Lupron and total hysterectomy

I am deeply saddened to read all of these posts! I have a dear relative of mine who is suffering due to Lupron shots as you all are! Same symptoms same everything!

I did not know much of Lupron until she contacted me. My family knows that all my life I have struggled with health issues so they call on me for advice. It caused me to research Lupron for months. I am so glad it did, bc I was not aware that Lupron was so MUCH like Synarel was for me in my youth (I am 44 now).

I was prescribed this new unheard of Synarel for endo. It medical induced menopause-shrinking my uterus to the size of a walnut. I didn't care much about all that bc I was in pain w endo & cysts and was having way too many laps done. So I took this Synarel! You sniff 1 shot in 1 nostril am, and 1 shot in other nostril in pm. Suffice it to say that day built up and led me to 2002 where I had my oophorectomy-salpingo total hysterectomy.

I am in surgical menopause - and ladies so are you!! That is why all the terrible, terrible side effects! Losing hair, arthritis, hip fracture, hot flashes, insomnia, no libido, prolapse, etc. Just look at your mom, grandma, great grandma - you are experiencing their (age) symptoms. And doctor are saying that's a "normal" side effect of Lupron. Well of course it is your in Menopause!

THE GREAT NEWS is that there is help, answers, and health you just have to find it. I have been "finding" it since 2002 from all the resources I blog about and list on my blog (books, authors, doctors, pharmacies, websites, etc.). I am NOT a doctor just a woman who has been seeking answers to a life-long battle and who is FINALLY finding answers from those who have paved the way for me!

I would be honored if you would visit my blog and perhaps empower and arm yourself with the same information I have spent years researching!

I wish you all health, happiness and peace in these terribly difficult times you are going thru - there is light at the end of this tunnel - DON"T GIVE UP!

K.
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I had a lap done last year in May and my doctor removed an adhesion that was hanging above my uterus. Also a fibroid (3 cm) was found in the muscle and is located right against my bladder. My doctor could not remove the fibroid because of its location and because of a risk that I might have scar tissue and could be a problem to get pregnant. He also said that I could have some other complications, like lose a lot of blood. I feel like he is not being straight with me. I also have ovarian cysts which is common in the women in my family. Since a teenager, I always had really bad cramps and heavy bleeding. As I got older, it became worse. Before I had the lap done, I bleed for 6 weeks straight. I was changing pads every 30 minutes. Then my stomach extended so far out that I looked pregnant. I could not sit or stand. My husband had to take me to the E.R. An ultrasound was done and found that my uterus was enlarged (9 cm). I was put on Nothridone to control the bleeding and to treat endometriosis. After taking 2 months of this drug my doctor did a vag lap and abdomen lap. Everything was good that is what he said. I believed it. I was doing better. I was working and had no pain for 8 months. Then it all changed for the worse. I started to have really heavy menstrual bleeding and lots of blood clots. I felt week all the time and sick. The bleeding went on for 8 weeks and finally my doctor said that I had to take Lupron injections. I asked my doctor if he could just do a myomectmy and he said no because that was should be the last result. I could no longer stand the pain and I asked him what kind of side effects come with this drug. He made it sound like it was not bad and that there are very little side effects. He gave me a some information about the drug and I read the information and I did a lot of research. I was terrified but I had to make a choice. I was calling in sick because I could not work with the pain and worrying about embarrassing moments when my pads failed to keep me from overflowing. So I took the 1st shot in May along with add-bak therapy which is Nothridone. The bleeding tapered off slowly and the pelvic pain decreased. I did not feel any side affects right away until the second week. I started to forget things and would just stand in the middle of a room feeling confused. I always had headaches since a child but now they are pounding headaches, which I cannot stand any noise. I also can't stand the light. I have body aches like I have the flu and have problems with my right hip all of a sudden. I had a x-ray done because my doctor thought I might have fractured my hip. There was no sign of a fracture but my pelvis id tilted. I have some arthritis in my spine which I do not understand how that happened. Sometimes I cannot walk and I have to use crutches to get around. I cry all the time because I am extremely sensitive and confused. I use to be a very strong person and now I just cry all the time. I called my doctor to tell him what I have been experiencing and he said its all normal. I have already had a total of three Lupron injections and the symptoms just get worse. I have been spotting here and there, sometimes I have a pinkish discharge, and now the pelvic pain is back. My doctor knows this and he just says its normal. I requested for another ultrasound because I am worried something is wrong and he said that I have to wait until I get the 6th injection.I feel like my doctor is insensitive but he is supposed to be the best GYN doctor where I live. I also want to say that I have gained 20 pounds in three months. My sex drive is gone. My hair is thinning. I lost my job because I ran out of FMLA. This has been a nightmare! I am losing trust in my doctor. My poor husband and family are having to put up with what I am going through. I pray all the time to help be stay focused and think positive. I just do not know what to do anymore. Is there anyone out there that can give me some advice?

