It's lovely to see you back on the forum Jas, although I'm sorry to hear about all the health issues you've been contending with. It sounds like it's been very tough and it's completely understandable why you may be feeling more drained and fatigued than before.

I'm sure you will hear back from some of our members soon but if you'd like to find out if there if letrozole can cause issues in the liver then do give our cancer nurses a call on 0808 800 4040, Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m.

I really hope things start to improve for you soon Jas, but when ever you feel like life is getting you down, just remember that we will always be here for you.

Kind regards,

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Ahh thanks for the lovely reply Steph,  it's much appreciated.  I have actually googled about my liver problems, and it seems a lot if my treatments have contributed to this. It says  that  chemotherapy, and aromatase inhibitors ( which is whst letrazole is) and low estrogen levels ,which the letrazole reduces,,and radiotherapy can all cause fatty liver and liver problems.  So as I don't eat any sugar ( apart from Whats in my food allready) and eat all low fat  foods,don't drink alcohol  very rarely do I have an acholic drink,I didnt even have one at Christmas lol. So I csnt see it's my diet that's caused it. My gp said to diet as if i am over weight,which I amas dont do as mich as i used to ftom feelimgtiredall the time. ( Another side effect of having a fatty liver) cant win lol, but,I am eating less scince  bring diognosed  to try to help it. I did used to put a lot of salt on ny food, and dont now. 

I've also read fatty liver can cause pain in your right shoulder and neck, and I've got problems there too,Impingement and inflammation and atheritus I'm my right shoulder, and on my left side my collar bone and my neck have inflammation due to atheritus.  But I just get on with things and still am glad fir every second of every day I have on this earth,life is precious.  I have another blood test  sheduled for April 18th to check on my liver . Also waiting to find out if I'll have to go on medication scince my last dexter scan.  So a lot going on ,but there is always someone worse than you,so my motto is it is whst it is,and you just git to keep on going and enjoying life the  best that you can. Xx

Jess 

vant help with the letrozole I’m on tamoxifen  tired though 

sending you a hug hope you getting plenty of rest 

soon summer be here and we be nuzxing about with energy 

love Lara xx 

Hi Jas,

It's great to hear from you, although I'm sorry to hear of your additional problems.

I also developed liver problems after taking Letrozole and it has been monitored every 3 months for the past 14 years. I also have pain in my neck and right shoulder. My energy levels have never come back to where they were pre-cancer and I still feel constantly tired. I am now 74, so it is hard to say if this is partly due to my age. I have hypertension too and used to take a lot of salt, but I have cut this down dramatically and seldom drink alcohol.

As you said, there are always people who are a lot worse off than us and I treasure the dawning of each new day. The one good thing is that my liver hasn't got any worse since it was first detected and I hope that yours doesn't either.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx.

Hi Jolamine

,Goodmorning  and thank you for your reply.  I just knew in my heart ,that others taking the letrazole,or having had to have chemotherapy would  also be having liver problems, scince I googled it and found out it is listed as one of the health issues when you, have had chemotherapy and are taking Letrazole.  As i don't eat that much sugars and fats. 

My gp doesn't seem to be very concerned,j, when i asked her whst can i do to help the liver she ust asked me if I'm overweight,and when I said I was,she said dieting will help. I guess it will to some extent,but as ive found out from goggle the real reasons why my liver is now a fatty liber which has a small cyst,whike I have another 7yrs of taking letrazole ,I can't see it improving greatly if at all. 

My gp hasn't said anything about it needs to be kept an eye on apart from the blood test she wants me to have again  on the 18th Aoril,which isn't long now. 

You didnt actually say if your liver problems are the same as mine, which is a fatty liver and a small  10mm cyst, or if your liver problems are different to mine.

Maybe I should say to my gp that I'm concerned about my liver,and woukd feel better if I was checked every 3 mths like you are. It would give me more piece of mind,as I don't want it getting any worse.  

I know what you mean about  the fatigue scince treatments,as we're getting older, it's hard to know if our energy levels would be better if we didn't have to have been through everything our bodies  have gone through, I do wonder about thst sometimes. I used to have sooo much energy lol.

It's nice that the clocks have changed and the evenings are getting lighter,and days seem a little brighter weather wise. 

Hopefuly getting a bit more sunshine each day soon  will help to lift our moods,it usually does mine lol. 

Anyway was nice to hear from you to jolamine , and again thank you foe still popping on this chat forum  and helping me and others on here. I've chatted to quite a few people scince joining , some requested me as friends,but they don't seem to be on here anymore. 

