plenaxis

[FGENTILEMD]

hi joel Wednesday I will see my oncologist I am inclined to start firmagon especially for its anti cardiovascular events as you said it must be administered correctly as the group said there is another potent antagonist plenaxis which is given im once a month there is warning about severe allergic reactions for some what is the word on this antagonist and would it also have anti cardiovascular events take care frank

[CERICWIN]

I began treatment with Firmagon, bicalutamide and Xgeva in November, 2012.

One of the main advantages of Firmagon over Lupron is that it doesn't have the characteristic "testosterone flare" that Lupron has when first administered.

I switched to Lupron several times over the past 3 1/2 years, but mainly remained on Firmagon until my PSA began to climb. Xtandi was added, and I switched to Lupron and dropped the bicalutamide.

Then, as neither Firmagon nor Lupron managed to being my testosterone level down to >20--the therapeutic level---I underwent a bilateral orchiectomy in November, 2015. My T-level still is above 20.

There was an article in JAMA--(The Journal of the American Medical Association--for those unfamiliar with it) which gave some advantages of the orchiectomy over Lupron, which included less risk of fracture, or skeletal "events," and also less cardiovascular damage. The article was about three or four months ago.

I kept with the Firmagon injections, even though they're painful, as it managed to bring my PSA down from 744 to 15 in a very short time, and I found that applying some ice to the injection site helped to minimize the pain.

Firmagon comes as a powder, and is reconstituted immediately prior to injection with sterile water, which is given in the abdomen on either side of the navel, and forms a lump under the skin, as it turns into a sort of time-release gel.

As for side effects, I'm not the best example, as I appear to have a rather unusual metabolism, and I somehow manage to get more side effects than most individuals.

CERICWIN

[JoelT]

Frank, I don't think that Firmagon has anti-cardio vascular properties, it does seem less likely than Lupron (etc.) to cause these events, but it does not have any properties that supports cardio or vascular health.

Also plenaxis should not be viewed as an aternative drug unless there is a reason that the traditional antagonists can not be used. I refer you to this NYC Memorial Sloane Kettering web page for more information

rxlist.com/plenaxis-drug.htm

Joel

[FGENTILEMD in reply to JoelT]

thanks joel I will be started on firmagon on july 6TH I will let you know what happens the support group and you were very helpful in making that decision take care frank [e-mail]