Hi Manyana

I am into my 3rd month of Letrozole and things are settling down a bit. I am having hot flushes and was a bit weepy but who wouldn't be after cancer surgery!! I am struggling with insomnia but again it's getting better. My aches and pains are no worse which is a blessing. My advice is not to read about the side effects. I was so worried about them but tbh it isn't as bad as I thought. I have managed so far to get the same brand and I have read that can help. I will persevere, anything to stop the cancer recurring! 

Best wishes and sending a hug.

C x

Hi Manyna,

I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer in the past 9 years. The first time I had a lumpectomy, followed by Tamoxifen. Second time around, a year later, I had a double mastectomy, followed by Letrozole for 6 years. I had to change from Tamoxifen because it obviously hadn’t worked for me.

I had problems with both drugs, but I believe that it was worth it, because I am still here. Initially, I was extremely tired and had night sweats. My mouth became extremely dry and I eventually developed a Thrush infection as a result. I have always been arthritic, but my arms, legs and neck became stiffer and sorer. I developed nerve damage in both legs and had to have both knees replaced as a result. I gained a lot of weight. I had difficulty sleeping at night. I developed problems with my sight – fortunately this was correctable.

Like Chrissie, I also became very emotional, but as many find this after diagnosis, it is hard to tell whether or not this would have happened regardless of what medication I was taking. If you read the side-effects of either of these drugs, they are many, but I sometimes wonder, if we know all of the possibilities, whether auto-suggestion plays a part.

I had to take pain killing drugs which caused further problems, but each person is different, so please don’t judge by other people’s experience.  There are those who have had problems with either of the two aforementioned medications. There are also several people on this site who have had no bother with them. It is certainly worth trying them. If you suffer side-effects which you cannot cope with, you can always stop taking them, but if anything were to develop further down the line, you would at least be able to say that you tried.

Please keep in touch and let us know what you decide. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx