Fulvestrant pain - any suggestions?

vickfromvic

Hi everyone 
I’ve just started on Fulvestrant & was wondering if anyone has any tips on decreasing the pain on injection & the sore bum afterwards.  I’ve been advised to use a heat pack & massage with Hirudoid, which I’ve done. Doesn’t make any difference.

Anne94

Hi Vick,
Have been on Fulvestrant since 2019, I have found a couple of simple things to do for these injections. 1) Ice the bum, numbing the backside helps. 
2) hold the fulvestrant in your hands while the nurses do the checks or if you are on Denosumab - this injection is like olive oil. warming it up seems to help make it a bit easier to push.
3) Make sure the nurses aren't pushing the injection too fast. Slow and steady.
4) heat packs post injection- soothes the area. 
This is what i do, hope it helps.
Anne xo

Cath62

Hi @vickfromvic, hold injections in hands to warm them up. Each injection must be given over 2 mins. That is crucial. Also make sure it is given in the upper outer quadrant of the buttocks. Massage after and walk a bit helps too. I am treated at the Wesley hospital in Brisbane and had to complain to get the nurses to do this correctly. The nurse unit manager had the staff retrained to help me. Speak up. Don't put up with this. You deserve to have good treatment. If done correctly life is so much better. Best wishes 

vickfromvic

much appreciated  Cath62 & Anne94

Julez1958

Hi @vicfromvic,
I am no longer on this drug but was advised to drink lots of water and do some walking the day of the injection.
That seemed to help me.

Monty

Hi Vic
i found icing the area for 15 mins beforehand then having both injections at once was good for me. They didn’t need to go too slowly either.  So long as it was the upper outer quadrant.  Hope you are going ok 

ilanagal

I've learned to tell the nurse it must be given slowly. And whatever they think is slow- do it even slower. I say over 3 mins each side- because they always do it faster so set the bar that they really understand just how slow is needed. 

This way- absolutely NO pain!!

vickfromvic

wow!  Many thanks.  Does this also help with the pain afterwards?

ilanagal

Honestly, if they do it slower than slow, the whole experience is totally fine 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟   

You have to be in charge. Don't assume they know how to do it. I show them the spot bc first time they did low down so I couldn't sit for 5 days

Cath62

There is no pain if done correctly. I had to tell the nurses every single time. Out of 17 rounds, 4 were done incorrectly and I suffered terribly with no life for that round. I complained to the nurse unit manager, who retrained her staff, wrote a big yellow note on the file 'must be given over a min of 2 minutes and in the upper outer quadrant of the buttocks'. My husband would come with me and time the nurses quiet opening so they knew we were monitoring. Again if done correctly there were no problems at all.

vickfromvic

Thx ilanagal.  As your profile is private, I can't privately message you, but feel free to privately message me if you'd like to.  really appreciate you help.

ilanagal

@vickfromvic I've adjusted profile settings (I think). Should be ok to message me