I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ENDO ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS 21 YEARS OLD. I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A TOTAL HYSTERECTOMY BY THE TIME I WAS 25. I LIVED OUT OF STATE AND DID NOT LIKE THE DOCTOR I WAS SEEING SO I JUST DISMISSED IT. YEARS LATER AFTER MOVING BACK HOME AND GETTING MARRIED TO A WONDERFUL MAN WHO DOES NOT HAVE CHILDREN ( I HAVE TWO) I WENT TO MY OLD DOCTOR THAT I WAS REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH. TOLD HIM ALL OF MY SYMPTOMS AND ABOUT MY PAINFUL PERIODS AND HOW ME AND MY HUSBAND HADN'T GOTTEN PREGNANT AFTER FOUR YEARS OF TRYING. HE SCHEDULED ME FOR A LAPROSCOPY TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. HE IS ALSO A FERTILITY SPECIALIST SO I KNEW HE WOULD TRY TO DO WHATEVER POSSIBLE FOR US TO HAVE A CHILD. I HAD A CHOCOLATE CYST ON MY RIGHT OVARY, ENDO, AND THE ENDO HAD FUSED MY BOWELS TO THE LEFT SIDE OF MY ABDOMEN. I HAD ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS WITH CONSTIPATION BUT I JUST THOUGHT I WAS LIKE ALOT OF OTHER WOMEN. HE TOOK CARE OF ALL OF THAT AND WHEN I WOKE UP HE TOLD ME HE WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO GO ON LUPRON ONCE A MONTH FOR THREE MONTHS. THIS WAS ON SEPT. 11TH. I HAD READ ALL THE BLOGS BEFORE HAND ABOUT LUPRON AND I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL AND JUST PLAIN SCARED ABOUT TAKING IT. MY DOC TOLD ME IT WOULD HELP W/ THE PAIN AND AFTER TAKING IT FOR THREE MONTHS IT WOULD HELP US GET PREGNANT. I TOOK MY FIRST INJECTION BEFORE I LEFT THE HOSPITAL THAT DAY. THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS I REALLY COULDN'T TELL ANY SIDE EFFECTS EXCEPT FOR HOT FLASHES. THEN THE HEADACHES STARTED. I HAD ALWAYS GOTTEN MIGRAINES, BUT THESE ARE 100 TIMES WORSE. I COMPLETED MY THREE MONTH CYCLE OF TAKING LUPRON ON NOV 6TH. I HAVE TURNED INTO A MOODY, CRANKY, ANGRY PERSON. IT IS UNCONTROLLABLE. AFTER MY LAST SHOT BEGAN TO WEAR OFF I GOT A HEADACHE SO BAD MY HUSBAND HAD TO PICK ME UP FROM WORK AND TAKE ME TO THE E.R. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS HORMONAL AND THAT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO DEAL W/ IT. THEY GAVE ME A SHOT AND SOME SAMPLES OF BUTALBITAL. THE SHOT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AND THE BUTALBITAL ONLY MADE ME SLEEPY. I HAD THIS HEADACHE FOR OVER A WEEK. THEN IT JUST WENT AWAY. WHEN I HAD MY LAST SHOT MY DOC TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE A PERIOD WITHIN 6 TO 8 WEEKS AND WHEN I OVULATE AFTER THAT I SHOULD GET PREGNANT. IT TOOK ME OVER TEN WEEKS TO START. I FINALLY STARTED MY PERIOD A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. I FEEL AS IF I HAVE ALREADY HAD A CHILD WITH ALL THE BLEEDING AND THE PAIN. IT IS UNBEARABLE. I FEEL SO SORRY FOR EVERYONE AROUND ME BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT I AM BEING HORRIBLE. THROUGH THE LUPRON I HAVE GAINED 20 POUNDS, HAVE HAD SEVERE HEADACHES, HAVE BECOME VERY FORGETFUL, VERY VERY MOODY, AND JUST FEEL LIKE A TOTAL DEFERENT PERSON AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY. I WILL NEVER TAKE LUPRON AGAIN!! NEVER. IF ME AND MY HUSBAND DO NOT GET PREGNANT AFTER THIS I WILL JUST HAVE THE HYSTERECTOMY AND BE DONE WITH IT. I AM HOPING I BECOME LESS MOODY SINCE NOW MY BODY IS STARTING TO GO BACK TO NORMAL. OR AT LEAST I HOPE IT IS. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET PREGNANT WHEN I AM SO MOODY THAT NO ONE CAN STAND TO BE AROUND ME? PLUS I NEVER WANT TO HAVE SEX. DOES ANYONE KNOW EXACTLY HOW LONG IT TAKES LUPRON TO TOTALLY GET OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM?

