Lupron Questions

Hello, ladies,
I'm new here, but I have gotten so much good advice and warm vibes already!

I have fibroids and heavy bleeding, and my GYN wants to put me on Lupron for the next 6 weeks to try to ease these symptoms before the hyst. (Going in early in April.) It seems that whenever lupron is mentioned on this site, its' because it didn't do the intended job.

I'd like to hear from the ladies that got relief from Lupron, as well as hearing what the major side effects were and how long they lasted after stopping the injections.

Thanks so much!

Jade

I had a three month shot of Lupron. It stopped my bleeding completely and made the pain go away. It shrunk my uterus back to almost normal size. But, the day after the shot wore off (3 months and one day), I was back to heavy bleeding, severe pain and my uterus increased in size once again. The worst side effect I had form Lupron was severe, increased migraine headaches. They were debilitating and almost constant during those three months. So it was a trade off for me. The migraines finally decreased a few weeks after the shot wore off. If I had to do it again, I would not have done the Lupron and just had the hysteretomy earlier.

I just had a LSH on Monday and have not had pain, bleeding or migrianes since. Also be aware that Lupron wreaks havoc on your body in many other ways. Do some research on the internet before taking the shot. Most doctors will claim no side effects, but there are many and they can be severe (even with a short term dose).

Good luck!!
leigh ann
[Edited by leegeekhood on 02-16-2001]

Hi Jade,

I am on Lupron now for the 2nd time. First time was about 4 years ago. This time they gave me 2 three month shots and 1 one month does of it. I am having much better success with it this time around. I am scheduled for a tvh on 3/1/01. The worst side effect I am suffering from the Lupron is hot flashes. I do get occassional headaches, but not migranes. It stopped my pain and bleeding altogether. In fact, because I have responded so well to the Lupron, my doctor is very encouraged that I'll be pain free after the hysterectomy. My concern is how I'll feel from it after the operation, as it will most likely still be in my system. My last shot was in December. Since the shot made me feel so much better physically, the hot flashes are really just a nuisance. I also suffer from severe back pain which has almost gone away completely with the shot, so I am psyched that maybe the hysterectomy will help that too. I hope it all works out for you too
Cindy

Dear Jade, I'm 56 and had a TAH/BSO 4 weeks ago and am having a good recovery. That's how I found this site. I'm writing because my daughter was given Lupron 2 years ago to shrink her fibroids before a myomectomy. She had no bleeding, but could not become pregnant due to the extent of the fibroids. She was age 31. The Lupron put her into instant "menopause" and her worst symptoms were hot flashes. She also had pain that the doctor said was from the shrinking fibroids. But the fibroids (9 of them) became smaller and she had a successful myomectomy which left her uterus intact. She did not have any after effects that we know of from taking the Lupron. A year later she gave birth by cesarean(sp?) to a beautiful and healthy daughter. I think she would say that the effects of the Lupron were worth it. But every decision is individual. Good luck to you. Dorothea.

Hi Jade....I have been on Lupron since last the beginning of november, 00. I have endometriosis and the monthly shots have made the pelvic pain and bleeding go away which has been great, but the side effects for me have been just as bad. I have had daily headaches (I'm prone to migraines anyway) and my hips and shoulders are in pain too...some days worse than others. It's a trade-off I think. I also wish I would have just went ahead and had the hysterectomy sooner (my TAH/BSO is scheduled for Feb. 20), but my doctor wanted me to try the Lupron. He said it would be a good indication of how my body might react to menopause and to see if my pelvic pain went away. I haven't had many hot flashes at all. I'm also on add-back hormone therapy to ward off bone loss. At first my dr. put me on .625 Premarin, but my headaches worsened, so I asked him if I could try bio-identical hormones and he said ok. So now I'm on Estriol topical cream and natural progesterone cream as well. The Lupron does shrink the uterus and ovaries and thus makes surgery easier (less blood loss) my dr. tells me. I'll find out next week! Good luck!

Hi Jade,
I am on my second time around on Lupron. I did it after my first surgery a year ago for severe endo and fibroids. I also had the hot flashes and headaches. It did however stop the heavy bleeding and pain I was having. After I stopped and it left my system all the same troubles started again and so I am going to have a TAH/BSO on March 12. My doctor suggested I start the Lupron for 2 months before the hyst. I am scheduled for my second shot this Wednesday. So far the first shot I had last month still hasn't kicked in. I have been bleeding for the past 10 days. Maybe it is my bodys final revenge.... LOL
I guess what I am saying is that this drug reacts differantly with a lot of woman. I do know some woman have had a terrible time with it. I have been lucky and not suffered the depression or body aches many do.
I wish you all the best whatever your decision and a speedy recovery. I know of several sites on Lupron and will e-mail them to you if you want.
Cindy

Hi, Jade!

I did 6 mos. of Lupron therapy last year, and I loved it. I have endometriosis, and had already been told that I'd need a TAH/BSO - but the doc was trying to buy me as much time as he could before operating...I'm 36, and he was hoping to hold off until I hit 40.

The only side effect I had from Lupron was hot flashes, which was an annoyance - but not nearly as annoying as the mood swings, severe pain, bloating, etc. that I had been living with. Actually, I'd never realized how my whole life was revolving around the dreaded monthly until I got a sweet 6-mo. reprieve.
[Edited by needrest on 02-17-2001]

Before my myomectomy last year my first doctor suggested Lupron to shrink the 8 fibroids I had. I did some searching on the Internet and found this website. Since you have had some positive responses from this site, this may not scare you as much as it did me. Keep in mind Lupron isn't the cure. My doctor didn't mention that fact to me. I had to bring it to her attention that the pain and fibroids would come back once I stopped the Lupron.

As they have said in the past on this site, every woman reacts differently. Here is the site: http://www.lupronvictims.com.

Good Luck!
Nannette

I never took Lupron, but did some research on it. The Lupron Victims site is a good site to check and also Lupron.com is another good resource.

Best of luck with your decision.

Hi Jade,
After hearing nightmares about Lupron, I had to see the dr. re: my heavy bleeding of 2 months and she suggested Lupron. I told her NO WAY! She said she needed to stop my heavy bleeding to be able to do the hyst. I finally agreed when she told me I was bleeding so much, I could actually bleed to death at any time because of the way this fibroid was acting. I got the shot on Jan 31st. Only side effect I felt was a TOTAL of 3 hot flashes. I was also used to daily headaches and now, the headaches are gone! I'm also on progestin pills to try to stop the bleeding. It has finally let up enough so my blood count will go up and my anemia will go down.

I'm glad I listened to my dr. and not the others who had nothing but bad things to say about Lupron. It has actually saved my life and I haven't felt this good in years! Good luck to you.