Lupron

Battling fibroids and their resultant heavy blood loss. Dr wants to put me on Lupron (injections) for 3 mos before a TAH/BOS in Oct to allow my anemic bod time to build up the blood count (it had dropped to 6). Been reading lots of scary stuff on the web about this stuff. Anybody taken it or know someone who has?? I'd like to get all the pros/cons I can before approaching the Dr. Thank you, ladies.

The 2 months prior to my surgery.
I had also read really horrible effects from it. However, the dr assured me it was if you take it for more than 6 months.
The side effects I really noticed were increased night sweats and inceased moodiness. Primarily grouchy moods.
I was also taking it for Fibroids and extremely heavy bleeding and HUGH clots. It did slow down my bleeding on my next period, but I still had a period the week following my 2nd injection, (which my dr found odd.)
And my blood count had gone up enough, that they would agree to operate without me having to have a transfusion.
Well, hope this helps.
Kelley

Ask your doctor why not take iron to build up your blood?????

I had a four month course of Lupron prior to my TAH. Although my bleeding never "completely" ceased, it slowed things down enough for my hemoglobin to recover enough for surgery. I myself suffered no side effects other than a bit of moodiness. Please research and read all the pros and cons about Lupron. For me it was worth the risk due to the fact my gyn would not risk doing the surgery with my blood levels so low, and to reduce the risk of bleedning.

Connie

I took lupron for 5 months. I was happy after ward because I was able to get pregant with my first child. I took it for endo. The side effects were terrible. I had mood swings (not normal ones either these are border line wacko), hot flashes and everything else that you get when you go through medopause. That is what lupron does. It surpresses your hormones and ovary. Your Doctor will tell you this. I looked up all the side effects online. One thing my doctor never told me is that you can have long term side effects. Such as Bone density loss , iron defiency, and gall stone formation (I'm not a doctor, just telling you what happen to me).
During my second Preg. I had 50 gallstones and the only reason they said was the lupron. I almost lost my baby and my life because of it. They say it is rare, but most of my friends that have taken have had stone. So just be aware. Get all the info!

Ok so here I go with the same speech I gave my dr the last visit b4 i got my surgery date: "I have done countless hours of research of your wonder drug you are trying to talk me in to taking....And you see from what I have compiled from my findings on the internet and the insert you have given me, the data does not show how the lupron affects b4 the 6 month study.. actually all it talks about is the affects 6 months and longer...Now we both know I am a moody lil one and I am opinionated when it comes to my welbeing..and well Doc I do not feel that this drug and I are compatable, in fact I personally do not think this drug should be out for use along with the others. I understand that It cause bone density loss and such other things.. I have a husband that deals with deteriorating hips on a daily basis and I am sorry but this is one road I am not so willing to take! Besides I think if my hubby had to live througha few more mood swings we wil end up divorced!!" My dr laughed and said well then I guess that is out...I was going to tell that b4 you started you are not a good canidate.....
So girl if you dont like the things you are reading Tell the dr...tell them unless then can convince you other wise you are not liking what you are reading..I went to the company web page and printed out the horrifing data on the drug...I mean 2 pages worth and brought it with me...Do your research and go in the educated you are your only advocate!!! Good luck!!! this is jsut my opion on what i read!!!
*hugs*
Hail

Hi,
I had a TAH/BSO 8 weeks ago, because of fibroids. My doctor had also suggested to me that I could take a lupron shot to shrink them. I was also borderline anemic, but I don't think enough so for that to be a concern. He just said it would make it easier to remove the fibroids vaginally.

When I looked up info on lupron, I too got scared and didn't want to have it. At my pre-op appt, my doctor looked surprised when I explained this, and said that for a short term use, his patients hadn't really had any problems with it.

My fibroids grew in the meantime, so I ended up having the surgery done abdominally. Also, I did lose blood and had to have a transfusion. I don't know if I could have avoided that or not with a lupron shot.

I have had an amazingly easy recovery with no complications, so I don't regret anything. But perhaps I should have at least called my doctor back and discussed my decision not to take that shot in more detail.

I had a 3-month lupron shot followed by one more month's worth, which is just about up this week. I had lots of hot flashes (more like "warm moments"), and I slept very poorly for quite a few weeks. But my tummy shrunk and the internal pressure from my honeydew-melon-sized fibroid decreased significantly. I had no other problems from the lupron, and I do hope that none come up in the near future.

When my dr. advised taking the Lupron to shrink my fibroids prior to surgery, I had one day to think about it; called my sister-in-law who is a doctor and went on it prior to fertility treatments, and she said she had no problem with it. Called my friend who knows about these things, and she looked it up on the internet right then, and said, “Oh Joanne, you take this, you’re gonna die,” ;-) based just on the titles as the result of the search.

My dr. assured me it’s okay if taken for less than 6 months, and indeed most do use it for just that long (or less) to shrink fibroids. The only side effect she told me about was hot flashes.
Well I did go for it; got one period about 2 weeks after taking it and bled normally (which, for me like most of us on this board, is heavily). Have had 4 Lupron shots now and I wish it was safe to be on this drug forever (but I know it’s not, even though some people do it, taking small amounts of HRT with the Lupron to keep bone density up). I have indeed had hot flashes, and they are uncomfortable and frequent (a few per day) but short, and WAY better than getting my period every month. I don’t think I’ve been moodier (just asked my DH if he thinks I have and he said no, so that clinches it).
I haven’t had a period since April so I’m getting a bit of a taste of how life will be after recovering from surgery, and it’s one factor that made me decide to go ahead with the operation after some significant reservations on my part.

One thing that kind of scared me, and that I’m a little p.o.’d about not being told at the outset, is that when you go off Lupron, there’s a possible ‘rebound’ effect, wherein your fibroids grow back not only to their previous size, but bigger, and often quite fast. My dr. had one patient who went off Lupron in November, and was in the hospital for an emergency hysterectomy on New Year’s Day. I tried to research this on the internet but to no avail; could find no information at all. My fear that something like that could happen has reconciled me to having the surgery this summer as opposed to putting it off for a year.

Before I went on the Lupron, what led to the whole thing, was that I became seriously anemic so that my ankles swelled up so much I finally went to the dr. and they were astounded I could still walk around. (My hemoglobin was 55; normal is 120, they give you a transfusion at 80, in an acute situation. I had just been losing so much blood, gradually, my body adjusted. But it scared me into doing this operation my dr. has been advising for some time.) I have been on 3 iron pills a day as well as the Lupron. Hematologist told me to keep taking 3 a day until I had gone through 2 bottles. Most days I forget at least one of them, so it will take me a long time to empty those bottles I think!

You have to do your research but, from my experience, it’s not such a bad drug to be on pre-op.

I had 2 shots to stop VERY heavy bleeding and because I was so anemic (doc was threatening a transfusion).

The first month I kept bleeding a bit, which apparently is normal. I started getting warm flushes, no biggie. Around the time of the second shots I started getting hot flashes, still not too bad. Now I'm almost 3 weeks post and the flashes are more intense (not fun). I didn't suffer from headaches or moodiness (just confirmed this with my DH!) --- only obsessed with this site prior to my hyst!

However, in my case I'm glad I did it --- just hoping my ovaries kick back in before I have to return to work!

Remember, though, that we're all different. You're wise to do as much research as you can.

Barbara, feel free to e-mail or pm me if you want more info.

Best of luck in reaching your decision