Femara
Femara is letrozole 2.5mg tablets, taken once a day for breast cancer in women past the menopause and used after surgery, radiotherapy or a course of tamoxifen.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5mg | 10 tablets | $17.00 | $1.70 |
| 2.5mg | 30 tablets | $42.60 | $1.42 |
| 2.5mg | 60 tablets | $76.20 | $1.27 |
| 2.5mg | 90 tablets | $99.00 | $1.10 |
| 2.5mg | 120 tablets | $102.00 | $0.85 |
| 2.5mg | 180 tablets | $111.60 | $0.62 |
| 2.5mg | 270 tablets | $137.70 | $0.51 |
- Category
- Oncology Support · Women's Health
- Active ingredient
- Letrozole
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 2.5mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Breast cancer
- Therapeutic Class
- Aromatase inhibitor
- Pharmacological Class
- Non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor
- Minor Side Effects
- Bone pain, Hot flashes
- Moderate Side Effects
- Fatigue, Increased cholesterol
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Novartis
- Onset Time
- Initial effect within days
- Duration
- 24 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature.
- Drug Interactions
- Tamoxifen, Oestrogen medication
What you will receive
Femara is the originator brand name, made by Novartis. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Femara.
- The same active ingredient (Letrozole) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
What pack sizes does Femara come in?
Femara comes as 2.5mg tablets in packs of 10, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180 or 270. This is generic letrozole, not the original Femara. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
How do I pay for Femara and is the parcel discreet?
Femara is sent discreetly, in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing on the outside about the contents. Payment is by Visa, Mastercard or American Express on a secure, encrypted page, or by Bitcoin or Ethereum, and card details never reach the shop's servers.
What are the alternative names for Femara and letrozole?
Femara is a brand name of letrozole, which is also sold as Fempro and Letroz. Here, letrozole can be bought online as generic Femara. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long does Femara take to lower oestrogen levels?
Levels begin to drop within days of the first tablet, and the fall is close to its fullest after about two weeks of daily dosing. Because the tablets are taken without a break, oestrogen stays low for as long as the course continues.
What is the difference between Femara and tamoxifen?
They act on oestrogen in different ways. Tamoxifen blocks oestrogen at the receptors on the cancer cell, while letrozole reduces how much oestrogen the body produces. Both are used in breast cancer, and some women take tamoxifen for five years and then switch to letrozole.
How long do I need to take Femara?
Courses are measured in years rather than months: five years is the usual span after surgery, and some women continue for longer. In advanced breast cancer, treatment carries on for as long as it is helping. The tablets only work while they are being taken.
Does Femara cause weight gain?
Weight change is listed among letrozole's reported side effects, and appetite can shift too, so some women do notice it. Others see no difference at all. Femara treats breast cancer and is not a weight-loss medicine, so any movement on the scales is an unwanted effect rather than part of the treatment.
Does Femara cause hair loss?
Hair thinning or loss is reported by some women taking letrozole. It tends to come with the other effects of low oestrogen, such as hot flushes, night sweats and aching joints. Not everyone notices it.
About Femara
What Femara is used for
Femara is letrozole 2.5mg: one tablet a day, swallowed, for breast cancer in women who have gone through the menopause. It is given after surgery or radiotherapy for early breast cancer, and for women who have already completed five years of tamoxifen. When the disease has spread, it can be the first treatment used, or one that follows tamoxifen.
How letrozole works
Take a woman a few years past her menopause. Her ovaries have stopped making oestrogen, but fat and muscle still make a little, using an enzyme called aromatase. Letrozole blocks that enzyme. Less oestrogen is made, and that starves breast cancers whose cells depend on the hormone to grow.
Femara is not for women who still have periods. Oestrogen-containing medicines such as hormone replacement therapy work against it and are not used with it.
Taking Femara day to day
One tablet a day, swallowed with water, with or without food. Most women take it for five years or longer, and keep going on days when they feel well. If you forget a tablet, do not take two the next day. Keep the strips away from damp and strong light.
Side effects
Hot flushes and night sweats usually top the list, a direct result of lower oestrogen. Vaginal dryness, irritation or bleeding, breast pain, aching joints and muscles, tiredness, headache, dizziness, nausea, constipation or diarrhoea, heartburn, swollen hands or ankles, blurry vision and disturbed sleep are all reported. Drowsiness affects some women enough that driving or operating machinery is best avoided until they know how the tablets suit them.
A smaller set of problems needs urgent treatment: chest pain; a rash, hives or swelling of the face and throat; breathing difficulty; bleeding or bruising with no obvious cause; yellowing of the eyes or skin; a warm, tender or swollen calf; a severe headache; sudden difficulty speaking; or sudden numbness or weakness in an arm or leg.
Bone density also falls over the years of treatment, which makes a fracture more likely.
Sources
- Letrozole: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- Breast Cancer - NCI — National Cancer Institute (NCI)