Femara is a kind of hormone therapy. What are the different types of breast cancer surgery? Generic forms of Femara are available. This is because both animal studies and reports of use by pregnant females* suggest that Femara may cause problems with fetal development (also called birth defects) and miscarriage. Swelling caused by Femara typically occurs in your arms, feet, hands, or legs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Femara to treat certain conditions. hot flashes flushed skin increased sweating joint pain weakness edema (swelling), possibly in your ankles or feet headache dizziness bone pain The mild side effects of Femara that are less. They can suggest ways to help manage this side effect. Natco Pharma Limited. As a type of hormone therapy, Femara works by lowering estrogen levels in your body. This dosage is 1 tablet once daily. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. How do Femaras side effects compare with those of other cancer drugs? For this purpose, tamoxifen must have been used for at least 5 years. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. Swelling, another common side effect of Femara, can cause you to gain weight as your body holds on to water. A medication timer may be useful, too. Both Femara and Arimidex belong to a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors. * Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Common side effects can be like menopause symptomsand include hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, tiredness and low mood. (Day 1 of your menstrual cycle is the first of your period.) Breast Cancer Treatment: Why Some Older Patients May Not Need Radiation, TV Host Samantha Harris Says her Breast Cancer Was Misdiagnosed for Months. Some side effects, such as osteoporosis (weakened bones), will not get better on their own, even after you stop taking Femara. These include: The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. High cholesterol. This increases your risk of breaking a bone during Femara treatment. If youre concerned about hair loss while taking Femara, talk with your doctor. About 90% of radiolabeled letrozole is recovered in urine. Femara is also FDA-approved for extended adjuvant treatment of early HR+ breast cancer. Breast cancer occurs when breast cells grow rapidly and out of control. What are the more common side effects of Femara? What Types of Breast Cancer Have the Highest Recurrence Rates? The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time. If youre concerned about side effects from stopping Femara treatment after 5 years, talk with your doctor. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include: Call your doctor right away if you have a severe allergic reaction to Femara. Like most drugs, Femara can cause an allergic reaction in some people. hormone therapies, other than Femara, such as: chemotherapy (traditional drugs used to treat cancer), such as: vaginal estrogen products, such as creams, tablets, suppositories, and rings, certain birth control medications, such as. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you. (To learn more, see Is Femara used for infertility? right above.) Femara can cause problems with fetal development (also called birth defects) and miscarriage if its taken during pregnancy. Before taking Femara, talk with your doctor about your health history. Some people start taking letrozole after a few years of taking the hormone therapy drug tamoxifen . After menopause, your body produces less estrogen, which can weaken your bones. The most common cause of ovulation problems that result in infertility is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). But Femara is also sometimes used to treat infertility that doesnt have an obvious cause. Your doctor can recommend treatment options other than Femara. Such drinks and foods may worsen hot flashes. So, chemotherapy can affect both healthy cells and cancer cells. Femara and clomiphene are both used to stimulate ovulation in females who are having trouble becoming pregnant. https://www.drugs.com/pro/letrozole.html, Letrozole (Femara) Breast cancer now. Its available in one strength: 2.5 mg. For information on the effectiveness of Femara, see the Femara uses section below. Can Breast Cancer Be Detected in a Complete Blood Count (CBC)? Serious side effects, which are explained in more detail below in Side effect details, include: You may wonder how often certain side effects occur with this drug. If your cholesterol gets too high during your Femara treatment, your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication, such as a statin. You should talk with your doctor to discuss which hot flash treatments are best for you. This is because the drug can stay in your system for about 7 days after you stop the treatment. 2005-2023 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Using more than this can lead to serious side effects. In addition, a small study found that Femara may be effective in treating infertility in men who have both obesity and low testosterone levels. When talking with your doctor, you may want to ask the following questions: To learn more about breast cancer and its treatment options, sign up for Healthlines breast cancer newsletter. If youre already ovulating before taking Femara, the drug may cause more eggs than usual to mature and be released from your ovaries. Keeping cool with a fan or removing layers of clothing during hot flash episodes. https://breastcancernow.org/information-support/facing-breast-cancer/going-through-breast-cancer-treatment/hormone-therapy/letrozole-femara. Precautions. Lumpectomy and mastectomy are different types of cancer surgery that remove cancer cells from the breast. In this case, stopping Femara can sometimes improve your breast cancer, rather than causing side effects. Your doctor will order blood tests to check your cholesterol levels before you begin taking Femara and during your treatment. If youd like to know more about how Femara and Arimidex compare with each other, see this detailed breakdown. How to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer: 10 Lifestyle Recommendations, Symptoms of Late Stage Metastatic Breast Cancer, What to Know and Consider Before Having Prophylactic Mastectomy. With advanced breast cancer, the cancer has spread to nearby areas or lymph nodes (called locally advanced breast cancer), or it has spread to other parts of the body (called metastatic breast cancer). Your bones rely on estrogen to keep them strong. Its possible that you may continue to have side effects from Femara even after you stop taking it. If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Because of this, you shouldnt breastfeed while youre taking Femara. If you have questions or concerns about using Femara for infertility, talk with your doctor. