About letrozole and how to use it
Letrozole is a hormone-based medicine, which is a part of the group called aromatase inhibitors. It is also known under the name of Femara, and is used mostly in the treatment of breast cancer after the surgery and breast cancer in the developed stage in women after menopause. It helps by blocking the process of aromatization in the body, which is the process of transforming of the hormones androgen into estrogen. This way, the level of estrogen is also reduced, and since the growth of the many breast cancers depend exactly on the amount of estrogen in the body, this way, their growth is blocked as well. Unfortunately, this does not always mean that it can cure the cancer or prolong the life. Besides these, there is a wide range of conditions and situations in which it can be used off the label.
A few important pieces of advice related to the use of letrozole are to follow the instructions given by the doctor, and to try to take the tablet every day at the same time. In case a tablet isn’t taken in time, it would not be clever to take the double dose next time.
Side effects ofletrozole
People react differently to this drug, but generally, serious side effects are very rarely experienced. However, since those treated by this medicine are under the supervision of the professionals, they should inform them about any side effect which might be experienced, whether serious or not. The most common are nausea and vomiting, but headaches, tiredness, and pain in the muscles and joints may appear as well. None of these side effects requires additional medical treatment, because in most of the cases, they disappear some time later, when the body gets used to the medicine. Some women may notice that they are losing hair, and some may experience hot flushes. The effects of the latter can be relieved by the use of antidepressants, but something like that should be discussed with the doctor. As for the serious side effects, they include pain in the chest and problems with breathing, infections of urinary tract, and swelling of the ankles.
In order to reduce the risk of the possible side effects, letrozole should not be combined with medicines such as sedatives, antihistamines, pain relievers, tranquilizers, other medicines based on estrogen, especially birth control pills, and it should not be used in cases when a patient has allergy of any kind, or problems withliver.
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