I know one of the side effects of taking Letrozole is aching joints, especially first thing in the morning. These gradually wear off as you get moving, but has anyone had problems with their hands such as trigger finger and severe pain?
Hi Pride - I've been on Letrozole for 5 years now and have had no problems with it, except for a short period of Trigger Thumb.
This started after about 4 months on Letrozole. .It was worse in the mornings when I had to use my other hand to straighten the thumb, then it was fairly mobile during the day, then started clicking again in the evening.
I saw my GP who referred me to physio to get a wrap-around splint/glove thing to wear to try to keep it straight. Not sure how much it helped, but the trigger thumb went away after a few weeks, and hasn't recurred.
I've been fairly lucky with Letrozole, with little or no side effects. Hope you get the same.
Hi Nic thanks for your reply. I’ve been taking it for 2 years with just the morning aches and pains. But over last few months my hands have become really painful and my ring fingers clicking into my palms. I have neuropathy in my hands so some fingers were very tingly and numb so maybe my condition is worse because of that. Like you did I am using splint or elastic bandage to stop the bending. I’ve spoken to my Oncologist who said it’s probably Arthritis but I don’t suffer from Arthritis- I told him I’ve stopped taking it for a while and he just said see how it goes basically. I have 3 weekly Herceptin and Pertuzamab drips so hopefully this will stop my cancer metastasising. I’ve also changed from a vegetarian to vegan so have cut out dairy produce.I know Letrazole is a very effective drug for breast cancer, but not for me. I’m pleased it works for you and most other people. Wishing you love and best wishes Jude
I’ve started a new brand of Letrozole, was on TEVA and now Sun Pharma! Since being on the Sun Pharma brand I’ve had aching fingers which I didn’t have previously and have woken up with my ring finger bent in towards my palm. Have to use my other hand to straighten my finger out. Presume that’s trigger finger? Putting it down to the new brand of Letrozole.
Cipla brand did that to me. Boots hange Accord brand which a lot of people find the best generic. I liked it as much as Femara, which was kinder to my joints but made me dizzy.
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Stephen Hawking,
Hi Londonmumof2 my breast care nurse called the other day (believe it or not!!!)she recommended Femara but my local pharmacist told me he can’t request a brand and has to take what he gets. Thanks for the info, will try Boots. x
You can only get Femara if it's written on the prescription. It's an import. Mine was from the Czech Republic with an NHS prescription. I think doctors can prescribe it, but are not supposed to do it very often as it's about £95 a month! Having said that I'm on exemestane now to see if it's any better, and Boots gave me Aromasin (not the generic but original brand, like Femara is with letrozole) and that costs £89 a month. The genetic brands of letrozole are less than £3 a month!
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Stephen Hawking,
i’ve been on letrozole for around a year now first off it was the joints around my stomach which was so painful sitting up first thing in the morning out of bed then a few months later it moved onto my hands which they thought was carpal tunnel syndrome but it just seem to go on its own after wearing splints on my hands and now it seems to have moved onto my feet and ankles this doesn’t wear off through the day it’s painful all day I don’t know if anyone else has had it in their feet and if there Are any tips? X
Hi. My first post! I have been on Femara since diagnosis of BC in July and the joint pain in my knuckles /hands at night and in the morning has been getting steadily worse so I don't think it's the brand. I also seem to be getting increasing bouts of mild nausea but that might be the decapeptyl vs Letrozole.
Hi. My first post! I have been on Femara since diagnosis of BC in July and the joint pain in my knuckles /hands at night and in the morning has been getting steadily worse so I don't think it's the brand unfortunately. I also seem to be getting increasing bouts of mild nausea but that might be the decapeptyl vs Letrozole.
I have been on Letrozole since the end of April. I have osteoarthritis so my joints are painful anyway. But it is much worse. I get trigger finger in two fingers- they stick straight and it is agony if I try to bend them. Fortunately it eases off but today I was in the middle of washing the kitchen floor and two fingers stuck. I couldn’t hold the mop! I also get chills and hot flushes. I asked to come off it but my surgeon said my tumours shrunk 50% between May and my surgery in July. I was told I respond really well to the Letrozole so should stick with it.
