Cancer drugs A to Z list
Octreotide is a type of analogue. Somatostatin is a protein made naturally in the body. Octreotide is a man made (synthetic) version of somatostatin. It is also known as Sandostatin or Olatuton.
It is a treatment:
for carcinoid syndrome
to control the growth of some advanced neuroendocrine tumours (NETs)
Carcinoid syndrome is a group of symptoms that some people get when they have a . The symptoms happen when the NET makes large amounts of hormones. Some of the symptoms you may have with carcinoid syndrome include flushing of the skin, diarrhoea and tummy (abdominal) pain.
Find out more about NETs and carcinoid syndrome
Octreotide works in the same way as somatostatin.
It slows down or stops the body producing a number of hormones and chemicals. These include gut hormones which control the emptying of the stomach and bowel. And chemicals that cause flushing of the skin. So, you might have it to control the symptoms of carcinoid syndrome.
Octreotide also causes cancer cells to die or stop dividing. This helps slow down the growth of some types of NETs.
Read more about somatostatin analogues
You might have octreotide as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous) or into the muscle (intramuscular).
You have these under the skin into your:
upper arms
thighs
tummy (abdomen)
Your nurse will give you the injection. Or they might show you, or one of your friends or relatives how to do it. Tell your nurse if you don’t have anyone to help give you the injection and you can’t do it yourself.
It’s important that you vary where you have the injection. For example, you may have one injection in your abdomen and the next in your thigh.
You may get some pain where you’ve had the injection. But this normally only lasts a short while. It can help if you gently rub the area afterwards.
The video below shows you how to give an injection under the skin.
Your nurse gives you the injection in your bottom. They vary the site of the injection. So you might have one injection on the right side and the next injection on the left.
You usually have a stinging or dull ache for a short time, but it don’t usually hurt much.
Your doctor or nurse will tell you how often you need to have octreotide and how long for. This is because it depends on your individual needs.
There are 2 types of octreotide:
short acting
long acting (also called Sandostatin LAR or Olatutan)
Short acting octreotide starts to work straight away. But the drug only stays in your body for a short period of time. This means that you need to have the injections more often.
You usually have short acting octreotide as injections under the skin 1 to 3 times a day.
Long acting octreotide is slowly absorbed by the body. This means that the drug stays in your body for longer.
You usually have long acting octreotide as an injection into the muscle in your bottom once every 4 weeks.
Sometimes you might have long acting octreotide every 4 weeks but also have short acting octreotide each day. This may be when:
you are changing from short acting to long acting octreotide
the long acting octreotide doesn’t completely control your symptoms
Octreotide can affect hormones in your body such as insulin and thyroid hormones. Your doctor will ask you to have blood tests before and during treatment to check sugar and hormone levels.
You also have blood tests to check how well your liver is working. And to check your level of vitamin B12 if you’ve had low levels in the past.
Your doctor may also check your gallbladder with scans. This is to look for gallstones which are a side effect of octreotide.
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatment you are having.
Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you closely during treatment and check how you are at your appointments. Contact your advice line as soon as possible if:
you have severe side effects
your side effects aren’t getting any better
your side effects are getting worse
We haven't listed all the side effects here. Talk to your healthcare team if you have any new symptoms that you think might be a side effect of your treatment.
Remember it is very unlikely that you will have all of these side effects, but you might have some of them at the same time.
These side effects happen in more than 10 in 100 people (more than 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
Even though you might have octreotide for diarrhoea, it can also be a side effect of taking it.
Tell your healthcare team if you have diarrhoea or constipation. They can give you medicine to help. Or they might change the amount of octreotide you’re having.
Octreotide might make you feel sick. Less often it might make you be sick.
Feeling sick is usually well controlled with anti sickness medicines. Avoiding fatty or fried foods, eating small meals and snacks, drinking plenty of water, and relaxation techniques can all help.
