.

@kezmusc I dont think there is any one answer to be honest in terms of stopping the pain. The only thing that takes the edge off is panadol osteo. No vitamin or mineral will stop it. I wondered what your onc says about stopping and starting the tamoxifen? As wouldnt it interfere with its consistency? And effectiveness?

Still early days for me - just over 1 month of tablets - I am still just aching all over - the feet thing has really thrown me.  Panadol osteo did nothing. Tumeric hasn't kicked in yet :(  ..... I am currently taking Indocid to see if that 'calms it' a tad.  

Bugger it - I'm going fishing!   :)

@kezmusc Depressing.

Hey @kmakm,  As you probably know I've been taking the same for nearly 10 months (they reckon it takes three months to get into your system properly) along with a concoction of other vitamins. I haven't found it does anything at all for the aches and pains.  Nor does panadol osteo, tramadol, glucosomine, magnesium etc etc etc

Last week I was actually pain free and thought wow, this stuff is finally kicking in.  Nope.  I realized because I had a cold I had been taking Codral for a week!  Thank you codeine. No codral for three days, hello pain again..grrr

I've had this week of the Tamox and stopped everything else as well.  

I'm going to introduce everything one by one when I go back on it and see if there is any noticeable difference with anything.

xoxox

The Krill Oil capsules I've been taking seemed to help my ankle and coccyx pain a lot. It lessened the former and almost got rid of the latter. However the last couple of days the pain seems to be returning. I've been walking regularly. Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks, K

So Letrozole thins your bones and raises your cholesterol right?

So how do we feel about the delicious cheddar cheese I just ate? My bones are hardening by the second as my cholesterol soars?!

You can't win...

@arpie we pay for the tests thus I figure I am entitled to a copy of results and my onc must believe so too as always gives me a copy after discussing results.I do however accept the protocol that test results go to requesting doctor first . It seems discourteous not to provide copies/access to the original referring doctor - I’d be making a specific request each time.

Many Thanks @Romla - my fingers & toes are crossed for a good result!

My surgeon was in awe of my GP picking it up at the size the original lesions were back in Nov ..... as the mammogram missed it totally & the ultrasound was inconclusive - only the core biopsy picked it up.

I seriously thought that the specialist would always request copies to the original referring GP, as it was they GP that referred me to the Specialist in the first place!!! (or maybe it was the Rad Onc in this case to the Onc for the Letrozole ......  but even so - the GP should ALWAYS be on the request to be kept 'in the loop'!)

They originally didn't want to give me a copy of the Dexa Bone Density test either - I had to ask for it!  ;)   I am getting very pro active in my requests these days!    (or Bossy!!)