Lupron

[Guest guest]

I've had no experience with Lupron, but I read one doctor's opinion (a doctor

with much experience with myomectomies) that he would prefer not to use

Lupron because a patient might have some small fibroids that could shrink

down enough that the doctor might miss them during surgery. He felt that it

was actually easier to perform a myomectomy when the fibroids were large.

[Guest guest]

Dear :

I am 31 years old and just had my 3rd (yes my 3rd) myomectomy in December.

I also had my second one last April of 99. I was on Lupron to shrink

my fibroids. I got several opinions before I settled on my

current RE who recommended Lupron to shrink my largest fibroid. I

was hesitant and read all the bad stuff about it. I had my first shot in

January of 1999. It wasn't that bad. It hurt a little bit and

then I went to work out and by the time I had my second shot it didn't

hurt at all. I like to think of myself as lucky because I really

never had any menopausal symptoms. I never had one hot flash or night

sweat. I got some headaches but nothing advil didn't take care off.

The one symptom I got was really bad acne on my back. As soon as

I was off the lupron this went away.

Right before my surgery when I told my RE that I had none of the usual

symptoms she thought for sure my fibroids didn't shrink but they did.

From a grapefruit size to golf ball size. This made my surgery go

great. She ended up removing 9 fibroids.

This last myo was actually supposed to be a laproscopy that turned into

a laporatomy. I didn't have to be on lupron before hand.

If you like your doctor and trust her, then don't read all the bad stuff

about lupron. It wasn't so bad and if she feel the myo will go smoother

by shrinking the fibroid you need to trust your gut and do what she says.

Robyn

Silverman wrote:

Hi everyone:

I am new here, but not new to having fibroids. For six years

doctors

have not recommended I do anything about my fibroid -- until now.

And

so, like many of you I am in the process of learning and absorbing

as

much as I can before I make a decision. As usual my doctor has

suggested Hys but is willing to perform a myomectomy. She is

also a

proponent of Lupron and would like to see me on this drug for 3-months

prior to surgery. I am ambivalent about this drug. I don't

like the

idea of going into menopause, thus causing decrease in bone density

(which I may or may not get back and since I'm a runner that scares

me), and all the symptoms associated with menopause (hot flashes,

blah-blah-blah). I don't think I'm ready to experience that yet.

If

anyone out there has had experiences, good or bad, with Lupron I would

like to hear from you. Also any websites I might go to which

address

the pros and cons of this drug I would be interested in knowing about.

You can email me directly or through this group . . .

"Knowledge is Power"

Hale

Burbank, California

Hale@...

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[Guest guest]

Dear :

I am 31 years old and just had my 3rd (yes my 3rd) myomectomy in December.

I also had my second one last April of 99. I was on Lupron to shrink

my fibroids. I got several opinions before I settled on my

current RE who recommended Lupron to shrink my largest fibroid. I

was hesitant and read all the bad stuff about it. I had my first shot in

January of 1999. It wasn't that bad. It hurt a little bit and

then I went to work out and by the time I had my second shot it didn't

hurt at all. I like to think of myself as lucky because I really

never had any menopausal symptoms. I never had one hot flash or night

sweat. I got some headaches but nothing advil didn't take care off.

The one symptom I got was really bad acne on my back. As soon as

I was off the lupron this went away.

Right before my surgery when I told my RE that I had none of the usual

symptoms she thought for sure my fibroids didn't shrink but they did.

From a grapefruit size to golf ball size. This made my surgery go

great. She ended up removing 9 fibroids.

This last myo was actually supposed to be a laproscopy that turned into

a laporatomy. I didn't have to be on lupron before hand.

If you like your doctor and trust her, then don't read all the bad stuff

about lupron. It wasn't so bad and if she feel the myo will go smoother

by shrinking the fibroid you need to trust your gut and do what she says.

Robyn

Silverman wrote:

Hi everyone:

I am new here, but not new to having fibroids. For six years

doctors

have not recommended I do anything about my fibroid -- until now.

