Exemestane for women?

[Tansia]

Have ladies in this forum tried Exemestane? All posts I've found are related to male's experiences, but I wonder if Exemestane may be helpful for women with estrogen dominance if progesterone and thyroid are not enough? Would this drug have more side effects in women as comparing to men?

 

[tankasnowgod]

Have ladies in this forum tried Exemestane? All posts I've found are related to male's experiences, but I wonder if Exemestane may be helpful for women with estrogen dominance if progesterone and thyroid are not enough? Would this drug have more side effects in women as comparing to men?

FWIW, most of the studies with Exemestane were performed on women, and it's primarily a drug prescribed for women.

 

[Tansia]

FWIW, most of the studies with Exemestane were performed on women, and it's primarily a drug prescribed for women.

Thanks @tankasnowgod. So I wonder why no women on this forum tried it? I thought it has something to do with androgenic effects of exemestane.

 

[TheBeard]

It is androgenic.
Women's organism is supposed to rely on estrogens for many functions unlike men, I'd be cautious.

 

[GreenTrails]

I would agree completely with The Beard's post. The oncologist suggested Etremestane along with other chemo drugs, like Armlidex, after masectomy to completely take the estrogen out of my body, since the cancer was estrogen related. Side effects include hot flashes, bone fractures, muscle pain. Do you want to deal with that? For estrogen dominance, increase progesterone, and maybe a little testosterone, just a little bit helps; too much, not good.

 

[GreenTrails]

First of all, be sure and get a blood test to determine where your hormones are. And, use a doctor who understands bio-identical hormones; use a bio-identical progesterone cream prescribed by your doctor.

 

[tankasnowgod]

The oncologist suggested Etremestane along with other chemo drugs, like Armlidex, after masectomy to completely take the estrogen out of my body, since the cancer was estrogen related. Side effects include hot flashes, bone fractures, muscle pain. Do you want to deal with that?

Well, it's quite possible the side effects you mention were from the other drugs, or the combination of drugs. Haidut recently posted a study that suggests that Arimidex has estrogenic side effects-

Some aromatase inhibitors (AI) are estrogenic – To Extract Knowledge from Matter

The study below demonstrates that one of the most widely used AI – anastrozole – is a potent estrogen receptor activator/agonist, and at low concentrations too. At higher concentrations, the estrogenic effects seem to disappear but those concentrations are not achievable with clinically used doses. As such, for most people taking anastrozole in the clinically-approved 1mg-2mg (or lower) doses daily, the drug is a potent estrogen activator, which likely negates most of the benefit of inhibiting aromatase.

Exemestane can have side effects (like all drugs), but taking lower doses can reduce the sides, as can taking Vitamin D. I'm not suggesting Exemestane one way or another, just saying that the side effects you experienced from Exemestane plus other drugs (some of which are estrogenic) may not be the effects that someone taking Exemestane alone would experience.

 

[LucyL]

I take exemestane. I started on Letrozole and Goserelin after mastectomy, for a year, and developed hot flashes, trigger fingers and painful arthritis in my hands. And I didn't like the trend of my antigens, so I switched the Letrazole for Exemestane. I still get the stenosing tenosynovitis, and hot flashes, but the painful arthritis has gone and the antigen numbers look better. I suspect the Goserelin is more to blame than the AI though, for the symptoms. I take a good amount of Progest-E but progesterone doesn't pull the FSH out of the tank,

 

[TheBeard]

Well, it's quite possible the side effects you mention were from the other drugs, or the combination of drugs. Haidut recently posted a study that suggests that Arimidex has estrogenic side effects-

Some aromatase inhibitors (AI) are estrogenic – To Extract Knowledge from Matter

Exemestane can have side effects (like all drugs), but taking lower doses can reduce the sides, as can taking Vitamin D. I'm not suggesting Exemestane one way or another, just saying that the side effects you experienced from Exemestane plus other drugs (some of which are estrogenic) may not be the effects that someone taking Exemestane alone would experience.

