Firmagon

[EdinBmore]

Radiation oncologists recommended hormone treatment prior to beam. Uro recommended Firmagon, a 30 day lasting hormone. Injection site reaction - two injections of 120 mg each in belly - worse than I had read about or anticipated. Swelling, redness, sore/tender, warm to the touch, lumpy, covering about 4 fingers on each side of belly. Manufacturer's literature said 3 day duration. This is day 5 and, although better, the initial reaction was alarming. Uro should have provided written guidelines about what to expect. Interestingly though, no other side effects - YET. Keep waiting for those other shoes to drop (hot flashes, wt gain, no sex drive, etc.). And, actually, have been feeling horny; go figure. We'll see how long all of this lasts. Uro wants to switch to Lupron/Eligard at 30 days. Lupron lasts 6 mos. I'm sure that there will be constant monitoring - bone density, cholesterol levels, CT scans.

Next step is "fiducial" markers - gold seeds inserted into my prostate (will there be anything left of the poor little thing?) to help with beam.

Emotionally? Looking in that mortality mirror. Whew. All too much.

[Tall_Allen]

Icing before and after the injection may help.

[EdinBmore in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks!

[billd9946]

I received Firmagon and experienced the worst months of my life. Totally depressed, no sex drive at all, hot flashes many and often, and an obvious redistribution of weight/fat. This medication was very difficult for me to handle, and it took a full 8 months for my testosterone to even begin rising! It made me feel so badly that I backed off of the plan to have RT at the same time (post prostatectomy). My PSA is beginning to rise and I’m facing the decision on whether to do this again. I don’t know that I can... I hope your experience is better and that you achieve long term success.

[EdinBmore in reply to billd9946]

So sorry to read of your experience with Firmagon. Your side effects sound awful. I'd ask your doc for other options - Lupron? I'm sure there are many more. But delaying RP (is radiation out of the question?) may present more even more difficult "issues." Tough choices, I know. Good luck to you.

[billd9946 in reply to EdinBmore]

Thanks, and to you! BTW, my shot was post prostatectomy and the shot was given just prior to my getting started with salvage radiation. I didn’t go through with the radiation after such a bad reaction to the shot. Reconsidering now that my PSA is again rising.

[Tall_Allen in reply to billd9946]

You can try 150 mg bicalutamide + 10 mg tamoxifen instead. it's not as effective at radiosensitizing and cancer cell killing, but it may be more tolerable for you.