And

so, like many of you I am in the process of learning and absorbing

as

much as I can before I make a decision. As usual my doctor has

suggested Hys but is willing to perform a myomectomy. She is

also a

proponent of Lupron and would like to see me on this drug for 3-months

prior to surgery. I am ambivalent about this drug. I don't

like the

idea of going into menopause, thus causing decrease in bone density

(which I may or may not get back and since I'm a runner that scares

me), and all the symptoms associated with menopause (hot flashes,

blah-blah-blah). I don't think I'm ready to experience that yet.

If

anyone out there has had experiences, good or bad, with Lupron I would

like to hear from you. Also any websites I might go to which

address

the pros and cons of this drug I would be interested in knowing about.

You can email me directly or through this group . . .

"Knowledge is Power"

Hale

Burbank, California

Hale@...

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get a FREE $15 BN.com gift certificate when you join carclub.com.

As a member, you can save up to $550 a year if you own a car, and

thousands more when you're buying one.

http://click./1/1942/3/_/4009/_/951685485/

-- Easily schedule meetings and events using the group calendar!

-- /cal?listname=uterinefibroids & m=1

[Guest guest]

,

I already left a message for Jan on the bulletin board about my positive

experience with Lupron, but I neglected to add that I am also getting

frequent tests for bone density and also doing some weight training to make

sure I don't lose any (or much) bone mass. Also, I'm taking a lot of

calcium, etc. The only thing I'm not sure of in your case is that taking

Lupron before a myo might cause some problems in identifying where all the

fibroids are. Good luck.

Lupron

>Hi everyone:

>I am new here, but not new to having fibroids. For six years doctors

>have not recommended I do anything about my fibroid -- until now. And

>so, like many of you I am in the process of learning and absorbing as

>much as I can before I make a decision. As usual my doctor has

>suggested Hys but is willing to perform a myomectomy. She is also a

>proponent of Lupron and would like to see me on this drug for 3-months

>prior to surgery. I am ambivalent about this drug. I don't like the

>idea of going into menopause, thus causing decrease in bone density

>(which I may or may not get back and since I'm a runner that scares

>me), and all the symptoms associated with menopause (hot flashes,

>blah-blah-blah). I don't think I'm ready to experience that yet. If

>anyone out there has had experiences, good or bad, with Lupron I would

>like to hear from you. Also any websites I might go to which address

>the pros and cons of this drug I would be interested in knowing about.

>You can email me directly or through this group . . .

> " Knowledge is Power "

> Hale

>Burbank, California

>Hale@...

>

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Get a FREE $15 BN.com gift certificate when you join carclub.com.

>As a member, you can save up to $550 a year if you own a car, and

>thousands more when you're buying one.

>http://click./1/1942/3/_/4009/_/951685485/

>

>-- Easily schedule meetings and events using the group calendar!

>-- /cal?listname=uterinefibroids & m=1

>

>

[Guest guest]

" renee silverman " wrote:

original article:/group/uterinefibroids/?start=22

65

> Hi everyone:

> I am new here, but not new to having fibroids. For six years doctors

> have not recommended I do anything about my fibroid -- until now. And

> so, like many of you I am in the process of learning and absorbing as

> much as I can before I make a decision. As usual my doctor has

> suggested Hys but is willing to perform a myomectomy. She is also a

> proponent of Lupron and would like to see me on this drug for 3-months

> prior to surgery. I am ambivalent about this drug. I don't like the

> idea of going into menopause, thus causing decrease in bone density

> (which I may or may not get back and since I'm a runner that scares

> me), and all the symptoms associated with menopause (hot flashes,

> blah-blah-blah). I don't think I'm ready to experience that yet. If

> anyone out there has had experiences, good or bad, with Lupron I would

> like to hear from you. Also any websites I might go to which address

> the pros and cons of this drug I would be interested in knowing

about.

> You can email me directly or through this group . . .

> " Knowledge is Power "

> Hale

> Burbank, California

> Hale@...

Thanks for all your responses regarding Lupron. I am still awaiting my

ultrasound and blood tests. If you haven't gone to Web MD yet, you

might want to check out some of the research on fibroids and

alternative methods. There are some great studies . . . If it weren't

for the Internet I don't know if I would have the courage to keep on

perservering. I did read a post from someone who said if women insist

on not having hysterectomies then doctors will be forced to find

alternative methods which will satisfy their patients. Just think of

yourselves as medical pioneers of the 21st Century.

