Enzalutamide

What is Enzalutamide?

Enzalutamide is a prescription medication that treats prostate cancer in men who have received surgery or hormone therapy to reduce testosterone.

Sometimes, this medicine is used when cancer no longer responds to treatment but has not spread to other parts of your body.

It is also used when cancer has responded to treatment and has spread to other parts of your body known as metastatic.

You can find Enzalutamide in market under brand name Xtandi. To save on enzalutamide costs, order it from a licensed online pharmacy.

This medicine is only available after a prescription from a doctor.

Xtandi uses

Doctors prescribe Enzalutamide 40 mg for treating following medical conditions:

• Advanced or metastatic prostate cancer

How does Enzalutamide work in your body?

You need to know that most prostate cancer cells require testosterone to grow and spread.

Testosterone is a type of male sexual hormone known as androgen.

Enzalutamide (Xtandi) is an androgen receptor inhibitor, a type of hormone therapy that works by obstructing testosterone from binding to your prostate cancer cells.

Without testosterone, cancer cells are not able to have fuel they require to grow or spread.

How to take Enzalutamide?

Before starting your treatment with Enzalutamide, carefully read patient information leaflet.

If there is any doubt about this medication or its dosage then you can discuss it with doctor.

Take enzalutamide dosage every day at same time so that you remember to take it without missing a dose.

You must take this medication as directed. Do not take more or less of it or too often than suggested by doctor.

Swallow tablets or capsules whole with a glass of plain water. Do not chew, crush, dissolve, or open them.

It might be possible that a doctor prescribes this medicine for a short time or reduces your dosage if side effects during treatment are experienced.

Make sure you talk to a doctor about how you are feeling during treatment with Enzalutamide tablet.

In case, you are taking 2 cancer medications then follow your doctor’s instructions carefully on when to take them.

Also, your doctor can give other medications unless you had surgery to lower amount of testosterone in your body.

Amount of medication that you will take is going to depend upon strength of medication you are taking.

The number of doses you take each day, time allowed between doses, and length of time you take this medicine is based on your medical condition.

• Missed dose

If you have a missed dose of Enzalutamide tablet then take it as soon as you remember.

But if it's already time for your next prescribed dosage then you must skip missed dose and continue with a regular schedule.

Do not double your doses as this can lead to an overdose of Xtandi and make you suffer from side effects.

• Overdose

If you think you have taken this medicine more than directed by doctor then immediately get emergency medical help.

Precautions and warnings for Enzalutamide

Doctor must check your progress at regular visits to ensure this medicine is working properly and not causing any unwanted effects.

Do not take Enzalutamide tablet, if you are allergic to it or have any other allergies.

This medicine can contain some inactive ingredients which can cause allergic reactions in patients. Discuss with doctor about it.

Women must not use this medication, especially those who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant.

This medication can harm an unborn baby. It can lead to birth defects if father is using Xtandi and his partner becomes pregnant.

Men with female partners should use an effective form of birth control during treatment with this medication & for 3 months after last dosage.

Inform your doctor promptly, if a pregnancy occurs during your treatment with this medication.

Intake of this medicine can cause tiredness, dizziness, seizures, muscle weakness & increased risk of falls.

Avoid driving or doing anything that can be dangerous unless you know how this medication affects you.

Sometimes, this medicine can also cause a nerve disorder known as posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).

Get emergency medical help, if you suffer from seizures, unusual drowsiness, weakness, blurred vision, confusion, or dullness.

During your treatment with Xtandi, do not take any other medications unless recommended by a doctor.

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, inform your doctor about your medical history beforehand, especially of:

• Seizure
• High blood pressure
• A head injury
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Brain tumor

Do not share your medicine with another person even if he/she suffers from similar symptoms as yours.

Side effects of Enzalutamide

Remember your doctor has prescribed this medicine because he thinks its benefits are greater than side effects of Enzalutamide.

Several people using this medication do not suffer from any kind of serious side effects.

However, mild side effects start to disappear once your body adjusts to Xtandi after a few days.

Intake of this medicine can cause both minor and serious side effects.

Minor side effects of Enzalutamide

• Joint pain
• Weakness or fatigue
• Hot flashes
• Back pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• High blood pressure
• Feeling less hungry

Serious side effects of Enzalutamide

• Seizures
• Sudden changes in mood or behavior
• Chest pain
• Sudden weight gain
• Vomiting
• Nausea

Contact your doctor immediately, if any of Enzalutamide side effects bother you or become worse with time.

Interactions

Enzalutamide can increase your risk of experiencing a seizure if you use other medicines for treating infections, diabetes, asthma, or depression.

Without approval from your doctor, do not start, stop, or change dose of any medications.

Before starting treatment, let the doctor know about all other products you use including prescription & non-prescription drugs and herbal supplements.

In this way, doctor will be able to prescribe a dosage of Xtandi accordingly and adjust dose of other drugs.

During your treatment with Enzalutamide, avoid taking following medicines:

• Lorlatinib
• Ranolazine
• Lurasidone
• Artemether
• Ritonavir
• Voriconazole
• Praziquantel

It is not a complete list of possible drug interactions. You can discuss it with doctor once.

Storage

You must store this medicine at room temperature and away from sunlight and moisture.

Keep Enzalutamide out of reach of children and pets.

Frequently asked questions about Enzalutamide (FAQs)

• Is Enzalutamide a kind of chemotherapy?

No, this medicine is not a chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a class of medicine that targets and kills cancer cells in body.

Enzalutamide does not kill cancer cells because it is a form of hormonal therapy known as an androgen receptor inhibitor.

It works in body by obstructing male sexual hormone, testosterone in body. Most prostate cancer cells require testosterone to grow and spread.

By blocking testosterone, Xtandi restricts fuel i.e., cancer cells which are required to grow or spread in body.

• How will I manage hot flashes caused by Xtandi?

In case, you experience hot flashes after taking Xtandi then let your doctor know immediately as they can suggest ways to manage side effects with or without medication.

Anticonvulsants, estrogens, antidepressants, and progestin are a few medicines that can help you ease hot flashes.

If you don’t want to take medicines, then try some relaxation techniques, behavioral therapy, breathing exercises, and hypnosis to deal with hot flashes.

• What is Xtandi used for?

Xtandi is a prescribed treatment option to treat prostate cancer that does not respond to initial hormonal therapy or surgery to lower your testosterone.

This medicine also treats metastatic prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of your body.

• How long does enzalutamide work for?

It is necessary to take this medicine exactly in same way as directed by a doctor.

How long Xtandi will work for you is going to depend upon several factors including how well Enzalutamide tablet is treating your cancer.

• Is Xtandi better when compared to other medicines that treat prostate cancer condition?