Letrozole

Hi, 

If flushes are your only s/e keep on the same make.

It took a while for me to find a brand that suited me.

  Yvie D

Hello I have just started letrozole a week ago and have been suffering with severe anxiety.  It’s interesting to read how brand names can make such a difference. I was given Manx brand name and will be asking my pharmacist for either Accord or Femara after reading everyone’s experiences. I will be taking it for 5 yrs so the less side effects the better as I am also having 12 rounds of Kadcyla but I don’t think it’s that which is causing the anxiety. Hope you get it sorted soon. Avril x

Hi Stalina

The first packet of Letrozole I had was Manx and it was dreadful for me.  I stopped it after only 11 days as it affected my joints so badly, the radiotherapy could potentially have been jeopardised.  I then tried Accord and I've  been much better so, although still have side effects, don't feel I'm likely to do any better on any other so sticking with Accord, until I have reason to try another brand

Yes, the brand could well be not for you.  It seems the fillers can interact with how the drug itself somehow.

Just for information, Femara is the original 'trade' name for Letrozole and costs around £92 / month supply as opposed to the others which are generally around £10 / months supply.

I wish you all the best while you going through your treatment and for a good future

Hi Chocdrop Thank you for your reply I am going tomorrow to try and change the stand at the pharmacy so will keep you posted. I did think that price would have a big factor in it tho. Hope your treatment goes well. 
x

By 'stand', do you mean the 'script'?

If so, I just order Letrozole at different time from my other repeat meds so the Letrozole is on it's own script.  That way, you are able to take it to alternative pharmacy should your regular pharmacy doesn't have the one you wish to have.

Obviously, once you've found one that suits you, your GP might be prepared to prescribe your preferred brand (unless it's Femera, which is incredibly expensive as it's the 'trade name' - unless that's the only one you can tolerate ;) )

Femera costs approx £92 / month supply whereas the others are approx £10 / month supply.  With the NHS so strapped for cash, personally Femera would be a last resort for me)

Thanks, I've now finished treatment apart from the Letrozole so I'm very fortunate.  I h ope you get on well too

I too am in accord so maybe I have been lucky

Great information thanks

Femara isn't allowed on the NHS unless thr doctor agreed under special circumstances,  and is an import.  My doctor let me try it (mine was all in Czech with a sticker!). Thr joint pain was a bit better but it made me really dizzy.  I take Accord,  which my local Boots has.  The pricing is contradictory as I tried exemestane for a bit,  and was given Aromasin which is almost £90!

1. Yes I meant brand lol I think from what most people have said on here Accord seems the most likely I will ask for. Thanks for the tip on using different pharmacies I didn’t think of that. Tc

Hi Londonmumof2

"Femara isn't allowed on the NHS"  - I can understand that, although some pharmacies may be able to negotiate and obtain Femera at a reasonable rate £

One of the pharmacies I checked, to see what they would normally have in stock (rather random, I found) had Femera in stock.  I was surprised, to be honest.  So, it's possibly to get Femera by checking around but could be unreliable if one was to take that course to get them

Aromasin is the 'trade' name for Exemestane so will be more expensive than the generics.  Clearly, 'trade name' products wil be more expensive.  They have a lot of £££s to recoup which the 'generics' don't have.