Life After Femara??

Westcoastgirl · 06-17-2012, 08:23 PM

Hello Ladies,
I have asked this question a few times without an answer but I am hoping there are a few of you out there now that have completed your five years of Femara. I am wondering if your problems while on Femara went away once finished. I am struggling with fatigue which is my most overwhelming complaint. I have one friend that tells me her energy has returned and her joint pains have disappeared. It would be most encouraging to hear from some of you that have finished and are doing well.
Thank you so much, Carolyn

caya · 06-18-2012, 12:35 PM

Carolyn I am so glad you started this thread. I am scheduled to go off Femara next month, and have been wondering the same things - also hoping to lose some of the 25 lbs I've gained since being on Femara.

I have a friend who had a Femara "holiday" - she was off it for a few weeks, and called me to tell me her QOL was amazing since being off it - more energy, muscle/joint pain improved... she really did not want to go back on it, she felt so much better. I will be seeing her this weekend to get an update.

So please chime in ex-Femara gals so that Carolyn and I can know what to expect - hopefully good things!

all the best
caya

karen z · 06-18-2012, 12:45 PM

Thanks for this post. I am interested in what folks will say.
Karen

tricia keegan · 06-20-2012, 03:11 PM

Me too and I chose to remain on arimidex snd hopefully will celebrate 7 years out at the end of this month but interested what others are doing???

sarah · 06-20-2012, 11:29 PM

yes, symptoms go away. I've never lost the 15 lbs I put on in chemo but I blame myself.
I'm worried about what controls the estrogen in our bodies without Femara???
sarah

caya · 06-22-2012, 02:30 PM

Bumping this up, hopefully for more replies!

thanks
all the best
caya

Laurel · 06-22-2012, 05:15 PM

Thanks, Caya, I am watching the answers too! I think MJ said she felt loads better after stopping her A.I. Maybe she will chime in.

07-22-2012, 11:45 PM

I finished my 5 year course of Femara in April 2012. Pleased to see that there are positives out there as to how our body copes. A week ago I was walking down the 18th hole at my golf course and realized that I was without pain of any kind. Still experiencing hot flashes but learning to live with them. I was always conscious of my weight and could lose about 4 kilos to put me back to where I was prior to taking the Femara..working on it! I was diagnosed with estrogen receptive tumors, had a double mastectomy. Fortunately my lymph nodes were clear so I was spared the chemo and radio therapy. I hope there are more good stories out there.

Hopeful · 07-23-2012, 06:16 AM

My joint pain and stiffness completely went away, within a very short time. The difference was amazing.

Hopeful

LoisLane · 07-23-2012, 12:37 PM

Just a question for you ladies. I know with the Femera we do get these random aches and pain. I have always had pain in my feet but it is now getting ridiculous. When the phone rings in the kitchen and I get up from the couch in the living room I literally shuffle my way to the kitchen and dont get there in time to answer the phone! My feet dont want to seem to work, someone on the board once called them "herman munster feet". I walk around going 'ouch, ouch" does anyone have problems with walking when you first get up from lying down or sitting or is it just me. Perhaps I am getting some weird major arthritis in my feet. I will have to remember to ask my oncologist next time I see him.

chekmark · 07-24-2012, 11:18 AM

Lois,
I have the same feet problem, it seems to have moved from knees to my feet since I have finished herceptin. I saw my oncologist last week and she said it was most likely from the femara. I have also gained weight which I hate since I have never had a weight problem and she said also most likely the femara. (only a few pounds)Small price to keep the cancer away but I will be ready after 5 years to get things hopefully back to normal. At least we are alive and well. I recently met a lady on a trial study for femara, she doesn't know yet if she is getting it yet or not but she said that she has terrible hot flashes that she didn't have before. Time will tell.

LoisLane · 07-24-2012, 02:01 PM

Hi chekmark. Thank you for your response. I too have gained some weight since finishing treatment so perhaps that also contributes to the sore feet along with the femara. Like you said however, small
price to pay after all we have gone through and we are so lucky
to have the femara for us er+ ladies. take care lois

07-29-2012, 05:50 PM

With regards to the soreness of your feet, I too experienced that but since coming off the Femara, thankfully it's gone! My oncologist put me on a trial using emu oil. Emu oil has an anti-inflammatory component which "helped" but certainly didn't get rid of the pain. As with any kind of massaging, it can help. I also had sore thumbs??? That too has gone. I also checked on the "ingredients" in the Femara, something I wouldn't want to be on any longer than necessary. Hang in there.

tricia keegan · 07-30-2012, 01:08 PM

Thankfully I've never suffered the sore feet syndrome lol, but glad to know the aches go when we finish!

Laurel · 08-11-2012, 06:38 PM

Lois,

It was me who coined the moniker "Herman Munster Feet" to describe our feet syndrome and believe me I know EXACTLY what you are talking about! I will suggest something to you that may help. Recently my left knee has been very sore, well both knees are painful and have been for nearly a year now, but the the left is a mess. It was warm to the touch and swollen. Finally I was forced to see my G.P who dx'd osteoarthritis. Dang! I did some research and found that Tart Cherry Extract, Bromelain, and Glucosamine help osteo, so I ordered some and gave them a whirl. They worked wonders! Yea! They also really help my Herman Munster Feet Syndrome (watch that appear in some highbrowed medical journal--just you wait!). I will have to research a bit to see if osteoarthritis is a side effect of Femara. I have another year and a quarter until I am finished with the stuff. Looking forward to its end!

LoisLane · 08-12-2012, 07:43 AM

Hi Laurel thanks for your tip on what to try to relieve this. I am actually going to see my GP tomorrow. I saw an article on peripheral neuropathy and as I went down the checklist I seemed to have a lot of these, pain in feet at night, burning, numbness, loss of balance when I first get up when I try to walk etc. I also have a year and a half left of the Letrozole so hopefully these syptoms will go by the wayside when we are done yeah! take care Lois

Laurel · 08-12-2012, 05:24 PM

Lois,

Apparently in addition to the neuropathy we can enjoy an increased risk of osteoarthritis. ONE MORE YEAR TO GO!!!!!!