Femara (Generic)

Generic Femara (letrozole) is a form of hormone therapy known as an aromatase inhibitor, which works by reducing the amount of estrogen produced in the bodies of postmenopausal women. Femara is used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It is often given to women who have been taking tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Soltamox) for 5 years.

Generic Femara is a once-daily, convenient prescription tablet. Your doctor may tell you to take Generic Femara every other day if you have severe liver disease. Always take your medicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur:

• Bone fractures
• Mental/mood changes (such as depression, anxiety)
• Swelling of arms/legs, blurred vision

This medication (and cancer) may rarely cause serious problems from blood clots (such as heart attack or stroke). Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:

• 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/legs
• Slurred speech
• Weakness on one side of the body
• Vision changes
• Sudden/severe headache.

Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur:

• Persistent nausea/vomiting
• Unusual tiredness
• Dark urine
• Yellowing eyes/skin.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat/neck), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

Common side effects of Generic Femara include:
Hot flashes, hair loss, joint/bone/muscle pain, tiredness, unusual sweating, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, and trouble sleeping may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

You should not use Generic Femara if you are allergic to letrozole, or if you have not gone completely through menopause.
To make sure you can safely take Generic Femara, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

• Osteoporosis;
• High cholesterol; or
• Liver disease (especially cirrhosis).

The use of Generic Femara may cause decreases in the density of your bones, increases in bone fractures and osteoporosis. Monitoring of the density of your bones may be required.

FDA pregnancy category X. Generic Femara can harm an unborn baby or cause birth defects. Do not use Generic Femara if you are pregnant, or if you have not gone completely through menopause. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether letrozole passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using this medicine.

To help your doctor and pharmacist give you the best care, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products) before taking Generic Femara. While using this product, do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any other medicines you are using without your doctor's approval.

Some products that may interact with this drug include: estrogens (such as ethinyl estradiol, conjugated estrogens), estrogen blockers (such as anastrozole, tamoxifen).

This information does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

If you've missed a Generic Femara dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Keep your tablets in the container until it is time to take them. Store the tablets in a cool dryplace below 30°C (room temperature). Keep this medicine where children cannot reach it.