Has anyone had to deal with chronic tendonitis and plantar fasciatas after some time on Letrozole? I have been on the drug for a year and a half and I use the treadmill to power walk everyday. So the arthritic condition is in my left ankle/foot. And makes it impossible to walk. The pain is crippling sometimes and it flares a lot. I don’t want to resort to arthritic medications because the side effects scare me. But I think I’m running out of options. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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CLC-52
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Hmmmm.... I was on letrozole for 18 months awhile back, it quit working, we moved on. Due to circumstances it has been re-introduced, and within 2.5 weeks after restart, I ended up with very sore swelling/bumps on left ankle, discoloration, bruising moving into foot. We did xrays to be sure it wasn't a bone chip, MRI to check for tendon/ligament damage (none), Ultrasound to check for DVT/blood clots...nothing, determined to be a hematoma. So after that process done, and first hematoma is resolving, I now have a second popup on the exact other side of the same ankle. The hematoma has not progressed as significantly since I caught it earlier, and have been doing HBOT, red light therapy, and essential oil blend for hematomas/bruises/sprains/swelling. Just had a very small 3rd spot pop up last night. Will monitor. My onc NP indicates it's not uncommon for Letrozole to do this, especially if stopped/restarted (sounds like that's not you). Perhaps investigate red light therapy which can greatly benefit tissue/ligament/tendon healing. If that might be of interest, PM me...I've just purchased some devices and BOY, what a learning experience that has been to be sure to get quality stuff that is effective and safe.
I do red light therapy most days and get local cryo on ankle occasionally. It’s good to see others doing the same. It’s so good for you! Hyperbaric I did a little while ago but that’s good advice to get me back in there. Thanks for your input. Letrozole has been rough on me.
I've been on Letrozole for around 3.5 years since the start of my diagnosis de novo.
I might not be typical in my reaction as I'm hyper mobile....I was born extra bendy basically as I have a defect in the make up of my muscles and tendons making them more stretchy than normal...this has meant that I've had issues with tendinitis, fasciitis, and general sprains and aches even before my cancer diagnosis at 50 yrs old.
I have found I get issues in bouts that then seem to disappear and then materialise in a completely different place. At some point about a year ago I had very bad trigger thumbs that made it really difficult to use my hands for anything...even holding cutlery was painful!
I find my plantar fasciitis is worst in the morning just after waking up and is triggered more in summertime and by the way I sleep...if I've had my feet pointed.
There are wrist and feet braces/ supports that you can get from the pharmacy that help to keep hands and feet in position to reduce pain....I've tried them and they've helped...the feet straps are a bit weird at first as a toe strap is adjusted to the ankle to keep feet at 90 degrees angle to leg...but you get used to it...and the wrist supports have a metal bar to keep wrists straight when sleeping and these stopped me waking up with pins and needles...(numb tingling) that used to keep me awake.
I try to have a lot of anti inflammatory foods in my diet...oily fish like mackerel and sardines ,dark greens, berries, mushrooms, green tea...etc and I think that has also helped in the longer term.
Hi CLC-52, I have had problems with many joints and plantar fasciitis since being on Tamoxifen for 7 years, Letrozole almost 3, and then Anastrazole and Faslodex after that. Add to that neuropathy from Xeloda now for 1 1/2 years. I can't take NSAIDs since my cancer had progressed to my stomach. I eat an anti-inflammatory diet, take Arnica, take NAC, and the pain still all got to be too much for me so I gave in on taking Gabapentin. That was a game changer. For the most part, I'm back to walking 3 miles a day (I had stopped for over a year from the fasciitis pain and gained a lot of weight), and finally now the pain is gone most of the time. Every once in a while the pain rears it's ugly little head a bit and tylenol kicks it back down fast. I've been taking the Gabapentin 3 times a day (every 8 hours) for 3 months now and boy, it's been amazing for me. The other thing I did was go to a specialty shoe store and they recommended wearing New Balance Vongo 6 shoes for the fasciitis. I was weary after spending a fortune on Hokas and Brooks that didn't help. The New Balance also helped me a lot, with no need for inserts. One other helpful thing I have found is using CBD creams on my feet after I shower, I use the cream, put on socks and shoes over that. The CBD cream I use has mint, arnica and Plai in it as well. I hope you find a solution, and maybe some of the tricks I use can help you too. Take care.
