What side effects have people had with Zo... - Endometriosis UK

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What side effects have people had with Zoladex with out HRT? Also, where did they inject it into you?

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hknight profile image
hknight

Hi hun, I have been on zoladex for 7 months, and I think its wonderful. I admit that it did make me have a few mood swings and I have suffered from hot flushes, but they are so much more copeable than the pain I was in before zoladex. I have severe endometriosis and had 2 endrometriomas removed, along with my ovaries and bowel fused to my uterus, and my pouch of douglas stuck together in November. My consultant put me on zoladex for 4 months before my op, and 3 months after, and I had my last injection 2 days ago, so got to wait for my dreaded period now and see if its worked :( . I had zoladex without hrt so I think you will be fine. In regards to where I have had it injected, I have always had it done in my bumcheeks ( high up near lower back) but on my last one the nurse said could she try in my stomach, as u can have it done ther too, as it was last time I thought why not, but must admit, it stung a bit and my stomach has been a bit achy since, but it was injected near my lap scars, so that may be why. Hope this helps a bit hun. Good luck xx

sanchia46 profile image
sanchia46

I had the zoladex injection twice in my stomach. Really worked wonders on the pain. You would only need to have it with hrt if you were going to take the injection long term. I've now started my period and the pain was much less. The only thing I'm bleeding in between my period so it's like I'm never off it

Chels78 profile image
Chels78

I had a 6 month course of Zoladex twice. They were injected into my stomach. They can give you menopausal symptoms as the medication puts you into a temporary menopausal state. This can include hot flushes, mood swings, vaginal dryness etc. They can prescribe you a mild HRT like Livial which is great. Obviously everyone is different so what i went through, you may experience something different. The site of the injection can ache for a couple of days but that soon wears off. If it works for you, its a wonderful treatment and will give you some relief from your periods for a few months and allow some of the endo to dry up, as it deprives the adhesion's of the hormone it needs to grow. Hope it all goes well for you. Good luck xx

kr00038 profile image
kr00038

Thank you everyone! Yes, I have had some hot flushes so far, mainly at night. And quite bad headaches also. They put it into my tummy but I was just wondering if that was the best place to put it because of the endo, but there doesn't seem to be any reason for that!

Lucylu88 profile image
Lucylu88

Hi, I am currently on Zoladex and think I must be the only person that suffers on it. I have had 2 injections in my stomach and the hot flushes are nothing compared to other symptoms (not on HRT). My pain has got worse and I can hardly eat, I don't think anyone else has suffered like this, I think I am abnormal! lol x Sorry wasn't trying to make Zoaldex sound bad, just feel like I am on my own.

heatherec profile image
heatherec in reply to Lucylu88

Hi lucylu88 i feel your pain!!

For me the HRT has been awful i have put on 8 kilo's despite not eating that much. I am dizzy, feel sick, go faint, i am now also incredibly anaemic and i cant eat. I can't sleep at all, forever having hot flushes, retaining water to the point where i can't put my rings on. My taste buds have gone strange and everything tastes horrible, and my mood swings are incredible!!

I'm now 3 months into my first 6 month treatment, but whenever anything bad happens i think if this all means that i can have kids then its worth it.!!

jaiism profile image
jaiism in reply to heatherec

This is my life lol 😧 hot flushes especially have become EXTREME like at times I can't catch a breath for some reason and feel so weak and suffocated :/ the nausea is still there but honestly the pain was unbelievable before. I suppose this is some sort of a win :/ 

maria1997 profile image
maria1997 in reply to Lucylu88

ive been put onto zoladex for 6 months so far and they want to continue giving it to me until june, however my side effects have gotten worse each time so ive decided i cannot have them anymore. compared to the pain i was getting previously, zoladex is nothing, but my joints are so sore now, i cant even walk to collage in the cold! hot flushes dont bother me as much as the mood swings, i used to be such a bubbly person but i feel like i have completely changed!

