Tips for Taking Femara
Keep your pills front and center. Keep your medications where you can't miss seeing them several times a day. Store them out of reach of children and protected from extreme temperatures or humidity.
Friendly reminders. Taking your pills at the same time every day or as prescribed by your doctor as part of your normal routine is a great habit. A couple of well-placed notes on the alarm clock or bathroom mirror and reminders in your calendars can help keep you on track. Pill boxes are another good reminder.
Always stay a step ahead. Give yourself plenty of time to pick up your medication refill by ordering ahead. Sign up for automated refills or e-mail reminders if your pharmacy offers them. Ask a family member or friend to pick up your prescription or arrange for delivery if you can't pick it up yourself.
Travel smart. Always pack your Femara in your carry-on luggage when you travel, just in case there's a problem with your checked baggage. In addition, carry your prescription medicine in its original prescription bottle and be sure your name is clearly legible on the prescription label.
Track your progress. Place a special reminder on your calendar to make a note of when you take your pills.
No matter how much you plan or prepare, the unexpected may happen. Dealing with unexpected situations while maintaining your daily routine may help protect your health.
Margaret's Story
Margaret† sat in the waiting room, feeling a little nervous about telling her doctor that she hadn't been taking her medicine every day as prescribed. She had been taking Femara daily until she and her husband visited relatives for a few days and Margaret discovered that she had left her Femara at home. After returning home, Margaret continued to forget to take her medicine every day.
When Margaret explained this to her doctor, he reminded her that it was very important for her to take her Femara every day.
"But I don't really notice a difference if I forget to take my pills; it's like nothing's happening when I take them," Margaret said.
"I know it doesn't feel any different. It's still important to take it every day," answered Dr. Evans. "You're taking it daily to help prevent your breast cancer from returning. Also, try a pill box. Many of my patients find them a helpful daily reminder."
"Next time you're planning to travel, write a list of all the things you'll need to pack for vacation and ask someone to remind you to have your pills before you leave. Then you can focus on having fun on your trip instead of worrying about your medicine."
"OK, I will," Margaret said, with a new understanding of why it's important to take Femara every day as prescribed by the doctor.
†Margaret is not a real patient.
|
Indication Femara is also approved for the extended adjuvant treatment of early stage breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are within three months of completion of five years of tamoxifen therapy. The benefits of Femara in clinical trials are based on 24 months of treatment. Further follow-up will be needed to determine long-term results, including side effects. In addition, Femara is approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive or estrogen receptor-unknown breast cancer that has spread to another part of the body (metastatic cancer). Femara is also indicated for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following antiestrogen therapy. Important Safety Information You should not take Femara if you are premenopausal. Your doctor should discuss the need for adequate birth control if you have the potential to become pregnant, if you are not sure of your postmenopausal status, or if you recently became postmenopausal. Femara is only indicated in postmenopausal women. Talk to your doctor if you're allergic to Femara or any of its ingredients. You should not take Femara if you are pregnant as it may cause harm to an unborn child. Some women reported fatigue and dizziness with Femara. Until you know how it affects you, use caution before driving or operating machinery. Some patients taking Femara had an increase in cholesterol. Additional follow-up is needed to determine the risk of bone fracture associated with long-term use of Femara. In the adjuvant setting, commonly reported side effects are generally mild to moderate. The most common side effects seen with Femara include hot flashes, joint pain, night sweats, weight gain, nausea, tiredness, other heart-related events, and bone fractures. Other less commonly reported side effects include vaginal bleeding, blood clots, other cancers, osteoporosis, stroke, heart attack, and endometrial cancer. In the extended adjuvant setting, commonly reported side effects are generally mild to moderate. Commonly reported side effects for Femara include hot flashes, fatigue, joint pain, headache, increase in sweating, swelling due to fluid retention, increase in cholesterol, dizziness, constipation, nausea, heart-related problems, muscle pain, osteoporosis, arthritis, and bone fracture. In the metastatic cancer setting, commonly reported side effects are generally mild to moderate and may include bone pain, hot flashes, back pain, nausea, joint pain, shortness of breath, tiredness, coughing, constipation, limb pain, chest pain, and headache. Femara is a once-daily convenient prescription tablet. For additional safety information, please see the prescribing information. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 
Use of this Web site is governed by the Terms of Use
and Privacy Statement.
Copyright ©2010 Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. All rights reserved.Novartis proudly supports the Together Rx Access™ program. Together Rx Access is a registered trademark of Together Rx Access, LLC. |