The following information is a summary about Femara. It is not intended to replace a doctor's instructions.
About your Femara treatment
Your doctor has ordered the drug Femara/letrozole to help treat your illness. The Femara drug can be taken by mouth in tablet form.
This Femara medication is used to treat:
advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression after antiestrogen therapy
Femara/Letrozole is in a class of drugs known as aromatase inhibitors; Femara prevents formation of estrogen. Although estrogen is a hormone naturally produced by the body, it can stimulate and maintain the growth of certain types of cancer. Femara/Letrozole slows or stops the growth of cancer cells by decreasing the amount of estrogen produced.
Femara Precautions
Before taking Femara/letrozole,
tell your doctor and Femara pharmacist if you are allergic to Femara/letrozole or any other drugs.
tell your doctor or Femara pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, including vitamins.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver disease.
Femara Side Effects
Although side effects from Femara/letrozole are not common, they can occur. Tell your doctor if any of these Femara symptoms are severe or do not go away:
nausea
vomiting
muscle or bone pain
fatigue
headache
dizziness
muscle weakness
swelling of the hands, feet, or lower legs
loss of appetite
constipation
diarrhea
abdominal pain
hot flashes
cough
If you experience any of the following Femara symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
chest pain
difficulty breathing
rash
What storage conditions are needed for Femara?
Keep Femara in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store Femara at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any Femara medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your Femara medication.
In case of Femara emergency/overdose
In case of Femara overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
What other Femara information should I know?
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests before and during treatment to check your response to Femara.
Do not let anyone else take your Femara medication. Ask your Femara pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your Femara prescription.
Other uses for this Femara medicine
This Femara medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more Femara information.
What should I do if I forget a Femara dose?
Take the missed Femara dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next Femara dose, skip the missed Femara dose and continue your regular Femara dosing schedule. Do not take a double Femara dose to make up for a missed one.