But I guess once thier treatments have all been done and dusted  they just don't feel the need to pop on here anymore ,it's a shame but I can understand that,some people want to just get on with thier lives and not think about what they have been through. 

But me , like you  I'm guessing found this Cancer  chat forum, so helpful, so that is why I like to pop on here from time to time,and I do reach out and help ifi can  , like I kniw you still do. I've always been empathetic, and really like to help people who are going through simular health issues. 

Thanks Jolean x.

Hi Lara

Thank you for your reply.  Yes I am loving the lighter evenings now the clocks have changed,and yes looking forward to brighter summer days,always lifts the spirits ,well it does mine lol. X

Hi Jas,

Although I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer, I have never had chemo or radiotherapy. I took Tamoxifen for 1 year, but changed to Letrozole, when I discovered a second lump in the same breast a year later. I then took this for a further 6 and a half years. I have fatty liver and 11% of my liver has fibrosed. I have fibro scans periodically to check that this hasn't increased. I also have a cyst on my uterus. It certainly wouldn't do any harm to ask your GP if y need regular monitoring.

Sadly, a lot of people disappear off the form, after they've had a clear diagnosis or finished treatment. As you say, they possibly just want to get on with their lives. A few do come back from time to time and it's always good to hear how people are getting on.

I stick around, because like you, I like to try and help people and I found this forum a real godsend for the first few years after diagnosis.

I have just moved house from north to south, so am already enjoying the much milder weather down here - snow last week and sunshine this week.

I sincerely hope that your liver stabilizes and that your energy levels increase.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Jolamine

Hi again and thank you for your reply . Sorry to hear about your liver  and your cancer returning . Yrs I might mention about keeping an eye on my liver to my gp,but as its only a small cyst and fatty liver  I'm not expecting too much as I know the NHS is struggling financially, so might not feel.that its a priority,,but we will see.

You say you didn't have any chemotherapy or radiotherapy, was it not offered to you?, or dud you just decide if it was offerd thar you'd rather not have it. 

I nearly declined the chemotherapy  I waa petrified of what it would do to my body. But my son and daughter presueded me to have it,as my son was having loads of chemotherapy for his testicular cancer  it had spread to his stomach ,chest and a nodule on his lung,spread so quickly, and my husband commited suicide in 1997,so they said "Mum you have to go through with any treatments they throw at you we haven't got dad.  We can't lose you as well,and my son said " look at me mum I'm onky 34/ nearly 35 if I can do it so csn you". So I.out my big girls knickers on  and went with it all,for them  and me I guess lol. 

I do hope you like living down south ,I'm in Essex,and love it..Hope you do too. X

Hi Jolamine. I’m one of those people who posted a few times after diagnosis and really appreciated your replies at the time.  Glad to see you’re still here. I finished treatment for triple negative inflammatory breast cancer a year ago. All good so far. Energy levels are back up. Hair has grown back and I have a nice pixie style now which I love! Having CT scans every 6 months. I had one last week - they are keeping an eye on some lung nodules which I had before treatment started and didn’t look like cancer on the PET scan. Well today they said one had increased in size from 5mm to 6mm - going to review me at their weekly meeting but may not need to do anything except a repeat scan in 6 months. So not too worried but a bit anxious which I know will abate in a day or two. Otherwise I’m living life taking some short holiday breaks and just trying to appreciate every day but it’s hard sometimes. 

Hi Jassoscared,

I was offered radiotherapy, but I had discovered a larger lump in my other breast at the time that it was offered. My surgeon at that time, refused to check this lump out, so I said that there was no point in treating one breast, while ignoring the other. I eventually had to change hospital and surgeon. By the time that my new surgeon carried out a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy on the new lump, it was 11 months after my first surgery. I then saw two eminent researchers in radiotherapy and asked their opinion of how effective radiotherapy would be, so long after having had surgery. One gentleman was quite definite that it was only effective if given up to 3 months after having surgery, and that it would be a waste of time at that late stage. This was why I never had radiotherapy. When I had the double mastectomy, second time around, I was told that I didn't need chemo.

I am so sorry to hear of your husband's suicide and can understand some of the scars that this has left behind for you and your family. It is perfectly understandable that your son and daughter didn't want to lose you too, and were anxious for you to have chemotherapy, despite your reservations.

It is certainly worth asking your doctor whether or not you need to monitor your liver from time to time. How is your son keeping? I sincerely hope that the chemo has helped him too.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx