I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with some side effects of Letrozole at the moment. All these issues that you've mentioned are recognised as common side effects of the drug and I know that we've many ladies here on the forum who have had similar problems. Hopefully some of them will post to share their advice and experiences with you.
I'm unsure how long you've been taking the medication. Some ladies find that things improve after a whilst for others there seems to be a cumulative effect. Some women find that they're better able to tolerate one brand of the drug than others. And some ladies find that the impact the side effects have on their quality of life is too much. The important thing is though that you keep in touch with your breast care nurse/Consultant to let them know that you're struggling. They may be able to recommend other options that will better suit you or help ease the symptoms you're experiencing.
If you'd like to chat with one of our team of nurses you're welcome to call them on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm. I'm sure they will be happy to offer any advice and support that they can.
I have been on it for four years and can relate to all the above, it got better for me I still get odd aches but overall got better with time, fingers crossed for you xxx
Hi yes I'm on Letrazole, and yes it is unfortunately some of the side affects you get from this drug.
I too have had chronic pain in my arms,shoulders legs ,and feet, ecspecialy in my right heel of my foot. I haven't felt nauseous, but I have developed trigger thumb in my right hand, which is very painfull,it gets stuck every morning and I have to massage and push on my thumb joint to get it unlocked and get it to bend without sticking and clicking. I've read on here of other woman having the same issues,who are on Letrazole ,so think trigger thumbis a side effect that's not listed..
I was advised that there are a number of different brands of letrazole, and so I kept a log on what brands I was given and how they affected me. The worst one for me was a brand of letrazole called Cipia,The best one that I could tolerate was a brand of letrazole called Accord. It does take your body a long while to get used to letrazole, I was advised to give it 6mths, and so thats what I did with the brand Accord letrazole, its got better,I still get aches and pains, but there not as bad as they were, but my thumb is still locking up, but I'm hoping in time it will get better too. I've been lucky getting the same brand Accord letrazole up till last week,I was given a different brand,which im reluctant to take, but I order my letrazole well in advance and still have a pack of Accord letrazole that I haven't used yet,so I'm going to continue taking them, and hopefully when I order my next prescription, I'll be given Accord letrazole again,I'll only use the other brand if I have to, as I don't know how they will affect me.
Hope this helps answer your questions on Letrazole.
I am sorry to hear about your side-effects, but unfortunately nearly all hormone type therapies carry some side-effects.
I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer in the past 12 years . I took Tamoxifen for the first year, but developed a second primary within this time, so I changed to Letrozole. Some of the side-effects were the same with both, but the joint pain was more severe with Letrozole. I took this for 6½ years and stopped taking it in July 2017.
Your care team or GP can prescribe medication to combat the nausea. If one tablet doesn't suit, try another, as there are a number of different preparations. Some makes of Letrozole seem to cause fewer side-effects than others. Some people also find it better if you take the tablets at night. A mild anti-depressant can help with the mood swings.
Have a chat with your consultant or breast care nurse. I foumd my breast care nurse was more genned up on this than my consultant. My side-effects were particularly severe, but I'm glad that I perservered, as I have had a busy and fulfilled life for 12 years since diagnosis and I hope to get many more!
Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.
