The types include: To learn more about these conditions and how Femara is used to treat them, see the What is Femara used for? section below. You shouldnt drive or operate machinery until you know how the drug will affect you. But serious side effects are more likely to last longer. Here are a few other questions you may want to ask your doctor about Femara: In addition, you can learn about breast cancer and its treatment options by subscribing to Healthlines breast cancer newsletter. If you dont understand something related to your condition or treatment, ask your doctor to explain it to you. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses. In any case, your doctor will recommend how long to keep taking Femara. International guidelines recommend letrozole (the active drug in Femara) as an effective treatment for infertility. You can take Femara at any time of day. This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. (With dependence, your body needs the drug in order to function like usual.) What should be considered before taking Femara? If your doctor confirms that you had a serious allergic reaction to Femara, they may have you switch to a different treatment. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Femara. It works by stopping an enzyme (type of protein) called aromatase from working as usual. Learn about side effects, warnings, dosage. Lumpectomy and mastectomy are different types of cancer surgery that remove cancer cells from the breast. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you. Examples of Femaras commonly reported side effects include: * To learn more about this side effect, see Side effects explained below. November 24, 2017. However, alcohol can cause side effects similar to those of Femara. Spotting may occur with Femara use. Melatonin and Breast Cancer: Is it Safe and Can it Help? A medication timer may be useful, too. But some people may experience side effects while taking this drug. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. Ophthalmology 54 years experience Few: Femara ( letrozole) blocks the formation of estrogen. Femara comes as tablets that are taken by mouth. How to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer: 10 Lifestyle Recommendations, Symptoms of Late Stage Metastatic Breast Cancer, What to Know and Consider Before Having Prophylactic Mastectomy. If your cholesterol gets too high during your Femara treatment, your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication, such as a statin. Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include: A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks side effects of the medication. Call your doctor right away if you have bone pain. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with Femara. If your doctor confirms that you had a mild allergic reaction to Femara, theyll decide if you should continue taking it. Letrozole is usually taken for 5 years, but may be recommended for up to 10 years depending on individual circumstances. These cancers can be treated with hormone therapies that work by lowering estrogen levels in your body. Your doctor will usually recommend using an ovulation predictor test to help you know when youre about to ovulate. If you experienced side effects while taking Femara, those side effects may not go away for a few weeks after your last dose. * In this article, we use the term female to refer to someones sex assigned at birth. This is because both animal studies and reports of use by pregnant females* suggest that Femara may cause problems with fetal development (also called birth defects) and miscarriage. This is because the drug can stay in your system for about 7 days after you stop the treatment. Last updated on Sep 27, 2021. If you have questions or concerns about these potential side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Clomid was a brand-name drug thats no longer available. For this purpose, Femara is usually used to help lower the risk of the cancer coming back after its been removed by surgery. If you have questions about Femaras success rate in treating cancer, talk with your doctor. Novartis, the maker of letrozole, provided funding for the trial, along with NCI and the International Breast Cancer Study Group. You also shouldnt use the drug for conditions it hasnt been prescribed to treat. Your doctor may ask you to start taking the drug either on day 3 or day 5 of your menstrual cycle. Its used to treat the following types of cancer: Femara comes as a tablet you take by mouth once per day. Learn about the dosage for Femara in treating certain types of breast cancer. What are the mild side effects of Femara? For this use, youll usually take the drug for 5 years following surgery to remove the cancer. However, statistics show that many people with breast cancer have an excellent chance of. Precautions. Its typically used in combination with a progestin hormone for this use. Studies conducted by maxillofacial surgeons have shown that most of the free-flowing chemical in the bloodstream is eliminated in approximately three to four months. Ask your doctor what other medications are better options for you. However, stopping Femara treatment isnt known to cause new side effects. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. You may have questions about Femara and your treatment plan. Off-label drug use is when a drug thats approved for one use is used for a different one thats not approved. bone, muscle, or joint pain*. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. Taking a Break From Letrozole Therapy After Breast Cancer. Letrozole's terminal elimination half-life is about 2 days and steady-state plasma concentration after daily 2.5 mg dosing is reached in 2-6 weeks. When you take the drug, it stops androgens in your body from converting into estrogen. Femara belongs to a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Femara to treat certain conditions. Swelling caused by Femara typically occurs in your arms, feet, hands, or legs. Your doctor can recommend treatment options other than Femara. Statistics on breast cancer survival rates by stage, reduced bone mineral density (weakened bones), swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet, swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, whether youre using Femara with other fertility treatments, spotting (light vaginal bleeding between periods), rarely, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which occurs when more eggs than usual develop in your ovaries, the condition youre taking Femara to treat. Doing this temporarily lowers your estrogen level. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. However, the drug may be used off-label for this purpose. Swelling from Femara usually occurs in your arms, feet, hands, or legs. hot flashes flushed skin increased sweating joint pain weakness edema (swelling), possibly in your ankles or feet headache dizziness bone pain The mild side effects of Femara that are less. If so, this article on breast cancer treatment options may be helpful for you. Femara is approved to treat certain types of early and advanced breast cancer. Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking letrozole: Less common. If you have questions about taking Femara with other drugs, talk with your doctor. If you have liver problems, your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage of Femara for you. Its possible that you may continue to have side effects from Femara even after you stop taking it. Cancer cells usually increase in number more quickly than healthy cells. But its not known how often this occurs in people using Femara. The generic is considered to be as safe and effective as the original drug. Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take Femara. A generic drug is an exact copy of a brand-name medication. Taking Femara can cause high cholesterol in some people. To help make sure that you dont miss a dose, try setting a reminder on your phone. Estrogen helps to keep your bones strong. Femara contains the active drug letrozole and is available as a generic drug called letrozole. You may take Letrozole with or without food. To find out how often this side effect occurred in clinical studies, see the drugs prescribing information. If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Most people will take Femara to treat their breast cancer for at least 5 years. Alcohol isnt known to interact with Femara. Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. They can recommend you how much alcohol is safe for you to drink during Femara treatment. They may suggest an over-the-counter oral antihistamine, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine), or a topical product, such as hydrocortisone cream, to manage your symptoms. This was common in clinical studies of the drug. Femara is used in the following ways to treat advanced breast cancer: Femara has been found to be effective in treating advanced breast cancer. Femara is prescribed to treat certain types of breast cancer in adult females* who have gone through menopause. How long does letrozole stay in your system after you stop taking it? It works by lowering the level of estrogen in your body. They shouldnt be crushed, split, or chewed. Serious side effects from Femara arent common, but they can occur. Femara isnt approved to treat endometriosis. Letrozole is a pill, taken by mouth. Coming off letrozole. Breast Cancer Treatment: Why Some Older Patients May Not Need Radiation, TV Host Samantha Harris Says her Breast Cancer Was Misdiagnosed for Months. Your side effect notes can include things such as: Keeping notes and sharing them with your doctor will help them learn more about how the drug affects you. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. Letrozole is approved to be used alone or with other drugs to treat: Breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have any of the following types of breast cancer--. But this was not one of the most common side effects reported in studies of the drug. But with advanced breast cancer, the cancer has spread to nearby areas or lymph nodes (called locally advanced breast cancer), or it has spread to other parts of the body (called metastatic breast cancer). The aromatase enzyme helps make estrogen from other hormones called androgens. If you have questions about using Femara for breast cancer, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Ovulation tends to occur between 5 and 10 days after youve taken your last Femara tablet. Femara is a kind of drug called an aromatase inhibitor. Headaches were a common side effect in studies of Femara. This can make your bones weaker and easier to break. So, side effects that you have while taking Femara may continue for a few weeks after you stop using it. Learn more. But you wont be able to notice it working in your body. But actual success rates of Femara for achieving pregnancy or having live births depend on many factors. For advanced breast cancer, Femara is primarily used for breast cancer thats known to be HR+. What Types of Breast Cancer Have the Highest Recurrence Rates? Some people start taking letrozole after a few years of taking the hormone therapy drug tamoxifen . If your doctor thinks Femara has stopped working for you, talk with them about whether stopping treatment could be beneficial for you. (Off-label use is when a drug thats approved for one condition is used to treat another.) You should take Femara according to your doctors or another healthcare professionals instructions. What can I do to help prevent the aches and pains that Ive heard are a side effect of taking Femara? Letrozole is typically taken once a day for five days. The insurance company will review the request and let you and your doctor know if your plan will cover Femara. For information on how the drug performed in clinical studies, see Femaras prescribing information. Factors to consider include those in the list below. Avoid storing this medication in areas where it could get damp or wet, such as in bathrooms. This article explains how the foods you eat affect your estrogen levels and covers what dietary patterns are associated with elevated, as well as, Researchers say radiation treatments for breast cancer in women over the age of 65 do not appear to affect the rate of survival, The former Dancing with the Stars host shares how becoming her own advocate saved her life and why she's passionate about sharing the benefits of, New research suggests that melatonin may help lower the risk of breast cancer, slow the growth of breast cancer, and help make breast cancer. In addition, a small study found that Femara may be effective in treating infertility in men who have both obesity and low testosterone levels. You might take a look at the Calling Long Term Survivors thread, I believe there's a couple of women who have been on it for 4+ years. Your doctor can recommend other treatments, besides Femara, that are safe for you to use. After youve gone through menopause, your ovaries no longer produce estrogen. During your Femara treatment, consider keeping notes about any side effects youre having. But if you have liver problems, your doctor may recommend that you take the drug once every other day. A study has found that taking Femara for 10 years instead of 5: reduces the risk of recurrence. vaginal spotting. One 2011 study looked at using doses higher than the current standard dose to treat infertility. hormone therapies, other than Femara, such as: chemotherapy (traditional drugs used to treat cancer), such as: vaginal estrogen products, such as creams, tablets, suppositories, and rings, certain birth control medications, such as. Taking Femara can help you to become pregnant if youre trying to conceive (TTC), by either having sexual intercourse or using intrauterine insemination (IUI). These hormones stimulate an egg in your ovary to mature and be released from your ovary. 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