Has anyone had any success with femara as a fertility drug?

Guest · Guest

I want to thank all of you for posting on this site.
I have renewed hope.
I have PCOS, newly diagnosed, due to the infertility symptom of the condition. We have been trying for 10 mos and this is the first cycle on Femara. CD23.
I am happy to see some positive feed back regarding the Femara issues, given all the terrible articles out there.
Remember .....we are in charge of our own health.
Remain informed and make your decisions wisely.
Best of luck to everyone!
Smile

butterflykc · Newbie Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 5

Thank you all for your wonderful advise. This has been the best web site for me. My husband and I are going to try the Clomid 200 mg first and then probably give it a rest for a while. The emotional roller coaster is having a time with me. I have three friends with children under 12 months and another couple with one on the way without any problems and its really bothering me now to be around them without being depressed. I was holding my friends 8 month old and she was sleeping as I held her and I just started crying because I am afraid I will never get to be a mother. Luckily only one person saw me and he understands. But we are thinking that maybe if we take a break we can relax (I know that's what everyone tells me to do anyway) but get away and just have fun and we'll see what happens. Has anyone had the ovarian drilling? I am not really sure what it's suppose to do or what it helps happen.
Razz

Guest · Guest

PCOS Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome. I have it. Clmid is not working and i was thinking about Femara until I read this... What should i do...
Femara ®
Generic Name: Letrozole

Drug Type:

Femara is a hormone therapy. Femara is classified as an aromatase inhibitor. (For more detail, see "How Femara Works" section below).

What Femara Is Used For:

Femara is used to treat estrogen receptor positive or hormone receptor unknown locally advanced or metastatic (spread) breast cancer. It is indicated only for women who are post-menopausal (menstrual periods have stopped). It may be used as first-line therapy.
Femara may be used to treat advanced breast cancer in post-menopausal women whose disease has gotten worse after anti-estrogen therapy.
Femara has been approved for adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer.
Note: If a drug has been approved for one use, physicians may elect to use this same drug for other problems if they believe it may be helpful.

How Femara Is Given:

Femara is a pill, taken by mouth.
You should take Femara at about the same time each day. You may take Femara with or without food. If you miss a dose, do not take a double dose the next day.
You should not stop taking Femara without discussing with your physician.
The amount of Femara that you will receive depends on many factors, including your general health or other health problems, and the type of cancer or condition being treated. Your doctor will determine your dose and how long you will be taking Femara.
Femara Side Effects:

Important things to remember about the Femara side effects:

Most people do not experience all of the Femara side effects listed.
Femara side effects are often predictable in terms of their onset and duration.
Femara side effects are almost always reversible and will go away after treatment is complete.
There are many options to help minimize or prevent Femara side effects.
There is no relationship between the presence or severity of side effects and the effectiveness of the medication.
The following side effects are common (occurring in greater than 30%) for patients taking Femara:

Note: There are no common Femara side effects.

These side effects are less common side effects (occurring in about 10-29%) of patients receiving Femara:

Hot flashes
Bone pain
Back pain
Joint pain
Nausea
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Coughing
Not all Femara side effects are listed above. Some that are rare (occurring in less than 10% of patients) are not listed here. However, you should always inform your health care provider if you experience any unusual symptoms.

When To Contact Your Doctor or Health Care Provider:

The following symptoms require medical attention, but are not an emergency. Contact your health care provider within 24 hours of noticing any of the following:

Nausea (interferes with ability to eat and unrelieved with prescribed medication)
Extreme fatigue (unable to carry on self-care activities)
Pain that is unrelieved with prescribed medication
Always inform your health care provider if you experience any unusual symptoms.

Femara Precautions:

Before starting Femara treatment, make sure you tell your doctor about any other medications you are taking (including prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, herbal remedies, etc.). Do not take aspirin, or products containing aspirin unless your doctor specifically permits this.
Inform your health care professional if you are pregnant or may be pregnant prior to starting this treatment. Pregnancy category D (Femara may be hazardous to the fetus. Women who are pregnant or become pregnant must be advised of the potential hazard to the fetus).
Femara is indicated for post-menopausal women. Do not conceive a child (get pregnant) while taking Femara. Barrier methods of contraception, such as condoms, are recommended. Discuss with your doctor when you may safely become pregnant or conceive a child after therapy.
Do not breast feed while taking Femara.
Femara Self Care Tips:

If you are experiencing hot flashes, wearing light clothing, staying in a cool environment, and putting cool cloths on your head may reduce symptoms. Consult you health care provider if these worsen, or become intolerable.
Acetaminophen or ibuprophen may help relieve discomfort from fever, headache and/or generalized aches and pains. However, be sure to talk with your doctor before taking it.
Femara causes little nausea. But if you should experience nausea, take anti-nausea medications as prescribed by your doctor, and eat small frequent meals. Sucking on lozenges and chewing gum may also help.
Avoid sun exposure. Wear SPF 15 (or higher) sunblock and protective clothing.
In general, drinking alcoholic beverages should be kept to a minimum or avoided completely. You should discuss this with your doctor.
Get plenty of rest.
Maintain good nutrition.
If you experience symptoms or side effects, be sure to discuss them with your health care team. They can prescribe medications and/or offer other suggestions that are effective in managing such problems.
Monitoring and Testing While Taking Femara:

You will be monitored regularly by your doctor while you are taking anastrozole, but no special tests are required.

