How long does femara stay in system

You may also gain weight if you have swelling , which is another possible side effect of Femara. Swelling from Femara usually occurs in your arms, feet, hands, or legs. They can recommend healthy ways for you to manage your weight. Headaches were a common side effect in studies of Femara. Over-the-counter OTC medications, such as acetaminophen Tylenol and ibuprofen Advil , may be effective for relieving headaches. But make sure you talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medications with Femara.

You may also be able to ease headaches by applying an ice pack or heating pad to your head. You can do this for about 10 minutes a few times each day. A hot shower or bath may also provide some headache relief. Spotting may occur with Femara use. This was common in clinical studies of the drug. Spotting may occur along with other side effects from Femara, such as belly pain or cramping. Talk with your doctor if you have bothersome spotting while taking Femara. They can suggest ways to help manage this side effect.

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Femara. A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing.

Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Femara. Female infertility refers to not being able to become or stay pregnant. Infertility is often caused by problems with ovulation when eggs are released from your ovaries. And ovulation problems commonly happen because of a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS.

Femara may be used off-label to treat infertility due to PCOS and other causes. But a generic version called clomiphene is available. However, the drug may be used off-label for this purpose. Clomiphene is approved to treat infertility in females. Femara and clomiphene are both used to stimulate ovulation in females who are having trouble becoming pregnant. If you have more questions about how Femara and clomiphene are alike and different, talk with your doctor.

Femara is a kind of hormone therapy. Chemotherapy is a type of cancer drug. It works by killing cells in your body that multiply quickly. Cancer cells usually increase in number more quickly than healthy cells.

But some healthy cells in the body also quickly multiply. So, chemotherapy can affect both healthy cells and cancer cells. Femara is a kind of drug called an aromatase inhibitor.

As a type of hormone therapy, Femara works by lowering estrogen levels in your body. How does letrozole work? Side effects of letrozole 5. When letrozole is given 6. How long will I have to take it? Taking letrozole with other drugs. Letrozole is a drug used to treat breast cancer in women who have gone through the menopause. You may also hear it called Femara, which is its best-known brand name.

There are a number of other brands of letrozole, all of which contain the same dose of the drug. Men with breast cancer may be given letrozole, although another drug called tamoxifen is more commonly used. Some breast cancers are stimulated to grow by the hormone oestrogen. But the drugs can cause some different side effects, as well. Both Femara and clomiphene may be prescribed to treat infertility in females. Clomiphene is FDA-approved to treat infertility.

To learn more about how Femara compares with clomiphene, see this article. If you have more questions about how the side effects of Femara and clomiphene compare, talk with your doctor. Weight changes were a common side effect in clinical studies of Femara.

Both weight gain and weight loss were reported in studies of the drug, although weight gain was more common. Keep in mind that cancer including breast cancer , which Femara is used to treat can often cause changes in body weight. They can suggest healthy ways to manage your weight. Hair loss is a possible side effect of Femara. In clinical studies , this side effect was common. Talk with your doctor about ways to manage any hair loss you experience while taking Femara.

Your doctor may suggest that you use a cooling cap to help with hair loss. Cooling caps are devices that decrease blood flow to your scalp. This can lower the amount of Femara that reaches your hair follicles, which can help reduce hair loss from the drug. Joint pain was a common side effect reported in clinical studies of Femara. To relieve your joint pain, consider asking your doctor about taking over-the-counter pain relievers.

Examples include ibuprofen Advil , Motrin and acetaminophen Tylenol. But be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medications with Femara. Your doctor may also check for other causes of joint pain, such as bone fractures broken bones. Headache was a common side effect in clinical studies of Femara.

They may suggest other ways to relieve this side effect. Taking Femara can cause low bone density low levels of calcium and minerals in your bones. Bone density may also be referred to as bone mineral density. Decreased bone density can lead to osteoporosis brittle, weak bones and bone fractures broken bones. Low bone density was a common side effect in clinical studies of Femara.

This helps them monitor the strength of your bones. If your bone density gets low during treatment, your doctor may prescribe a drug to help strengthen your bones.

As with most drugs, Femara can cause an allergic reaction in some people. For mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, call your doctor right away. In this case, avoiding alcohol may help. Most people can eat and drink normally when taking letrozole.

Although some people may get hot flushes or redness when they drink alcohol. If you lose your appetite, try to make sure you have a balanced diet by eating smaller meals and more often. If it makes you feel hungrier and you're putting on too much weight, ask your doctor or specialist nurse to refer you to a dietitian. However, some people find they start having periods again after taking letrozole. If this happens to you, it's important to use reliable contraception. Talk to your doctor if your periods start again, or if there is any chance that you are pregnant.

If you feel tired or dizzy, or if you get blurred vision, do not drive, cycle or operate machinery until you feel OK again. Page last reviewed: 21 July Next review due: 21 July Letrozole - Brand name: Femara On this page About letrozole Key facts Who can and cannot take letrozole How and when to take letrozole Side effects of letrozole How to cope with side effects of letrozole Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions.

About letrozole Letrozole is a medicine used for treating breast cancer. Letrozole comes as tablets. It is available on prescription only. Letrozole can sometimes also be used: to prevent breast cancer if you are high risk and have been through the menopause to treat breast cancer in men and younger women as a fertility treatment if you have polycystic ovary syndrome.

You usually take letrozole once a day — try to take it at the same time each day. Most people are given letrozole for 5 years, but some will take it for up to 10 years. Common side effects can be like menopause symptoms and include hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, tiredness and low mood. Side effects usually improve after a few months as your body gets used to the medicine.

Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and bone density during your treatment. Letrozole can be taken by adults only aged 18 years and over. Tell your doctor before starting on this medicine if you: have had an allergic reaction to letrozole or any other medicines in the past still have periods are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding have serious kidney or liver disease have been told you have fragile or brittle bones osteoporosis.

Letrozole comes as 2. The usual dose is 1 tablet, taken once a day. What if I forget to take it? Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. What if I take too much? Urgent advice: Contact for advice now if:. Like all medicines, letrozole can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. Common side effects These common side effects happen in more than 1 in people.

Talk to your doctor or a pharmacist if these side effects bother you or do not go away: hot flushes and sweating dry or itchy vagina, bleeding from your vagina difficulty sleeping feeling very tired feeling or being sick, loss of appetite mild aches in your muscles and bones numb or tingling hands changes to your skin, including a mild rash hair loss low mood or depression Letrozole may also affect your blood pressure, cholesterol and bone density.

Serious side effects Serious side effects are rare and happen in less than 1 in people. Urgent advice: Contact now for advice if you have:. Serious allergic reaction In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to letrozole.

Information: You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme. Information: Find out more about treating symptoms of the menopause.

What to do about: hot flushes and sweating — try cutting down on spicy food, caffeine, smoking and alcohol. It may help to keep the room cool and use a fan. Try spraying your face with cool water, or sipping a cold drink. Vaginal bleeding usually happens in the first few weeks after starting letrozole.