How long does femara stay in your system

Sometimes your doctor may recommend that you take a higher dosage of Femara, such as 5 mg or 7. One study looked at using doses higher than the current standard dose to treat infertility. But more research is needed to know whether higher doses of Femara are more effective than lower doses. Examples of both mild and serious side effects that can occur when using Femara for infertility include:.

Your doctor might ask you to take Femara on either cycle days 3 to 7 or cycle days 5 to 9. Day 1 of your menstrual cycle is the first of your period.

Be sure to always take Femara exactly as your doctor recommends. You can take Femara at any time of day. Femara contains the active drug letrozole, while Clomid contains the active drug clomiphene.

Clomid has been discontinued, but generic versions of clomiphene are still available. Femara and clomiphene are both used to induce cause ovulation in women who are having trouble becoming pregnant. For these women, infertility may be caused by problems with ovulation, or it may not have an obvious cause called unexplained infertility. Femara is used off-label for this purpose. However, clomiphene is FDA-approved for treating infertility in women.

Femara and clomiphene work in slightly different ways in your body to induce ovulation. But both drugs are usually taken for 5 days at the start of your menstrual cycle. Whether Femara or clomiphene is more effective for you may depend on the cause of your infertility.

But studies comparing the two drugs have found slightly differing results. A study found Femara to be more effective than clomiphene in treating infertility in women with PCOS. A review of studies also found Femara to be more effective than clomiphene in treating infertility in women with PCOS. Another review of studies found Femara and clomiphene to be similarly effective in treating unexplained infertility. Many drugs are available to treat infertility. Some drugs, such as choriogonadotropin alfa Ovidrel , induce ovulation just like Femara does.

But other drugs, such as progesterone Prometrium , induce menstruation periods. And there are other drugs used to treat infertility that do other things in your body. Hormone therapies stop estrogen from encouraging breast cancer cells to grow. It works by stopping an enzyme type of protein called aromatase from working as usual. Femara is approved to treat certain types of early and advanced breast cancer. With advanced breast cancer, the cancer has spread to nearby areas or lymph nodes called locally advanced breast cancer , or it has spread to other parts of the body called metastatic breast cancer.

Femara has been found to be effective in treating advanced breast cancer. Talk with your doctor about how long you should take Femara for adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Your doctor will help you to weigh potential risks and benefits of taking Femara for a long period of time.

Risks of extended treatment to consider may include weakening of your bones or raised cholesterol levels. Femara has been found to be effective in treating early breast cancer. In addition to the uses listed above, Femara may be used off-label. Below are examples of off-label uses for Femara.

In addition, a small study found that Femara may be effective in treating infertility in men who have both obesity and low testosterone levels. But sometimes the drug is used off-label to treat infertility in women with PCOS.

PCOS is a condition that causes hormone problems, irregular or skipped periods, and cysts on your ovaries. Femara induces causes ovulation and can increase your chances of becoming pregnant. But sometimes the drug is used off-label in people with this condition. This condition can become very painful and may lead to infertility in some people. Some research from showed that Femara can help manage pain related to endometriosis. Femara is also sometimes used off-label to treat infertility in women with endometriosis.

The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs.

The usual dosage of Femara for breast cancer treatment is one tablet taken by mouth once each day. The usual dosage of Femara for adjuvant treatment of breast cancer is one tablet taken by mouth once each day. In that case, just skip the missed dose and take your next dose as scheduled. A medication timer may be useful, too. Femara is meant to be used as a long-term treatment for breast cancer. Chemotherapy describes traditional drugs used to treat cancer.

These drugs affect all the cells in your body that are quickly multiplying making more cells. Your liver helps clear Femara from your body. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have severe liver problems before starting Femara. Allergic reaction. Talk with your doctor about which other treatments are better choices for you. However, alcohol can cause side effects that are similar to those of Femara.

So drinking alcohol while taking Femara could worsen certain side effects of the drug. This is because the drug can stay in your system for up to a few weeks after your last dose. Your doctor can recommend treatment options other than Femara.

Mild and serious side effects can occur while you take Femara. Most side effects are mild and will go away within a few hours or days after you start taking the drug. But be sure to tell your doctor if you have bothersome side effects that last for more than a few days.

They can help answer any questions you have about side effects from taking the drug. Besides talking with your doctor, you can do some research on your own. These articles might help:. Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date.

However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.

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Learn more here. Studies have shown that gentle yoga can be very beneficial for people with breast cancer. Read on to learn why and which poses can help. If you have questions about using Femara for breast cancer , talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You may want to ask about other treatments for breast cancer. If so, this article on breast cancer treatment options may be helpful for you. Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date.

However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.

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Some breast cancers are stimulated to grow by the hormone oestrogen. Letrozole belongs to a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors.

Letrozole is suitable for women who have been through the menopause and whose breast cancer is oestrogen receptor positive. Find out more about the side effects of letrozole. Letrozole is usually given after surgery to reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back or spreading. Letrozole can also be used to treat breast cancer that has come back recurrence.

This will depend on your individual circumstances, but letrozole is usually taken for five to ten years. Some people start taking letrozole after a few years of taking the hormone therapy drug tamoxifen. Your treatment team will tell you when to stop taking letrozole.

However, not taking the drug for the recommended time may increase the risk of your breast cancer coming back.