I had my first implant at 10am this morning and since then I have felt sick. My stomach has gradually for more swollen and now I feel a lot of pain in my chest (making it painful to breathe) and abdomen as well as really nauseous. Is this normal or should I be concerned? How long does it generally take for the swelling to go down and to stop hurting?
As this is my first implant, I am a bit nervous about side effects. What can I expect?
Hello Tattymia, I’ve never had an implant of zoladex but the injection. I too had swelling, nausea, a bit of bleeding, pelvic pain and hot flushes. These reduced significantly after 30 days. I also felt that the HRT that was given with The zoladex wasn’t really great so I switched this over to Prostap (another GNRH just like zoladex). The side effects seem normal for a GNRH but if you are concerned then do speak to your GP. Hope this helps.
Hello!
I have also had the coil fitted. My tummy was sore for a few days after. I felt sick with the pain but I found the best thing to do was just lie with a hot water bottle and it eased the symptoms. After a week after the pain had gone and it’s been about 3 months now and All is fine. If the pain and breathing continues Longer than a few days and doesn’t seem to be improving I would go back to the doctors. I’ve not had a period and the pain is much less since having it fitted. However, I do occasionally get cramps like before but not as severe.
I hope you feel better soon!
Thank you! That is really encouraging
Hi, I have had 3 rounds of Zoladex injection now. 4th and hopefully last one due this Friday.
I get really bad sickness and nausea with it. My friend who is a pharmacist said nasusea and sickness can happen with it.
I don’t get a swollen tummy. But my last jab was excruciatingly painful at the time of administration. I also found that endo symptoms got worse initially, when I first had it.
No tips unfortunately, just that it does pass after a day or so.
Good luck! X
Thank you for responding. I guess everyone is different! Just started panicking that something had gone wrong
Hi
Yes it’s perfectly normal. The way the drug works is that it blocks all hormone production by binding to something called the GnRH (Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor) which his located in the Pituitary gland. This means hormone production stops, eventually after several months, the number of GnRH receptors you have on these cells with decrease, which then means once you come of the implant etc, it can decrease hormones for several months after.
However, when you first start on it, you have all these hormones that have already been made, and are being stored. The drug binding to the GnRH causes all of these to be released. Think of it like cleaning out the kitchen cupboards, or packing to move, you make one hell of a mess getting everything out from its place to get rid of it, then you have an empty house. The first week or two normally sees a worsening of symptoms as all these hormones are dragged out so they can be binned, then you are left with no hormones after, and you are making no hormones to replace them.
All of the symptoms you’ve described can be caused by endo, depending on where it is, I got massive endo belly after my first jab and started bleeding about 3 days after, which is also perfectly normal to have a “period” just after your first jab/when you get the implant. So it does very much sound like an endo flair. It’s scary, and if it does concern you speak with your doctor, but it should pass within the first week or two.
Lovely, thank you very much for clearing that up. I am now just feeling very very sick l, but what you have said makes sense.
Luckily, I am not back to school for two weeks!
All the best,
Katie
20, in pain and probably have endometriosis
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