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Are Hot Flashes And Night Sweats Side Effects Of Exemestane Drug?
I have been on examestane 25mg for 16 months. After 9 months I started to have joint pain in my hips and knees. I also have difficulty sleeping and night sweats/hot flashes. are the side effects cumulative ? The pharmacy I use changed the company they purchased the examestane from, could that make a difference?
Thu, 9 Nov 2017
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
Exemestane turns off an enzyme called aromatase which converts androgens to estrogens. Stopping the enzyme decreases the amount of estrogens in the body which gives the side effects of the medicine. It is not cumulative side effect. If the dose of your medicine has not changed (25 mg) there is no difference in the quality of the medicine regardless from which company the pharmacy is obtaining it.
Some of the side effects of the medicine such as hot flashes and night sweats usually start at the beginning of the therapy but highly likely they will decrease over time. Also, certain medicines (birth control pills, rifampin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, St. John’s wort etc) interact with exemestane metabolism and may change drug level in the body as well cause side effects. Please consult with your pharmacist if you have started taking any medicine recently.
Unfortunately, side effects of exemestane are unavoidable but can be manage with life style modifications (exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water) and taking certain medicines (i.e. painkillers for joint pain). I would also recommend you to have a test for osteoporosis (bone density scan) which is also the side effect of the medicine.
I hope I have answered your question. Please, feel free to contact me in HCM if there is anything else you need to know.
Thank you,
Dr.Malik
Thank you for your query.
Exemestane turns off an enzyme called aromatase which converts androgens to estrogens. Stopping the enzyme decreases the amount of estrogens in the body which gives the side effects of the medicine. It is not cumulative side effect. If the dose of your medicine has not changed (25 mg) there is no difference in the quality of the medicine regardless from which company the pharmacy is obtaining it.
Some of the side effects of the medicine such as hot flashes and night sweats usually start at the beginning of the therapy but highly likely they will decrease over time. Also, certain medicines (birth control pills, rifampin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, St. John’s wort etc) interact with exemestane metabolism and may change drug level in the body as well cause side effects. Please consult with your pharmacist if you have started taking any medicine recently.
Unfortunately, side effects of exemestane are unavoidable but can be manage with life style modifications (exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water) and taking certain medicines (i.e. painkillers for joint pain). I would also recommend you to have a test for osteoporosis (bone density scan) which is also the side effect of the medicine.
I hope I have answered your question. Please, feel free to contact me in HCM if there is anything else you need to know.
Thank you,
Dr.Malik
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