Eligard® (Leuprorelin acetate)
Information in this fact sheet is meant to assist you in making decisions about your treatment. Always make medication decisions in consultation with your healthcare team.
What is Eligard® used for?
Eligard® is a hormone therapy that reduces the symptoms of advanced prostate cancer.
When Eligard® is given regularly to males, it reduces the amount of testosterone produced. Eligard® inhibits the growth of prostate cancers which rely on testosterone to grow.
Eligard® is used for locally advanced or metastatic carcinoma of the prostate.
What does Eligard® look like?
Eligard® comes in a multiple syringe kit.
How is Eligard® given?
Eligard® should only be given by a doctor or nurse.
This medicine must not be given to children.
The contents of the two syringes in the Eligard® kit (one containing the active ingredient and the other containing the delivery system) will be mixed together, then injected underneath the skin. The site of the injection should be varied from time to time.
Note: There are two brands of Leuprorelin – Lucrin® and Eligard®. Lucrin is administered intramuscularly, into muscle, and Eligard® is administered subcutaneously, beneath the skin.
Your doctor will decide what dose of Eligard® you will receive. Eligard® is available only with a doctor's prescription.
The usual dose of Eligard® is one of the following:
- 7.5mg injection every month
- 22.5mg injection every three months
- 30mg injection every four months
- 45mg injection every six months.
What are the common side effects?
Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are being given Eligard®.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious; most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of these side effects. Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects. Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
- short-lived burning, stinging, pain, redness or itching at the injection site
- mild bruising at the injection site
- fatigue
- dizziness
- feelings of warmth or periods of excessive sweating
- pain or a decrease in size of the testicles
- nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
- hair loss
- more frequent urination
- decreased libido
- changes in your breasts.
The above list includes side effects which are usually mild.
What are the less common side effects?
Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist as soon as possible if you notice any of the following:
- backache
- tingling or numbness of the hands and feet
- difficulty in passing urine
- bone pain or fractures (these may be a sign of weakening of the bones)
- The above list includes serious side effects which may require medical attention.
If any of the following happen, tell your doctor or nurse immediately, call an ambulance or go to an Emergency Department at your nearest hospital:
- signs of an allergic reaction, such as shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing
- swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
- rash, itching or hives on the skin
- headache and vomiting, eye problems, altered mental state, or collapse
- chest pain.
The above list includes very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. These side effects are rare.
References
Disclaimer
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia develops materials based on best available evidence and takes advice from recognised experts in the field in developing such resource; however it cannot guarantee and assumes no legal responsibility for the currency or completeness of the information.
