Leuprolide Acetate, 3-Month Depot, 22.5 mg, Injection

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (hormone therapy for prostate cancer)

Generic and brand names: leuprolide acetate, 3-month depot, 22.5 mg, injection; Eligard 22.5; Lupron 3-month Depot 22.5 mg

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by injection (shots) to treat advanced prostate cancer. It helps lessen the symptoms of prostate cancer, but it is not a cure. It may be given when other medicines or surgery are not likely to be helpful or are considered unacceptable.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine or hormone, or to benzyl alcohol
• a stroke
• blood clots or a bleeding disorder such as anemia
• cancer in the spine
• depression
• heart disease
• osteoporosis
• problems with alcohol or drug abuse
• trouble urinating

Tell your provider if you smoke cigarettes.

This medicine should not be given to women or children. Women should not take this medicine if they are pregnant or may become pregnant because it may cause a miscarriage or birth defects.

How do I use it?

Your healthcare provider will give you these shots once every 3 months (84 days). The medicine is in depot form, which means that it is released slowly over the 3 months. The shots are given deep into a muscle.

Continue receiving these shots for as long as your healthcare provider recommends.

What should I watch out for?

You will need to have blood tests regularly to see how this medicine affects you. Keep all appointments for these tests.

This medicine may cause impotence (trouble having and keeping an erection), decrease your sex drive, or reduce the amount of semen released during sexual intercourse. These effects are usually temporary.

This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to the sun, which may lead to painful sunburns. While you are taking this medicine, avoid long exposure to the sun. Wear protective clothing, a hat, and sunscreen lotion when you need to be outdoors. Do not use a sunlamp. If you get a severe sunburn, contact your healthcare provider right away.

Continued treatment with this medicine may affect bone density. Your healthcare provider may order tests to check if this medicine is affecting your bones.

Your symptoms may become worse during the first few weeks of treatment. Usually they improve after you take this medicine for a while. Contact your healthcare provider if your symptoms continue or become bothersome.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Irritation or rash at the spot where the shots are given; hives; general rash; itching; trouble urinating; weakness, numbness, or tingling in your legs; fever; depression; worsening of your symptoms.

Other: Hot flashes, swelling of your hands or feet, general pain, headache, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, constipation, nausea, sweating, shrinking testicles, vomiting, change in sexual ability or desire, hair loss, change in sense of taste, vision changes.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• medicines to treat diabetes such as acarbose (Precose), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (DiaBeta, Micronase, Glynase), metformin (Glucophage), miglitol (Glyset), nateglinide (Starlix), repaglinide (Prandin), pioglitazone (Actos), and rosiglitazone (Avandia)

Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.

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Published by RelayHealth.
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