Type of medicine: gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (hormone therapy for prostate cancer)
Generic and brand names: leuprolide acetate, implant; Viadur
This medicine is implanted under the skin of the upper arm to treat advanced prostate cancer. It helps lessen the symptoms of prostate cancer, but it is not a cure.
Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:
Tell your provider if you smoke cigarettes.
This medicine should not be given to women or children. Women should not take this medicine if they are pregnant or may become pregnant because it may cause a miscarriage or birth defects.
Your healthcare provider will numb your arm, make a small incision, and place the implant just under the skin of the inner side of the upper arm. The implant releases the medicine for 12 months. After 12 months, the implant must be removed and may be replaced with a new one.
After the implant is inserted, keep the site clean and dry for 24 hours. Do not bathe or swim for 24 hours. Avoid heavy lifting and bumping the area for 48 hours.
If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.
Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: decreased activity, trouble breathing.
This medicine may increase your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Contact your healthcare provider right away if you have dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, or abnormal heartbeats.
You will need to have blood tests regularly to see how this medicine affects you. Keep all appointments for these tests.
This medicine may cause impotence (trouble having and keeping an erection), decrease your sex drive, or reduce the amount of semen released during sexual intercourse. These effects are usually temporary.
Continued treatment with this medicine may affect bone density. Your healthcare provider may order tests to check if this medicine is affecting your bones.
Your symptoms may become worse during the first few weeks of treatment. Usually they improve after you take this medicine for a while. Contact your healthcare provider if your symptoms continue or become bothersome.
This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.
If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you have received this medicine.
You may develop diabetes when you take this medicine. If you already have diabetes, it may get worse. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.
Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.
Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).
Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Bone pain; numbness, tingling or pain in your feet; unusual bleeding, bruising, or pain at the insertion site; trouble urinating; unexplained weakness; fever; depression; thoughts of suicide; abnormal thoughts; worsening of your symptoms; sudden headache with vision problems, vomiting, confusion, slow heart beat, fainting, slow breathing.
Other: Hot flashes, swelling of your hands or feet, muscle or joint pain, headache, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, constipation, nausea, sweating, shrinking testicles, vomiting, change in sexual ability or desire, hair loss, change in sense of taste, vision changes, dizziness, tiredness.
When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:
If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.
This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.
Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.
Do not share medicines with other people.
