Hello Everyone, I am new to the Forums,it looks a great place for support. and friedship!
I had lobular cancer three years ago,all but four of lymph nodes positive, chemo ,radio and now taking Fermara. I would love to hear from anyone else wHo is taking Fermara. I get so depressed andf suffer badly from joint pains, sometime s I can hardly walk, the pain in my legs and feet are so bad . Although it’s been three years, I am finding it hard to move on, I am anxious and worried all the time,terrified the Bc will come back, as the Onc said I was high risk, and I keep thinking about that. I am so sorry I sound like a whimp! and after reading your stories, some of you have been througn so much more.
I live in Suffolk and there doesn’t seem to be any support groups this way,I would be so grateful to hear from anyone! Thank you for listening.
Like you I had lobular diagnosed in July 07. Mastectomy, chemo and radiotherapy followed by Femara. Joint pains and hot flushes seem to be par for the course for everyone including me. Are you sure the leg and foot pain are not from your chemo?Those effects can be permanent - they are for me. As for Femara I do find it is better to take it at night since the joint pains seem less of a nuisance. And I look at it like this - better to put up with the discomfort of Femara than increase your risks of recurrence.
My GP just recommends taking paracetamol more or less permanently but I do not do this unless things get bad and are interfering with getting on with life. I really am not sure how sensible it is to take painkillers permanently.
Perhaps the depression is made worse by the Femara? I haven’t seen anyone saying that but you do wonder. There is no support group here either. I think it would help if there were!
I am definitely more anxious than I was about things in general - nervous in the car whether driving or being driven, worrying about the family who are quite old enough to look after themselves!
Thank you Sarcath, I was wondering if the depression was from the Fermara,and you may be right about about the joint pains being permanent from the chemo,I think if we were sure about the reasons we could accept it more. I take the Fermara about six in the evening, but I might take it a bit later and see if it makes any difference, and of course you are right,it is better to put up with the discomfort than to contemplate the alternative!!
Thank you for you support it does help to know I am not alone! Take care.
I’ve been on Femara for a year now, and like you have joint aches and pains, especially stiffness first thing in the morning or when I’ve sat still too long. I have found that regular walking/swimming has helped, and my onc told me to take glucosamine with chondroitin which I do daily.
I am sure the chemo has caused some of it, femara likewise, but my hubby just reckons I’m getting old!! (51), and that if I don’t sit down I won’t have any problems - don’t you just love em!
Like you my joint pains are worse first thing in the morning , not a pretty sight hobbling to the bathoom!!! I am going to try the glucosamine, I did think about it but didn’t know if it wuld react in any way with the Fermara. I haven’t seen my onc for three years when I go for a checkup I only see the consultant, I have mentioned the pains and he agrees it is probably the Fermara. I had a bone scan last year to see if there was any thinning,and I have something called osteo pina, which is just before you get osteoperosis so am on a pill for that… I think it’s a combination of old age [64] and Fermara.!!!
Thank you for taking the time to write, take care,
I;ve just started taking femara about two weeks ago…sat with the packet unopened for a week after reading all the side effects. Can I ask how long does it take for aches and pains to set in? so far I don’t seem to have any more than usual except occasional twinges in knees. Also how much hair thinning do you get? My hair has only just started growing after chemotherapy and was wondering if femara will slow down growth or even stop it growing…silly vanity I know but there you go.
Thanks
Trish
i Think it was quite a while before the aches and pains got bad enough to affect me. I wasn’t sure if it was connected to the Fermara or not. I came accross an American forum which consisted just of women on Fermara, and realised I wasn’t going mad, and lots of women were having the same effects. My hair has got thinner and I think that was a bout eighteen months taking F it was gradual, at first I panicked thinking I was going to lose it all, but now things have settled and I have it cut in such a way that it looks okay, I have stopped worrying about it now.
I hope this helps ,maybe you might be lucky and not get the pains so bad, I hop e so .take care
Mary
Ps I forgot to say the Fermara didn’t stop the hair coming back after chemo, in fact I was delighted that it had come back thicker than ever!
When I started Femara I was still suffering the after effects of chemo and really didn’t connect my aches as being from the Femara. I was told by my surgeon that it could affect my joints and that they would monitor my bone density whilst taking it, which they have, and so far so good.
Also my hair came back thinner after chemo, but I’m just so glad to have it back, not really worried if its a bit thinner, and really didn’t put it down to the Femara much, just being menopausal. It certainly didn’t stop it coming back after chemo, its now getting quite long, maybe a little thinner, but definitely a different colour - couldnl’t stand the grey!!
To be honest, I don’t really worry about taking it, am more bothered about what happens when I have to stop.