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Firmagon Side Effects
If you are undergoing treatment with Firmagon, contact your healthcare provider right away if you have difficulty urinating, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, or difficulty breathing. However, in most cases, reactions to this medicine tend to be minor and easy to treat. Some of the most commonly reported side effects of Firmagon include hot flushes, weight gain, and skin reactions.
from eMedTV.comAn Introduction to Firmagon Side Effects
Just like any medicine, Firmagon® (degarelix) can cause side effects. However, not everyone who uses the medication will have problems. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or are treated easily by you or your healthcare provider.(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Firmagon. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list with you.)
Common Side Effects of Firmagon
Firmagon has been studied extensively in clinical trials. In these studies, the side effects that occurred in a group of people given Firmagon were documented and compared to the side effects that occurred in a group of people given a different prostate cancer medication called leuprolide (Eligard®, Lupron®, Lupron Depot®). As a result, it was possible to see what side effects occurred, how often they appeared, and how they compared to the other medication.Based on these studies, the most common side effects of Firmagon included:
- Skin reactions at the injection site -- in up to 44 percent of people
- Hot flushes -- up to 26 percent
- Weight gain -- up to 11 percent
- Increases in certain liver enzymes -- up to 10 percent
- Increased blood pressure (hypertension) -- up to 7 percent
- Fatigue -- up to 6 percent
- Back pain -- up to 6 percent
- Joint pain -- up to 5 percent
- Constipation -- up to 5 percent
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) -- up to 5 percent
- Chills -- up to 5 percent.
The most common injection site reactions included:
- Pain
- Redness
- Swelling
- Thickening of the skin around the injection area
- The appearance of a lump, or nodule, where the medicine was injected.
Injection site reactions were more likely to occur after the first injection. The reactions were generally mild to moderate in severity and usually went away within three days.
Other common Firmagon side effects, appearing in 1 to 5 percent of people, included:
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Decreased sex drive and impotence (erectile dysfunction, or ED)
- Fever
- Sweating, including night sweats
- Diarrhea
- Swollen breasts
- Smaller testicles.
Written by/reviewed by: Susan Lakey, PharmD, MPH
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD