Question Posted Yesterday

[frustratedrg]

I didnt get any response from any healthcare providers on my Tamoxifen/Femara question regarding weight gain and loss.  Can anyone answer that question for me.

[Dr_Aparna]

Hello,
Femara  (letrozole tablets) is approved for the adjuvant (following surgery) treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive early stage breast cancer.
Femara is also approved for the extended adjuvant treatment of early stage breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are within three months of completion of five years of tamoxifen therapy.
In the adjuvant setting, commonly reported side effects are generally mild to moderate. Side effects that are comparable between Femara and tamoxifen include night sweats, weight gain, nausea and tiredness. Side effects seen more often with tamoxifen versus Femara were hot flashes and vaginal bleeding. Joint pain was experienced more often with Femara versus tamoxifen.
ref: http://www.femara.com/home.jsp?m=2
Additional side effects for both Femara and tamoxifen are heart attack, thromboembolic events, endometrial cancer and second malignancies.
bOTH THE DRUGS CAN CAUSE GAIN IN WEIGHT.

[frustratedrg]

My question is this:  Tamoxifen put about 8 lbs on me over the 5 years. I am 54 yrs old and have weighed about 92 lbs my whole adult life.   Am off Tamoxifen for 5 months and on Femara now.  I am slowly seeing a few pounds come off whereas on Tamoxifen nothing came off no matter how hard I tried.  Is it possible that I am losing the tamoxifen weight and will not gain on Femara.