I got debilitating joint pains and blocked a few vertebrae EVERY SINGLE TIME I've used Exmestane.
Dry skin.
Poor sleep.
Body hair loss.

The only pill I was taking at the time was Exemestane, strictly nothing else.

I've stopped and hoped back on Exemestane around 10 times.

Like clockwork the sides returned after 2 days on.

 

[GreenTrails]

Tankasnowgod, thanks for the information. Actually, I did not take Extremestane, or any other drug, after I read the side effects. The breast cancer I had did not involve lymph, and my surgeon said I probably didn't need to take anything. The oncologist wanted me to take Anastrozole (Arimidex) followed by prolia. I don't want to take anything that would harm my bones. I sure wouldn't consider taking Extremestane for estrogen dominance. Women have estogen for a reason, and one big reason is bone protection. Many post menopausal women end up with osteoporosis, and that is because they lose estrogen at menopause. Women need both estrogen and progesterone and a little testosterone, which is what Nature provided.

 

[tankasnowgod]

Women have estogen for a reason, and one big reason is bone protection. Many post menopausal women end up with osteoporosis, and that is because they lose estrogen at menopause. Women need both estrogen and progesterone and a little testosterone, which is what Nature provided.

I've heard this idea that "estrogen protects bones" again and again, but never seen any solid evidence for that. I believe that Peat disputes that idea that estrogen is needed for bone health. Many hormones change for women at menopause, such as increasing levels of PTH, along with lower levels of thyroid hormone (at least in general). Either one of those could certainly be an issue. Osteoperosis is the one degenerative disease that seems to affect women at a higher rate than men. I've always thought that pregnancy and breastfeeding children could be a factor, as this would affect women's calcium stores in general, and not really have any effect on men. As with many degenerative diseases, it might take decades for the effect to show up.

 

[GreenTrails]

I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis when I was post-menopausal in 2009. My lumbar spine BMD was .637. I've always been slender and very active. I read about the importance of estrogen and so I looked up a doctor who knew how to prescribe bio-identical hormones. I had to drive 7 hours to get to his office, but I did this because it was so important to me. He took a blood test and found my estrogen was extremely low, and he prescribed E3 (2) and E2 (0.5), and also progesterone. This was the same year. My last bone scan (2019) spine BMD was 1.005. I exercise regularly, almost every day, weights and walking. I think the hormones made the difference. I don't know what my bone scan will be this year, but it will be interesting to see. I had to go off of hormones in July 2020 because of breast cancer. I'm sure my doctors think the hormones contributed, but I don't think so. I had a lot of stress, my husband died in 2014, and a lot of C-scan dental X-rays which I don't think helped.

I'll also say this: women can say "good-bye" to orgasms when they say good-bye to estrogen, progesterone and a little bit of testosterone.

 

[TheBeard]

I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis when I was post-menopausal in 2009. My lumbar spine BMD was .637. I've always been slender and very active. I read about the importance of estrogen and so I looked up a doctor who knew how to prescribe bio-identical hormones. I had to drive 7 hours to get to his office, but I did this because it was so important to me. He took a blood test and found my estrogen was extremely low, and he prescribed E3 (2) and E2 (0.5), and also progesterone. This was the same year. My last bone scan (2019) spine BMD was 1.005. I exercise regularly, almost every day, weights and walking. I think the hormones made the difference. I don't know what my bone scan will be this year, but it will be interesting to see. I had to go off of hormones in July 2020 because of breast cancer. I'm sure my doctors think the hormones contributed, but I don't think so. I had a lot of stress, my husband died in 2014, and a lot of C-scan dental X-rays which I don't think helped.

I'll also say this: women can say "good-bye" to orgasms when they say good-bye to estrogen, progesterone and a little bit of testosterone.

As a man, I can say goodbye to my libido when estrogen is low, ie after a few days on Exemestane.