Cooka profile image
Cooka in reply to maria1997

I agree with you Maria. I've had 5 injections and not going back for my last. Apart from the physical side effects it has really effected my moods. I think it has changed who I am. I feel depressed, withdrawn, unattractive, frumpy and tired. I am single, lonely and don't want to be single. But I feel like I will be single forever now because I have totally lost my interests towards men or thinking about dating :(

FionaGFG profile image
FionaGFG in reply to Lucylu88

Not just you! Had it last week in stomach (nurse refused it in bum which is where I wanted it). Injection site and stomach sore for 3 days. Loose stools for first day twice. Once second day. Pelvic pains like period pains. Allowed to take Yasmin for a week to overlap and they stopped when took pill. Off of pill pelvic pains at 4am at night and nausea. Nausea lasts all day. No appetite. Drs say it's not a usual side effect. No idea if more sensitive due to the coeliac disease. Or if just sensitive to the zoladex. Not enjoying it or another 3 weeks of this. Taking for egg freezing to reduce endometriosis and adenmyosis.

Charley-rae profile image
Charley-rae in reply to Lucylu88

Iv recently had my 2 nd zoladex implant I feel terrible headaches feeling sick no energy and really bad tummy pain 😢

hereisamy profile image
hereisamy

Hi - I have just had 3months of Zoladex (put in my stomach). There was a choice for me to have it in the arm, bum or stomach...I know someone who had it a few years back and she said the arm and bum is a lot worse than stomach as it bleeds and bruises quite badly, so I opted for the stomach.

Hot flushes and the shivers, and blinding headaches were my main problems on zoladex (no HRT), it stopped my period for 1month but the pain was and still is pretty bad. So, the docs said I am too young to have any more injections and because I am still in pain zoladex isn't working for me. But everybody is different, some people find it amazing and some don't, it is all just trial and error with endo - I just hope it works well for you!!

Leacon profile image
Leacon in reply to hereisamy

If you don't mind me asking, how young are you? I'm so sorry you went through a rough time with it as well!

I just had my first injection and I'm 20

Becks88 profile image
Becks88

Side effects for me were crying all the time, night sweats, hot flushes ALL day, ferocious temper and feeling so low i had suicidal thoughts! Thank god they put me on HRT (Livial) after 1 month!

Becks88 profile image
Becks88

Oh also i've had all of my Zoladex jabs in my lower abdomen near my belly button. More fat there so less discomfort (kinda)

awinnie profile image
awinnie

So far my severe pain has been swapped with headaches and fatigue. However I canine with these cos I'm starting to have more energy again. I'm only on this for 3 mths so goodness knows what will happen afterwards. I'm a student nurse too and wishes that I could stay on this for 3 years instead of having the pains. Talk about wishful thinking.

awinnie profile image
awinnie in reply to awinnie

Sorry phone put canine instead of can lol. Silly automated text.

J9girl profile image
J9girl

No real menopausal symptoms - this could be mostly because I went into it without much thought about the side effects of the Zoladex. No complaints :)

Looking back though, I had a few headaches the week I had the first injection, and I think I was more easily 'emotional', but that could've been because I had a lot going on in life and was a bit stressed out lol!

Had a bit of hot flushes, and I still had the same food cravings around the time I would've got my period! No spotting.

I wasn't prepared to take HRT as it would've defeated the purpose of taking the Zoladex in the first place - I took it in prep for a lap to treat endo.

Endo_Girl33 profile image
Endo_Girl33

I'm on month 10 of zoladex with no HRT. I get hot flushes, night sweats, joint pain, pins and needles in my legs and feet, headaches, nose bleeds, fatigue and i cry more easily. However, I still feel like it's worth it as the pain was so bad before.

Allisonida profile image
Allisonida

I have just had my first zoladex injection after my laparoscopy for sever endometriosis and 2 ovarian cysts, I'm waiting for a second laporoscopy to remove endometriosis from my bowel. Does anyone have any advice on how to manage the night sweats?. Also is there anyone over 40 who has all this condition, but still gone on to have children?

XX

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