Firmagon (Degarelix) substitute for Lupron

Medcomglen said:

You got the right atttude...
Wardyboy,

After reading your initial post your positive attitude not only uplifted me but probably all the guys on this blog. Personally I was down in the dumps after receiving two Firmagon injections recently after my PSA jumped in two months from 2.7 to 5.9 but your enthusiasm has helped me to stop feeling sorry for my self if you can relate. Sucks when you cry after watching a Lexus commercial.

I think you're probably feeling the normal side effects of chemical castration. HORMONES Just wait till the moobs start growing LOL. Well at least we still have our humor.

You're a breath of fresh air and I look forward to your positive outlook and progress.

I'm not a Doctor but your slight rise in Testosterone isn't signicant. Mine was 68 while maintaining a 1- PSA score for several months.

Good Health<
G

SHOTS AND BOOBS
Hi Glen.....I've missed you. Your blogs really give me a good uplift. I've read wardyboy's input and really feel for him......As for me, I'm growing boobs too.........I get my eighth shot of FIRMAGON in about ten days along with a psa check. I also get these mind attacks once in a while...........WHEW !!.....NOT FUN STUFF.......but all in all I keep counting blessings and try to give back some of what I've been given............Fishing is still great, but the catchin' is lacking right now, but time on the water with friends is precious.

Wardyboy..........hang in there. I've read some info on the Mayo Clinic website about hormone treatments that is really positive. And we'll all keep praying. Thanks for sharing at the gut level......and

.....PEACE TO YOU ALL..........wayne2

Medcomglen said:

Shots and Boobs
Hi Wayne,

Thank you for your kind words to me and to Wardyboy. Hopefully Firmagon will keep Wardyboy's PSA in check... I've been on a roller coaster of emotions, aches, muscle pains and such after my back to back Firmagon injections in August and September but I'm doing better every day. At least my PSA dropped down to castrate levels. I don't know how you manage with continuous month to month injections. I did notice after my second injection that I experienced the same terrible exhaustion as I had before while taking Lupron so it may not be the difference in drugs but severe hormonal changes. Yes, the Moobs started growing again. My daughter said she'd loan me one of her bras but she's much bigger then I am thank the Lord. I was getting to look like my old self prior to the first injection but I'll accept the trade off. PSA will be checked again Thursday so I'll decide to have one last injection before my Cobra insurance runs out. After that I don't know what I'm going to do to pay for future injections since out of pocket is around $2,000. Hope for the best and keep on fishing :-)

36D and SLEEPEZE
Sure enjoyed your last note..........as usual. Yep, I think I'm up to a 36D............and get the "sleepys" a lot around noonish............good solid naps :-)).......but, staying active helps with my mental salvation .....reduces the number of brain farts experienced.
I get my seventh month injection of the Firmagon tomorrow. Had my psa checked this week...........still at 0.10......same as July.......so far so good..........hope I can stay awake long enough to finish this note........it's going on 9 pm :-).....this is all better than the alternative..............your two year "notice" to an actual 3-1/2 years SO FAR IS GREAT NEWS !!.......and you're still going STRONG !!

Comment re your $ concern: I've heard of some drug companies helping with the costs of some higher cost drugs. Firmagon is made by Ferring Pharmaceutical (looked it up)......maybe it's worth a shot contacting them..........or the urologist doing it or health center or ??

I'll get back to you after my visit to the urologist tomorrow........and fishing is still great, but the catching is tuff right now, but beautiful out on the water :-))

CaptnJack1744 said:

Firmagon
I an new to Firmagon (Degerelix), had my second injection on Mar 22. The stomach pain was no where near the level of the first double injection. I have experienced hip pain following both injections. Was almost back to "normal" until second shot, then it started again. Ever heard of this? My PSA was 40 in January, bone scan confirmed metastasis to sacrum and pelvis. Last Lupron was back in Sept 09, on it since 06. Went on Casodex in Jan, PSA dropped to 7.3 by Feb 11, then had first Firmagon. PSA now 7.7. Dr thinks it could be due to overdue on second shot by a week or so (schedule screw up on their part).
Radical in 2000, Radiation on 05, Lupron 06. Gleason 8.

