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Below are Femara (Letrozole) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 2 ratings/reviews, Femara has an overall score of 5. The effectiveness score is 8 and the side effect score is 6. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | Femara review by 56 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | Breast Cancer |
Dosage & duration: | | 2.5 mg. taken daily for the period of over 2.5 years (so far) |
Other conditions: | | None |
Other drugs taken: | | None | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | Since the tumor was estogen receptor positive, the treatment has resulted in any remaining canncer cells to be in remision.
The side effects were mild enough that regular activities were not interfered with for the most part.
It was a better alternative for me than Taxol chemotherapy which had severe side-effects for me. |
Side effects: | | Hastened loss of estrogen which hastened loss of sex drive (after menopause).
Some temporary (fortuantely) arthritic conditions in a finger and thumb.
Hastened osteoporosis. That is my bone desity decreased severely after 2 1/2 years. |
Comments: | | I take one tiny pill each morning with the vitamins that I take. There is no nausea or other immediate symptoms. It is simple to do. |
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| Femara review by 54 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | breast cancer |
Dosage & duration: | | 2.5 mg taken daily for the period of 2 years |
Other conditions: | | osteopenia, depression |
Other drugs taken: | | Effexor XR | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | Aromatase inhibitor to reduce recurence of hormone-positive breast cancer- unknown effectiveness- no breast cancer 3 years after diagnosis |
Side effects: | | Joint pain, reduction of bone mass |
Comments: | | The first drug I was prescribed after a mastectomy and chemotherapy was Tamoxifen, which I took for almost 1 year. My oncologist said it increased bone mass, so she wanted to use that first to counteract the bone mass-decreasing side effect of the aromatase inhibitors. Their protocol is to use Tamoxifen for 2 years, then switch to an aromatase inhibitor for 3 years. However, I had some uterine bleeding ( I am post-menopausal) so they switched to Femara early. Tamoxifen may cause an increase in uterine cancer, which my grandmother had. The most annoying side effect of Femara is the increase in joint pain. NSAIDs and glucosamine help somewhat but have their own side effects. That said, I am willing to continue Femara for the next 2 years to help prevent cancer reccurence. I read in the literature (Medscape) that 51% of women do not complete their 5 yrs of either drug, and my guess is because of side effects. I take supplemental calcium also to slow the bone loss. |
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