The human body cannot function properly without a certain amount of hormones. A violation is both their deficit and excess. In case of health problems, doctors prescribe a number of tests to the patient, the result of which reflects the main indicators of vital activity, including the amount of hormones produced. If an insufficient amount is detected, hormone therapy is prescribed. If it is necessary to muffle the production of one or another hormone, antagonists use drugs.
Drug action
One of the drugs that suppress the reproduction of hormones is Zoladex. The instructions indicate its effect as a drug that reduces the production of estradiol hormone in women, and testosterone in men. In domestic medicine, it is prescribed if necessary, the actual change in the hormonal background when getting rid of cancerous tumors.
"Zoladex" refers to drugs - analogues of the natural gonadotropin-releasing hormone. The active substance of the drug stops the release of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones from the pituitary gland, which leads to a temporary decrease in the concentration of estradiol and testosterone in the blood serum.
Composition and release forms
The medicine is released in the form of a white or beige powder of prolonged action contained in a capsule. To facilitate the implementation of subcutaneous injection, the capsule is placed in a disposable syringe - applicator. The composition of the drug includes the main substance - goserelin acetate, and additional - glacial acetic acid and a copolymer of glycolic and lactic acids. Depending on the amount of active substance, there are two options for the release of syringes: with a content of 3.6 mg or 10.8 mg, placed in an aluminum package. According to the instructions, Zoladex is to be sold only by prescription. Storage conditions allow temperatures from 15 to 25 degrees.
Indications for use
Treatment with a dosage of 3.6 mg of the main active substance is carried out under the following pathological conditions:
1. Malignant tumors in the prostate gland tend to respond to therapeutic treatment, preceding radiation therapy. If necessary, it is possible to use the drug instead of the surgical castration procedure.
2. For breast cancer, Zoladex is used in the early stages as an alternative treatment, replacing chemotherapy.
3. Genital and extragenital endometrioid lesions - are anesthetized and significant quantitative reduction, reduction in size.
4. For uterine fibroids: injections are used before surgical treatment in combination with iron-containing drugs in patients with anemia.
It is also possible to use a small dosage in the case of in vitro fertilization and for preliminary thinning of the endometrium according to indications.
Treatment with a drug with a dosage of 10.8 mg is carried out:
1. In case of detection of prostate cancer: in a form that can be cured by hormonal drugs.
2. With uterine fibroids: for the treatment of fibroids and reduce blood loss during surgery.
3. When breast cancer is detected: in the first stage of menopause, when the ovaries are still working, but already with reduced functionality.
4. For endometriosis: “Zoladex” is used to reduce pain and minimize the number of inclusions in the inner walls of the uterus.
Route of administration
The standard use of the drug comes down to injections into the abdomen once every 28 days when using the medicine in a dosage of 3.6 mg. In this case, the course admission lasts for six months and requires the use of six injections of Zoladex. If longer treatment is necessary, a drug with a dosage of 10.8 mg is used, and administration is carried out once every 86 days.
Application area
A dose of the active substance in the amount of 3.6 mg more often finds its use in endometriosis, in vitro fertilization and uterine fibroids.
Since accelerated cell division of the endometrium can have many negative consequences, treatment must be started immediately to avoid the progression of the condition. Otherwise, you may encounter difficulties such as the problem of conception and gestation, bleeding, impaired functioning of the uterus or other organs.
With endometriosis, the Zoladex preparation affects the thinning of the endometrium and leads to a temporary absence of menstruation and a decrease in endometriotic nodes. To use the drug, it is necessary to examine the patient in order to exclude pregnancy. The medicine can lead to spontaneous miscarriage or the development of abnormalities in the fetus. The doctor also gives recommendations on the use of non-drug contraceptives. The treatment period is six months. A longer administration of the drug leads to brittle bones and the removal of mineral substances from them.
If uterine fibroma is detected, in combination with the planned surgical treatment, the drug is taken three months before surgery. The drug can reduce the volume of the tumor and eliminates pain symptoms, and also has an effect on reducing the amount of blood loss during surgery.
The use of Zoladex for in vitro fertilization is carried out under the supervision of a doctor and entails the activation of the pituitary gland, called desensitization. It is during this period that ovaries are stimulated using gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Upon reaching the necessary stage, the administration of the hormone is stopped, and human chorionic gonadotropin is used to artificially maintain the ovulation process.
If it is necessary to thin the endometrium, the drug is used twice with an interval of 28 to 30 days.
According to the instructions of Zoladex with a dosage of 10.8 mg of the active substance, the indications for use are the same as for the reduced dose, but the drug is prescribed with an interval of 3 months.
Only the attending physician who observes the symptoms and course of the disease can determine the frequency of administration and the possibility of using a capsule with a small or high content of the active substance.
Prostate tumors can often be treated with hormone therapy. Therefore, men should pay attention to their feelings and consult a doctor in the following cases:
- urinary incontinence;
- more frequent than usual urge to urinate;
- pain and burning sensation during ejaculation;
- intermittent pressure during urination;
- detection of blood in urine or semen.
