Unfortunately, many patients are diagnosed with breast cancer. This is a dangerous illness, the cases of which are becoming increasingly more frequent. Therapy with such a disease is long and combines the use of a variety of funds. And in many cases, the patients are prescribed the drug "Letrozol". Instructions for use provides information that this medicine is a non-steroidal competitive aromatase inhibitor, so it is effective in combating some cancer diseases.
Of course, the patient, facing such a problem, are trying to get as much information as possible and about the disease itself, and about the medicines used. So how affects the body the drug "Letrozol"? Instructions, reviews, contraindications and complications are just that information that needs women.
Composition and form of release
This drug is produced in the form of two-screw round yellow tablets with a film shell. With a cross-section, you can see the white core, sometimes with a light yellowish tint. Tablets are packed in blisters (in each ten pieces). In the pharmacy you can purchase a package consisting of three blisters.
What is included in the medicinal product "Letrozol Teva"? The instruction contains information that the main component of the drug is letrozol (each tablet contains 2.5 ml of this substance). In line with, of course, there are auxiliary ingredients, in particular, the ferricular corn starch, microcrystalline cellulose, colloidal silicon dioxide, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, sodium carboxymethyl staircase and crospovidon.
For the manufacture of the tablet shell, titanium dioxide, hypimosellos, polyethylene glycol and yellow iron oxide are used as a dye.
What properties has a drug?
Many patients are interested in the question of how this medicine affects the body. What effect can provide the drug "Letrozol"? The instruction indicates that this remedy affects a competitive non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor.
It is worth saying that Aromatan is an enzyme that affects the human hormonal background. It stimulates the process of transformation of androgens, which are produced by adrenal glands, in estradiol and estro in women during postmenopause.
According to research, often the appearance and growth of malignant neoplasms is related to the presence of estrogen, which are synthesized in the presence of aromatase. If we reduce the amount of this enzyme, the susceptibility of the tumor to therapy increases - there is a chance to stop its growth and create the most relevant conditions for further treatment.
It is believed that treatment with this drug increases the survival rate among patients, and also reduces the risk of recurrence and the emergence of secondary tumors.
After taking the tablet quickly digested in the digestive system and is almost completely absorbed by the intestinal walls. The maximum concentration of letrozol is observed 1-2 hours after the reception. With plasma proteins, the active component of the medication binds to 60%. The medicine and its metabolites with the kidneys are excreted (only a small part leaves the body along with the carte masses). The half-life is 48 hours.
The list of readings is always useful to familiarize themselves. In which cases do the doctors prescribe the "Letrozol" medicine? Its use is advisable for the following diagnoses:
- Breast cancer at an early stage in patients during the postmenopause period, provided that the disease is accompanied by the expression of estrogen receptors.
- Sometimes pills "Letrozol" (the instruction confirms this) prescribe women with breast cancer after completing the treatment with "tamoxifen" to extend adjuvant therapy.
- Tablets are prescribed to women with breast cancer during postmenopause (regardless of whether menopause is natural or caused artificially) if the patient has previously passed anti-estrogen treatment.
- This drug is used for therapy of the first line with common hormone-dependent breast cancer in patients during postmenopause.
Of course, treatment with cancer complex and long-term - it includes a whole range of drugs that select the attending physician.
Preparation "Letrozol": instructions for use and dose
How to apply the medicine? Immediately it is worth saying that only the doctor may appoint and correctly determine the dose of the drug "Letrozol" (2.5 mg). The instruction contains only a general description and some recommendations.
As a rule, patients are recommended to take on one tablet (2.5 mg) per day. Occasionally, the doctor can increase the dose of up to 5 mg - this amount is considered to be maximum. Take the drug, regardless of food. However, if the tablet was adopted together with food, then the maximum concentration of the active component is observed after 2 hours.
Therapy in this case is long. Patients take a medicine for 4-5 years. Although, if against the background of treatment, there is an aggravation of the ailment and the growth of the tumor, then the reception of the tablets should be stopped. When breaching the liver or kidney, the dose correction is usually not required.
Are there contraindications for the reception of this medicine?
Does the doctors always prescribe the drugs of the "Letrozol" patients during breast cancer? Instructions for use contains information that there are some contraindications to the drug reception.
These tablets are not prescribed during endocrine status, which indicates the reproductive period. The drug is not used to treat children and adolescents, since its effectiveness and security in this age group was not verified experimentally. Also, the medicine cannot be used by women during the baby tooling and during breastfeeding period. The restrictions, of course, also include the presence of allergic sensitivity to the components of components (which is why their list should always be studied even before the start of therapy).
There are some relative contraindications. For example, if a patient has glucose-galactose malabsorption, lactose intolerance, lactase deficiency, the reception of the drug is possible, but in such cases you need to carefully follow the state of the woman.
