Has anyone been changed over from tam to femera? When i get back from hols at end of june i start them. My cons said it might help with my weight problem and that there is normally less side effects, she did mention if i get very bad pains in my hands they would change it but it only happens to 5%.
Has anone swapped over and found hot flushes or weight changes from tamoxifen?
Hi there
I changed from Arimidex to Tam and then to Femera and this is the easiest one so far
I have been on it for 2 months and so far no aches and pains
So hope you find it works for you too
Luv jANE
How are you Jane another month on?
I have this other concern. I havent started on the Femera yet because of going to Turkey for 2 weeks in June i didnt want to worry about new side effects while away.
I have been thinking about what my specialist said when she gave me the scrpt for femera. She said “sometimes when you stop the Tamoxifen you can revert back to pre-menopause or menopausal”. So my thoughts are (maybe i think too much!) if this happens how will you know unless you have blood test AND if it happenes does this mean that the Femera wont be giving you any protection because they only work on post men ? if you see what i mean.
I have emailed my onc and put this to him so awaiting his reply. I only have afew days of Tam left so i hope he hurries up as he is often on holiday.I will post his reply.
My onc suggested to me aswell to change from Tamoxifen to Arimidex because of the hot flushes. (I still hsave those after almost a year of tamoxifen.
I am really anxious to change becuse the tamoxifen had given me al lot of pain in the muscles and joints. Since I changed to Nolvadex these have cone!!
BUt I’ve heard that Arimidex is known for its pains etc. So femara has less sideeffects???
I also mentioned to my onc that at the end of the three months with Zoladex I can feel some activity in my abdomen , uterus/ovaries? He suggsted to have some bloods taken (lh fsh) in that month to check if I am really in a chemical menopause.
Because I was also a bit worried about being propely menopausal and not having enough protection of Ariidex (or femara for that matter|)
Hi
I have had Tamoxifen for 2years and arimidex for about 5 years, 2weeks ago I started Femara, it has been no problem at all, the hot flushes are slightly worse, but they had become non existent and I have a recurrence in axilla, so am quite pleased, as the lump also seems to have shrunk slightly ( I hope this is not my imagination). The joint aches certainly seem less bothersome. So far so good. After the other two its a breeze, so I hope you don’t have problems either.
Ann
I was on tamoxifen for 2 months during rads 4 and a half yrs ago, Onc switched me to Arimidex. Stuck it for 4 miserable yrs because frightened to stop it, but having severe hip, feet and hand pain, stopped it 2 months ago. Pains gone! GP has referred me to a new Onc as mine retired last year and going to ask for Femara or Aromasin. Onc discharged me after rads so haven’t seen one in 4 yrs - disgraceful or what? BC surgeon sees me annually and has been great, but he is not the one to prescribe adjuvant treatment. He did send me to a Professor of Endocrinology in Feb this year because of my bone pain, but his advice was to continue with Arimidex and Alendronic Acid. Well, he’s not the one suffering, so have decided to ignore him and see a new Onc.
Liz.
I have been on Tamoxifen since September 07, joint pains were so severe that I could hardly walk, having arthritis in my knee made it even more painful. I tried stopping tamoxifen for a month and the pain reduced considerably, I also take 3 diclofenic and these seemed to make things worse. I was asked to start taking tamoxifen again but within a week the pains were back, so I am seeing my consultant next week, so hopefully an alternative drug can help me as I cant live like this any longer.
Janice
I start taking my femera tonight - scared !!! i know thats daft but i felt scared the first time i popped a Tamoxifen.
Nobody has mentioned my dilema about if my meno state reverts back because i stop the tamox then being on femera will leave me without any protection (as it only works on post meno). I havent heard back from my onc so he must be on holiday. I will email again after another week.
Well i have been on Femara for 10 days now and so far so good. The only thing i have noticed is that i keep getting shivery, like someone walking over my grave, but i also had this when i started Tamoxifen and after a few months it went so i hope this will do the same. I seem to be sleeping alot better (deeper) but dont know if this is because of Femara.
Hi all,
New Onc has switched me from Arimidex to Aromasin - without even seeing me, as lazy GP wrote asking for advice rather than a referral. My previous Onc discharged me 4 and a half yrs ago after I finished FEC chemo and rads. Only saw him again for a private consultation to get HER2 tested, luckily it was negative. He retired last December.
Am I just unlucky in not being seen by an Onc each year, only my wonderful bc surgeon, or, did I fall through the cracks?
I have some serious current complications with my Crohn’s and my gastro has suggested I stop alendronate as it may have caused one of the minor problems, oesophagitis, dx last week by upper GI endoscopy. Does anyone know the names of the alternative bisphosphonates that can be given either by injection or infusion? Gastro has suggested I talk to the GP I am seeing Tuesday morning at her request…don’t know why. Thank goodness the lazy one is on holiday in Egypt. Perhaps she wants to apologise for the totally unacceptable manner in which I have been treated in regard to seeing a new Oncologist. The Onc wrote twice to my GP advising Aromasin, it was flagged on their computer for me to make an appointment and none of the receptionists bothered to call me. I only found out last week, some 2 months after I stopped Arimidex by ringing the Onc’s secretary to find out why I didn’t have an appointment.
To say I am thoroughly cheesed off is an understatement! The female locum GP I saw last week for the prescription advised me to make a formal complaint with the Practice Manager but I am loathe to do this as all the receptionists have been extremely courteous and efficient in the past. The only other GP practice within 20 miles is in another small village in Cornwall and it is very difficult to park there and I can’t walk far.
Any advice anyone please?
Liz.
Just had a reply from my onc as he has been on holiday.
He said not to worry about go back to menopausal as it probly wouldnt happen and even if it did they are getting good reults from Femara on PRE-menopausal women !!!
Also, i seem to have alot more energy, feel clearer in my head AND i have lost almost 3 kilos in the last week! Happy or what.