Having a break from Femara

Public Archive
1

Hi

I have just returned from my annual appointment with my Onc.

I was on Tamoxifen for 5 years and apart from weight gain, no major side effects. Now on Femara for 5 years which I haven’t had the aches and pains normally associated with it.

My problem is my mouth. About 18 months ago, 6 months into my 5 years, I started getting a really dry mouth. About the same time I went down with a really bad cold, followed by a chest infection, followed a fortnight after that with a stomach bug with resulted in a overnight stay in my local A & E with dehydration.

Following on from that I have had ulcers in my mouth, sores at the corners of my mouth and what looked like thrush inside my bottom lip. My mouth burns and the only thing that calms it down is sucking ice cubes.

Numerous visits to the doctors, antibiotics, thrush creams, blood tests show nothing. Sometimes it gets a little bit better but never goes away completely. My last outbreak happened about 2 weeks ago and I have a lovely sore on the side of my mouth which in some respects was good because I could show my Onc what I meant.

He says that it isn’t a side effect of the drug even though a dry mouth is on the information with the drugs as a side effect.

I did think that as I am also on Amitriptyline to help the pain from my arm and Femara does contain lactose so perhaps it might be something to do with that.

Anyway we have decided that I should have a 6 week break from Femara to see if it is the drug, if it isn’t the drug I will ask my GP to refer to hospital for it to be investigated. If it is the drug then I will go onto another AI, I supose it could be Arimidex.

I don’t know whether I want it to be the drug or not, and will I get the side effects with the other AI.

Any ideas would be appreciated

Thanks

Hazel

2

post deleted

3

Hi Hazel

I am the same as Norbette and yourself I also suffer from a dry mouth from theFfemara. It is bad in the morning but seems to get better as the day goes on. I also suffer from painful joints since i started Femara in August but they seem to be easing up a bit.

Your dry mouth sounds awful and I feel so sorry that you have to suffer this. It is a terrible felling if your mouth is sore all the time. I keep a fruity sweet in my bag and sucking this seems to help.

Hope you get some relief soon.

love Anne xx

4

Hi.
I think the green mouthwash is Difflam.
K x

5

Hello

I have started my break from Femara yesterday, no burning mouth today, haven’t had to raid the freezer for ice cubes. Its very strange. I don’t know whether I want it to be due to Femara and will I go through the same with Arimidex. I wasn’t too chuffed to find out that my Onc wants me to take AIs for 5 years and not 3.

Hazel