Letrazole

Hi Hat 

I am sorry you are facing treatment decisions. My cancer isn’t oestrogen driven and in some ways I was glad not to have to make a decision about letrozole. From what I have seen on this site, some people have very few side effects whilst other people find it very difficult. All treatments have risks and benefits and I guess you have to look at it in the context of your health, any other medical conditions you may have, and how you like to spend your time. The option of trying it to see how it affects you is always there. 

Thank you for replying . I’ll give it a lot of thought . I wish you well 

Hi Hat,

I’ve taken Letrozole since October last year and coped with it well, despite a day or two each month, but I’ve posted about this more comprehensively in an earlier post on this website.

I’ve found many of the ladies I’ve met via my Macmillan support group, have just refused it out of hand, due to the list of (possible) side effects.  

If you feel you can, give it a go for a month or two (remember, you’ve had surgery and will then have radiotherapy, so your body will have been through a lot, and needs time to adjust), but then give it up if you feel any side effects are too much to tolerate.  

Personally, I feel if you’re generally fit and well (despite having been diagnosed with breast cancer), that age doesn’t have much to do with being able to tolerate Letrozole or not.

With my best regards,

Pollyanna x

Thank you Pollyanna , I’m pleased to know that you are finding the drug tolerable and that gives me some comfort . I think I may have just panicked at the thought of side effects without giving it a go . I start my radiotherapy soon and so I think after that I will try it and as you say I can stop if I feel I can’t cope . I wish you well . 

Hi, I’ve been on letrozole for almost 5 years now. I have minimal side effects and I cope very well.  I do a reasonable amount of walking which I think helps and I know if I stand too much then I can expect some joint pain.  But it does not interfere with my day to day life.  Best wishes with your decision 

Thank you so much for replying . It seems from what people are saying that it’s not as bad as the booklet says ! I will give it a go and see how I get on . Im glad that you’ve been able to tolerate it for so long and I wish you well going forward 

Hello,  good to hear that your lumpectomy and SLB went well and you are going for radiation then the hormone blockers.  I started Anastrazole in May 2022 and was to take for 5 years.  Did ok for 3 1/2 years but then seemed all the issues with symptoms that I had became magnified and I needed help as had another 1 1/2 years to go.  Saw my medical oncologist and I had a break from everything for 2,weeks and then he put me on letrozole.  Seemed to be ok but did have joint aches, hot flashes,  trouble sleeping at the beginning but was ok with it as could deal with it.  After about a month my irritable bowel syndrome flared up and no matter what I did nothing seemed to work well.  I would have a few days here and there where I was ok but after 6 months of it I had had enough so had a break off the letrozole for 3 weeks and it took about 2 weeks to notice an improvement.  I am back on the Anastrazole and my IBS is fine.  I only have a little less than a year to go so hopefully will get to the finish line and get a star for finishing.  Everyone is different regarding side effects so my advice is give the letrozole a try and if you can’t tolerate it ask for a change.  These hormone blockers are not easy to deal with but I found exercise really helps.  We are strong.  

Hello Barbara thank you for replying . Sounds as though you’ve had a really up and down time with the hormone blockers . I do admire you for keeping with it and chopping and changing to see what suits instead of coming off them altogether . Good to know you’ve got less than a year to go now before the finishing post is in sight ! I’m sure you’ll have a big gold star to hang around your neck ! Yes we are strong so I wish you all the best going forward 

Hello Hat,

when I started Letrozole age 69  I took it for some 14 weeks with nothing much apart from a return of hot flushes for a few weeks.

After that Abemaciclib was added to the mix and I experienced some aching joints ,skin dryness, flaky nails, receding and thinning of hair (which had come back pretty well after chemo). These are possibles on both letrozole and Abemaciclib so I couldn’t be sure what was what.

Anyway I completed my 2 year course of abema in early May and some of the things down to it alone have/are receding and my joints feel better. Hair, skin  and nails, I’m not sure yet, but I do hope that they’ll improve before I’ve completed the remaining 3 years I’m on letrozole. However I don’t actually feel too bad on it and it’s an important drug for me and my oestrogen loving cancer.

All the best. xx

Hello thank you so much for replying . I will start my radiotherapy in the next couple of week and then have been asked to start on Letrozole after that . People have been very kind in letting me know how this particular drug affects them and it’s give me the information I needed and taken some of the fear of side effects away . I know we all react differently so I am keeping an open mind . I’m glad that some of your symptoms have subsided now that you are off the Abemaciclib and I hope that the Letrozole on its own will be easier on your body . I wish you well with the rest of your treatment and thank you for taking the time to reply x