Deceptacyl substitute

My suggestion would be to ask your pharmacist for the next equivalent. 

Often drugs with the same basic action, such as Zoladex and Prostap, would be suitable. 

I asked my own pharmacist when I started on HT what would happen if they couldn't get my prescription (Zoladex) , because I worry like that, and that was his response. 

Get the drug first and then have a discussion with both pharmacist and GP about how this arise.

My husband had his decapeptyl yesterday and she didn't say anything about a supply problem. We don't order from the pharmacy the doctors do all that. Could you perhaps ring whoever produces it and ask them 

Hello Big Col (Big Col) 

Decapeptyl is my Consultants drug of choice and I have been on it for over 3 years. It's injected into your backside and I have never had any issues with it - thus I wouldn't want to change.

It's manufactured in 1, 3 and 6 monthly doses - can your pharmacy not get one of the others, surely the aren't all in short supply.

Do let us know how you get on.

Thanks - Brian.

Like Shar's husband, I had my 3-mthly decapeptyl yesterday at my GP surgery.

I would not wish for a "substitute"  -  it suited me well for 2 1/2 years at time of original treatment and 3 mths into doublet HT for recurrence it has caused me very little inconvenience.

Has the pharmacy put out a call to any others?

Good luck, Dave.

Hi, have you ever considered moving to the 6 month injection. It is an option for my husband but we just aren't sure what to do. Apparently it isn't a stronger dose, just more of it 

Hi Shar. No. Never seen the need. But yes, just a larger volume as far as I know. 

If all that available I would probably drop down to 1 mth rather than up to 6. IF suddenly "doesn't suit" then already got up to 6 mths in the system!

Good luck, Dave.

Sorry to hear about this issue and hope it gets resolved soon.

You do though, raise an interesting point for us. My husband did not thrive on decapeptyl. He struggled for 18 months until the oncologist advised stopping ht completely - 6 months short of his 2 years’ sentence! There lurks the anxiety about recurrence and the need to take ht for the rest of his life. This would be a ‘half life’ for him with little quality. I have wondered whether another different brand would be more suitable for him but equally effective.Do they all contain the same ‘ingredients’ but have different ‘brand names’ or do they differ? 

Hello Worriedwife 

Good question - I can't give you the official answer but I am/have been on Decapeptyl.

I asked if there was a difference as some are given as an injection into the stomach as opposed to the backside and I had read some stories about side effects at the injection site etc.

The answer was they are all different, given at different injection sites and some given as pills. It's the individual that reacts differently to each one so yes a change from one to another can work. Where's Alwayshope when you need her? 

Kind Regards - Brian.

Thanks, Brian! I have not communicated with Always Hope outside of this forum. I really hope she is ok. I think and hope , after her own battle with PC for Peter and, indeed, for all of us, she may be taking a well deserved breather! Hopefully she will pop up on our screens to let us know how she is getting on from time to time? But yes, we do miss her! 

Hi Big Col .

Decapeptyl is a GnRH agonist which initially stimulates then suppresses hormone production. It works by stopping the pituitary glad from signaling the body to produce sex hormones. Equivalent products with the same mechanism are Leuprorelin (Prostap) and Goserelin (Zoladex). You can switch between products provided you haven't let your cover lapse. These are all by some form of injection but make sure that if you have the Prostap then it is properly administered by someone who is used to giving it. An alternative form of GnRH agonists is Relugoix (Orgovyx) which can be taken orally in tablet form. Whilst the mechanism is the same how your body reacts to the drug can vary. Why were you switched from Prostap to Decapeptyl initially - if it was because of problems with side effects then I would get back to your oncologist and ask them to intervene. Very often the motive to change is often purely financial.

The products which work with a different mechanism are the GnRH antagonists giving a faster testosterone suppression such as Degarelix which blocks GnRH receptors directly. Abiraterone is another enzyme blocker.

From what I have been reading you can switch back onto Prostap if you have had decapeptyl in the meantime.