I've been having the injections since October and obviously the sudden menopause is intense (though I was also going through chemo which made it worse), but your body gets used to it and now my hot flushes and night sweats are manageable and I don't really notice that much else with the zoladex. I finished chemo in January and as my oncologist said, menopause is far easier than chemo! You will go through menopause at some point in your life anyway, this is just bringing it on early and it least you know what it is.
I was given the choice of tamoxifen or zoladex with exemestane and when I asked which was better I was told that there is no significant difference in mortality, but the zoladex option was statistically less likely to have a recurrence, so I went for that option.
As for the injections themselves, it is an implant about the size of a grain of rice so you do feel it, though it is over quickly. After my first one, they gave me emla cream as I had so many injections still to go for chemo etc that I didn't want to develop a phobia! The emla cream completely numbs the area and you don't feel it going in.
If you are being offered zoladex, which shuts your ovaries off and puts you in to menopause, then you will be getting an AI alongside that which stops oestrogen in the rest of your body. I am on exemestane but there are others and they are all pretty similar. The main side effects from these are joint pain and bone loss (due to having zero oestrogen any more). I get zoledronic acid IV every 6 months for bone loss though I also run so I think my bones will be OK. The zoledronic acid was fine, I didn't really notice any side effects. The joint/muscle pain loosens off with activity so I don't really find this side effect that bad.
Tamoxifen has other side effects so you can't really win! And you will also feel menopausal on it.
For me, it was about long term risk of recurrence and as I'm in my mid 40s, then menopause wasn't that far away anyway, so I chose to shut down my ovaries.
What have you been reading that sounds bad? I have to admit that I was far more worried the hormone suppression than the chemo, but symptoms really do lessen with time.
i can only echo the above. I am on Goserelin ( nearly at my 12th implant!) and Letrozole with the zoledronic acid infusions every 6 months ( had 2 now- felt rough after the first for several days but no problem with the second)
I have the implant without numbing cream and it’s fine for me - quick pinch and done
I think the main thing is that you very quickly become menopausal. I had a period about 1 week after the first implant, a tiny show the month after and that was it!
ive been on zoladax injections for 6 years. Firstly along side tamoxifen and found that I had hot flushes so used to take the tamoxifen at night to lesson the effects during the day. I now have it with letrozole which is much better as I get no hot flushes and after the first week on letrozole where I had joint pain it then stopped. mad for the injection it’s a bit nippy but you can request Emla cream to numb the area which you put on an hour before and you won’t feel anything when they give the injection. overall it has just become habit to get the jag every 4 weeks and personally speaking I’ve had no negative effects from it.
Hello i too have this injection every 3 weeks at the moment during chemo. I too was more apprehensive about the chemo side effects and didn't really focus on the ovarian suppression / menopausal side effects, i am 40 and the hot flushes have been manageable so far, just hve joint pain and aching on and off but this too is eased with certain activities and with rest. I hope you get on ok with this too. Also risk of reaccurrance at the front of my mind as only in my 40s. The actual injection is quick it does sting but that doesnt last long and as others have said emla cream helps. Good luck with all your treatments.