How Femara Works:

Hormones are chemical substances that are produced by glands in the body, which enter the bloodstream and cause effects in other tissues. For example, the hormone testosterone made in the testicles and is responsible for male characteristics such as deepening voice and increased body hair. The use of hormone therapy to treat cancer is based on the observation that receptors for specific hormones that are needed for cell growth are on the surface of some tumor cells. Hormone therapies work by stopping the production of a certain hormone, blocking hormone receptors, or substituting chemically similar agents for the active hormone, which cannot be used by the tumor cell. The different types of hormone therapies are categorized by their function and/or the type of hormone that is effected.

Femara is an aromatase inhibitor. This means it blocks the enzyme aromatase (found in the body's muscle, skin, breast and fat), which is used to convert androgens (hormones produced by the adrenal glands) into estrogen. In the absence of estrogen, tumors dependent on this hormone for growth will shrink.

Note: We strongly encourage you to talk with your health care professional about your specific medical condition and treatments. The information contained in this website is meant to be helpful and educational, but is not a substitute for medical advice.

october29 · Newbie Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 3

I was diagnosed with PCOS this past January after 8 months of trying and no luck. My OB gave me Femara 2.5mg (x2) for 5 days. I am going to start taking it this Saturday for the 4th month. I have not had any results with Femara yet. If this month doens't work then I am off to a specialist for a higher dosage. I wish you all luck during your first month. I have read it works for some, but havn't read on the ones it didn't. I just pray it will happen some day. Confused

october29 · Newbie Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 3

If your doctor suggests taking it, I would that is what I am doing. You just don't want to it if you become pregnant. That is why you cannot get the med refilled until you actually start. I have been on it for three months and the only side effects I have had are hot flashes but they only last for three days. Hope this helps.

Guest · Guest

I am underweight and after getting off birth control I never had a menstrual cycle. I was diagnosed with PCOS. I took several cycles of Clomid - didn't work. Took combo of Femara & Glucophage and got pregnant the 1st time. I now have a 12 month old. We are trying for our second and I am back on Femara - will see how it works this time.

Guest · Guest

i tried femara last cycle and got pregnant the first time. we used ultrasound monitoring(4-5 in total) and an hcg trigger(10000U ovidrel). i also have pcos and am on metformin for it. i am only 5w2d so we are not out of the woods yet but I am hoping to be soon...we had 2 m/c previously. in total i took femara 5mg day 3-7, prenatal vitamin, extra folic acid, 1 baby aspirin, metformin 1500mg and prometrium 200mg (after ovulation). It's a lot but it will be worth it if eveything work out.

Guest · Guest

Hi Everyone! I'm new to this-but I really like the support it brings. My husband and I have been trying for over a year to get pregnant. I was diagnosed with a bicornuate utertus. We have done many tests and my doc is ready to put me on fertility. My husband is a bit nervous because he has heard that womenn get really moody. Is this true? What can I expect? : Question

blu74 · Newbie Joined: 04 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

I've done 3 cycles of clomid (50mg, 100mg,) I finished 150mg day 2-6. It's been 11 days since last pill was taken. I have pcos, the first cycle on clomid did not do anything but give me very little cysts that did not grow. My second cycle the doc found one mature follicle(17mm) told me to get an ovualation kit I tested that same day negative the next day positive. Had relations for three days in a row breast were very sore. 14 days later my aunt flow arrives. I was so dissapointed but this, was the first time that I have a menstrual cycle that was not medically induced.

I go back to the Doc this week. Was told that if this cycle does not work I would need to try something stronger like Femara.

I will pray for all of you who are going through infertility like I am.

If you have PCOS and would like to email me so we could learn more about this syndrome together please feel free to email me *****

**edited by moderator **

turbo · Newbie Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

The information posted has been very helpful. My husband and I have been trying for 5 years and have not been successful. Even after getting checked out, everything was in the clear. That was two years ago and nothing has happened , so we visisted the fertility dr. today to see what we could do next. He perscribed femara, so I will start that on cycle 3-7. It was encouraging to read some positive results and we hope that will do for us as well.

Has anyone had any success with femara as a fertility drug?

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