Letrazole or tamoxifen?!

[Feelingoood]

Hello! After 5 years on tamoxifen, it’s usual to move to letrazole..but apparantly it thins your bones. This makes me nervous!
Has anyone here taken either? What’s your experience? Thanks!

It's really important you seek advice from your GP or HCP, whoever prescribed your medication.

There is a list of side effects available for every drug, in the leaflet provided with the drug, but that list has been created from all known side effects from everyone who has used it. So it includes osteoporosis for Letrozole but it absolutely depends on your medical history, how long you take it for etc.

Please please talk with your medical team, don't ask for invalidated medical information on here, otherwise it could give you anxiety unnecessarily.

I have been taking Femara (a particular brand of letrazole) for two years now. I did a bone density scan before I started and am due to do another in a few weeks before my next six monthly review (I alternate seeing my medical oncologist and surgeon every six months, I saw someone three monthly for the first 18 months post treatment). Tbh for me my cancer was so aggressive and the treatment protocol was brutal and set so there were really no options - I just need to manage the risks/side effects. Biggest thing for me is the fatigue and I put on quite a bit of weight although part of that was probably a bit of “screw that, life is too short to diet”. I also have lymphoedema which is a pita. All in all if the letrazole keeps the cancer away that’s good enough for me. You need to try it and see what the side effects are for you but I wouldn’t worry too much about the bone thinning aspect as long as your treatment team keeps an eye on you,

Thanks, both .
sorry you’ve been through so much flatland happy.
Guess the bone density thing scared me, but I’m guessing they know more than me!

Sorry to be so brief. Still find it all anxiety inducing. And life is too short to diet, enjoy your cake!

I did 5 years of tamoxifen and am 2 1/2 years into 5years of letrozole.

I also had a bone density scan just before starting the letrozole and will have another one later this year to check my bones.

I'm also worried about it but my oncologist said this is the best treatment for me and I trust him implicitly.

I stated on Tamoxifen and was on it for 2 years before being changed to Letrazole. I too had a bone density scan prior to starting. However after a year I had to come off it anyway because my joints became so painful. I'm back on Tamoxifen now. Been on it for 3 years and presumably be on it for the final 3 years however recently started bleeding and turned out I had to have a uterine polyp removed. Turns out a thickening of the uterous and polyps are a side effect of Tamoxifen.

Having said that it's really something that needs to be discussed with your. oncologist.

Thanks all. I went to the oncologist..and got the wrong week😵‍💫 but will go onto letrazole.as he suggests. Love to all for getting through tough times 💐