life after Tamoxafin and Letrozol

[magouda]

I am a 6 and half years survivor of ductal carcinoma in situ and was on tamoxafin for 5 years and since march 06 have been on Letrozol. had a mastectomy and reconstruction . my question is how long will i be taking letrozol ?? i did have a cholesterol reading of 300 after just one year on the new med. am taking cholestoff once a day in the evening before dinner [it is not a drug]and my cholesterol went down to 264, only LDL are high everything else in panel is very low.
i was wondering how many people reading this have cholesterol problems and also i do have the muscle pain and joint pain headaches.. you name it.. but i got used to them; i excercise diligently and watch my fat intake which by the way was not high to start with.moving around a lot helps the pain to go way

[Cleveland Clinic]

Dear magouda, Letrozole and tamoxifen are both forms of hormone therapy, which are used to suppress estrogen in estrogen positive breast cancers.  They each work in a different way.  Tamoxifen works by directly blocking estrogen.  Letrozole blocks the enzyme aromatase, which is needed by the body to convert hormones, called androgens into estrogen.  By blocking aromatase, production of estrogen is slowed or stopped.   Letrozole has been approved as adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal hormone receptor positive early breast cancer.   In the large study that demonstrated a benefit to continuing treatment with letrozole after 5 years of tamoxifen, the letrozole was administered for an additional 5 years. This study was done in postmenopausal women with invasive breast cancer. There is not yet a lot of information about the use of aromatase inhibitors for DCIS. You should discuss with your oncologist the planned duration of therapy and the pros and cons as it applies to your individual situation.

[MiracleB]

I have high cholesterol and have been on various drugs for it for the last 7 years. 1st was zocor and with a slight diet change of non fat milk and cheese, It lowered from a 210 over all to a 170. I did not even know enough  back then to ask what my HDL and LDL were. Then this new drug came out called Crestor, suppose to work very well. After 3 months my cholesterol went back up, all nurse said was it was really high and wanted to know if I was even taking it or not. The doctor put me back on Zocor until I could see him again. I have a horrible family history of high cholesterol and heartt problems. My older sister, who is a health nut, almost vegetarian, soy, natural and organic foods only , plus works out 5 times a week, has a total cholesterol of over 300. So, my heart docotr put me on the vytorin. Seems to be working fine. I have been on it for 6 months now. the good cholesterol is at 45. I can't remember what the total was. I do not watch my diet and the only exercise I get is at work which is fairly physical. Lots of stairs and lifting. Did you have high cholesterol before you had breast cancer? Or were you indicating that perhaps the tamoxifen raised it?  Or, just curious about high cholesterol in general. Post on Patien to patient if you want, then I can read your previous responce and new ones at the same time. Or not, just curios and wanted to reply.

[magouda]

hello ; answering your questions about cholesterol...
i di dnot have problems before the letrozol not the tamoxafin..
and then i read more carefully the side effects and here was the hypercholestoremia.. but i nver paid attention to that because like your sister am a fitness nut and eat little fat .. in my small diet..
so beware of letrozol or femara .. they do these changes in only 3% of patients and i am one of them
thank you for asking ...

[MiracleB]

I was just reading about Tamoxifen, on the Vitalife site and how it can increase your cholesterol. It suggests taking Vit. E and Vit C to combat this, but then I read that antioxidants can prevent the full effect radiation. I guess it is kind of a catch 22 situation. I have not started my radiation or tamoxifen yet, as I just had another lumpectomy, but these are questions I will ask the oncologist and my hear doctor as to what they know and recommend. Is tamoxifen started after radiation?

[magouda]

MiracleB... i know that Letrozol or femara [also same family Arimidex] are used more often now that tamoxafin; because it reduces the recurrence of breast cancer by 38% that is if the E receptors are positive.
so if they will put you on tamoxafin ask first why not letrozol or arimidex.
good luck...ask all the questions you can...
am having my 6 months check up on the 31 July.
still waiting to know for how long i will keep on taking letrozol. the cholestoff i take is not a drug but it did reduce my cholesterol; i am petite and used to weigh 105 lbs; but now after 6 and half years with cancer medication i am up to 125-130

[MiracleB]

Thanks for the additional info on the other drugs and the cholestoff. I wish you the best for your 6 month check up. I think, from what I have read, that letrozol is used for port menopausal women. I a pre-menopasal still, but if II go through menapause, then I here they will switch tamoxifen to the other drug as needed. I have asked this forum docotor to help explain the cholesterol thing and will also ask my oncologist, as he is waiting to start treatment. I had to have another lump removed on June 29th and as waiting to hear the pathology. I guess, over-all, the benefits from the treatment will outweigh the side effects, but I will also need the make sure my hear doctor knows what I am on and the possible side affect of it increasing my cholesterol. All the best!