Look away now if you do not wish to delve in to the female 'nether regions' or read anatomical descriptions! Okay, for those of you who can take it, I will tell you my tale. A year ago I was prescribed Letrozole (brand name - Femara) for breast cancer. It did its job, shrank the tumour so much that the surgery I subsequently underwent was far less radical than had been originally planned.But.... what this drug does is completely stop the production of oestrogen... and my cancer was oestrogen positive (meaning the little blighter fed off oestrogen). However, oestrogen also has GOOD POSITIVE things to do in the body chiefly to keep the vagina lubricated and the whole of the female nether regions in good working order. So.. take away the oestrogen and bingo - NETTLES IN MY KNICKERS! My bits dried up... I got fungal infections... any pee landing on my bum cheeks sent me screaming off into outer space.
I mentioned (very coyly) problems to the surgeon at my last check-up in August but he muttered about it being the best available drug for my type of cancer and I scuttled away. (Well you do, don't you? Surgeons are God, after all!) I visited my GP who prescribed anti-fungal creams which helped but still left my vagina bone-dry and uncomfortable. However, this morning on my check-up visit with the oncologist I actually plucked up the courage and told him about the NETTLES IN MY KNICKERS.
This oncologist is probably in his early forties, charming, urbane... I'm fair fat and sixty! I am not of a generation who talks willingly of my 'bits'. Accompanying him was a young doctor (not introduced... come to think of it, he could have been a kitchen fitter for all I know!) and a very young nurse. You need to know this to know how desperate I was to speak up about this problem... it was like taking a run up to jump off a very high cliff. I could not even look at young doctor (or possibly kitchen fitter person) or very young nurse but spoke to charming urbane oncologist... and he had the 'charm' to sort it without me wishing to climb further under the floorboards.
Result - change of drug to Tamoxifen together with another drug Vagifem. The Vagifem is a locally applied oestrogen which is dispensed via a device similar to a Tampax applicator. In other words - a plunger with a tablet inserted which one inserts into the vagina and it shoots the 'pill' to stick to .... something... not sure what! This is only short term whilst the Letrozole works its way out of my system and the Tamoxifen takes over. Both drugs have their side-effects but it seems Tamoxifen will not whither my bits. Watch this space!
I have been on the Tamoxifen now since 25th November and am still having problems with the nettles. My new GP is taking the problem seriously and has put me on a steroid/anti-fungal cream and some tablets to kill the bugs in my gut which contribute to the problem. After a week of this treatment the nettles are subsiding.The oestrogen internally applied pill thing is improving the lubrication of my bits but I don't think I will be allowed to continue this indefinitely. I have mentioned this problem to a friend who was put on Tamoxifen and she said she had the same problem initially but it did get better.
I'm on 3 monthly check-ups - once every six months I see the surgeon, and once every six months I see the oncologist. I see the surgeon in February so if I'm still having problems I suppose they can review the medication again. I don't know if all aromatose inhibitors are the same. Some other members on this site I know are taking Femara without any ill effects. Whatever drug we have it seems to come with a 'price'!
I can only think about plungers with regard to the kitchen fitter ! I've had similar discussions and have not been offered any hope.just a you are alive so put up with it atitude. Im seeing my gp tomorrow re the internal love bugs!
