Lump at Lupron Injection Site - has anyone else experienced this?

I did with my Eligard shot, which is in the stomach. Had my first lupron shot 2 months ago and did not have any problems, but it was in behind, so not sure I would have felt it anyway.
Michael

Yes it was a different nurse. The first one was done by the urologist himself and the second by a nurse in the hospital, perhaps technique really makes a difference here! It's reassuring to know there have been other similar cases though, the lump just looked odd. :)

Thanks Sue! We read somewhere that heat helps shrink it, so we got a little heatpack and have been working with that...at the moment seems more soothing than anything but will let you know how it goes. Good to know it will be gone in time...

I've never had a detectable lump from one. The way it feels varies a lot from one time to the next, not sure if it's the technique or just the specific location that happens to be hit. It usually gives me a slight ache in the area for 24 hours or so, but that's it.

This last time though I got a pretty big bruise from it (no sensation though). So, for whatever reason some subcutaneous bleeding. Odd though.

To make the drug "time released" it is mixed with a "carrier", a wax-like substance that slowly dissolves and releases the drug over a time period of up to six months..Sometimes it forms a lump and sometimes it does not..But applying a heat-pack might be a no-no as it could dissolve the carrier and release the drug more quickly than intended...The six month shot could wear off much sooner...

I also had a lump left from the previous shot when I got the next one. I recall an article a whiles back about Lupron, Eligard, Firmagon and their ilk being the first series of bionanotechnologic medical intercessions OKed by the US FDA for use in fighting cancers. Each injection remained palpable in my belly muscle for the whole 6 months +, but only the first gave me an adverse reaction by way of swelling, redness/inflammation, pain and a deuced belly vein.

The last injection (Oct 2014) was to 'expire' April 30th. 2 weeks ago blood test showed my testosterone and PSA were both still "undetectable". Considering that the average life span of an acinar adenocarcinoma stem cell is 3 years, I am just fine with those results hanging in there to the end of the year.

Whatever it takes, you know?

Fairwind said...
To make the drug "time released" it is mixed with a "carrier", a wax-like substance that slowly dissolves and releases the drug over a time period of up to six months..Sometimes it forms a lump and sometimes it does not..But applying a heat-pack might be a no-no as it could dissolve the carrier and release the drug more quickly than intended...The six month shot could wear off much sooner...

This is an excellent description of the time-release strategy used for some hormone therapy drugs but, as I seemed to recall, not for Lupron. I know that Firmagon works that way, for instance. When I was on Firmagon I could feel the depot like a motel-size bar of soap under the skin on my lower belly. It was injected as a thick liquid and set up as a very firm gel.

I guess it is possible that the drug Leuprolide acetate (Lupron) is delievered in more than one way but the description of the drug I found at dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/archives/fdaDrugInfo.cfm?archiveid=14497 seems to indicate that it is delivered in slow-dissolving micro spheres.

The spec said...
LUPRON DEPOT–3 Month 22.5 mg is available in a prefilled dual-chamber syringe containing sterile lyophilized microspheres which, when mixed with diluent, become a suspension intended as an intramuscular injection to be given ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS (84 days).

The front chamber of LUPRON DEPOT–3 Month 22.5 mg prefilled dual-chamber syringe contains leuprolide acetate (22.5 mg), polylactic acid (198.6 mg) and D-mannitol (38.9 mg). The second chamber of diluent contains carboxymethylcellulose sodium (7.5 mg), D-mannitol (75.0 mg), polysorbate 80 (1.5 mg), water for injection, USP, and glacial acetic acid, USP to control pH.

What I used to get from Lupron was a bruise that showed as a black spot 3/4 of an inch across. It always made me think of pirate movies. The "Cursed Black Spot" Arrrrrrrh!!

I always have a small lump after my Eligard shot in the belly fat. Stings for a few minutes after injection, then no problem after that. The feel the lump is part of the time release mechanism for the Eligard. Some lumps stay for more than the three months until the next shot. I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Carl