Letroz 2.5: price, uses & cheaper substitutes

Letroz contains letrozole 2.5 mg, an aromatase inhibitor that lowers oestrogen. It is a standard treatment for hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer after menopause. Gynaecologists also prescribe short 5-day courses to trigger ovulation in women with PCOS who are trying to conceive.

Typically one or more 2.5 mg tablets daily for 5 days, starting on day 2 to day 5 of your period, as your fertility doctor prescribes. Ovulation usually follows 5 to 10 days after the last tablet, and the doctor may track it with ultrasound. Do not take it beyond the 5 days or in a cycle where you may already be pregnant.

Both induce ovulation. Letrozole is now often preferred in PCOS because studies show higher live-birth rates, less thinning of the uterine lining and a lower twin rate. Clomiphene is cheaper and has longer experience. Your fertility specialist chooses based on your case.

Letrozole is taken early in the cycle and is cleared from the body before ovulation and implantation, and large studies have not shown higher birth-defect rates with this use. It must never be taken once pregnant, so a pregnancy test is done before each course.