Breast cancer treatment puts you into menopause. My breast cancer treatment started on August 1, 2007 and my hot flashes began shortly there after. Tamoxifen continued them. Femara continued them. I am not sure I remember life without hot.flashes. This is now January 5, 2013 which means its been 5 years and 5 months of hot flashes. They can be convenient on a cold winter day but not really. No never really. Hot flashes suck.
So now this cancer treatment cliff has a positive spin - no more hot flashes.
There are other side effects from Femara:
- dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, tired feeling;
- hot flashes, warmth in your face or chest;
- flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling);
- headache;
- nausea, constipation;
- bone pain, muscle or joint pain;
- numbness, tingling, weakness, or stiffness in your hand or fingers;
- pain in your hand that spreads to your arm, wrist, forearm, or shoulder;
- night sweats; or
- weight gain.
I can't say that I have had all of these but I really wouldn't miss them. I will confer with my oncologist and see how much better I might feel physically without Femara. Its the mental thing that is still getting to me.