Positive reviews for Zoladex for prostate cancer are observed in case of immediate treatment from the moment of detection of the disease. The drug has an effect on reducing the production of testosterone in the body and can lead to a suspension of the development of the tumor or its decrease in size, which means to improve the clinical picture. Complete cure is possible only with the use of complex therapy, often including surgical intervention.
Adverse reactions to the drug in women
In the case of taking the drug by women, uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous conditions can occur:
- Chronic fatigue.
- Dermatological problems in the form of a rash.
- Bruising at the injection site of Zoladex.
- At the beginning of use, imitation of menstruation in the form of bleeding lasting up to 30 days is possible. After the first month, this effect disappears and is no longer repeated.
- Signs of dry mucous membranes, including vaginal dryness with decreased vaginal lubrication.
- The onset of menopause and related symptoms: increased sweating, hot flashes, decreased libido.
- Depressive states and possible sharp mood swings.
- Weight gain.
- Temporary effects of galloping blood pressure, which stabilizes soon after the start of subcutaneous injection.
- Decreased bone density and, as a result, increased risk of fractures.
- The problem of pain, easily eliminated by medical treatment.
- Temporary worsening associated with an initial increase in estrogen concentration.
- Dyspnea.
- Visual enlargement or swelling of the tongue and lips.
- Thirst and poor appetite.
- Tingling sensation in arms and legs.
After the withdrawal of the drug "Zoladex" side effects in the form of signs of menopause cease. If the patient's age allows, then menstrual bleeding resumes within a year.
Adverse reactions to the drug in men
When using the drug in men, the following symptoms may appear:
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Pain in the bones, the degree of which is reduced by painkillers.
- Hair loss and thinning over the entire surface of the body.
- Allergic reactions in the form of skin rashes.
- Excessive sweating.
- Compression of the spinal cord, violating the sensitivity of certain areas.
- Change in blood pressure.
- The appearance of burning sensations or creeping goosebumps.
- Decreased libido and the appearance of depression.
- The occurrence of signs of heart failure.
- Weight gain.
- Change in bone mineral composition.
Contraindications
In accordance with the instructions of Zoladex, children's age, the period of pregnancy and lactation, as well as intolerance to gonadotropin or auxiliary substances are the main contraindications to the use of the drug. Do not recommend taking medication in combination with alcohol. Allowed the appointment of funds with caution in patients with osteoporosis. You can not take drugs for seizures and glucocorticosteroids in parallel. Additional monitoring is required for patients with low weight.
You can not use the drug in case of damage to the packaging material of the syringe or the detection of defects in the capsule.
Analogs
Preparations of the same group include such analogues of Zoladex as Lucrin Depot, Eligard, Decapeptil, Leuprorelin, Goserelin.
"Lucrin Depot" contains the main substance, leuprorelin acetate, which is a gonadorelin agonist, and is available in the form of:
- 9 ml vials containing the dried active substance. In addition to the bottles in the package, there is a solvent for the preparation of the suspension, a disposable syringe, a sterile needle and an alcohol-containing cloth.
- Syringes, consisting of two parts containing the first active substance, and the second a special solvent, with a complete piston and alcohol wipes.
The difference lies in the possibility of using the drug in childhood in case of early maturation of puberty, and, in addition to subcutaneous injections, intramuscular injection is allowed.
Eligard, like Lucrin Depot, has the same active substance and is also available in the form of a lyophilisate, additionally packed with a solvent. In the bulk of identical drugs prescribed for prostate cancer. Unlike Zoladex, it’s not acceptable for drivers to accept vehicles, as it affects the speed of reactions.
Decapeptil contains the active substance tryptorelin, an analogue of gonadotropin releasing hormone. It is made in syringes of two types:
- with a dose for daily administration according to indications;
- with microcapsules - depot sustained release drugs for administration with a frequency of 28 days.
Specialists of the NI Pirogov Research Institute, after comparing preparations - analogues of Zoladex with active substances - acetates: goserelin, leuprorelin and triptorelin in the treatment of cancer tumors, gave an identical assessment of the effectiveness and safety of the studied drugs. The drugs differ only in the cost of the course of therapy and side effects. The most expensive treatment is the use of drugs containing triptorelin, in second place is goserelin, in third place is leuprorelin.
Reviews
Doctors recommend the use of “Zoladex” as an adjuvant in those serious cases when you simply can’t manage with a “Vitamin” and the absence of treatment poses a threat to life. If the prescription and administration of the drug is carried out in a medical institution, then the possibility of harming the patient in any way is reduced to zero. The effect of Zoladex as a drug that reduces the production of estradiol and testosterone is confirmed by clinical practice. The treatment of oncological diseases such as breast, fibroma and prostate cancer is most successful with the use of drugs, which contain an analogue of natural gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Of course, the attending physician should select the drug and dosage, as well as the order of administration and the duration of use.
Reviews of dissatisfied patients come down only to the narrative of a large number of side effects. The presence of negative dynamics in the development of the disease when using Zoladex is not confirmed. However, the cured patients really remember an uncomfortable state during the use of the medicine, in most cases noting signs of menopause, weight gain, and hair problems.
Special attention should be given to women who have successfully completed an IVF procedure with the help of medication. Today's mothers, having forgotten about the side effects from using Zoladex, happily raise their babies.