Zoladex - monthy or 3 monthly??

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Hi ladies,

just a quick question for those of you that are on Zoladex. I am starting it next month and have been told that my gp will either be giving me it monthly or 3 monthly. I was just wondering what the ‘norm’ is, so I would be grateful if you could let me know whether you are having it monthly or every 3 months,

Thanks in advance,

Kelly
-x-

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Hi
I am getting it three monthly. With a local anaesthetic cream!!! Do ask for that if you want. I had the first inj without that and it was painful.

I know some people get it every month My doctor though in my case that would be to much because I am a relatively low risk. And it is not a pleasant injection to have every month for all those years.
I do think the effect wears of after about 10-11 weeks. But then I am still on the Tamoxifen as well./

good luck

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My daughter has zoladex every month and has no problem with it. She is more annoyed at the bother of having to go and have it done monthly and for that reason she may ask about the 3 month one … she didn’t know that you could have it done every 3 months until she read about it on here. She doesn’t find it particularly painful and says that it feels just like a normal injection. Only one she found stung a bit for a while afterwards …maybe it was put into a tender spot. Everyone is different I guess. She too is now on Tamoxifen as well for 5 years with the zoladex for 2 years.
Sue x

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I have the implant every month. Gp gives me a local first so I don’t feel a thing!

My onc insisted on the monthly as he said 3 monthly wasn’t as good. GP had asked me to check this to save me going through it monthly.

I’m also on Femera and have had a local recurrence and currently have skin mets, both of which occurred while I was on tamoxifen, so maybe this is why onc has insisted on monthly jabs.

Mabel x

5

Hi,
I have it by monthly injection and apparently you shouldn’t have it 3 monthly as it isn’t as effective. Make sure you have local anaesthetic its a big needle!
Take care Allie

6

I started off monthly for the first 6 months and then onc changed to three monthly with no problems at all. I don’t find it that painful when given by g.p., or the practice nurse, (the first one I had given by onc hurt) its certainly no more painful that having canulas in the back of your hand.

I would sometimes have a bruise but the last two injections have left no mark at all.

Denio x

7

I too have my injection every month given by my BC nurse (don’t like going to GP surgery). I haven’t had any problems so far, just the occasional bruise

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Hi ladies,

thank you so much for all your responses, much appreciated.

Kelly
-x-

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I have mine 3 monthly as to why you would have to ask oncologist,but I dont think they would say to have it 3 monthly if it wasnt ‘as good’ as monthly like someones comment above,and for the length of time some people take it,I have to have it along with tamoxifen for 5 years ,again ,why 2 years why 5?who knows?I have had 4 injections now and the first 3 did not hurt but now I have had my recon my surgeon has said no injections in your stomach for 12 months,oh my god now it hurts I have to have it in my side,I have never had the anaesthetic they give you but I am going to request it next time.I dont want another 3 and a half years of it so some time this year I am going to have my ovaries out,then I wont need it and the side effects I get now will be permanent I know but I am not fussed,I dont want my periods to come back and then go through a natural menopause ,I cope with how I am now so am choosing this option.good luck and opt for the anaesthetic x

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Perhaps I didn’t make it clear, though I tried to.

My onc said it wasn’t ‘as good’ when his registrar, who was writing up my first prescription, queried whether it should be the 3 monthly or the monthly implant for me. As I said this could have been due to my history of recurrence.

Mabel x

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The three monthly Zoladex injection is not licensed for breast cancer. I would not recommend it, even though it might appear to be more convenient.

I was having the monthly injection before switching to the three monthly last year. My doctor said it was to spare me too many injections, but actually it also saves surgery time and I am sure that there were as many benefits in terms of the GPs budget. I noticed a couple of times on the three monthly that I experienced a little bleeding towards the end of the three months, just before the next one was due. When I queried this with my consultant he agreed that it could be that the zoladex was being used up more quickly and that I was, in effect, being left unprotected towards the end of the three month cycle. So I switched back to monthly.

I developed secondaries last summer. Who knows whether the lack of zoladex protection contributed to it, but I know if I could go back to starting out on zoladex, knowing what I know, then I would definitely stay with the monthly rather than the three monthly.

Deirdre

12

I’ve had Prostap injections (works like Zoladex) since the beginning of Jan 2004. I was diagnosed with secondaries from the very beginning so have bloods (markers) taken every 4 weeks which measure any cancer activity. For a short while I changed to 3 monthly injections but found my markers were showing a slight rise towards the end of the 3 months so I asked to be changed back to monthly injections.
Prostap has a finer needle and is quite (I’ve found) painless. Not sure if it’s more expensive than Zoladex but it works well, I’ve had no periods since then, I feel very well and haven’t had any further progression.
x

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Hi
I had zoladex last year every month throughout my chemo and stopped a lilttle afterwards. Be sure to use a local as it does sting alittle. I used Neulasta which i out on an hour before i went into the hospital.

xx