What Femara is used for
Femara is used to treat breast cancer in women who are post-menopausal - that is, women who no longer have periods, either naturally due to their age or after surgery or chemotherapy.
Femara is available in tablets containing 2.5 mg of the active ingredient, letrozole.
Letrozole belongs to a family of medicines called aromatase inhibitors. They are also called "antioestrogens" because they act by reducing the production of oestrogen in your body.
Oestrogen stimulates the growth of certain types of breast cancer. These cancers are called "oestrogen-dependent." Reducing the production of oestrogen may help to keep the cancer from growing.
This may be the first time you are taking an "antioestrogen" such as Femara or you may have taken another "antioestrogen" such as tamoxifen in the past.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Femara has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed Femara for another reason.
When you must not use Femera
Do not take Femara if you have an allergy to:
- letrozole, the active ingredient in Femara
- any other ingredients of Femara
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include rash, itching or hives on the skin; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body; shortness of breath, wheezing or troubled breathing.
Do not take Femara if you are still having periods. This medicine is only used in women who are no longer having periods.
Do not take Femara if you are pregnant or breast feeding. It may affect your baby if you take it while you are pregnant or breast feeding.
Do not take Femara after the use by (expiry) date printed on the pack. If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work or it may make you unwell.
Before you start to take Femera
Tell your doctor if you have severe kidney or liver disease. Your doctor may want to take special precautions while you are taking this medicine.
Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives. Your doctor will want to know if you are prone to allergies.
If you have not told your doctor about any of these things, tell them before you take Femara
Taking other medicines with Femera
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop. Other medicines may be affected by Femara or they may affect how well it works.
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do when taking Femara with other medicines.
How to take Femara
Follow the directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully.
The usual dose is one Femara tablet daily.
Swallow the tablet with a glass of water or other liquid.
If your stomach is upset after taking the tablet, take it with a meal or after a snack.
Your doctor will check your progress to make sure the medicine is working and will decide how long your treatment should continue.
If you are unsure, talk to your doctor.
If it is almost time for your next dose (e.g. within 2 or 3 hours), skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take the dose as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your tablet as you would normally. Do not take a double dose to make up for the one that you missed.
In case of overdose ,immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons and Hazardous Chemicals National Information Centre (telephone 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766) for advice, or go to the Accident and Emergency Department at your nearest hospital if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Femara. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
Things you must do when taking Femera
If you become pregnant while taking Femara, tell your doctor immediately. You should not take this medicine while you are pregnant.
Follow your doctor's instructions carefully. If you do not follow your doctor's instructions, your treatment may not help or you may have unwanted side effects.
Be sure to keep all of your doctor's appointments so that your progress can be checked. Your doctor may want you to have blood tests from time to time to check on your progress and detect any unwanted side effects.
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Femara.
Tell any other doctor, dentist or pharmacist who treats you that you are taking Femara.
Things you must not do while taking Femera
Do not use Femara to treat any other complaints unless your doctor says you can.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem to be similar to yours.
Be careful driving, operating machinery or doing jobs that require you to be alert while you are taking Femara until you know how it affects you. This medicine may cause dizziness or tiredness in some people. If you have any of these symptoms, do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous.
Side effects of Femera
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Femara. It may have unwanted side effects in some people in addition to its beneficial effects. All medicines have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:
- signs that blood clots may have formed, such as sudden severe headache, sudden loss of coordination, blurred vision or sudden loss of vision, slurred speech, numbness or tingling in an arm or leg, painful swelling in the calves or thighs, chest pain, difficulty breathing, coughing.
- constant "flu-like" symptoms (chills, fever, sore throat, sores in mouth, swollen glands, tiredness or lack of energy) that could be a sign of blood problems.
- Tightness or feeling of heaviness in the chest or pain radiating from your chest to your arms or shoulders, neck, teeth or jaw, abdomen or back (sign of angina pectoris or heart attack)
- Numbness or weakness in arm or leg or any part of the body, loss of coordination vision changes, sudden headache, nausea, difficulty speaking or breathing (sign of stroke).
The above side effects may be serious. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following side effects and they worry you:
- swelling of the feet, ankles or other parts of the body due to fluid build up
- skin rash, itching or dry skin
- pain in the muscles, joints or bones; joint stiffness, arthritis
- vaginal spotting or bleeding
- whitish, thick vaginal discharge, vaginal dryness
- headache
- fever
- tiredness, sleepiness, weakness or dizziness
- difficulty sleeping
- numbness or tingling in hands or feet
- mood changes such as anxiety, nervousness, irritability and depression (sad mood)
- forgetfulness
- change in sense of taste
- blurred vision or eye irritation
- stomach upset, nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting, pain in the abdomen
- constipation
- diarrhoea
- dry mouth, sore mouth, mouth ulcers and cold sores
- increased thirst
- breast pain
- hot flushes
- increased sweating
- appetite or weight changes
- hair thinning
- urgent need to urinate (pass water)
- pain or burning sensation when urinating, which may be a sign of an infection
- fast or irregular heartbeats
- thinning of bones (osteoporosis), leading to bone fractures in some cases
- high levels of cholesterol in the blood (hypercholesterolemia)
- abnormal liver function test results (blood test disorder)
- disturbed physical sensitivity (dysaesthesia)
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you unwell. Other side effects not listed above may happen in some people.
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