Exemestane

Hi Alexa 

Not quite the same, but similar. Long story short I was on Anastrozole for a year up to April this year. I felt absolutely dreadful from bone pains and extreme tiredness.

Breast care nurse team hadn’t wanted to know, but then told me to stop taking it for 6 weeks. Surprise surprise the bone pains went and my energy returned.

She put me on Exemestane and I haven’t looked back. I take it every evening and have no side effects at all so far, I’ve been taking it for two months now.

I hope it suits you too. Hugs, xx

Good for you.  These drugs are a handful of side effects and glad that you made the change and feel good.  Take care.  

Hi

Thank you fur replying

oh that’s fab 

I’ve only been off them for just over a week so far and feel so much better in myself although the bone pain is still here as I think that takes longer to go. The doc said I was only to be off the letrozole for 2 weeks …so I’m just waiting for my Exemestane prescription so I can start it next week 

I hope it works the same for me as it does you xx

Can I ask how you managed to get your medication to be changed? I've been on Letrozole for nearly 2 years and having the same issues but when I've mentioned them at my annual oncology call I just get the standard reply that unfortunately this is one of the side effects!? I also have osteoporosis   so just thought it was a combination of the 2. I haven't heard of Exemestane before, does it do the same 'job' as Letrozole? 

Hope it works for you x

Hi raedd

I am on exemestane (changed from Letrozole about 3 years ago. It is better but not brilliant. The oncologist wants me to try a different brand of exemestane. He says fillers and coatings can make a difference. I don't quite get this logic as I am on 8 other drugs and no one suggests that the different brands and coatings on these might be the cause. However, I have said I will give it a try for 3 months. Can I ask what brand you take as maybe as you've found it good I will too. I currently take the brand  Aromasin. The oncologist just told me to try any other brand, which apparently didn't matter to him.

Many thanks x

Hi, sorry you’ve been having the nasty side effects too. I rang the breast care nurse team in April with a query about a scan, she asked how I was and I told her.
Usually at that stage I’d get, like you get, the standard line that unfortunately these are the side effects, but this time she let slip that the lead nurse holds a ‘treatment induced menopausal symptoms’ clinic. They’d kept that quiet!

So I booked an appointment for that which led to the 6 week medication holiday and then the change to Exemestane. My understanding is it’s a steroid aromatase inhibitor but does the same job as Anastrozole and Letrozole which are non steroid AIs.

I hope you can get your side effects sorted.
Hugs xx

Hi, I’m on Aromasin too. I have often read that different brands give different side effects because of their fillers and or coatings.

I hope the alternative you try suits you better. Hugs xx

LisaJD

As you will see from my query to raedd I changed from Letrozole to Exemestane primarily because of rapid weight gain and also stiff limbs. If you want to read about the different aromatase drugs look at 

https://breastcancernow.org/about-breast-cancer/treatment/hormone-endocrine-therapy/aromatase-inhibitors-anastrozole-exemestane-and-letrozole/

or possibly look on the Macmillan site

Just tell your GP or oncologist that you want to try Exemestane. That you have heard from other women that it gave them fewer side effects than Letrozole. They hesitate because I think it is more costly. Certainly, the brand I was given Aromasin is expensive. In part this is because it is/was the original  "brand" name, or so I've been told. I have arthritis and the problem is how much is down to the oestrogen squeeze which is the aim of all the aromatase inhibitors and how much to age? My arthritis has definitely worsened over the last 3 years and my GP referred me back to my oncologist who said to continue with the exemestane but try a different brand. I am very sceptical but will give it a go. 

I haven't tried Anastrozole and am wary of doing so as it seems to me there are more moans about this than the other two. 

I have read that exemestane is preferred for those with osteoporosis, might be worth doing some research.

                 Good luck 

I ve had anastrozole for over 2 years with some initial joint pains but then settled. I started on ambemaclib at this time for 2 years. The last few months I have had gradual increase in joint pains mainly hands wrists and feet thi co incocided with reducing and then stopping the abemaciclib.  So I don't know if the abemaciclib was holding the joint pain off or it would have come anyway.

I've stopped the anastrozole for two weeks with no improvement in joint pain and have asked to change to exemestane. The bc nurse said it can take take 6 weeks off for the pain to settle. I just hope it does and the exemestane is better.