Histrelin

Histrelin is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of advanced prostate cancer.

Histrelin belongs to a group of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists. These work by regulating the amount of certain hormones in the body.

This medication comes in a small, thin implant that is placed under the skin of the upper arm. It slowly releases medication over the course of 1 year.

Common side effects of histrelin include hot flashes, fatigue, implant site reaction, and testicular atrophy.

Histrelin can also cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how histrelin affects you.

Histrelin is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of advanced prostate cancer. It also treats precocious puberty in children.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Histrelin may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Supprelin

• Vantas

Serious side effects have been reported with histrelin. See the “Histrelin Precautions” section.

Common side effects of histrelin include the following:

• bruising, soreness, tingling, or itching at the place where implant was inserted
• scarring at the place where implant was inserted
• hot flashes (a sudden wave of mild or intense body heat)
• tiredness
• enlarged breasts
• decrease in size of testicles
• decreased sexual ability
• vaginal bleeding in girls
• constipation

This is not a complete list of histrelin side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

No histrelin drug interactions have been studied by the manufacturer. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Serious side effects have been reported with histrelin including the following:

• High blood sugar levels and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have diabetes and experience worsening blood sugar control. 
• Cardiovascular disease. Some patients receiving histrelin have shown an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Histrelin therapy may also cause changes in the electrical impulses in the heart. Caution should be exercised for patients with long QT syndrome, congestive heart failure, and electrolyte abnormalities.

Histrelin can cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Histrelin affects you.

Do not take histrelin if you:

• are allergic to histrelin or to any of its ingredients
• are a woman

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of histrelin, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking histrelin, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to histrelin or to any of its ingredients
• have diabetes
• have cancer that has spread to the spine
• have a urinary obstruction
• have heart problems
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X - are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Histrelin falls into category X. It has been shown that women taking histrelin during pregnancy may have babies born with problems. There are no situations where the benefits of the medication for the mother outweigh the risks of harm to the baby. These medicines should never be used by pregnant women.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Histrelin should not be used in women. It is not known if histrelin crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using histrelin.

Take histrelin exactly as prescribed.

This medication comes in a small, thin implant that is placed under the skin of the upper arm. It slowly releases medication over the course of 1 year.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the condition being treated.

The recommended dose of histrelin is 1 implant for 1 year. The implant will deliver approximately 50 mcg of the active drug per day for 12 months.

If you take too much histrelin, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If histrelin is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store histrelin implants in the refrigerator, between 2 and 8°C (36 and 46°F). The implantation kit should be stored at room temperature.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.