I’ve been taking Letrozole for ten days. Nights sweats are quite unpleasant but I can cope with that. Joint pain is uncomfortable to sore, but again I can cope with that too. However, the nausea is dreadful. It comes across me in waves, so much so that I don’t know what to do with myself? If any of you have any ideas for coping with the nausea, I would be extremely grateful.
I hope that you are all coping (at least most of the time) with this challenging journey?
I am on exemestane and found that I needed to take it after food (even if just a yoghurt) or I would get tummy pains, so experiment with when it is a good time to take it.
My oncologist said it takes around 6 months for the side effects of aromatase inhibiters to settle down. I found the pain to be a little long (I got sore wrists a few months in that lasted about 6 months) but things have settled for me now and have done for a while, and I'm about 20 months in.
I still get a lot of hot flushes and my energy levels are low but I am also on zoladex as I was pre-menopausal, so have had a sudden medical menopause too.
Oh bless you. Thank you for replying, you are very kind. Not that I’m happy about you having to deal with side effects, but reassuring that you are managing. I think I feel a bit sensitive as I had my measuring and scan appointment yesterday ready for my radiotherapy to start. That and my boob was really painful yesterday too. Take care of you.
Morning Dawn70
i have been on Letrozole now for almost 5 months, I also had nausea but it does settle down eventually. I take mine at 5.30 pm . This just fits in for me with other medication I have to take during the day which have time /food restrictions involved. Initially I took it with a couple of ginger biscuits but I have stopped them now . I do still get slight nausea in the morning but I can’t be sure it is now down to the Letrozole as I also have to take bisphosponates .
The joint pain comes and goes and my flushes/night sweats have also calmed down. I get very itchy in certain areas but use cream to calm this down when it flares up ( the doctor says it is the oestrogen going up and down in a cycle ). I am 70 years old and have been put in the menopausal state again but it’s all bearable now. My cancer was oestrogen positive 8/8 so I have to take the medication ..The bisphosponates I have to take cause me the most problems now but I am going to address them with the breast care nurse.
good luck with the radiotherapy . I coped with it by telling myself it was zapping all those stray nasties that may still be lurking around !
take care and lots of love on your journey onwards
NannaJ x
We are almost at the same stage, I started letrozole on 4th January and have my RT planning. on 4th February. I switched times of the meds to before bed as taking them earlier I had dreadful brain fog and couldn’t string a sentence together - but it’s my knees and hips they grind and crack, and are painful..I hope things settle down for you.
Im pleased the weather is cold too as I’m so bloody hot all the time, and no deodorant helps! Had a couple of glasses of wine at the weekend and my face really flushed, so I guess the pesky tablets re working which is good, as I keep telling myself
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Hi
I’ve been on Letrazole for 18 months now and the only real effects are the joint pain and dryness you know where!
As people have said the first 6 months are the worst and then things settle down. Could you try taking your tablet at night so you sleep through your side effects? Failing that anything with ginger in is good for nausea.
I take a dose of ibuprofen first thing and then I go for a long dog walk and the exercise definitely helps with the joint pain.
Good luck with the RT
Hang in there x
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