nilutamide
Nilutamide (Nilandron) is taken by mouth and used to treat metastatic prostate cancer, meaning cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It’s a form of hormonal therapy called an androgen receptor inhibitor or antiandrogen, that works to block testosterone in your body. Nilutamide (Nilandron) is one of the recommended options for prostate cancer and is taken once a day. It can cause hot flashes and make it difficult for your eyes to adjust at night, which can be bothersome.
What is Nilutamide (Nilandron)?
What is Nilutamide (Nilandron) used for?
- Metastatic prostate cancer
How Nilutamide (Nilandron) works
Most prostate cancer cells need testosterone to grow and spread. Testosterone is a type of male sex hormone called an androgen.
Nilutamide (Nilandron) is an androgen receptor inhibitor (antiandrogen), a type of hormone therapy that works by blocking testosterone from binding to prostate cancer cells. Without testosterone, cancer cells won’t have the “fuel” they need to spread.
Drug facts
Side effects of Nilutamide (Nilandron)
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
Side effects experienced by people who took nilutamide (Nilandron) after surgical castration:
- Hot flashes (28%)
- Difficulty of eyes adjusting to dark (13%)
- Nausea (10%)
- Pain or burning while urinating, needing to urinate more often, and other symptoms of a urinary tract infection (8%)
Side effects experienced by people who took nilutamide (Nilandron) with leuprolide (a LHRH agonist):
- Hot flashes (67%)
- Difficulty of eyes adjusting to dark (57%)
- Nausea (24%)
- Constipation (20%)
- Weakness (20%)
- Shrinking of testicles (16%)
- Trouble sleeping (16%)
- Headache (14%)
Less Common Side Effects
Side effects experienced by people who took nilutamide (Nilandron) after surgical castration:
- High blood pressure
- Constipation
- Higher levels of certain liver enzymes
- Trouble breathing
- Dizziness
Side effects experienced by people who took nilutamide (Nilandron) with leuprolide (a LHRH agonist):
- Loss of appetite
- Lower sex drive
- Trouble breathing
- Stomach pain
- Larger breast tissue
- Difficulty of eyes adjusting to light
- Pain or burning while urinating, needing to urinate more often, and other symptoms of a urinary tract infection
Nilutamide (Nilandron) serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Severe liver problems: nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), dark urine, right upper stomach pain
- Serious lung problems: fever, trouble breathing, cough, or chest pain
The following Nilutamide (Nilandron) side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
Blood in the urine
blurred vision
chills
difficult or labored breathing
dizziness
fever or chills
general feeling of discomfort or illness
headache
joint pain
loss of appetite
muscle aches and pains
nervousness
pale skin
pounding in the ears
shivering
shortness of breath
slow or fast heartbeat
sweating
tightness in the chest
trouble with sleeping
troubled breathing with exertion
unusual bleeding or bruising
unusual tiredness or weakness
vomiting
Less common
Arm, back, or jaw pain
blindness
bloody, black, or tarry stools
change in color vision
decreased urine output
decreased vision
difficulty seeing at night
dilated neck veins
fainting
fast or irregular heartbeat
increased cough
increased sensitivity of the eyes to sunlight
irregular breathing
swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
weight gain or loss
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Acid or sour stomach
belching
body hair loss
bone pain
burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
changes in vision
decrease in testicle size
decreased interest in sexual intercourse
difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
dizziness
feeling of warmth
inability to have or keep an erection
increased urge to urinate during the night
indigestion
loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
rash
redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally, upper chest
stomach discomfort, upset, or pain
sudden sweating
unable to sleep
waking to urinate at night
Less common
Difficulty with moving
general feeling of discomfort or illness
muscle pain or stiffness
pain, swelling, or redness in the joints
passing of gas
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Nilutamide (Nilandron)
Pros
- Oral pill
- Taken once daily
- One of the recommended options for metastatic prostate cancer
- Available as a lower-cost generic medication
Cons
- Can cause hot flashes, which can be unpleasant
- Your eyes might start having problems adjusting to light
- Can cause liver or breathing problems
Pharmacist tips for Nilutamide (Nilandron)
- It’s important to remember to take your dose of nilutamide (Nilandron) each day so you don’t miss a dose. Find a way that works best for you to remember to take your medication. You can also use an app on your phone to help remind you.
- Nilutamide (Nilandron) can be taken with or without food. It doesn’t matter what time of the day you take it, as long as you take it around the same time each day.
- Let your provider know immediately if you start to experience new or worsening symptoms of lung problems, like trouble breathing, cough, chest pain, or fever. You might need to stop taking nilutamide (Nilandron) while your provider determines what is causing the problems.
- After starting nilutamide (Nilandron), you might notice that your eyes have trouble adjusting when you go from a lighted area to a dark area. If this happens, it might take seconds or a few minutes for your eyes to adjust properly. This problem might go away, but sometimes your eyes will continue to have this issue. Wearing tinted glasses can also help. If you notice this problem, your provider might tell you to not drive at night or through tunnels.
- Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about the best way to handle and dispose of this anticancer medication. These medications can be very harmful to people who handle or come into contact with them, so you need to get rid of them safely.
Common questions about Nilutamide (Nilandron)
Ask your provider if you need a surgical castration with nilutamide (Nilandron). While this medication is approved by the FDA to be used with surgical castration for the treatment of prostate cancer, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) does mention non-surgical alternatives to surgical castration. These alternative options include using medications, such as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists or LHRH antagonists, for medical castration. The purpose of castration is to stop your body from producing testosterone. While nilutamide (Nilandron) treats prostate cancer by blocking testosterone from triggering the spread of cancer, it doesn’t stop your body from making testosterone. If you already have high levels of testosterone, it can cause nilutamide (Nilandron) to not work as well. Castration (either surgical or medical) is needed to stop your body from making testosterone to help nilutamide (Nilandron) work better.
You should take nilutamide (Nilandron) as long as instructed by your provider. The length of treatment might differ from person to person. It can depend on the type and stage of prostate cancer you have. Typically, you might take nilutamide (Nilandron) for a few weeks or longer. For example, your provider might use nilutamide (Nilandron) to help lower side effects from other prostate cancer medications, such as LHRH agonists. LHRH agonists can cause a temporary side effect called a tumor flare - this is where your testosterone levels rise briefly before falling. During this tumor flare, you might experience symptoms in different parts of your body (only if your tumor has spread to those areas) such as bone pain, trouble urinating, or problems with your spine. In this case, your provider might only continue your nilutamide (Nilandron) for a few weeks during the tumor flare. Ask your provider if you’re not sure how long you need to take this medication for.
Drinking alcohol while taking nilutamide (Nilandron) should be done with caution. While it’s not known whether alcohol directly interacts with this medication, some people found that nilutamide (Nilandron) made it more difficult for them to tolerate alcohol. In addition, alcohol can worsen some of the side effects of nilutamide (Nilandron), such as hot flashes, dizziness, blurry vision or other vision problems, and nausea. And in more serious cases, drinking alcohol while taking this medication can lead to liver damage. If you experience these symptoms after drinking alcohol, you shouldn’t drink alcohol while taking nilutamide (Nilandron). If you have any questions about taking nilutamide (Nilandron) with alcohol, talk with your provider.
Hot flashes are a very common side effect of nilutamide (Nilandron). Let your provider know if you experience hot flashes while taking nilutamide (Nilandron) and they can suggest ways to help you manage this side effect both with and without medications. Medications that can ease your hot flashes include estrogens, progestin, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants. But these medications can cause additional side effects that you might find bothersome, including nausea, tiredness, or dizziness. If you want to avoid medications, you can try relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, behavioral therapy, and hypnosis, to cope with hot flashes. You can also try wearing loose-fitting clothing or using fans to keep you cool.
Nilutamide (Nilandron) isn’t necessarily “better” than other antiandrogen medications, such as bicalutamide (Casodex) or flutamide (Eulexin). But depending on the situation, one medication might be preferred over another. This is because different antiandrogens have different dosing and slightly different side effects. Your provider will help you choose one depending on the type and stage of your prostate cancer, how well your body handles the side effects, other medical conditions you might have, and cost. In some cases, your provider might have you try a different antiandrogen if the medication you started with no longer works well to treat your cancer. Talk with your provider if you have any questions about the benefits and risks for any of the treatment options.
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Risks and warnings for Nilutamide (Nilandron)
Nilutamide (Nilandron) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Rare, serious lung condition
It’s possible for you to develop a rare, but serious lung problem called interstitial pneumonitis when you take nilutamide (Nilandron). This typically happens within the first 3 months after you start nilutamide (Nilandron), but usually goes away after you stop the medication. Your provider might take an x-ray to check your lung health before you start your treatment. And they might monitor your lung health regularly while you’re taking nilutamide (Nilandron). If you do develop lung problems, you'll need to stop this medication. Let your provider know immediately if you experience any symptoms of lung problems, such as new or worsening trouble breathing, cough, chest pain, or fever.
Liver injury
Though rare, it’s possible that nilutamide (Nilandron) can cause you to develop serious liver problems. Typically, problems happen in the first 4 months after you begin the medication. Your provider might monitor your blood levels of certain markers of how well your liver is doing. They might do this before your start nilutamide (Nilandron) and for at least the first 4 months. If you notice yellowing of your skin or eyes, upper right stomach pain, or dark urine, stop nilutamide (Nilandron) and let your healthcare provider know right away because these are symptoms of liver damage.
Nilutamide (Nilandron) dosage
Tablet| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150mg | 60 tablets | $2,989.50 | $49.83 |
Interactions between Nilutamide (Nilandron) and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
How much does Nilutamide (Nilandron) cost?
Nilutamide (Nilandron) contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Nilutamide (Nilandron) will not be safe for you to take.
- Severe liver problems
- Severe breathing problems
What are alternatives to Nilutamide (Nilandron)?
Nilutamide (Nilandron) images
