Have been given a prescription for femara - any tips ladies? Looking for any advice eg when do you take yours?
Thanks
Geraldine
Hi Geraldine,
I take my femara medication in the morning after breakfast. This seems to work reasonably well for me apart from when my routine is disrupted and then I sometimes forget to take it. However as I’ve been on the little b*****s for 6 years, so I reckon that there is enough of it in my system to cope with the occasional missed tablet.
Can’t remember why I take it in the morning - think the GP may have suggested this.
Let us know how you go on with it.
Wendy x
I take mine about 7 pm - usually with evening meal. I keep the current 2 weeks’ blister pack in a little gift-bag that says “Goodies for L****”, and I take it thankfully - after all, it’s keeping me alive, preventing further spread of my bc and my bone mets. Been taking Femara almost 2 years now.
I’ve been on femara for a month now and so far so good, i take it in the morning. Mind you i didnt have any problems with tamoxifen either, well apart from the fact it didnt stop me getting bone mets. Such is life eh.
Trishg x
I take mine at night whenever i go to bed. I used to take my tamoxifen then as well.
I keep them next to my bed and have it with glass of milk. My onc said it doesnt matter what hour you take it as long as its ‘in the evening/night’ or ‘morning’ afew hours either was doesnt matter.
I have had a rash and prickly skin so was told not to take for a week, did this and rash went but there were a couple of other possibilites too so am back on them now so shall see. I feel clearer in my head and have abit more energy and my ankles arent stiff and unmovable when i get out of bed. Definatly feel better than when was on Tam.
I take mine in the evening. I may be imagining it but I do think the side effects are not as bad as when I took it in the mornings. Or perhaps I’ve just got used to the side effects.
Sarcath
Well have taken three now at night - no side effects so far! Taking at night with my blood pressure meds (as a result of the avastin!)
Thanks Geraldine
I’ve been on it since May, take it in the morning. I was wondering whether anybody knows if you can take something like Glucosamine or anything? to lessen the joint aches. To some extent I say to myself it’s helping me to live longer so I will put up with it, but it’s caused me a pain in the neck (ok ok… oi!) I think, although that might be heaving heavy boxes around having recently moved house. Was just wondering if anybody had heard of something to take that can ease the symtoms without weakening the life extending? giving? effects… thanks
Hi Caro,
I’ve just come across your post. I was on Femara for 5 months and it was awful. The side effects were so bad my oncologist changed me to Tamoxifen, although it has perhaps increased my changes of a recurrence.
I have been taking glucosamine for several years now, after knee surgery. My oncologist said to continue taking it for joint pain whilst on Femara (and Tamoxifen). I also take 2000mg of Flaxseed oil a day - if you are not a veggie than you can take salmon oil (the Omega 3 and 6 oils). I definitely think it helped/is helping.
As a matter of interest, I took the Femara in the evening before going to bed, so that the worst of the side effects happened during the night and not whilst I was trying to live a normal life during the day.
Yes, it is hard to weigh up between staying alive and the effects of this medication. My oncologist (a woman, which makes such a difference I think) said quality of life is sometimes more important than quantity of life.
Chat to your own oncologist/doctor and see what s/he says about glucosamine and omega oils.
Please let me know how you get on.
Big hug, Barbara
I am getting alot of pain in my elbow and wrists and jaw - all on the same side (the bad side) and i asked onc if i could take glucosomine and he said yes but didnt think it would be strong enough! great. Then i found out it contains crab which i am allergic to so thats that. I have ordered some high strenght cod liver oil caps so will see how i get on with them. Apart from that i feel better than i did when on tamoxifen, alot clearer in the head and more energy and i sleep alot better.
Hi I have been taken femara for 2 and half years, I have to be on it for 5 years. I have also been on tamoxifen for 5 years. The best time in my opinion is night time before sleeping, along with cod liver oil and glucosomine and gammolenic acid. When I first wake up in the morning, my feet and hands are stiff and I have to walk down the stairs 1 step at a time. Eventually my joints start to work-but they ache for a short while.
The side effects are thinning hair, so much so the texture of my hair has completely changed and gone very curly !! Two operations on my hands for carpal tunnel, high blood pressure and high blood cholestral, apart from that every thing is hunky dory. and of course no sex. dry vagina and all that, now if that has not depressed you enough. One good thing is the hot sweats have calmed down, nowhere near as bad as on Tamoxifen.
Good Luck to all the women who unfortunately have to take this drug
Love Bunty x
I have been on it six weeks now, and noticed I always felt queasy in the mornings an hour or so after swallowing the tab- so now I take it in the evening instead. I do get pains in the site of the tumour - I think that is normal though, as it mentions it on the leaflet. Will ask my onc if this means there is a mortal battle going on in there, which the femara is winning. Certainly hope so!
Hi Kitty, yes I have breast twinges too (not had surgery because of bone mets) and pain at the tumour site is a known side effect of Femara. I take my tablet in the evening too.
hi
i’ve been on femara since May and no side effects at all. my doc says always best to take drugs first thing in morning. i do have a really stiff lower back every morning which gets me down and makes me feel old (i’m 38)…i was convinced it had spread to spine but mri shows all ok…just some damage/wear and tear to one of my discs which my onc said was arthritis! so i guess thats better than cancer and is presumably not linked to femara.
just started on zoladex and am very moody, emotional and hormonal…hoping that will pass!!
actually i have noticed more fat and less muscle on my body…not sure if thats down to my laziness or what!