Femara is approved for treating postmenopausal women after surgery who have hormone-sensitive early breast cancer and it also used to treat postmenopausal women with breast cancer that is resistant to the more commonly-used anti-estrogen medications such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex).
Take no more than one pill a day or as directed. Do not stop taking this medication unless instructed to do so by your doctor or pharmacist. Continue to take your other medications unless instructed otherwise.
Femara is an oral medicine. It is used for treating postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Femara is an anti-estrogen drug. Femara inhibits the enzyme in the adrenal glands (aromatase) that produces the estrogens, estradiol and estrone. The growth of some breast cancers in postmenopausal women is promoted by estrogens that circulate in the blood, and the adrenal glands are the main source of these circulating estrogens. Important that Femara was approved by the FDA in 1997.
If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. But do not take two doses at once, if it is near the time of the next dose.
Keep Letrozole at room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C). Do not expose to light and moisture.
Femara Safety information
Before Femara will be prescribed to you, tell your doctor your medical history, especially if:
- you have liver problems;
- you have any drug allergies.
Do not drink alcohol during treatment with Letrozole, because this may increase the side effects of this drug.
Do not drive or do any unsafe tasks requiring alertness during treatment with Femra because Femara may cause drowsiness.
This drug is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Do not breast feed while treatment with Femara.
Do not share this medicine with others for whom it was not prescribed. Keep Femara out of the reach of pets children Do not use this medicine for other health conditions. If Femara was prescribed t you for an extended period of time, obtain refills before your supply runs out.
Femara Side effects
Usually Femara is well tolerated (no side effects in most women). However sometimes there appears:
- Fatigue, constipation, nausea;
- diarrhea, drowsiness, headache;
- dizziness.
If these side effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor fast.
Call emergency if you experienced:
- stomach pain,
- chest pain,
- rash, trouble breathing,
- hot flushes, itching
or
- swelling, redness, pain in legs or arms,
- severe weakness,
- vision problems,
- unusual vaginal bleeding.
These side effect are very rare, but if they appear you need an immediate consultation of your doctor an emergency care.
