Femara is in a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors. Femara (Letrozole) is used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Femara is also indicated for the treatment of advanced cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following antiestrogen therapy. It works by lowering the estrogen levels in postmenopausal women, which may slow the growth of certain types of breast cancer that needs estrogen to grow. The usual recommended start dose is 2.5 mg.
Manufacturer Information
The brand Femara is manufactured by Novartis and the generic Letrozole currently comes from Canada and Turkey. It may come from other international countries. Femara is available in tablets of 2.5 mg strength and quantities of 30, 60, or 90.
Get medical help immediately if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction while taking Letrozole.
• Difficulty breathing;
• Hives;
• Swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat
Stop taking Femara and call your doctor at once if you have one of these serious side effects:
• Blood clots;
• Sudden shortness of breath;
• Chest/jaw/left arm pain;
• Confusion;
• Coughing up blood;
• Sudden dizziness;
• Fainting;
• Pain/swelling/warmth in the groin/calf;
• Tingling/weakness/numbness in the arms or legs;
• Slurred speech;
• Weakness in one side of the body;
• Vision changes;
• Sudden severe headache
Less serious side effects of Letrozole may include dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, hot flashes, warmth in your face or chest, bone pain, muscle pain or joint pain, flushing, headache, increased sweating, swelling or weight gain.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Please call your doctor if you have any further concerns or questions.
Femara should be taken as prescribed by your doctor. Talk to your doctor about your medical history to be sure you can safely take Femara. Particularly if you have liver disease, osteoporosis, osteopenia, high cholesterol, or if you take tamoxifen. You should not use this medication if you have not yet gone through menopause. Do not use this medication if you are pregnant or nursing and be sure to tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking this medication. Use effective birth control and continue to use it three weeks after your last dose of Femara. There may be some drugs that interact with this medication. If you are taking any of these medications, speak to your doctor.