Anyone use an injection instead of AI pills.

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pabbie
pabbie Member Posts: 370

Hi fellow warriors,

My onc recommended an injection instead of the AI pills because I have a history of not tolerating the AI's., tamoxifen only for 5 years. I keep getting recurrences.

But I forgot the name of the injection. Do you have any ideas.

I'm talking with my onc on Wednesday. Thank you and take care to all.

P

Comments

  • ThreeTree
    ThreeTree Member Posts: 709
    edited September 2021

    I had no idea there was some sort of injection. Sorry I can't help, but hopefully someone else here will come along. Personally, I think I'd be wary of an injection. What if you react to it? It's not like a pill that you can just stop right away. I imagine whatever they inject would last awhile. I'd do some serious research first, if it were me.

  • pabbie
    pabbie Member Posts: 370
    edited September 2021

    ThreeTree,

    Thank you so much for reminding me about what could happen. If I have a reaction and end up in the ER with Covid all about. There really are no easy solutions when it comes to the aromatase inhibitors/hormonal therapy. Take care.

  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited September 2021

    Hi, pabbie. Was it perhaps Faslodex/fulvestrant your oncologist recommended? My oncologist says, and I found it to be true, that Faslodex has the fewest side effects of all the hormonal therapies. Really! I would not be afraid of giving it a try. If it is Faslodex, I will give you the run-down on how to ease the actual injections. Let me know before your appointment.

    (I have been on tamoxifen, the aromatase inhibitor letrozole, and Faslodex.)

  • ThreeTree
    ThreeTree Member Posts: 709
    edited September 2021

    pabbie - I still feel the same way that I said earlier, but also, I did not mean to scare you, if I did. I just have a thing about injections or oral medications that last a long time. I don't even like these 24 hour slow release tablets of things, if it's something I've never taken before. I wish they still made 4 hour doses - at least for people to take initially to see how they respond to it.

    Good luck - looks like ShetlandPony has some good ideas.

  • pabbie
    pabbie Member Posts: 370
    edited September 2021

    Hi Shetland Pony,

    I can't remember if it was faslodex. I'll speak with her on Wed. I don't want the injection to interfere with my ability to take care of my colostomy. I have a permanent colostomy I have to irrigate every other day which uses a lot of bending and such. The bag saved my life when I was 41 years old with colorectal cancer., I'm now 63. Plus I just finished SBRT radiation for lung cancer.

    I would appreciate your info on ways to ease the injection site. I'll keep you posted. Take care.


  • pabbie
    pabbie Member Posts: 370
    edited September 2021

    ThreeTree,

    No worries. I appreciate all info. Take care.

  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited October 2021

    Faslodex injections are given in the dorsogluteal muscles (because that is a big muscle), one on each side. So it is on the derrière, high and out toward the side. Most women seem to do fine with just remembering to warm the syringes, but since I had a few episodes of injection site pain and leg pain that were more troublesome, I developed a plan to make it better. Here is a quick run-down based on my experience and research, and others' input as well: Take an ibuprofen a half hour before your injections. Warm up your cheeks with warm packs in your back pockets. Warm up the syringes in a warm blanket or your hands. Whether lying on stomach or sitting, completely relax the cheek that is getting injected and point your toes inward (pigeon-toed). Remind the nurse to inject in the UPPER OUTER quadrant to avoid the sciatic nerve. Have the nurse inject very slowly, at least ten minutes per side; longer if that is better for you. (Don't care if the instructions say two minutes!) Have her pause if it starts to ache. Use warm packs and walk for maybe twenty minutes afterward to prevent the syrup pooling and making a painful lump. Then switch to ice packs for a couple hours, to reduce inflammation. Take another ibuprofen later that day, also to reduce inflammation. Tell yourself congratulations, you are good for four weeks. (There is an extra dose at two weeks, just the first month.)

    I don't see why it would interfere with colostomy care, but tell your doctor your concern and I bet you will be reassured. Once you get past the actual injections, which ought to cause only mild soreness for a couple days, I doubt you will notice any side effects other than maybe hot flashes. Faslodex is a SERD, selective estrogen receptor degrader, more similar to tamoxifen which is a SERM, selective estrogen receptor modulator. It is not as similar to aromatase inhibitors.

    (All this won't apply if your doctor has a different drug in mind. But I can't think of another.)

  • pabbie
    pabbie Member Posts: 370
    edited October 2021

    Thank you. How much do you pay for the drug. I checked medicare, which I have, and it's over 2000.

    Take care.

  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited October 2021

    I don't know about cost since mine is paid for by the sponsor of my clinical trial. (The Fas is not the drug being be tested; it is part of a three-drug combo,). There is probably someone at your oncologist's office who can help with payment resources.

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