 

[Gustav3Y]

Is there are study on Exemestan if it inhibits hGH release?

 

[Gustav3Y]

I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis when I was post-menopausal in 2009. My lumbar spine BMD was .637. I've always been slender and very active. I read about the importance of estrogen and so I looked up a doctor who knew how to prescribe bio-identical hormones. I had to drive 7 hours to get to his office, but I did this because it was so important to me. He took a blood test and found my estrogen was extremely low, and he prescribed E3 (2) and E2 (0.5), and also progesterone. This was the same year. My last bone scan (2019) spine BMD was 1.005. I exercise regularly, almost every day, weights and walking. I think the hormones made the difference. I don't know what my bone scan will be this year, but it will be interesting to see. I had to go off of hormones in July 2020 because of breast cancer. I'm sure my doctors think the hormones contributed, but I don't think so. I had a lot of stress, my husband died in 2014, and a lot of C-scan dental X-rays which I don't think helped.

I'll also say this: women can say "good-bye" to orgasms when they say good-bye to estrogen, progesterone and a little bit of testosterone.

I am sorry to hear this.
It is impressive how the E3 E2 and P4 helped together with evercise, but yes probably doctors will think that the hormones contributed to the BC.

 

[TheBeard]

Is there are study on Exemestan if it inhibits hGH release?

It doesn't inhibit HGH release, it prevents its conversion to IGF-1 in the liver.

It doesn't do that directly, it's a consequence of low e2, so the same would happen in all "low e2" situations.

 

[Gustav3Y]

That is very interesting.

 

[Tansia]

I take exemestane. I started on Letrozole and Goserelin after mastectomy, for a year, and developed hot flashes, trigger fingers and painful arthritis in my hands. And I didn't like the trend of my antigens, so I switched the Letrazole for Exemestane. I still get the stenosing tenosynovitis, and hot flashes, but the painful arthritis has gone and the antigen numbers look better. I suspect the Goserelin is more to blame than the AI though, for the symptoms. I take a good amount of Progest-E but progesterone doesn't pull the FSH out of the tank,

What dose do you take if I may ask?

 

[Tansia]

Well, it's quite possible the side effects you mention were from the other drugs, or the combination of drugs. Haidut recently posted a study that suggests that Arimidex has estrogenic side effects-

Some aromatase inhibitors (AI) are estrogenic – To Extract Knowledge from Matter

Exemestane can have side effects (like all drugs), but taking lower doses can reduce the sides, as can taking Vitamin D. I'm not suggesting Exemestane one way or another, just saying that the side effects you experienced from Exemestane plus other drugs (some of which are estrogenic) may not be the effects that someone taking Exemestane alone would experience.

I also saw Haidut's old post saying that exemestane can treat ectopic pregnancy and for those with very high estrogen it may help in very low doses.

Inhibiting estrogen synthesis may treat / prevent ectopic pregnancy – To Extract Knowledge from Matter

 

[Amazigh]

I have been taking exemestane for almost a year now. My estrogen was high (which showed up on my bloodwork), and I had been experiencing symptoms for a few years that would not resolve, even with large doses of progesterone (progest-e), vitamin e, aspirin, methelyne blue, etc. I had developed painful fibrocystic breast disease, I had so many fibroids that my uterus was the size of a 5 mo pregnancy, and my periods were so long and heavy that I also developed significant anemia. I started off with 1/2 tablet/day (12.5mg) and within a few weeks my periods had normalized and my pre-period breast tenderness stopped. Fastforward to present, my uterus is no longer right under my navel and is almost back to its normal size and the cysts in my breast are gone. I personally have not felt any side effects from the exemestane. I suspect that I may not have been clearing estrogen because of some stubborn digestive issues I was having, which I am working on. Once that is resolved, and I confirm that my lumps are all gone, I'm planning on getting off of it. In the meantime though, it's been the ONLY thing that has worked in my situation.