But if you have any symptoms that are ongoing or that bother you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. And talk with your doctor about ways to help improve your energy level during treatment. Letrozole lowers the levels of the female sex hormone oestrogen in the body. You can also call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at 800-222-1222 or use their online tool. You can do this for about 10 minutes a few times each day. However, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. These and other important considerations are discussed in more detail below. If you have osteoporosis or risk factors* for developing this condition, talk with your doctor before starting Femara. 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 you miss a dose of Femara, take it as soon as you remember, unless its almost time for your next dose. Most side effects of Femara are mild. Heres a list of some of the mild side effects that Femara can cause. * An allergic reaction is possible after taking Femara. If you have questions about Femaras success rate in treating cancer, talk with your doctor. The usual dosage of Femara for inducing ovulation is 2.5 mg taken by mouth once daily for 5 days. (To learn more, see Is Femara used for infertility? right above.) So, dont be afraid to ask questions or offer feedback on your treatment. But try to always stick to the same time each day. Liver problems. Breast lumps and visual changes to the breasts or nipples are more frequent signs of breast, Aggressive, hard-to-treat breast cancer types such as inflammatory breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer are the most likely to recur. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. In other words, it takes about 2 days for your body to get rid of half of a Femara dose. If youre interested in using Femara for this purpose, talk with your doctor. Clomid was a brand-name drug thats no longer available. Some people may experience mild or serious side effects during their Femara treatment. How do Femaras side effects compare with those of other cancer drugs? When you take the drug, it stops androgens in your body from converting into estrogen. Some drugs, such as choriogonadotropin alfa (Ovidrel), induce ovulation (just like Femara does). Before you take Femara, tell your doctor if you have any liver problems, including cirrhosis. If youd like to know more about treatment options for infertility, talk with your doctor. The actual price youll pay depends on your insurance plan, your location, and the pharmacy you use. If you drink alcohol while taking Femara, you may be at a higher risk for these side effects, which can include: If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about the amount thats safe for you while taking Femara. Its typically used in combination with a progestin hormone for this use. Side effects usually improve after a few months as your body gets used to the medicine. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. They can give you tips on how to deal with any side effects that may be bothersome. But if you think youre having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number. These drugs affect all the cells in your body that are quickly multiplying (making more cells). Examples of Femaras commonly reported side effects include: * To learn more about this side effect, see Side effects explained below. If you experience fatigue during your Femara treatment that doesnt go away or thats bothersome, talk with your doctor. Femara can be an effective treatment option for certain types of breast cancer. But other drugs, such as progesterone (Prometrium), induce menstruation (periods). A medication timer may be useful, too. But Arimidex does cause some additional side effects that dont occur with Femara. How long side effects last can vary from person to person. Femara may cause reduced bone mineral density (weakened bones) in some people. 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). However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. Bring someone with you to your appointment if doing so will help you feel more comfortable. All rights reserved. It should be safe to drink alcohol during your Femara treatment. Femara isnt FDA-approved to treat infertility, but sometimes its used off-label for this purpose in females. One way your doctor will monitor your bone strength is by measuring your bone mineral density. Femara can stay in your system after you stop taking the drug. Your doctor may order tests from time to time to check and see if the drug is working for you. They can recommend healthy ways for you to manage your weight. This means that chemotherapy can affect both cancer cells and healthy cells. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. You can take Femara with or without food. When talking with your doctor, you may want to ask the following questions: To learn more about breast cancer and its treatment options, sign up for Healthlines breast cancer newsletter. Female hormones that occur naturally in the body can increase the growth of some breast cancers. Most of these side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. What are the more common side effects of Femara? This allows them to monitor how strong your bones are. Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert until you see how this drug affects you. As a type of hormone therapy, Femara works by lowering estrogen levels in your body. Call your doctor if you think youve taken too much Femara. This was common in clinical studies of the drug. You can also find information on the drugs strength, form, and more. Femara may cause fatigue (lack of energy) in some people. (Letrozole is the active drug in Femara.) Not all side effects are listed above. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Femara. The most common cause of ovulation problems that result in infertility is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). But Femara is also sometimes used to treat infertility that doesnt have an obvious cause. Precautions. Femara is approved to treat certain types of early and advanced breast cancer. Your doctor will help you to weigh potential risks and benefits of taking Femara for a long period of time. Examples of mild side effects that have been reported with this drug include: In most cases, these side effects should be temporary. * Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Swelling, another common side effect of Femara, can cause you to gain weight as your body holds on to water. But if your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away. You should talk with your doctor to discuss which hot flash treatments are best for you. In this article, learn about, Breast cancer, which mainly affects females, is common. Femara is FDA-approved to treat only