Advanced prostate cancer, which starts in the prostate (a male reproductive gland), is treated with degarelix injection. A group of drugs known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonists includes degarelix injection. It functions by reducing the body’s production of the male hormone testosterone. The growth of prostate cancer cells, which depend on testosterone, may be slowed or stopped as a result.

Degarelix injection is available in powder form, which must be dissolved in liquid before being injected beneath the skin in the stomach region, away from the ribs and waist. It is typically injected in a medical setting once every 28 days by a doctor or nurse.

Immediately after receiving a dosage of degarelix via injection, make sure that your belt or waistline is not pressing against the area.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before receiving degarelix injection,

• If you have an allergy to degarelix injection, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in degarelix injection, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. For a list of the ingredients, consult the patient information or speak with your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products that you are now taking or intend to use. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• If you or anybody in your family has osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become brittle and more prone to breaking, let your doctor know. Additionally, let your doctor know if you suffer from high blood pressure, heart, liver, or kidney disease, long QT syndrome (a rare heart condition that can result in irregular heartbeat, fainting, or sudden death), high or low blood levels of calcium, potassium, magnesium, or sodium, or if you have ever experienced any of these conditions.
• You should be aware that degarelix injection is only meant to be used by adult males. Women, particularly those who are or might become pregnant, should not use degarelix. The fetus could suffer side effects after degarelix injection. Call your doctor right away if you receive a degarelix injection while expecting. Before receiving an injection of degarelix, discuss breastfeeding with your doctor.
• You should be aware that both men and women who use this drug may experience decreased fertility. The dangers of obtaining a degarelix injection should be discussed with your doctor.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

Call your doctor as soon as possible if you are running late for a degarelix injection visit.

Side effects from degarelix injection are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Pain, swelling, redness, hardness, or itching where the injection site for the medicine was
• A hot flash
• A lot of perspiration or nocturnal sweats
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Loss or increase of weight
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Tiredness
• Having trouble falling or staying asleep
• Increase in breast size
• Reduced sexual inclination or capacity
• Joint or back ache

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if you encounter any of these symptoms, or seek emergency care:

• Hives
• Rash
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Hammering, erratic, or fast heartbeat
• Edema of the hands, feet, ankles, lower legs, cheeks, neck, tongue, lips, and eyes
• Hoarseness
• Sense of fluttering in the chest
• Fainting
• Fever, chills, or painful, frequent, or difficult urinating

Your bones could become more fragile and brittle as a result of the degarelix injection than they were before your treatment. The dangers of using this drug should be discussed with your doctor.

Other side effects from degarelix injection are possible. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, call your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by phone at 1-800-332-1088 if you have a serious side event.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To monitor your body’s reaction to the degarelix injection, your doctor will request specific lab tests.

Inform your doctor and the lab staff that you are receiving a degarelix injection prior to any laboratory test.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.