1 wk before hyst and insurance made us cancel....Lupron questions

Well they didn't make us cancell- they just said they will not pay without months of attempts at medical therapy. I have adenomyosis and probably some endometriosis (runs in the family). I've been dealing with pain for 8 or so months that seems to get worse with each cycle. So if the insurance won't pay I certainly can't afford to so I had to cancel my surgery for next week. Now I have to wait, have an MRI, and then with the next cycle after the MRI try Lupron injections.

I'm scared to death of trying Lupron. When I was younger I took Depoprovera for birth control and I gained 60lbs and my blood pressure was through the roof (so high that I could have had a stroke). I am so afraid I'm going to have the same type of side effects from the Lupron. I had gastric bypass 4 years ago to loose weight (lost 160lbs) and the thought of a hormone injection making me put weight back on is horrifying. Not to mention the side effects are "artificial menopause" - night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, lack of sexual desire, etc....". My doc was only doing a hyst- leaving my ovaries so I could wait to have these symptoms naturally in 10 or so years. I'm so upset that the insurance company won't approve my surgery without a trial of this. It sounds like I end up trading in 1 set of symptoms for another that are just as bad.

Has anyone had Lupron and can you tell me how it made you feel????

My insurance wasn't going to pay for mine either, but my doc's office called the insurance and let them know that I do need this and whatever else was said I don't know, but I get to have my surgery. Have you tried to call and talk to your insurance company? Have the doc's office tried to call them and send a complain? There should be a number you could call and let them know what is going on with you and let them know you want to file a claim..i'm not sure of all the legal stuff that goes with it or whatever, but be persistent with them..Good luck!

I think I'm going to try and call them tomorrow but I don't know how far I'll get.

Sending positive thoughts that your insurance will pay. Good luck!

please i do not want to scare you, but i had the same thing for years finally i found a doctor to give me the hyst. she cut my bladder and now i pee 24 hour a day. I have a fistula and now need more surgery. please do what you can to not have the hyst. believe me my docotor put me on effexxor for the pain and birth control. i would give anything for those days back. sorry you are having problems.

I really don't want to stress you out further but lupron did not work the best for me. Please be cautious.My best answer is to take the one-month (not the three or sixth month) shots so you can keep track of how your body reacts and if you have to you can stop the next months shot.

((Disneyfool))

I am sorry that you are having to change all your plans! I am sure it is frustrating!

I am guessing that your insurance company wants more confirmation about your diagnoses before covering a hysterectomy. An MRI is a tool that is being used to try to diagnose adenomyosis without surgery so I think having one is a good plan!

If Lupron is successful (and there are several ladies in the Endometriosis Support forum who were pleased with their results), it could indicate that endometriosis is at least part of the problem and help stop any bleeding issues.

I do have a few suggestions to help you with your diagnoses and insurance issues. Have you had a second opinion? Sometimes if more than one doctor recommends a particular treatment plan, an insurance company will cover the services. Have you had a laparosocpy? Endometriosis really can't be diagnosed without surgery so when it is suspected, many of us have a lap to see. Depending on the skill of your surgeon, any endometriosis found could also be cleaned up during a lap. Last, do as others have suggested and talk to your insurance company about what they are wanting to see that would indicate the need for a hysterectomy. You might want to find the customer service rep in your insurance agent's office as that is the liaison between you and your insurance company.

My insurance company didn't balk at my surgery since I had tried various birth control pills first. Next I had a laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, and D&C. The lap showed the very obvious endo covered uterus and I still didn't stop bleeding--even continuing birth control pills after the D&C!

You should also keep a symptom diary and keep records of every option you try.

A hysterectomy is a major irreversible surgery that is not without risks so you do want to be 100% sure it is the right option for you. Additionally, it is not a cure for endometriosis so you want a very skilled surgeon to clean up any endo you might have to hopefully offer you the best outcome!

in there!

Please don't be so afraid of the Lupron if that is what you ultimately decide to try. I had 6 months of Lupron injections (once every 28 days) before my hyst to put me into chemical menopause b/c all other attempts to stop my bleeding had failed and I was dangerously anemic. I can honestly tell you that other than some hot flashes, I had no side effects from the Lupron. Okay, a sore behind - but that was from being stuck in the butt once a month! I almost backed out of the injections when I read some of the info on the websites devoted to Lupron. But those sites are populated only by people who have had negative experiences. There are many sisters - perhaps some who will come by soon - who had no problems with it at all.

Good luck as you try to sort through your options. Be sure to look into every one as a hyst, as ((Weiser)) says is irreversible. Perhaps the insurance company's denial will give you more time to examine other avenues. Like her, my insurance company approved my surgery but by that point I had tried a D&C, birth control pills, an endometrial biopsy, several rounds of progesterone and a cryoablation. There were no other options left. Giving you more time may be to your benefit.

Good luck and keep asking questions!

Sorry to hear your surgery has to be rescheduled! I tried Lupron injections (3month dose) before my surgery. I am not a big fan of Lupron, however my experience was not all bad About two weeks after my injection I started to feel a lot better....the pain was to a minimal at that point. I however had some side effects from the drug.....hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia. night sweats. It was an easy trade to be pain free for a few months. I decided to go ahead with my TAH/BSO instead of continuing with Lupron injections. I'm almost 3 months post op and am happy with this decision. Best of luck! Insurance company's can be a pain to deal with!

Thanks for the input ladies.
I have a very strong family history of endometriosis, both my mom and grandmother requiring hysts in their early 40's. I had a laparoscopic gallbladder removal a year ago and the surgeon found endometriosis - one of my ovaries was actually adhered to my abdominal wall. I'm only 43. When I get my period the pain is so bad (like right now) I'm nearly doubled over. I'm just so frustrated because it seemed like there was an end in sight...now there doesn't seem to be.