It is important to take anti sickness medicines as directed by your doctor or pharmacist, even if you don’t feel sick. It is easier to prevent sickness rather than treating it once it has started.
Having Octreotide subcutaneous injections between meals or when you go to bed may help to reduce this.
Octreotide might cause abdominal pain, or less often can make you feel bloated. Tell your healthcare team if you have this. They can check the cause and give you medicine to help.
Tell your healthcare team if you keep getting headaches. They can give you painkillers to help.
Side effects like headache may affect your ability to drive or use machines safely.
Gallstones are hard lumps, like little rocks that form in the . In most cases, they don’t cause symptoms and you don’t need to have treatment unless you have:
a high temperature
severe and sudden tummy (abdominal) pain
yellowing of the skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
Less often you may get inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis). This might make you feel or be sick, have abdominal pain, and a high temperature - call your health care team if you have these symptoms.
Or you might get a build up of substances in the gallbladder (biliary sludge). Symptoms might include abdominal pain, feeling sick, or being sick, especially after a fatty meal.
Octreotide can cause high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia). This can make you feel very thirsty, have a dry mouth, pass urine very often, feel tired, have blurred vision, lose weight, feel or be sick and have fruity smelling breath.
Less commonly you might get a low blood sugar level (hypoglycaemia). This can make you feel hungry, shaky, like your heart is beating really fast, dizzy and tired.
You have regular tests to check your blood sugar levels. You may need to check your levels more often if you are diabetic.
You may get some redness, swelling or pain at the injection site. This normally goes away after 15 minutes. But tell your nurse if you notice any of these symptoms.
You may pass more wind than usual.
These side effects happen in between 1 and 10 out of every 100 people (between 1 and 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
indigestion - symptoms can include heartburn, feeling full and burping
dizziness, tiredness or general weakness - these side effects may affect your ability to drive safely
low levels of thyroid hormones that can make you feel tired or cold and can make you feel depressed
liver changes that can be picked up on a blood test – tell your doctor if you have yellowing of the skin or whites of your eyes (jaundice), or your wee may look darker
skin problems such as a rash and itchy skin
hair loss (alopecia)
shortness of breath
poo (stool) that floats, looks pale or has a bad smell - this can be caused by undigested fat. Your poo may also change colour
loss of appetite
a slow heartbeat - symptoms can include feeling your heart is beating very slowly, feeling lightheaded or faint
These side effects happen in fewer than 1 in 100 people (less than 1%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
a lack of fluid in the body (dehydration)
a fast heartbeat - you might have symptoms such as feeling that your heart is beating very fast or shortness of breath
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
Read more about how to cope with side effects
Cancer drugs can interact with medicines, herbal products, and some food and drinks. We are unable to list all the possible interactions that may happen. An example is grapefruit or grapefruit juice which can increase the side effects of certain drugs.
Tell your healthcare team about any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies. Also let them know about any other medical conditions or allergies you may have.
It is not known whether this treatment affects in people. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
It is unknown whether treatment may or may not harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to become pregnant or get someone pregnant while you are having treatment. Let your team know straight away if you or your partner become pregnant while having treatment.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception you can use during treatment. Ask how long you should use it before starting treatment and after treatment has finished.
Don’t breastfeed during this treatment because the drug may come through into your breast milk.
If you are having tests or treatment for anything else, always mention your cancer treatment. For example, if you are visiting your dentist.
For further information about this treatment and possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find the patient information leaflet on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.
Last reviewed: 27 Aug 2024
Next review due: 27 Aug 2027
Find out more about Carcinoid syndrome
Neuroendocrine cancers develop in cells of the neuroendocrine system. They can develop in different parts of the body including the lungs, stomach, pancreas and bowel.
Cancer drugs have side effects and these can vary from person to person. But there are things that you can do to help you cope.
Coping with cancer can be difficult. There is help and support available. Find out about the emotional, physical and practical effects of cancer and how to manage them.
Find out more about Somatostatin analogues
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