femara side effects - loss of sex drive, vaginal dryiness and sensitivity et al

Hi,

I have been on Femara for about 9 months and have  had sex twice since, due to the vaginal dryness and sensitivity, I cannot stand my husband  to go near my vagina, if he does, it get very tender and sore, and makes intercourse very painful.  Also, I have lost all interest in sex, whether it be foreplay or full blown intercourse. I feel as if my body has shut down. All I want to do is sleep, but can not have a good night's sleep. After a couple of hours, I wake up and just toss and turn, due to pain in my muscles. I can cope with that if I have to for 5 years, but the loss of my sex drive is really getting to me. Everytime I think about it I just get so depressed.

I have a very patient, loving and understanding husband, but feel that it going to get to a point that he gets fed up and goes elsewhere.

Has anyone else had this experience

I stopped Femara after four months. Yes, sex was very painful and lubricants didn't make it any better. Dr suggested other ways ( mouth or hand ) to satisfy but I didn't even want to share a room with him. I went for a second opinion for taking AIs and was told that if I want to be part of that 97% that live 5 years I have to take them. I started Aromasin about 30 days ago and the vaginal dryness does not seem as bad as with Femara although I am still trying to control the pain in my hands that started just 2 weeks into Femara.
The most frustrating part of all this is the Drs say it's not the drug - must be something else. I found the website askpatient.com and 99% of postings are the same side effects that I had.
My new oncologist said if one AI does not work for you take another ( there are 3 brands ) and if those don't work for me then Tamoxafin and if that doesn't work well, hopefully there will be something else on the market by then.
I take an additional 3 meds to control side effects.
Talk to your oncologist about how you feel and don't be afraid to ask for other meds that will help you through this treatment. It won't last for ever.


dx 5/2010
IDC & ILC
2 lumpectomy
6.5 weeks radiation
AI therapy

I tried all 3 AIs and tamoxifen too. They all gave me such pain, all the other side effects, that I had to stop taking anything. I ended up having trigger finger surgery from the effects of the meds.

After a year being off the meds I am still not interested in sex, and it hurts too much to even try. Fortunately there are other ways to satisfy our partners, and they do deserve to have us try.

Not toes, but 3 pills of Aromasin was all it took to give me the trigger fingers and the most horrible arthritis-like pain, so bad I couldn't take any more. I had tried Arimidex, didn't tolerate after 3 months. Then came Femara, which I put up with for half a year, but was practically crawling to the kitchen for Rx pain meds.

The trigger fingers came on fast - three days - and they didn't go away even though I stopped the Aromasin, so I had to have surgery after a year of pain.

I think docs just believe what the drug companies tell them - generally well tolerated - unless patients figure it out for themselves and complain. In truth, many women seem not to be particularly bothered, but older women with tendencies toward arthritis have a bad time. I'm part of a study group at U. Pit.

I am on Femara now for 9 months as well and also have no sex drive and have the same pain. I want to show my husband this so he sees why I am going through this. Anybody come up with some ways to deal with this side effect?

Sorry to come to this discussion so late...hope my perspective helps.

First...the dryness, etc., is NOT in your head. It is very real...very much akin to what I went through with menopause which should be no surprise since Femara shuts down estrogen...like menopause.

Menopause was not much of an issue for me at the time as I was single. Then at 56 I met a wonderful man and fell deeply in love. Sex was painful...surprisingly so. But, my love is a gentle, big teddy bear of a man and I discovered that lubrication helps...and so does frequent love-making. We had a wonderful sex life. It truly was a use it or lose it scenario. Then last year, just after my 60th birthday, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I chose a bilateral mastectomy and the lymph nodes removed on my left side (the side of the tumor). Shortened story...no radiation, no chemo, but Femara strongly recommended. I have been taking it for over a year now. Here's what I discovered...

Back to square one...everything dried up...even more so. Yes...lubricant helps (indulge in the ones that warm up) but it's not the same. Yes...increased frequency helps...but that's not the same either. What I found helps the most is lots of foreplay and changing positions. I love being held and snuggled so missionary was always my favorite. But...it's the most painful...not uncomfortable...painful. My being on top is best. With generous lubricant and frequency, making love is very enjoyable again. The best part is that by being on top YOU set the pace which means you can go slower and take your time. It's uncomfortable at first...but you can get beyond it.  The days of instant sex are behind me...but not wonderful love-making.

The wonderful thing about my guy is that he is patient and loving and generous. Even more, it's not that the mastectomy didn't make a difference, to him there is no difference. My breasts are not what he loved...I am. Oh...and here's another thing I discovered. Your chest is still very sensitive and gentle kisses and caressing (like before the surgery) can still be very arousing...which also helps.

Side effects to Femara are very real. Any doctor who says otherwise never talks/listens to his patients. I've gained 15 pounds, have minor joint and muscle aches, and dryness is REAL. BUT...I am "knock wood" cancer free and looking forward to ACT III of my life. If Femara keeps cancer from coming back, well, all of life is trade-offs. Hope this helps.

 

So here I am 5 years later after being prescribed Letrozole and yes sex is extremely painful. Lubricants help a bit. I'm married to my childhood sweetheart & he's Italian.
Also my finger joints hurt at night. Always tired. Terrible hot flashes.
So my doc put me on an antidepressant for the hot flashes (Venlafaxine). It worked.
Always tired...my doc said it cd be from being on an antidepressant...since I would not normally need one.
I am excited that it's almost my 5 year mark so I can get off these meds & hopefully feel like my old self real soon.