Introduction
Aromasin is a prescription medicine used to treat the symptoms of breast cancer. The Aromasin may be used alone or with other medications. Aromasin belongs to a class of drugs called Antineoplastics, an Aromatase Inhibitor. This medication also helps to treat breast cancer in women who have experienced menopause whose breast cancer has worsened while they were taking tamoxifen. Exemestane is in a class of medications of the aromatase inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of estrogen produced by the body. This can slow or stop the growth of some breast tumours that need estrogen to grow.
The chemical name of Exemestane is 6-methylenandrosta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione. Its molecular formula is C20H24O2 and its structural formula is as follows:
Exemestane is freely soluble in N, N-dimethylformamide, soluble in methanol, and practically insoluble in water. Each AROMASIN Tablet contains the following inactive ingredients: mannitol, crospovidone, polysorbate 80, hypromellose, colloidal silicon dioxide, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, magnesium stearate, simethicone, polyethene glycol 6000, sucrose, magnesium carbonate, titanium dioxide, methylparaben, and polyvinyl alcohol. Exemestane comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually once a day after a meal. Take exemestane at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take exemestane exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Special precautions Before taking exemestane
- Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to exemestane or any other medications.
- Inform your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements you are taking or plan to take.
- Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had osteoporosis (a condition in which the bones are fragile and break easily), liver or kidney disease.
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. You will need to have a negative pregnancy test within 7 days before you begin to take exemestane. You should use birth control to avoid pregnancy during your treatment with exemestane and for 1 month after your final dose. If you become pregnant while taking exemestane, call your doctor immediately. Exemestane may harm the fetus.
- Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. You should not breastfeed during your treatment with exemestane and for 1 month after your final dose.
SIDE EFFECTS:
In the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer, the most common adverse reactions occurring in ≥10% of patients in any treatment group were mild to moderate hot flushes, fatigue, arthralgia, headache, insomnia, increased sweating, muscle or joint pain, tiredness, dizziness, anxiety, depression, nausea, vomiting, increased appetite, diarrhoea, hair loss, itchy skin, swelling of the arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs.
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately: shortness of breath and chest pain.
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture. Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways. It is important that animals or other living beings should not consume it. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program.