Side reactions against the background of therapy
According to statistical research and reviews of doctors, this drug is well tolerated by the body of a woman. However, this is a pretty serious drug. There are side effects that develop against the background of taking the "Letrozol" tablets? The application instruction states that treatment may be associated with a number of complications:
- Some patients complain of digestion disorders. For example, on the background of therapy may appear nausea and vomiting, as well as constipation or, on the contrary, diarrhea. Perhaps the appearance of stomach pain. In laboratory analysis, the increase in the activity of hepatic enzymes is sometimes noted. The disorders on the part of the digestive system include dry mouth and stomatitis.
- Sometimes there is a violation of blood-forming processes, in particular, leukopenia.
- Reception of the drug sometimes leads to disorders in the work of the nervous system. Some patients complain of dizziness and headaches. It is much less likely to appear anxiety, increased irritability and nervousness. The list of adverse reactions can be attributed to the impairment of memory, constant drowsiness and depressive states. Paresthesia is extremely rare, short-term circulatory disorder in the brain, hypesthesia, insomnia, memory deterioration.
- Possible complications from the cardiovascular system. Sometimes patients celebrate reinforced and rapid heartbeat, tachycardia. Against the background of therapy, it is possible to increase blood pressure, the development of thrombophlebitis (including deep veins), angina, heart failure, myocardial infarction. Complications include vessel thrombosis, stroke, pulmonary artery embolism.
- Some patients have skin reactions. Sometimes a rash appears on the skin - it can be papulse, vesicular, erythematous or reminded psoriatic rashes. There is also an increased selection of sweat, hair loss (alopecia). Sometimes women complain of severe dry skin, itching and burning. Anaphylactic reactions and angioedema edema appear only if the patient has increased sensitivity.
- Against the background of therapy, pain in the bones and joints is possible. Artralgia and Malgia develop less often. Treatment can lead to the development of osteoporosis, frequent bone fractures, inflammation of the joints.
- The drug affects the operation of the urinary system. Some women note rapid urination. The medicine may increase susceptibility to infectious diseases of the urinary tract.
- Side reactions from the sexual system are observed. Patients sometimes complain of pain in the lactic glands, dryness of the mucous membranes of the vagina, the appearance of vaginal bleeding.
- This medicinal tool may affect the work of the senses. Sometimes there is a boldness of the view, the appearance of itching and irritation, the development of cataracts. Some patients complain about violation of taste.
- Therapy can lead to disruption of metabolism. Some women develop anorexia, while others have an increase in appetite and an increase in body weight. Sometimes there is a constant severe thirst.
- There are other side effects, for example, tides (bouts of heat sensations), asthenia, general ailment and fast fatigue with a further decrease in performance. Some patients complain of dryness of mucous membranes, as well as peripheral or generalized edema. Occasionally, tangible pain appears in tumor foci.
Information about overdose
What happens against the background of the reception of too much dose of the drug "Letrozol TEV"? The application instructions suggests that no overdose cases were not registered. With laboratory studies, the disorders were observed only with increasing dose of up to 30 mg of letrozol (maximum daily dose - 5 mg). When taking such a large dose, the frequency of development of adverse reactions increased. Specific antidote does not exist, therefore only symptomatic therapy is carried out.
Information on interaction with other drugs
To date, there is no sufficient information about how the human body reacts to the simultaneous reception of "Letrozol" with other antitumor drugs.
These tablets can be taken together with "warfarin" and "cimetidine" - no significant clinical interaction in such cases is observed. In any case, during the diagnosis, it is necessary to inform the doctor about all the medications you take. If after the start of treatment you felt some worsening, then it is necessary to inform you about this.
Cost of medication and information about the analogues
Now you have found out how the "Letrozol" medicine affects the body. Instructions for use, restrictions and possible complications are far from all information that interests patients. An important issue is the cost of a medicine appointed by the doctor.
Of course, the figure will fluctuate depending on many factors, including financial policies of the pharmacy. On average, the packaging of 30 tablets costs 2500 - 3000 rubles, which is not so much.
Breast cancer diseases are just the situation in which the drug "Letrozol" can help. Instructions for use Analogues of this medicine does not indicate, but they are. Moreover, in some cases, they are really necessary (for example, on the background of therapy, side effects were shown). Of course, to select the substitute only the attending physician, because the disease is already complicated. Sometimes experts recommend to patients receiving Tablets "Lesterodex". The list of high-quality substitutes also includes the drugs "Femar", "ramun" and "estolet". It is worth only to say that many of the analogs are more expensive.
Preparation "Letrozol": instructions for use, reviews
Of course, before the start of reception of the drug is always worth familiar with the official information. But what do the specialists about the "Letrozol" drugs themselves say? Reviews are positive. The drug really helps to slow down the tumor growth, and the therapy after that passes much easier - the chances of patients are rising for success. Benefits include and not such a large number of contraindications.
Of course, the list of possible adverse reactions is very impressive. Nevertheless, complications are rarely manifested and often undergo themselves. The drug does not constitute a threat to the health of a woman. The cost, by the way, is also not too high. But it is worth understanding that this drug is only part of the treatment regimen, it cannot get rid of cancer. And the success of therapy does not always depend on the adopted medicines and the efforts of doctors. Nevertheless, experts speak well about the "Letrozol" agent. Instructions for use, reviews, price and analogues - All this we considered in this article.