Zoladex

@Nannajay Anytime 😊. 

@FLClover thank you for responding! 

A lot of those pros and cons are the ones I got too, but I also know that T can cause blood clots and heavy periods if not on Zoladex. Also, I know heaps of women who are miserable on T and go on to have an AI. Don’t be nervous, you will be receiving the best one to stop recurrence (as far as we know 🤷🏼‍♀️). Hopefully you won’t get nasty side effects and can continue taking it. The needle is actually very long and scary looking but doesn’t hurt as much as it looks like it should. Word of advice, avoid seeing it as long as possible. Good luck 🍀

Hi everyone. I’m feeling very grateful to have found this post! I start radiation next week, and my first injection of zoladex two days later. I skipped chemo, and was offered zoladex or tamoxifen. I asked for a pro and con list of each and it came down to - tamoxifen side effects are easier (except weight gain- that seems to be much higher with T) but there is a small risk of a new uterine cancer forming. Zoladex is much stronger and it’s a horrible needle, but no risk of future cancer (drug related) and has higher % success of suppressing cancer return. Did anyone else get this similar pro con list? Oh, and I was told that if the zoladex side effects were unbearable, I could go down to tamoxifen which wound feel easier in comparison, but if I didn’t like T, there was no way I would go over to the injection instead. It seemed to make sense at the time but as the date gets closer I’m getting so nervous......

also I’m having esterimine (daily tablet) with the zoladex. Has anyone heard of this?

Thanks  everyone and sending hugs to you all- you all sound so brave with all the battles you are each winning. 

Hi @Didib
I started Zoladex almost 5 months ago. I had my fifth jab today. I also noticed for the first time how long that needle is 😳😳. I knew it was thick, but I thought it was about a centimetre long. My goodness when I saw today, 5cms!!! Wth??! 🤦🏼‍♀️. Lucky I didn’t see before my first one or else I would’ve run away and refused to have them. 

Hi everyone, I’ve been on tamoxifen for 7 months and commenced zoladex 4 months ago.  It sure has been a roll a coaster ride with my emotions everywhere (covid hasn’t helped) but I’m feel I am getting better mentally. Has anyone put on weight once they started Zoladex? I don’t know whether to blame covid or zoladex? I’ve always been extremely fit but I feel my body has changed.  

Hi @NelSky, I started taking Zoladex almost 5 months ago. After my first injection, I got my period 3 days later. It lasted 7 days as usual, but I continued to slightly bleed for another week, and then spot for another on top. So about 3 weeks of bleeding. After that everything went back to normal. I had read that that was to be expected. I still had a pelvic ultrasound just to make it was ok, but results were good. Since then no period, no spotting. I’m also now on Letrozole, for almost 2 months. Occasional short hot flushes, and numbness in my right hand and fingers. Other than that feel pretty normal. I’m enjoying the freedom of no periods and PMS, but I like to think my ovaries are just taking a break. I’m only in artificial menopause, it will go away once meds stop x. 

I am doing well now since I shifted to Tamoxifen and my trigger finger is much better, all joints are less painful and nil swelling in other fingers. I was in stage 1A of a grade 3 tumour , my oncologist assessed that the benefits don't outweigh the chemo pain and hence advised just radiation and meds...Hope that helps 

@msg132 sorry 😐 to hear that your side effects are effecting you so much. Can I ask why you skipped chemo ? At first they said no chemo and then I did the endopredict test my oncologist I think was also pro chemo for me even though I’m hormone pos her2 neg.

Hi Everyone, Hope you are all doing well. I was diagnosed last year and undergone lumpectomy and nodes removal, Radiation therapy. I was HER2- ER PR+
Per my doc advise , I skipped chemo and started Zoladex 3.6mg and Latrozole once per day. I developed trigger finger and stiffness and arthritis  in my fingers and joints after 4 months. Doc moved me now to Tamoxifen .