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have questions about using Femara, talk with your doctor. These can include: If these changes dont ease your symptoms of hot flashes, you may need to take medication. After youve gone through menopause, your ovaries no longer produce estrogen. Learn about side effects, warnings, dosage. * Sex and gender exist on spectrums. With early breast cancer, the cancer hasnt spread out of either your breast or the lymph nodes in your armpit. Femara can be an effective treatment option for certain types of breast cancer. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. The half-life is the amount of time it takes for the drug level in your body to decrease by half. Headaches were a common side effect in studies of Femara. So, side effects that you have while taking Femara may continue for a few weeks after you stop using it. For more information on the possible side effects of Femara, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. But sometimes the drug is used off-label to treat infertility in females* with PCOS. Femara is prescribed for females with certain forms of either early or advanced breast cancer. In that case, just skip the missed dose and take your next dose as scheduled. When used for this purpose, Femara helps lower the risk of your cancer coming back. If you have questions about using Femara for breast cancer, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Breast lumps and visual changes to the breasts or nipples are more frequent signs of breast, Aggressive, hard-to-treat breast cancer types such as inflammatory breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer are the most likely to recur. Taking Femara can help you to become pregnant if youre trying to conceive (TTC), by either having sexual intercourse or using intrauterine insemination (IUI). Hot flashes. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Femara is meant to be used as a long-term treatment for breast cancer. This enzyme is the main way that your body makes estrogen after youve gone through menopause. Femara can interact with several types of drugs. Both Femara and clomiphene may be prescribed to treat female* infertility. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Femara. Letrozole is typically taken once a day for five days. They may want to prescribe medication to help protect your bones during your Femara treatment. Cancer cells multiply quickly, but some healthy cells in your body also multiply quickly. With early breast cancer, the cancer hasnt spread out of either your breast or the lymph nodes in your armpit. But its not known if drinking alcohol after youre diagnosed with breast cancer can make your cancer worse or more likely to come back after treatment. Femara is a hormone therapy thats used for HR+ breast cancer. * Risk factors for osteoporosis include a family history of the condition, low physical activity, smoking, drinking alcohol, and a diet low in calcium and vitamin D. It should be safe to drink alcohol during your Femara treatment. Femara is FDA-approved to treat only certain types of breast cancer. If you have fatigue or dizziness while youre taking Femara, dont drive or operate other machines. Many drugs are available to treat infertility. Symptoms can be mild or serious and can include: If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. If you miss a dose of Femara, take it as soon as you remember, unless its almost time for your next dose. All rights reserved. If you do drink alcohol while taking Femara, you might be more likely to experience: If you plan to drink alcohol while taking Femara, talk with your doctor about how much may be safe for you to drink. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Femaras prescribing information. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article. In all of these cases, Femara is used to treat infertility by inducing (causing) ovulation. When you stop taking letrozole, most persistent side effects should improve within a week or 10 days, and as long as you have taken it for at least 5 years, then letrozole should continue to reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back for many years after you stop taking it. Keep reading to learn more. Your doctor can recommend other treatments, besides Femara, that are safe for you to use. Femara tablets should be stored at room temperature (77F/25C) in a tightly sealed container. If the side effects seem life threatening or if you think youre having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. This helps stop breast cancer from growing. * An allergic reaction is possible after taking Femara. They can recommend healthy ways for you to manage your weight. Bring someone with you to your appointment if doing so will help you feel more comfortable. But its not known how often this occurs in people using Femara. Femara tablets contain the active drug letrozole. Generally it takes four to five half-lives for a drug to be eliminated from the body, so in the case of Arimidex this would be 150 to 300 hours, or six to 12 days. Then, you can share this information with your doctor. Serious side effects are possible from taking Femara. Allergic reaction. Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. (Day 1 of your menstrual cycle is the first day of your period.) . The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that Femara may cause. (A drug class is a group of medications that work in a similar way.). Am I at a higher risk for certain side effects from Femara? If you are not tolerating it well due to side effects, sometimes temporarily stopping it or switching to another hormone drug may be considered. Learn how CBCs are used in the treatment of breast cancer. Some people may experience mild or serious side effects during their Femara treatment. * However, the drug may be used off-label for this purpose. Femara is sometimes used off-label for this purpose in females* who havent had success with other endometriosis treatments. This use of the drug is called ovulation induction. But after menopause, your estrogen levels fall, which can weaken your bones.