Day After Firmagon Injection - Advanced Prostate...

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Day After Firmagon Injection

epfj3333 profile image
18 Replies

Is it normal to feel like crap the day after a Firmagon injection? I had my monthly injection at 11:00, I felt OK all that day, didn't sleep at all that night and feel lousy today.

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epfj3333 profile image
epfj3333
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18 Replies
Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

Does claritin help?

epfj3333 profile image
epfj3333 in reply toTall_Allen

I haven't tried that. I assumed it was just for allergies. Is feeling lousy the day after the shot a common reaction?

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply toepfj3333

yes.

RyderLake2 profile image
RyderLake2

Hello,

I took Firmagon (a very unfortunate name for an ADT drug) for nearly a year. My biggest complaint was soreness and swelling at the injection site. A healthcare professional needs to give this injection as there is a bit of a knack to doing it right. In my opinion, feeling lousy for a couple of days after receiving a Firmagon (degarelix) shot is not a normal reaction. If you don't feel better in a day or two see your doctor. If you are taking any medicine for heart problems such as some antiarrhythmics there may be a drug interaction with Firmagon. Hope that helps.

epfj3333 profile image
epfj3333 in reply toRyderLake2

Yes, I've been on it for a couple years. Usually there are no effects but this time there was. It's a day later now and I'm feeling better. Thanks for your response.

yes. I always do for at least 2 days.

ARIES29 profile image
ARIES29

Claritin is mainly for hay fever but it helped me when taking Firmagon & I used to come out with a rash on my legs.

Apart from the injection site being painful for two days there was less SE.

john510185 profile image
john510185

I usually feel generally a bit unwell the following day, probably as much to do with the injection site pain as anything. I've recently been reading that the injection should be administered SUPER SLOWLY. I asked the nurse to do that on the last occasion, with good results. No feeling unwell and much reduced redness and soreness at the injection site. Hoping for the same thing next time!

FortyWinks profile image
FortyWinks

Yes. Flu like feeling for 24 hours. Have found with trial & error that by injecting at 10.00 the height of the feeling grim is overnight and feel a better as the day goes on.

Finlay66 profile image
Finlay66

Yes. Normally knocks me out. Best to go to bed early. The next day is usually ok.

LongevityAT profile image
LongevityAT

Firmagon injections usually go well for me in terms of how I feel afterwards. However, my last shot was too deep and into the muscle tissue, and that caused pain and discomfort for a couple of days. For my next shot (this coming Monday) I'm going to bring the instructions for administering firmagon with me (took the list of instructions when I had my first injection) and make sure the nurse fully reads before giving the shot.

Tkwham profile image
Tkwham

Generally 2 days feeling crummy, consistently.

JohnInTheMiddle profile image
JohnInTheMiddle

Firmagon is typically prescribed in situations of high risk where you need rapid response. If you complain to your health care professional they will probably at some point say well let's go with Lupron or Eligard. The technology is very different - the first (Firmagon/Degarelix) is an antagonist, the second (Eligard/Lupron etc.) is an agonist.

And the health risks associated with cardiovascular disease are higher with the agonists. After a lot of research and being on Firmagon for a year and a half, I decided to stay on Firmagon.

As for reactions, about 6 hours after the injection (which as several commenters have pointed out must be done correctly) I get severe shivers. I have a 12-hour sleep. I take a hydromorphone pill. Then starting about 36 hours later and two sleep cycles I'm fine. (Try not to bump or compress the depot.) I have had slightly painful red swellings on the stomach. Also my Fitbit tells me that I have an elevated temperature of 1.5° C for 24 hours.

FYI I am with high-volume metastatic hormone sensitive PC with bone mets. I do a lot of exercise. And the side effects of Firmagon are very tolerable. I know that other people have different experiences.

lowT163 profile image
lowT163

Not sure about the next day but I felt like shit the whole 18 months I was on the drugs. Can’t see how the trans gender folks go in and and actually request them. Nobody in their right mind would do that.

Trying-Times profile image
Trying-Times

I took one of my injections and drove for 8 hours no problems not even the next day. I took another shot drove 45 minutes home with the last 10 in pain. I was sick as a dog the next day. I had 6 shots most good but 2 were not that great. Everybody’s different I guess.

epfj3333 profile image
epfj3333 in reply toTrying-Times

Same here. I've been on it for about two years and usually no problem. It's only bothered me a couple times.

Gatodd profile image
Gatodd in reply toTrying-Times

I took firmagon for 15 shots with no daily effects except the welp from injection. Shot 16 caused me to feel like I had the flu the next day. Shot 17 hit hard, flu for 2+ days and slow recovery (but the shot was not administered correctly and it drew blood). Shot 18 caused flu like symptoms the day after, and extreme fatigue 2 days after.

I switched to lupron in June. No adverse reaction. Next shot of lupron in September.

binati profile image
binati

I used Firmagon for 28 months. When I was injected by the 'experts' I would still have two days of 1. Pain and swelling at the site 2. Slight fever and a feeling of general malaise. However, on the 3rd day all was good enough to play golf - 18 holes or do my daily exercise and walking. I had one or two more severe side effects when probably the injection was not done correctly. Then I decided to inject myself. There are plenty of support videos on YouTube. For 7 months I injected myself and had roughly similar results on SEs. I would say the SEs are very individual so your mileage and mine might vary. I was quite pissed off losing 2 days a month for 28 months. Imagine that is almost 2 months of being incapacitated!! Never tried Lupron but a 3 month shot sounded like a good option. Now I have a BCR and needed to go on Nubeqa so straightaway went for an Orchiectomy. No bullshit with Firmagon and Lupron etc. Much happier.

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