National shortage of Lupron

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berries
berries Member Posts: 277
edited December 2020 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

I am due for lupron next week. My doctor's office started delivering it to my home and my husband injects it. When I called to refill and schedule the deliery, CVS said there was a national shortage and they are out of stock.

Has anyone dealt with this issue and what were your options? I assume Zoladex.

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  • finallyoverit
    finallyoverit Member Posts: 382
    edited October 2020

    Berries ~ I had an appt this morning for my normal Lupron shot. The nurse told me about the shortage and that I was getting Zoladex today. Shot was in my stomach.. just to the left of my belly button. She gave me a bag of ice to dull the area before the shot. Didn’t hurt any more than Lupron but could have been the ice dull too. I asked her about side effects of Zoladex. She told me that it “is a cousin of Lupron so SEs should be the same”. Time will tell. I will say though, the injection site is much more sore than it normally is.

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  • finallyoverit
    finallyoverit Member Posts: 382
    edited November 2020

    Just reporting back. I received my 2nd Zoladex shot today. Last month, the injection site was much more sore than with normal Lupron. Other than that, I was pleasantly surprised that I had less hot flashes on it. That’s something, right?


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  • NY30
    NY30 Member Posts: 27
    edited December 2020

    That is something @finallyoverit...thanks for sharing! Due to get Zoladex for the first time tomorrow instead of Lupron... so the possibility of less hot flashes is at least a bright spot in all this!

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  • Jinx27
    Jinx27 Member Posts: 238
    edited December 2020

    I have switched from quarterly injections to monthly due to the shortage, my medical oncologist did mention Zoladex as an alternative for me just in case there are issues with the Lupron being short.

    If you dont mind OP can you post your experience with Zoladex.

    I hope all goes well with you!!

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  • Sherry2019
    Sherry2019 Member Posts: 13
    edited December 2020

    Hello Ladies


    Anyone of you need to take lupron monthly? Can lupron be injected by someone close like our husband or siblings? And my doc told me I will take monthly lupron, and I ask her how long she said indefinite 😲.anyone like me? I am 36 year old. I wanted to have more baby in the future ..but it looks like doc told me indefinite I have to take, I didn't talk to her yet my plan to have baby..

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  • finallyoverit
    finallyoverit Member Posts: 382
    edited December 2020

    @Sherry ~ I’ve had monthly Lupron shots for almost 4 years now. I’ve only switched to Zoladex the last 2 months because of the nationwide shortage of Lupron. I’ll continue with monthly shots until I agree to have my ovaries out. My body does not do good things with estrogen. It needs to be squashed one way or another. Right now, I’m choosing monthly shots.

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  • Sherry2019
    Sherry2019 Member Posts: 13
    edited December 2020

    Thank you for the information, do you do shot by yourself or the nurse will do? So are you taking for 4 years, how was the side effects? Your period stop completely? Currently I am under target therapy till next year for every 21 days and soon I will have the lupron too.

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  • finallyoverit
    finallyoverit Member Posts: 382
    edited December 2020

    @Sherry ~ yes, the nurse gives it to me each month. Lupron goes into my rear hip; Zoladex goes into your stomach, right along your belly button line.

    Yes, my period has completely stopped, which was sort of the idea. We needed to get me post menopausal to take Femara, so we are doing it via drugs until I have surgery.

    As far as side effects, I haven’t had many. I had frequent hot flashes on Lupron which were seriously annoying. I haven’t had many at all on Zoladex. The only other thing I’ve noticed is that the injection site with Zoladex is much more sore. It only lasts a couple of days, but I’ll take that instead of those blasted hot flashes.

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