Wow this is great information too! I’ll have to ask my onco about Gabapentin. I used to take CBD pills but didn’t know cream helped with pain. Thank you!
yes yes yes. Look at my posts from a few….5 yrs back? Shocking trouble. Had to go on to anastrozole, a cousin of letrozole. Was a bit better, but I had to choose between treatment that was keeping my cancer stable, or, terrible wrist and hand pain.
When I had trouble, I had Trigger thumbs, both hands, and couldn’t open doors or doo anything much.
Now 6 years on I’m onto my second line of treatment. Piqray. With Fulvestrant injections. I now have no hand trouble at all, but I’m having other issues which make me think is it really worth it at all sometimes. But still going strong and still getting stable results.
Yeah I’ve thought of that too…cancer or pain?? I’ve also had a flare up of lymphedema for over a year too. I’ll look into anastrozole. Is it as effective as Letrozole? Letrozole has been very good to my cancer.
Well Anastrozole kept me in the Ibrance camp for another 4.5 years after I’d been on letrozole for q year. So I would say it was pretty good. Good luck with what ever you get.
oh yes, you are not alone, for sure! I ended up getting steroid shots into my hand and wrist joints to stop the trigger finger and pain. It worked though it felt like wackamole. I did also use red light therapy (home unit) but I can’t verify if it worked. I did have plantar fasciitis earlier but that was relived through soaking in hot water with epsom salts and rolling a golf ball. Yes we have a choice: pain or cancer. 🤷🏼♀️ I hope you find some relief…some people have found relief with acupuncture! Best wishes!
After several years on letrozole and Ibrance, my gluteus minimus completely tore and retracted. I took Celebrex for 30 days and physical therapy. Because my body needs to eliminate estrogen as much as possible, letrozole was never stopped. Unfortunately, low levels of estrogen plays havoc on muscles, tendons and joints, but after 8 years I’m still NED on this first line of treatment. I’ll take that! However, I need to exercise more!
Ooooh, I have a torn ACL and rotator cuff. Had this before, on letrozole and anastrozole, then it went away on exemestane and Kisqali, but on Xeloda, torn again. I saw a rehab doc, who didn't talk about the meds making my ligaments more fragile, just that I am getting older and should do less. Not clear on what exercises to do or avoid....
Hmm this is all interesting. Letrozole has not been good to me except keeping the markers down which really is the best thing. Thank you everyone for your input. I got some great information here.
I’m 73 years old. I have stage IV metastatic breast cancer. I’m currently taking Ibrance and Letrozole. I’m going on year 6 with these drugs.
I finally realized that’s what was happening to me while reading the comments on this site. My PCP gave me a muscle relaxant. Didn’t really help with the intense pain from the muscle spasms. In my lower leg below the knee, I have these muscles that are constantly flittering. It feels as though there is something under my skin running up and down my lower legs. You can see them twitching. I asked my once for another drug to replace the Letrozole. He suggested that I take glucosamine and Omega supplements 1st. I have done that and there has been only a minimal improvement. I’m beginning to think that I have tendinitis because my muscles in my hips are so painful that I can’t walk far at all without experiencing excruciating pain. All of my joint connections are painful to touch and so sore. I’ll call the oncologist and tell him that I’m pretty sure that I have tendinitis. I’m thankful for this site. I’m getting good information that I’m not getting from my health care providers. Take care and God’s blessings on you.
I have that in my upper abdomen. You can see the muscles or whatever rippling around. Very painful. No one had any idea about it. My current primary doc said it happens and there is nothing for it. The NP and rehab doc said that glucosamine doesn't really help, but my pharmacist said it is usual to be put on it when starting Xeloda. Who knows? I think my pharmacist is somewhat of an anti-vaxxer, oddly enough, so I am putting my trust in my docs instead.
letrozole for me was crippling. Almost not able to pick things up. Lots of pain. Switched to fulvestrant and it resolved in about 10 months. So I guess its reversible. I hope there are other options left for you. Feel better soon ☀️
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