Femara and Pain: What Users Say

• Fem...
• October 8, 2013

For Breast Cancer "I have been on Femara for 9 months. First few months were tolerable, as time progresses, I am miserable. In the beginning, I experienced nausea and diarrhea. As this went away, the bone and joint pain began. I would be awakened from my sleep in tears as my hips would ache just from lying in bed. My hands and fingers hurt to make a fist or do any type of extended writing. My knees ache horribly. When I get out of bed in the morning, I need to stand still for at least 2 or 3 minutes until I can get my legs to work. The same thing happens when sitting for any length of time. I am 45 and feel like I am 85."

• Fem...
• October 8, 2013

For Breast Cancer "I have been on Femara for 9 months. First few months were tolerable, as time progresses, I am miserable. In the beginning, I experienced nausea and diarrhea. As this went away, the bone and joint pain began. I would be awakened from my sleep in tears as my hips would ache just from lying in bed. My hands and fingers hurt to make a fist or do any type of extended writing. My knees ache horribly. When I get out of bed in the morning, I need to stand still for at least 2 or 3 minutes until I can get my legs to work. The same thing happens when sitting for any length of time. I am 45 and feel like I am 85."

• Fem...
• October 8, 2013

For Breast Cancer "I have been on Femara for 9 months. First few months were tolerable, as time progresses, I am miserable. In the beginning, I experienced nausea and diarrhea. As this went away, the bone and joint pain began. I would be awakened from my sleep in tears as my hips would ache just from lying in bed. My hands and fingers hurt to make a fist or do any type of extended writing. My knees ache horribly. When I get out of bed in the morning, I need to stand still for at least 2 or 3 minutes until I can get my legs to work. The same thing happens when sitting for any length of time. I am 45 and feel like I am 85."

• Fem...
• October 8, 2013

For Breast Cancer "I have been on Femara for 9 months. First few months were tolerable, as time progresses, I am miserable. In the beginning, I experienced nausea and diarrhea. As this went away, the bone and joint pain began. I would be awakened from my sleep in tears as my hips would ache just from lying in bed. My hands and fingers hurt to make a fist or do any type of extended writing. My knees ache horribly. When I get out of bed in the morning, I need to stand still for at least 2 or 3 minutes until I can get my legs to work. The same thing happens when sitting for any length of time. I am 45 and feel like I am 85."

• Fem...
• October 8, 2013

For Breast Cancer "I have been on Femara for 9 months. First few months were tolerable, as time progresses, I am miserable. In the beginning, I experienced nausea and diarrhea. As this went away, the bone and joint pain began. I would be awakened from my sleep in tears as my hips would ache just from lying in bed. My hands and fingers hurt to make a fist or do any type of extended writing. My knees ache horribly. When I get out of bed in the morning, I need to stand still for at least 2 or 3 minutes until I can get my legs to work. The same thing happens when sitting for any length of time. I am 45 and feel like I am 85."

• Chi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 26, 2015

For Breast Cancer "Had Grade A Breast Cancer that was caught early. Had a mass and one lymph node removed. Went on Femara on Nov. 8, 2014, the day after I finished radiation. At first, I didn't notice anything. Slowly the pain in my feet started, then other joints in my body. I felt like I was having trouble getting air into my lungs. I started feeling like I was in a fog. I already had been diagnosed with depression years ago which was under control with medication. I started experiencing depression a couple of weeks ago which included waking up and crying. That turned into suicidal depression. Without pain medication, I couldn't move around well. The bottom of my feet were killing me. I work full time. I quit the Femara 2 days ago."

• tin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 29, 2023

For Breast Cancer "Awful! I've been on Femara for about 8 months. And since I started, I seem to have every single side effect. My joint and muscle pain is excruciating. In no particular order, I suffer with body pain (fingers, hands, shoulders, chest, back, sides, hips, legs, feet - basically everything head to toe). Plus, weight loss, hot flashes, headaches, dizziness, thinning of hair, dry mouth, high BP, night sweats. Even my scalp is tender. Chest pain that radiates to upper arms, shortness of breath, overall depression. Chills, insomnia, intestinal pain - sharp pains, plus dull aching. Constant feelings of nausea, diarrhea, constipation. I'm afraid to eat but also have little appetite. Brain fog, shortness of breath. Feeling that I am just going to die. Sitting up in pain all night. I hurt everywhere - too sick to move; too sick to cry. Feels like I am going to have a heart attack. Can’t lie down, can’t stand up. Full body chills, hands shaking. Haven't slept through the night in months."

• gre...
• November 2, 2015

For Breast Cancer "Had lump removed April 2014, 15 treatments of Radiotherapy then Letrozole. The doctor only warned about making my already present aches pains worse but felt this was the best for my age, now 70. I went out with my daughter on Friday and felt I had to drag myself around, so wiped out. I feel the need to sit down all the time. Going upstairs to bed, by the time I get to the top of the stairs, I'm sweating, very hot, and feel like I'm running out of air, I have to sit down on the toilet while I cool down. During the day, I constantly fall asleep. I feel this is a poor life with no energy to do anything. I wake up in the morning with a headache and sometimes feel sick."

• Anonymous
• December 13, 2009

For Breast Cancer "I am 52 years old, and I too feel older than I am. I already have problems getting out of bed, and I suffered with sarcoidosis, which affects the organs and causes joint pain, sending me constantly to different specialists. Now I am taking Femara, and it's not only causing me more pain, but it's causing my hair to fall out or thinning! I also notice that my vision is impaired sometimes when I'm driving, and I only drive when I have to, but sometimes I find myself trying hard to focus. This is scary! I am calling my oncologist tomorrow morning first thing."

• Gon...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 2, 2018

For Breast Cancer "1.7 years, loss of hair, hot flashes, shoulder, elbow, hip pain, dry mouth, high cholesterol, high glucose, high BP... But if it keeps cancer from returning, the side effects, hopefully temporary, will have been worth it."

• Gon...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 2, 2018

For Breast Cancer "1.7 years, loss of hair, hot flashes, shoulder, elbow, hip pain, dry mouth, high cholesterol, high glucose, high BP... But if it keeps cancer from returning, the side effects, hopefully temporary, will have been worth it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 13, 2021

For Breast Cancer, Adjuvant "Bone pain, trigger fingers, joint pain, hip pain, wrists/thumbs repeated tendonitis, low energy. From anastrozole to letrozole, issues persist, worse over time. Still on it, but had to stop working. Managing to stay on as benefit outweighs risk."

• lkw...
• April 23, 2012

For Breast Cancer "I have been on Femara for 4 months. Hand pain and weight gain."