Letrozole Precautions and side effects let us discuss precautions and side effects of Litrazole. Litrazole is one of the well known drug which is classified as aromatase inhibitor. And Litrazole is one of the non steroids aromatase inhibitor.
This drug is indicated in the treatment of postmenopausal breast cancer. In the postmenopausal women, aromatase enzyme plays an important role in the synthesis of estrogen from androgens. So in the postmenopausal women, where estrogen levels are excessively increased, they may produce proliferation of breast tissue, resulting in the estrogen responsive breast cancer. In such conditions, letrozole acts as aromatase inhibitor.
Thereby, it can inhibit the estrogen synthesis. So estrogen levels are reduced, resulting in the decreased proliferation of the breast cancer. That’s why letrozole can be used as a first line agent in the treatment of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. This drug can also be used as adjuvant along with tamoxifan in order to increase the efficacy of the treatment.
Letrozole can also be used as an off label to induction of ovulation in the woman. Since letrozole inhibits the estrogen synthesis, it can reduce the negative feedback mechanism so that it can increase the release of go onotrophs from anterior pituitary.
So it can increase the release of follicle stimulating hormone as well as luteinizing hormone. These two hormones can act on the ovary. They can increase the follicular growth as well as the phases of ovulation so that ovulation is going to be increased in these patients. So letrozole can increase the ovulation.
That’s why it can be used for the management of infertility. But this is one of the off label purpose of this drug. let us discuss what are the important precautions and side effects of this drug, L etrozole. Now, let us the precautions of this drug. Just we have discussed, L etrozole is a nonsterile aromatase inhibitor.
This drug can be used for breast cancer in postmenopausal women. And this drug can also be used to induce the ovulation in the women. But this drug should not be given to the pregnant women as this drug is teratogenic and it can produce some fetal damage. So in the pregnant women, this drug is contraindicated.
Or in the women liable to pregnant in few months, again, this latexol is contraindicated because of any risk of fetal damage in near future. Similarly, this drug is not indicated for the treatment of breast cancer in premenopausal women where this drug is ineffective.
Similarly, another important precaution is that Latorazole can reduce the bone mineral density. So it can increase the risk of osteoporosis as well as risk of fractures. Particularly, it can produce a lumbar spinal damage in between L2 and L4 segments.
This damage is more pronounced, resulting in the back pain and bone pain in the patients. So during the long term treatment with latexol, the bone mineral density should be closely monitored in order to check any development of hip and bone fractures. Similarly, this drug can increase the deposition of cholesterol within the body.
By increase the cholesterol levels, it can increase the cardiovascular complications. So if already patient is having any risk factors for cardiovascular complications, this drug should be carefully given. And sometimes medication like statins are required to control the excessive cholesterol levels raised by letrazole.
Similarly, letrozole can increase the liver impairment. L iver functionality is somewhat reduced during the treatment with letrozole. In the patients with any hypothetic impairment, this drug should be carefully given. So in such patients, the dose of the drug should be reduced in order to avoid further liver impairment. Similarly, this drug can increase the dizziness in the patients, resulting in some light headedness.
It can also increase the fatigue. So weakness is commonly observed with the letter Zol. Because of dizziness and fatigue, caution should be taken while driving the vehicles or working with machinery. Because this drug can increase the risk of accidents due to dgness and fatigue. Now, let us see the side effects of this type.
Letter Zol can produce a flashing, some vasodilatory response, resulting in the increased wariness and redness of the skin. It can produce some back pain because of any bone fractures. It can also produce Arthralgeia, joint pain. The important side effect is that dizziness, lightheadedness can be produced by this drug. Heart flushes can be observed because of hormonal response. It can also produce some headache in the patients.
The important side effect is the edema because of vasodilator response. It can also produce asthenia, some lack of energy in the patients. Finally, this drug can also produce bone fractures which should be closely monitored. These are the important side effects of this drug, letrozole, that are commonly observed in many of the patients.
So that’s about the precautions and side effects of letrazole. So letrazole can increase the risk of bone fractures. It can increase the cholesterol levels, and it can impair the liver functionality.
And this drug should not be given to the pregnant women or women liable to pregnant within few months because this drug produce some fetal damage. Dighness, headache, asthenia and edema are the important side effects produced by this drug. So that’s for today