Joining the string

Firmagon pain
This is my first post as caregiver to my husband, John.
Didn't plan on participating until final test results of lymph node biopsy... but in reading about Firmagon, I couldn't wait.

Some information
79 years old
Gleason score (5+4) 9
Stage 3 or 4 depending on lymph results
Bone scan, no involvement

My question is...I've been reading about pain after injections of Firmagon, which he had late yesterday afternoon. At the moment, he's still asleep, but if he's in pain may I give him one of my pills 'Hydrocodone' (which I got after my dental implant.. but didn't need)

He's supposed to avoid blood thinners because of his pending biopsy... and don't know if this would fall in that category. Hope someone can respond before he wakes...
Thanks,
Joyce

PA_grandma said:

Firmagon pain
October 20, 2010 - 7:01am
Firmagon pain
This is my first post as caregiver to my husband, John.
Didn't plan on participating until final test results of lymph node biopsy... but in reading about Firmagon, I couldn't wait.

Some information
79 years old
Gleason score (4+5) 9
Stage 3 or 4 depending on lymph results
Bone scan, no involvement

My question is...I've been reading about pain after injections of Firmagon, which he had late yesterday afternoon. At the moment, he's still asleep, but if he's in pain may I give him one of my pills 'Hydrocodone' (which I got after my dental implant.. but didn't need)

He's supposed to avoid blood thinners because of his pending biopsy... and don't know if this would fall in that category. Hope someone can respond before he wakes...
Thanks,
Joyce

p.s. posted incorrectly, it's somewhere in with March 25th messages, so I copied and pasted again... just a newbie

p.p.s. just read up about the drug... tell your doctor...prostatic hypertrophy, urethral stricture etc. This pill is not for him, plus he just got up NO PAIN,
Thanks anyway.

Pain
After my jabs it was not exactly pain but a kind of painful discomfort with bending and twisting especially on the belt line which lasted almost three days then....all gone.

I would not have thought traditional pain killers would have been much use anyway as the pain was not muscular but it seems he did not need them anyway.

Good luck with everything

Firmagon
6 year survivor, radical prostatectomy,40 psa at time of surgery. 8-10 Gleason
Eligard after 2 years or so, Firmagon about 8 months ago. Tougher side affect with Firmagon. 2nd injection was 60 days after first because the doctor was out of town. Thank God because 60 days was soon enough. 30 days would have been overkill. PSA starting to creep up to 1.2 from .8 after Firmagon. Getting my weight under control from the Firmagon. Gained about 12 pounds to 167, which is higher than I have ever been. I am, on .5 mg daily of Avodart as an experiment. My hair stopped falling out, vitamin C helps that as well.
73 years old, inpretty good condition. Still feel great, but am neglectig my exercise.
Cancer in the spine seems to have subsided with the last scan.
I take a lot of herbal stuff as welland eat healthy. I use about one tube of capsaicin cream (0.1%) every 2 or three weeks. I read that it can kill PC cells. The Avodart dropped my DHT from a high of 1500 to a low of 29, T is still over 700. Starting on modified citrus pectin.
Does anyone know anything about noscapine ?

bobmack said:

Firmagon
6 year survivor, radical prostatectomy,40 psa at time of surgery. 8-10 Gleason
Eligard after 2 years or so, Firmagon about 8 months ago. Tougher side affect with Firmagon. 2nd injection was 60 days after first because the doctor was out of town. Thank God because 60 days was soon enough. 30 days would have been overkill. PSA starting to creep up to 1.2 from .8 after Firmagon. Getting my weight under control from the Firmagon. Gained about 12 pounds to 167, which is higher than I have ever been. I am, on .5 mg daily of Avodart as an experiment. My hair stopped falling out, vitamin C helps that as well.
73 years old, inpretty good condition. Still feel great, but am neglectig my exercise.
Cancer in the spine seems to have subsided with the last scan.
I take a lot of herbal stuff as welland eat healthy. I use about one tube of capsaicin cream (0.1%) every 2 or three weeks. I read that it can kill PC cells. The Avodart dropped my DHT from a high of 1500 to a low of 29, T is still over 700. Starting on modified citrus pectin.
Does anyone know anything about noscapine ?

