Your experience with zoladex or eligard?

[harleyharhar]

Hello to all, am new here, would like to ask your experience with zoladex or eligard? And which one has less side effects? My father will undergo bone scan to determine if he needs hormone treatment or not, if he is clean then he will undergo just laser turp, thank you very much

[Hidden]

They both work the same way, Zoladex contains the active drug Goserelin. Eligard contains the active drug leuprolide.

[harleyharhar in reply to Hidden]

Thank you very much, how was experience with it? How long have you been on it and how did you lessen the side effects if you had any?

[MarkBC]

I have been on Zoladex for 2.5 years. It is essentially the same as lupron with all the same side effects. It is the standard drug given here in British Columbia, Canada. The government provides cancer drugs for free here and I suspect they were able to get a better bulk buying deal for Zoladex than they were for lupron.

[dhccpa in reply to MarkBC]

I wish the USA would do that.

[Hidden in reply to MarkBC]

Nothing is free. Taxpayer funded is the proper term or beggar thy neighbor to be more exact.

[MarkBC in reply to Hidden]

You are correct, and Canadians do pay higher taxes to support our health care system, but I am grateful for it. When I read the stories of some people on this forum, I am thankful that the difficulty of dealing with cancer is not compounded by the added stress of trying to figure out how I am going to pay for treatment.

[harleyharhar in reply to MarkBC]

Thank you very much for the reply, so what were the side effects in your experience? Did it last for years or did it lessen by itself or was there something you did to lessen whatever side effects?

[MarkBC in reply to harleyharhar]

I think the side effects from Zoladex are the same as with any of the anti-androgen injections ... fatigue, impact on sexual function and libido, hot flashes, weight gain, man boobs, stiff joints, bone degeneration. It is my understanding that the side effects come from the reduction in testosterone rather than the drug itself. I don't do anything to mitigate the side effects because I don't want to take more drugs than necessary. I have retired so I can nap when I feel fatigued. I try to be careful with how much I eat and I try to get exercise. I do take calcium and vitamin D supplements to help strengthen bones and will take an Advil on occasion if my joints get sore.

[Steve507]

After 6 weeks, Zoladex gave me fairly intense night sweats, insomnia, fatigue and took away all potency and libido. Doctor discontinued since my disease is mild and favorable and symptoms are abating.

[harleyharhar in reply to Steve507]

Thanj you very much, what did you do to lessen the side effects?

[Steve507 in reply to harleyharhar]

Just carried on with exercise and plenty of sleep! It's abating slowly but surely

[harleyharhar in reply to Steve507]

Thank you very much

[leo2634]

I've been on Eligard three years now . I get. An injection every six months. It works the same way as Zoledex with the same side effects. I would just tell you to be prepared for a significant lifestyle change as mentioned in prior responses. I think if you do your research on them you will see the side effects are basically the same. The key to staying on top of them is to stay active and positive. Leo

[harleyharhar in reply to leo2634]

Thank you very much, yes we are already drastically changing my father's nutrition, more into plant based food, really hoping this is enough

[cancerking]

I was on Luprin. Exercise was the biggest challenge, but the most important for me. Side effects such as having 2 stress fractures of the sacrum, were bumps in the road, just slow down and keep moving.

[LifeQuality]

I highly recommend that you get this book from your public library: "Androgen Deprivation Therapy--An Essential Guide for Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones". I'm pretty sure I heard about this book on this forum. It covers your question in detail. If it were up to me, I'd make distribution of this book mandatory for every patient starting out on ADT!

[harleyharhar in reply to LifeQuality]

Thank you very much, will look into into it

[Jimhoy]

Kind of a tough question, Side effects vary soooo much by individual that you won’t know until you try! For some men, it’s a cake walk and others.... well, not so much in different degrees!! I am assuming that Eligard kicked my ass but have nothing to compare it to! Could have happened with another drug as well!! And there’ll be men telling you that Eligard is fantastic!!! There are alternatives if your first choice goes bad but.....Good luck

Jc

[harleyharhar in reply to Jimhoy]

Thank you very much, it is very interesting you mentioning that others dont have side effects at all, thats what the marketing lady said when i inquired about the drug(she says no side effects at all), but the urologist knows better, so how long did your side effects last and what did you do to get less of it?

[Jimhoy in reply to harleyharhar]

If you got that some have “no” side effects from my post, I apologize. By “cake walk”, I was referring to mild / bearable side effects. I think everyone on ADT will experience andropause effects (low libido, mood swings, hot flashes...) but even those can vary in intensity! But I think we’ll all agree that they don’t tell you shit compared to what they could. Almost like they think you’ll walk away and they loose the sale!!!!!

Don’t use me as an example! I’m blessed by being on the far extreme opposite of cakewalk! Rode hard and put away wet but too long a story to bring up now and likely won’t apply anyway. A very low percentage of men like me but there are some on this site.

What we’ll call normal andropause side effects should end once your testosterone returns. Generally it takes about 9mo to a year after ADT for that to take place (if its going to) and that was my case.