Femara (Letrozole) is approved by the FDA for the treatment of local or metastatic breast cancer that is hormone receptor positive or has an unknown receptor status. Side effects include signs and symptoms of hypoestrogenism.

It has been in use for the use of ovulation induction by fertility doctors since 2001; having less side-effects than Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid) for the patient. Recent information from a Canadian study presented at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine 2005 Conference suggests that it may triple the risk of birth defects compared with a control group.

Letrozole (Femara) also does quite a few things which would be of interest to both bodybuilders and athletes. Firstly, it has been shown to reduce estrogen levels by 98% or greater. In at least one documented incidence, Letrozole (Femara) reduced estrogen in the test subject to undetectable levels, and increased LH, FSH and SHBG. Clearly this is all of interest to bodybuilders, as less estrogen in the body means less chance of certain side effects such as water-retention, Gynocomastia, and acne. This makes Letrozole (Femara) an appropriate choice for even the heaviest bulking or cutting cycles including harsh androgens. Also, if you are a competitive bodybuilder, Letrozole (Femara) is a must have product for contest prep; no other Ancillary compound will produce a dry and tight look like Letro will.

An effective dose of Letrozole (Femara) is .25-.5mg/day. Also worth noting is that there?s a rebound effect on your estrogen when you come off Letrozol. Maximum inhibition of the aromatase enzyme has been found to happen at doses as low as 100mcg!

As previously mentioned, Letrozole (Femara) can be used to raise LH and FSH (which are hormones which signal your testes to produce more testosterone). It also, of course, will raise your testosterone levels via this mechanism. Again, this is of interest to athletes and bodybuilders for obvious reasons. Still, I have successfully used Letrozole (Femara) for this purpose.

How good is this compared with Aromasin and Arimidex, it?s too other main rivals? Well, In non-cellular systems, Letrozole (Femara) is 2-5 times more potent than anastrozole and exemestane in its inhibition of the aromatase enzyme and activity, and in cellular systems it is 10-20x more potent! It also lasts quite a long time in your body. Letrozole (Femara) has a whopping 2-4 day half life, and you need to take Letrozole (Femara) for 60 days to get a steady blood plasma level.

Femara has very similar characteristics as Arimidex, but some believe that it is more effective at estrogen control. Most users report no water retention what so ever while using this drug, and in some studies it is shown to slightly raise IGF-1 levels, unlike a drug like Nolvadex, which has been shown to decrease them slightly. The normal dose for Femara is 2.5mg ED to every third day during cycle and also during post cycle recovery periods.

Before taking any prescription medicine, it is important that you consult your doctor!