I began taking Lupron after I was diagnosed with endometriosis last November. For the first six months, the side effects were minimal. I never had hot flashes and didn't really notice a change in my body. The last six months on the drug I noticed significant differences. My hair started to fall out in clumps and I had trouble concentrating. This past October I had a total hysterectomy because the Lupron was not working. Today I feel like an 80 year old woman. I can't concentrate, my brain is in a constant fog, and I feel like I have Altzheimers. I can't remember anything and it is a major inconvenience. I have suffered from depression for most of my life. However, I believe this drug has worsened it to some extent. All day long, constantly I am battling negative thoughts. I have constant reminders of every little thing I've ever done wrong in my entire life. Recently I've started hearing whispers like I did when I suffered from post-partum depression. I've also been getting headaches every day but I don't know if these are related or not.
It would appear that I'm going to have to seek out a professional to deal with the voices. This is a side effect that I was not expecting, especially not after several months of not being on the shot anymore. The thing that bothers me is that I took the shot every three months for a year. It did nothing for me and I had a hysterectomy anyway. This is something to consider if you are debating whether or not to have the injection.

In brief, I am a 35 year old mother of two. I have been suffering with endo since I am 14. I had a span of 4 years with no symptoms at all and in Sept. 05 I had a total hysterectomy for endo and cancer cells on my cervix. I recently spent a week in the hospital for 2 endometriomas which are on the one and only ovary I have left, they are both bleeding and my doctor whom I trusted and his colleagues recommended a 6 month depo-lupron injection treatment before they do surgery to fix up the endo, they are reluctant to remove the remaining ovary due to my age but I will INSIST until someone listens. They did not tell my husband or I about any side affects and because I was in a tremendous amount of pain and because I trusted Dr. Shine so much I accepted the treatment, they faxed my husband the prescription at his work and he had to go find it when he did finally found it he brought it to St. Marys hospital and the nurse injected me and 2 days later I went home, I was sent home with celebrex, iron pills and morpheine pills for the pain...well I was back in the ER 3 days later because the pain was unbearable, my blood pressure was high and I was going insane, I met with the gyno on call and she expressed her disgust with her colleague for not telling me about the side affects of lupron and how the drug worked. My first shot was on the 13th of April and today is the first day I am feeling human, I have little endo pain but let me tell you the hip and back pain are killing me slowly. I am a very active mother and wife and I play sports but even the thought of that now hurts. I have not been able to work and will not return until I feel good, I am REALLY scared of getting the next injection which will be on the 11th of may and my new doctor told me to go through with the treatment for the next 5 shots because even though it will not be easy she insists that it will help me and once I am done they will perform surgery, I have set-up 2 other appointments with specialists and my Family Doctor is the only one that has been there for me, he follows me daily and has set-up a bone density test. Is there anyone with similiar situation that can help me out. I have other side affects but the hip and back pain are the ones I will never forget, I think I would have 10 more births drug free then to have to experience the pain again after the next shot...

I have actually not started my Lupron injections yet. I am scheduled to start tomorrow and I wanted to do a little more research before I start and after reading some of these posts, quite frankly I am freaking out. I have had a total hysterectomy due to endometriosis, adhesions, cysts and several other conditions. Now I am thinking "why do I need these injections?" I don't want to have these side effects. I have felt better in the last 6 weeks (since my last surgery) than I have in 4 years. I am scared now if I start these injections I am going to feel like crap again and I feel like my family just got me back. If I no longer have any female organs, why would I be put on Lupron? My doctor says to prevent anymore endo from forming, but doesn't endo form only if you are producing hormones? I feel so ignorant about all this and it is my body. How stupid am I for not knowing all this?

I was given 4 Leupron injections in 1994 prior to a total hysterectomy. Since those injections I have experienced
muscular and bone pain in that hip. Just recently I have
been having severe muscle cramps in that hip, buttock
area, upper thigh and down my leg. I am only experiencing
the pain in the hip and leg that received the injections.

Has anyone else had a similar problem ?

Obviously Lupron isn't right for everyone, but I have a positive experience with it to report. Initial (normal and expected) moodiness for approximately one week after each injection. Hot Flashes (treated with Premarin). Insomnia (again, treated with Premarin). Slight weight gain (6 pounds). Decreased libido with vaginal dryness. I've been receiving Lupron injections since Dec. 2001 (it's now Feb. 2003) to treat my severe PMS. The quality of my life has improved significantly and I'd rather deal with the few side effects from Lupron than the PMS. Unfortunately, this cannot be a continued long-term treatment and I'm currently faced with having to make a decision - total hysterectomy or ?