certain types of breast cancer. They can help determine if you should keep taking Femara or switch to a different treatment. So, side effects that you have while taking Femara may continue for a few weeks after you stop using it. Both medications belong to a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any herbs or supplement products while youre taking Femara. Visit Medicine Assistance Tool to find programs that may help lower your cost of Femara. And generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs. These hormones stimulate an egg in your ovary to mature and be released from your ovary. Call your doctor right away if you have bone pain. PCOS is a condition that causes hormone problems, irregular or skipped periods, and cysts on your ovaries. If you have questions about taking Femara with other drugs, talk with your doctor. Femara is a brand-name prescription drug thats approved to treat breast cancer in females* whove gone through menopause. Femara may be used off-label to treat infertility due to PCOS and other causes. During clinical studies, both weight gain and weight loss were reported in people who took Femara for breast cancer treatment. This dosage is 1 tablet once daily. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing. Some people start taking letrozole after a few years of taking the hormone therapy drug tamoxifen . Its used to treat the following types of cancer: Femara comes as a tablet you take by mouth once per day. Those that have been reported with Femara include: To learn more about each of these side effects, see Side effects explained below. Its not chemotherapy, which is a type of cancer drug that most commonly causes hair loss. Off-label use is when a drug thats approved to treat one condition is used to treat a different condition. . Femara can stay in your system after you stop taking the drug. You may take Letrozole with or without food. * Sex and gender exist on spectrums. But if they become more severe or dont go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking letrozole: Less common. Femara isnt approved to treat endometriosis. For this purpose, Femara is usually used to help lower the risk of the cancer coming back after its been removed by surgery. If youre concerned about aches and pains during your Femara treatment, talk with your doctor about exercises and complementary therapies that are safe for you to try. This is because if you havent gotten pregnant after six treatment cycles, its likely that this drug wont work for you. For details about how side effects for these drugs compare, see the Arimidex vs. letrozole section of this article. Below are lists of medications that can interact with Femara. If you think you could be pregnant or have pregnancy symptoms, tell your doctor before you start taking Femara. 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. I've been on Ibrance/letrozole since October 2015, so 2 1/2 years so far and it's still working. Femara is a kind of hormone therapy. https://www.drugs.com/pro/letrozole.html, Letrozole (Femara) Breast cancer now. Hormone therapies stop estrogen from encouraging breast cancer cells to grow. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. By stopping aromatase from working, Femara lowers the amount of estrogen in your body. Femara tablets contain the active drug letrozole. Femara isnt currently approved to treat infertility in females. To help make sure that you dont miss a dose, try setting a reminder on your phone. If youre sexually active and you or your partner can become pregnant, talk with your doctor about your birth control needs while youre using Femara. This helps stop breast cancer from growing. Before taking Femara, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. November 24, 2017. This enzyme is the main way that your body makes estrogen after youve gone through menopause. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. Femara comes as 2.5-mg tablets that are taken by mouth. Doing this temporarily lowers your estrogen level. Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks side effects of drugs they have approved. They work by lowering estrogen levels within your body, which helps stop the growth of breast cancer. But sometimes the drug is used off-label to treat infertility in females* with PCOS. If you have liver problems, your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage of Femara for you. You should avoid drinking large amounts of alcohol while youre taking Femara. These side effects are less common side effects (occurring in about 10-29%) of patients receiving Letrozole: Arthralgias (bone and joint pain) Night sweats. When you take Femara to induce (cause) ovulation, the drug is cleared from your body within several days after youve stopped taking it. Femara can cause problems with fetal development (also called birth defects) and miscarriage if its taken during pregnancy. However, clomiphene is FDA-approved for treating infertility in women. . Could a monthly antibody injection be a promising endometriosis treatment? 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. * However, the drug may be used off-label for this purpose. Is the ketogenic diet right for autoimmune conditions? If youre concerned about weight gain while taking Femara, talk with your doctor. If you have questions about the risks of Femara use in pregnancy, talk with your doctor. For this use, youll take Femara for a few days after the start of your period. If youre concerned about side effects you may experience when ending your Femara treatment, talk with your doctor. Before taking Femara, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter types. However, this particular treatment approach isnt right for everyone. Stopping Femara treatment isnt known to cause side effects. Its a prescription drug thats used to treat certain types of breast cancer in adult females* who have gone through menopause. Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include: A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Talk with your doctor about how long you should take Femara for adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Taking more than the recommended dosage of Femara may result in overdose in some people. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Femaras prescribing information. Control Centers at 800-222-1222 or use their online tool because if you have any liver problems, including cirrhosis,. Some breast cancers more cells ) important considerations are discussed in more detail below with you to be until! Letrozole is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media about ways to help make that... ( letrozole is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media more about each of these side effects Femara... 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