Firagon injections work!
In 2004 my husband had a radical prostatectomy. Still, his PSA never went to 0.0 and after four years of very, very slow increases he then had 42 radiation treatments. The radiation treatments also did not bring his PSA to 0.0. Finally, in June he stared on Firmagon and his August PSA was 0.1. HOORRAAYY! He's sheduled for a PSA again this month and I hope it will either be the same or finally 0.0. He is having soreness at the injection site after each injection. His hot flashes and mine coincide which is quite amusing to some people. He is 70, is on medication for high blood pressure and his heart, works out three times a week at the local gym and all in all is in realtively good health. We eat a little stangely because I have Graves Disease and Celiac Disease which cause us to eat more fruits and vegetables, gluten free everything (he still eats cookies and other goodies at times, and we seem to feel better.

Medcomglen said:

Great News! Firmagon injections.
Thank you for the laughs regararding French Doctors. Possibly French Doctors keep patient information to a minimum since it's socialized medicine and would be too costly for detailed medical explanations. Just a guess:-) I just posted this under a new discussion...Great news for me from from Ferring...

"I contacted the Ferring Pharmaceutical Company that manufactures Firmagon(degarelix) last month regarding if they had a compassionate drug program. My Cobra Insurance was ending 10/31/10 and affording Firmagon as an out of pocket expense would be a severe financial burden. I was informed Ferring did not have a compassionate drug program for Firmagon in place but they would check on my situation and let me know.

To my surprise I received a phone call from a Ferring representative today asking for my Oncologists address so they could mail 3-4 injections for free for my future injections.

I would like to publicly convey a sincere thank you to all of the Ferring Pharmaceutical company employees that contributed to this compassionate decision.

Sincerely,
Glen M."

PSA IS STILL LOW ; PAIN IS UP
WHEW...............psa is still 0.1...............But the last two injections have been VERY PAINFUL.Had another one today; taking tylenol...................but still better than the alternative.

I'm happy for you, Glen regarding the company send someeds your way.............HOORAY AND CELEBRATIONS. !!

Any ideas re pain? I'm gonna go lay down and read...........BUT !!!I DID FISH FOR TWO HOURS AFTER MY INJECTION TODAY..........GOT TWO NICE BASS........PUT 'EM BACK.....................Then the pain hit me...................but I am blessed!!

good wishes and prayers to all..................Les N.

Medcomglen said:

Firmagon
Hi bobmack,

Good to hear you are a six year survivor and still going strong. I can relate about the back to back injections of hormone therapy and Firmagon. Had two injections back in August and September and I was really hit with exhaustion and weight gain. 5'-4" 165 lbs. Use to be 150 lbs. By the way, I noticed there is a Newsletter for noscapine. Are you a subscriber? If not here's the link to copy and paste or click on it. Sounds interesting since it use to be a cough syrup.

http://pcref.org/mailing/?p=subscribe&id=1

Here's a recent study too:
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/03/23/Noscapine-use-for-prostate-cancer-studied/UPI-40241269377522/

Good luck with your next Firmagon injection. If it's in your spine you probably should remain on a monthly schedule and hopefully the "Doctor will see you now" :-) What other herbal supplements are you taking for your Prostate?

Best of health in the meantime.

THANKSGIVING
We're in Texas visiting a son and his wife for Thanksgiving. I had my last firmagon shot on Friday, Nov. 12th...............went fishing that afternoon and active in the boat ; lots of pain at the injection site that night and for several days after. I still have a hard knot at the site........about the size of a half dollar. This new for me. I read that the injection forms a nodule and then emits over a 28 day period..........anyone else have this happen ?

However............I still am blessed and have much to be thankful for.I pray for blessings for all this holiday.

wayne2