27 and scared............

i went in for pain 2 days ago and here i am. i am a bit overwhelmed at the moment. i took lupron, scheduled my sugery and think alot. what is the lupron and why?

Deeann--I am 28 and am having my surgery tomorrow. I am nervous, but all the people I have talked to have said it is the best thing. Don't worry. Are they taking your ovaries?

---Justice

Hi Deeann. It is normal to feel overwhelmed. I don't know what Lupron is used for. I do know you have come to the right place as the other hyster-sisters are a very knowledgeable group with lots of love, info and support.
Remember that knowledge is power! The more you know about what is happening, the less fear you will have. I recommend getting as much info on your diagnosis and chatting with others here with the same diagnosis.
I am scheduled for a TAH/BSO on Jan 13. I found out about this in Dec. Bit short notice...I have chronic pelvic inflamatory disease, precancer in cervix and probably endometriosis. I also have adhesions. In short, lots of bleeding, lots of cramping and fed up with all of it.
Take care of yourself. Surround yourself with loved ones and let others help you a bit. Post lots of questions, read lots more and welcome to this site. Pam

Deeann,
I am 25 and having everything removed except my cervix on tuesday. I know it will all be fine. I have done some research for you on Lupron, it is kind of long, but it may make you understand a bit better why there is a need for the drug. Best wishes to you, and I hope this helps....
LEUPROLIDE (Lupron®) is a man-made protein that is like a natural hormone in the body called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Regular injections of leuprolide decrease the levels of téstosterone in men and estrogen in women. Certain diseases such as prostate cancer and endometriosis may respond to leuprolide. Leuprolide may also be used for the treatment of early sexual maturity in children (precocious puberty). Generic leuprolide depot injections are not yet available.

What should my health care professional know before I receive leuprolide?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions (some only apply to women):
•menstrual bleeding problems
•osteoporosis
•pain or difficulty passing urine
•spinal cord metastasis
•vaginal bleeding
•an unusual or allergic reaction to leuprolide, benzyl alcohol, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
•pregnant or trying to get pregnant
•breast-feeding

What if I miss a dose?
It is important not to miss a dose. Call your prescriber or health care professional if you are unable to keep an appointment.

What drug(s) may interact with leuprolide?
•cimetidine
•herbal or dietary supplements, like black cohosh, chasteberry, or DHEA
•female hormones, like estrogen
•male hormones, like téstosterone
•methyldopa
•metoclopramide
•prasterone
•some medicines for mood or mental problems
•reserpine

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including nonprescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

What should I watch for while taking leuprolide?
Visit your prescriber or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. During the first week, your symptoms may get worse, but then will improve as you continúe your treatment. You may get hot flashes, increased bone pain, increased difficulty passing urine, or an aggravation of nerve symptoms. Discuss these effects with your prescriber or health care professional, some of them may improve with continúed use of leuprolide. Check with your prescriber or health care professional if your symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks.

What side effects may I notice from receiving leuprolide?
Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
•depression or memory disorders
•difficulty breathing
•chest pain
•pain in your legs or groin
•pain at the injection site
•vomiting

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continúe or are bothersome):
•breast swelling or tenderness
•decreased sexual desire or ability (impotence)
•diarrhea
•dizziness or drowsiness
•headache
•hot flashes (sudden feelings of warmth or sweating)
•loss of appetite
•muscle and joint, or bone pains
•náusea
•redness or irritation at the injection site
•skin problems (acne)
•swelling of the feet and legs

NOTE: This information is not intended to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions, or adverse effects for this drug. If you have questions about the drug(s) you are taking, check with your health care professional

Holygal--What did your doctor say about HRT? I am having my surgery tomorrow and am nervous about being 28 and having my ovary taken. I had the other removed last year. The remaining is now giving me problems. The doctor says to try and keep it, but I don't want to go thru surgery again.

Oh my, (((deeann))) I'm so sorry you are considering a hysterectomy at such a young age. What diagnosis did your DR give you for your pain? Did he/she talk about any other options (especially non-surgical options) for dealing with the problem? Did he/she say why you got the Lupron?

Here are some links to sites with basic information about what Lupron is and how it works:

http://www.lupron.com/

http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/hormones/a/lupron.htm

http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/hor...a/lupron_2.htm

You might want to visit our Hysterectomy Options and Alternatives forum... there are tons of good threads there about Lupron:

https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/for...p?s=&forumid=4

In addition to reading and posting here, I'd strongly encourage you to get a second opinion (and maybe even a third) as to whether a hysterectomy is really the way to go for you. It is major surgery, and carries with it all the risks of any major surgery. Many women go through it and do just fine, but some experience complications or life altering changes... and once you've had a hysterectomy (and ovary removal if that applies to you as well), there is no going back.

Please take your time, do your research and make sure that a hysterectomy is the best choice for you. You'll be glad you did!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
s,
-Linda

Justice,
My doctor has been so great. I expressed my concerns about HRT and he said that being so young I will need to stay on them at least until I would reach natural menopause age. For reasons like osteo and various other conditions. I asked about dosages and he said," I am the doctor trust me. I dont want you to worry about anything. I promise we will find the right HRT for you and get you feeling great." His confidence has really helped ease my nerves. But being so young, they say it is very important to have those hormones. Best of luck on your big day. I will keep you in my prayers!

Holygal---Thanks so much!! I will be thinking of you on Tuesday (in my drugged stupor)

Hi Deeann,

I agree with surferbabe (Linda). If your doctor has not given you a thorough diagnosis, discussed all your options and explained to you why you are on Lupron I would strongly suggest you get a second or even a third opinion before you even consider surgery. The HysterSister Hysterectomy Options and Alternatives Forum is an excellent place to find resources. In my opinion a hysterectomy should be done only when all other options have been considered and tried. It is a major surgey and once it is done, it's done. There are considerable risks with any major surgery. I would hate to see you make a mistake you may regret later. Please take enough time to do some research, ask plenty of questions and make an informed decision.

s

Dont realy know your background but heres mine,Im 32 and since 16 yrs old have had heavy bleeding but since having 4 children has got 10 times worse to the point of the last few yrs bleeding every 8 days for 2 wks which made me very ill unable to get around as all what happened was the flood gates would open and then severe anaemia and its been hard trying to cope with the children when it comes to school activities which I just couldnt do,ater being put on every drug available which only aggrevated the bleeding they at last listened and I was offered the hysterectomy but before that was one last drug the depo injection and I had a severe reaction which resulted in my face swelling to twice the size including my throat so could not breath,my lips swelled up and my eyes closed up and my skin just went red almost like I had been burnt in a fire,I looked like I had had a stroke,they still didnt give up and wanted me to have the coil which I point blankly said no to as my body was exhausted and unable to go through any more so on oct 16 3 mths ago I was given an early xmas present and asked how I felt about a hysterectomy which I jumped at which brings me on to lupron , over here in the uk is called zantac I had my 1st injection which resulted in all the side effects hollygal had prescribed but it stopped the bleeding hooray and that far outweighed the symptoms but the 2nd injection I had no symptoms and the last one has had no side effets,it will shrink any fibroids you have which should have been picked up on a scan and put you through an early menopause to slowly shut things down ready for surgery for me its been a fab drug and Iv experienced hardly any hot flushes so in all its been bearable,I hope Iv helped you a little in understanding what it does
Love Hayley