question about Eligard and blood clots

[Guest guest]

I got my 1st Eligard shot 3 months ago. I am now having some problems with my left leg. Muscle/bones. I am at the 2 year 7 month point from my robotic surgery. Other than the last shot 3 months ago, I was on Lupron. Due to my advocacy for myself and wanting things done (asked for more that 1 PSA test per year), 8 months ago, my doctor's office told me to find a new provider. About 2 months ago I fought it and I am allowed back. For the past 6-8 though I have been using the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center. No big complaints and I am allowed to speak up about my own healthcare. But I am due to get another Eligard shot. I am hesitant because of the current situation....

[Guest guest]

Ray Hoetger wrote:

> I got my 1st Eligard shot 3 months ago. I am now having some

> problems with my left leg. Muscle/bones. I am at the 2 year 7

> month point from my robotic surgery. Other than the last shot 3

> months ago, I was on Lupron. Due to my advocacy for myself and

> wanting things done (asked for more that 1 PSA test per year),

> 8 months ago, my doctor's office told me to find a new

> provider. About 2 months ago I fought it and I am allowed back.

> For the past 6-8 though I have been using the Veteran's Affairs

> Medical Center. No big complaints and I am allowed to speak up

> about my own healthcare. But I am due to get another Eligard

> shot. I am hesitant because of the current situation....

Hello Ray,

The FDA drug labels that describe everything known to the FDA

about drugs are available online at:

    http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov

Type " eligard " in the search box to see more information than you

can imagine about it.

If you click on " Adverse Reactions " you'll see the tabulation of

side effects reported in the various clinical trials.  Table 7

has " musculoskeltal effects " and " pain in limb " was reported by

a small percentage of patients.  So there is at least some

evidence that Eligard _could_ cause the problems you are

experiencing.  Whether it is, or whether there is some other

cause, is still unknown.

Of course another obvious possibility is a bone metastasis.  I

believe that they can be detected in various kinds of x-rays or

bone scans.  If you do have a metastasis in the bone, a radiation

oncologist can sometimes kill the cancer in the metastasis and

significantly reduce the pain.  If your PSA is still low that's

unlikely but if it's rising, that's something to consider.

Assuming it's not a metastasis, the next question is what to do

about it.  I don't have any answers to that, but I'll offer some

possible suggestions.

  - Call the drug company.  Tell them what you're experiencing,

    ask if it sounds like what is reported in the label and ask

    if there are any recommended treatments.

    I don't expect much from that, but you never know.  I did

    that once for Lupron and got a nurse at the other end of the

    line who at least confirmed that what I experienced (pain and

    stiffness in the the small joints - fingers and toes) could

    have been caused by Lupron.

  - Try gentle therapies.

    There may be some things you can try that are very unlikely

    to hurt you and might help.  I'm thinking of:

        Hot baths or heating pad.

        Ice packs.  I used to find alternating a heating pad and

        an ice pack, a few minutes at a time with each, felt very

        good.

        Exercise - both strength and flexibility exercises.

    Don't over do any of that.  Don't do it to the point of

    pain.  Don't burn or freeze yourself or workout with your

    legs heavily without trying very gentle exercises first and

    building up.

  - Try simple pain remedies.

    Ibuprofen or aspirin might help.  I've been told by a doctor

    that you can take ibuprofen and tylenol together because they

    work on different principles and don't interact - there's no

    drug interaction between them (as there might be with

    ibuprofen + aspirin).

I don't know if any of that will help, but maybe they're worth a

shot.  All of them helped me with my finger joint pain.

Best of luck.

    Alan

[Guest guest]

Alan Meyer wrote:

> ...  I don't have any answers to that, but I'll offer some

> possible suggestions.

Another suggestion is massage.

One significant fact I didn't think about in my last answer is

that only one of your legs hurts.  When I had joint pain from

Lupron it was in all of my small joints.  Some were worse than

others, but it wasn't just one.  Presumably, both of your legs

are experiencing the same amount of Eligard.  If only one leg has

a problem, maybe it's not the Eligard.  Maybe it's unrelated to

the drug and maybe unrelated to the cancer.

You might possibly see if you can go to good physical therapist.

This kind of thing is very hard to track down.  A sympathetic

doctor can help.  An uninterested doctor won't care.  He might

think, " What is this guy complaining about?  He's got cancer.

We're treating it.  That's the main thing.  So what if his leg

hurts? "

Of course the doctor's leg doesn't hurt.  Yours does.  I hope

you've got somebody better than that.

    Alan

[Guest guest]

My Post Gleason Score, was a 9 same as before. The PCa did spread outside the Prostate and spread to the Lymph nodes. I have a primary care provider that cares, an Otho doctor that cares, not sure about the urologist yet (still debateable either way). The medical clinic I work in is also my primary care place and is full service and one stop. I had a ultrasound yesterday. I will find out the results. The urologist is the one that set it up. He said it does occur. The eligard combines with statins and causes the blood clots. Well I was just wondering if anyone had a problem with the eligard and blood clots.