Lupron

[JMMK]

For all premenopausal women.Have you have the lupron injections?How long were you on it?How long before you went into menopause?Side effects

[purplelikep]

I'm currently 35 and have been on Lupron since 2020. Menopause is pretty immediate with it. I've had both the 1 month and 3 month doses but am currently on 1 month. Side effect wise, I've mostly experienced hot flashes, achy and stiff joints, near zero libido and vaginal dryness. I expect to be on it forever until I hopefully reach natural menopause many years down the line.

[Verbena1]

Hi, I’ve been on Lupron since mid 2020. My periods were starting to get lighter before that, but I didn’t necessarily want to go into menopause! I kind of found out when I was in the hospital having some of the worst hot flashes I could imagine and had to have ice packs around my neck. I asked what was going on and they had told me I was being put into “menopause on steroids”. Those lasted a few months. Now a year or so later, if I have hot flashes it’s temporary (like for a few seconds my face or body will get flushed) and then it stops. Joint pain happens too but it’s not terrible. Dryness happens too which is very odd for me. Not to be weird but after being used to blood etc there’s literally nothing, not a drop of anything coming out the entire month. Nothing!

I’ve also been wondering how we will know when to stop? I’m 51 and I suppose at some point they’ll try taking me off temporarily to see if any bleeding occurs. Originally I absolutely hated being on Lupron because I felt my womanhood was being taken (sex drive, etc) and I’ve always liked having my period, as strange as that sounds. I used to get a natural high from it. But I’ve come to realize that shutting down these hormones is at least helping to stop one of the types of cancer I have, and I’m not sure what else can do that as well.

Wishing you all the best on your journey~

[life8888]

I got it every month but stopped it because of the side effects and also progression when it was added to my regime of fulvestrant + ibrance. I experienced hot flashes, which got much better after 5 acupuncture sessions. I experienced blurry vision, which only cleared up after starting OTC eye drops. I also needed stronger prescription lenses, but I went back to my old glasses after stopping lupron. I experienced stiff and painful joints, which only got a little better after starting collagen tables (Schiff's move free) - I've heard other blood thinners like turmeric, glucosamine and fish oil can also help with joint pain, and I tried them, but unfortunately they caused more breast pain and bleeding so I had to rely on the collagen tablets for some relief. My acupuncturist also said acupuncture can provide only temporary relief for joint pain, and I didn't feel any relief at all in my joints after acupuncture. Also mood swings that I just rode out with a lot of tears and tissues. I'm so happy to be off of it because I literally couldn't move my hands at the end of 3 months. All of the above side effects went away. I'm very allergic and sensitive to meds, so you might fare better. Unfortunately, all the clinical trials for ibrance and other hormone therapies seem to require ovarian suppression for pre-menopausal women, so there is little to no data on how effective the hormone therapies are without it. With MBC quality of life is key, so make sure you prioritize that for yourself. The good news is that the side effects went away after I stopped lupron.

[JMMK in reply to life8888]

Thank you for the reply.Glad you are doing better.I'm not sure how long I'll be on it.

[RedAzalea]

I am about 5 months into Lupron and Letrozole. Initially the hot flashes were unbearable. I couldn’t sleep much at all. I started weekly acupuncture and it’s really helped. It has made them less intense and less frequent. Please understand I still suffer from them, a lot. But I am better able to manage. I was offered to go on Effexor for the hot flashes, but I declined and opted to try the acupuncture. The other option is surgical removal of the ovaries….

For vaginal dryness, I take a very very very low level estrogen tablet, inserting it like a tampon, vaginally. This helps a little with vaginal dryness. I had some incontinence from tamoxifen (I took this for 5 years previously) and they put me on it.

It’s such a low level (maximum which is permitted) that its effect is subtle. But I do recommend it. Something is better than nothing.

[Titaniam_Turtle]

I too have been on Lupron every month then changing to once every 3 months. Everymonth caused me so much irrattation with family , co-,workers and sweet little animals, right after dosing but it supsided in a few days. There was no way. It has subsided completely by switching or just the luck of time. My joints are painful and that has not gone away. I have been on six years. I did have a test done 2 years ago, i am cruuently 57, and no indications that am in natural menopause so just rocking on with Lurpon. Ahhh the joys of MBC. I also have dryness and a low libido. Thank God for my husband's patience. We have been together since 1996, so he had experienced my more mobile years. In 2016, the MBS tumor broke so many spinial bones in my spinal coulmn by not being caught for 2 years so reconstruction was required, I essentially became a disabled person. This week pray for me as I am seeing a local neurologist to see if anything can be fixed or adjusted. Of course the legion is still in my spinal bones who knows. It is time to start asking. It never hurts to ask. I live in Florida so I am starting there. If that doesn't work, next. I just want some flexibility and stamina. I can't walk more than 10-15 ft. without excruciating pain or sit for more than 2 hours without having excruitiating stomach cramps, muscle seizing up from my ribcage to my ankles. Pain medication does not work, nor does magnesium, extra hydration, eating a spoonful of mustard everday or just about anything I have read or been told. I have tried eververthibg. Coincedentally, it started after my back surgery. So sorry for taking over your post. Thanks for allowing me, Love, the titanium turtle (titanium for the rod in my back and turtle because I move slow). Best wishes JMMK!Andrea

[hurricaneheather]

mets dx in July 2015. have been on the same first line of treatment since August 2015: Ibrance, Anastrozole, and Lupron quarterly. during pandemic, Lupron was switched to Zoladex. per the ob/gyn, this body is in chemopause. she thinks the body will need the quarterly injection for three more years. do not love the weight gain, hot flushes, dryness, and moodiness. and, they are manageable. i did not want an oophorectomy.