How does Femara affect your period?
When Femara is used for breast cancer treatment it is only for women who are postmenopausal, and therefore they should not be having periods. However Femara can cause vaginal bleeding in approximately 13% for patients on Femara.
Femara is also taken ‘off-label’ for women who are at the menstruating stage of life, to induce the eggs being released from the ovaries (ovulation) in women who have ovulation problems, polycystic ovary syndrome and unexplained fertility.
Women who are having difficulty conceiving take Femara to induce ovulation in hopes to become pregnant and if successful this would result in no period. If this does not result in pregnancy you would expect to get your period approximately 14 days after you ovulate which may be day 28 of your cycle.
When do you take Femara to induce ovulation?
Femara is taken once a day for 5 days, starting on day 3 of your period and continuing to day 7. If you are not having periods naturally you may be given progestin to induce your period, then you can start Femara once you have your period. After taking the 5 day course of Femara you should ovulate between day 11 and day 14 which is when intrauterine insemination takes place or when you should have intercourse.
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How does Femara induce ovulation?
Femara lowers your estrogen levels, which causes an increase in two hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The increase in these two hormones stimulate the egg to mature and be released from your ovaries.
Bottom Line:
- Women who are taking Femara for breast cancer should be postmenopausal, so should not be having periods, but may have some vaginal bleeding as a side effect from Femara.
- When Femara is being taken to induce ovulation it should be taken once daily on day 3 to day 7 of your cycle.
- If you do not become pregnant you will get your period usually 14 days after your induced ovulation, which is approximately day 28 of your menstrual cycle.
References
- Femara Medication Information: https://www.drugs.com/femara.html
- Femara Side Effect Information: https://www.drugs.com/sfx/femara-side-effects.html
- Letrozole Medication information https://www.drugs.com/ppa/letrozole.html
Read next
Is letrozole a form of chemotherapy?
Letrozole is not chemotherapy, it is a type of hormone therapy that is used to treat people with breast cancer that is hormone receptor-positive. If your cancer is hormone receptor-negative, then letrozole will not be of any benefit. Traditional chemotherapy agents stop cancer cells from growing, dividing, and making more cells. Letrozole works by blocking the action of the enzyme aromatase, which prevents the body from converting androgens into estrogens. Estrogen is a hormone that causes estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer to grow. Letrozole belongs to the class of medicines known as aromatase inhibitors. Continue reading
Does letrozole affect blood sugar levels?
Although diabetes and blood sugar increases are not listed as a side effect of letrozole treatment, treatment with letrozole is associated with a significantly increased risk for high blood sugar levels and diabetes. An Israeli study that investigated 2,246 breast cancer survivors found that women treated with letrozole were 4.3 times more likely to develop diabetes than women not taking letrozole, although the number of women prescribed letrozole was small. Overall, women prescribed any sort of hormone treatment (either tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor such as letrozole) had a 2.5 times higher risk of diabetes. Continue reading
What are the benefits of taking Kisqali and Femara together?
Taking Kisqali and Femara together can benefit patients with specific types of breast cancer because the medications work in different ways. Kisqali blocks the growth of cancer cells, while Femara reduces the amount of estrogen in the body that can fuel cancer growth. Studies have shown that taking the two together can be more effective compared to taking Femara alone. Continue reading
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