90 days with Letrozole
When I made the decision to begin taking Letrozole, both my physician and a number of women who are on the medication told me to expect:
Neuropathy in my hands and feet
Muscle or joint pain
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Edema
Dizziness
Weight gain
Loss of appetite
Digestive issues
Hair loss
Insomnia
Fatigue
Thus far, my experience with Letrozole, however, has been fairly easy, and given the potential for positive results, I am thankful that this is the treatment option Dr. Rossi and I agreed upon together. Of course, we won’t know about bone density loss for some time, but I am under the care of an endocrinologist who plans to monitor my bone density yearly, and for that I am thankful.
If I had to rank these side effects in order of how they have affected me, it would look like this:
Fatigue and insomnia. I have learned to take my medication no more than 30 minutes before I want to go to sleep because it definitely puts me to sleep. However, I often find myself waking up between 1 and 2 a.m., and it’s generally difficult to get back to sleep. This is probably why I often feel tired during the day, and I frequently take an early afternoon nap.
Neuropathy in my hands, feet and legs. I have experienced muscle and joint pain, as well, though not so much as to keep me from exercising. In fact, exercising has been my coping mechanism when it has been bad. Some days are worse than others, and mornings are generally worse than other times of the day. But it’s all bearable.
I’ve had my fair share of hot flashes and night sweats, but they’re more annoying than anything else. And, of course, I’d be having those anyway, even if I weren’t taking Letrozole.
Edema has been the latest annoying side effect. It’s becoming uncomfortable to wear my wedding band some days. But on other days, I don’t feel like I am swelling at all. I can not identify a pattern or causation. The edema I have experienced seems to be random.
I have not gained weight. In fact, I’ve been steadily losing weight. I think this is because of the diet I am choosing to eat (think rabbit food) and the fact that many days my appetite is less than it used to be.
Dizziness. I have low blood pressure, so I can’t say if this is any worse than it’s been before.
Digestive issues. I have not had many digestive issues, but I attribute that to my diet more than anything else. I have become a big fan of a cold pressed ginger juice with cayenne pepper, and exercise surely helps, as well.
Hair loss. I’m definitely experiencing this, though so far I think I am the only one who has noticed it. Again, this was to be expected after surgery, so I can not attribute it directly to Letrozole.
I share this information in hopes of helping someone else who is debating whether or not to go on Letrozole. As I have said before, each woman’s experience with GCT is different. This might not be the right option for someone else, but, for now, I believe Letrozole is the right option for me.