Hale

Burbank, Ca

Hale@...

>

[Guest guest]

" renee silverman " wrote:

original article:/group/uterinefibroids/?start=22

65

> Hi everyone:

> I am new here, but not new to having fibroids. For six years doctors

> have not recommended I do anything about my fibroid -- until now. And

> so, like many of you I am in the process of learning and absorbing as

> much as I can before I make a decision. As usual my doctor has

> suggested Hys but is willing to perform a myomectomy. She is also a

> proponent of Lupron and would like to see me on this drug for 3-months

> prior to surgery. I am ambivalent about this drug. I don't like the

> idea of going into menopause, thus causing decrease in bone density

> (which I may or may not get back and since I'm a runner that scares

> me), and all the symptoms associated with menopause (hot flashes,

> blah-blah-blah). I don't think I'm ready to experience that yet. If

> anyone out there has had experiences, good or bad, with Lupron I would

> like to hear from you. Also any websites I might go to which address

> the pros and cons of this drug I would be interested in knowing

about.

> You can email me directly or through this group . . .

> " Knowledge is Power "

> Hale

> Burbank, California

> Hale@...

Thanks for all your responses regarding Lupron. I am still awaiting my

ultrasound and blood tests. If you haven't gone to Web MD yet, you

might want to check out some of the research on fibroids and

alternative methods. There are some great studies . . . If it weren't

for the Internet I don't know if I would have the courage to keep on

perservering. I did read a post from someone who said if women insist

on not having hysterectomies then doctors will be forced to find

alternative methods which will satisfy their patients. Just think of

yourselves as medical pioneers of the 21st Century.

Hale

Burbank, Ca

Hale@...

>

[Guest guest]

Good question Gwen about the Lupron and Zoladex. I take it to mean that

you are asking does Lupron or Zoladex work on someone who has had ufe? I

hear these horror stories about lupron, what exactly does it do to you?

Does it affect you mentally as far as mood or is it more physical, like

naseaus (sp?), weight gain/weight loss, aches and pains etc. So I guess

I'm asking can lupron help a fibroid that has been embolized

" shrink/dissolve " faster? And you would not have to worry about them

growing back afterwards. Do any of the doctors know the answer to this.

[Guest guest]

Hi Robyn,

My original post was actually on the embo group board. Both are

pretty active groups so it would be easy to get them mixed up. I was

interested in finding out how Lupron might affect the fibroids of

someone who has already had a UAE. I remembered seeing an earlier

post from Dr. Kirsch on this and knew that he didn't believe Lupron

would shrink a uterus that had already been embolized, but I was

wondering if might have any other affects. Would it inhibit future

shrinkage, or perhaps prevent the weird sloughing that some women

have described. It was really a pretty broad question. I pasted my

original note below for the reference of this group. Another woman

had asked the question and didn't get an immediate response, so I

decided to express my interest in the subject too.

____________________________

" I have been wondering this myself. Does anyone know how Zoladex or

Lupron might affect the sloughing or shrinkage of fibroids?

Also, just as an FYI, when my gynecologist examined me on Monday he

noted that my uterus had shrunk quite a bit from when he examined me

two months earlier. Of course, he attributed it to the Lupron, but

I'm hoping it's due to the UAE since that would be more permanent "

_____________________________

I was asking because I had a UAE about seven months ago. Abut six

months after the UAE I began bleeding very heavily five days into my

period. By the end of the day I was changing my Super-Plus tampon and

maxi-pad every half-hour. Since I had not had a bleeding problem

prior to the UAE, I went to the hospital. The bleeding continued to

get heavier and I was admitted for two nights. My gynecologist

attributed the bleeding to a fibroid that was not embolized and put

me on Lupron to stop the bleeding. Right now, he wants to keep me on

it for six months. I'm not sure what I want to do yet.

My IR, of course, insists that my entire uterus was embolized and

does not believe that the bleeding was caused by a fibroid. I don't

know what to believe. I've spent the past six weeks desparately

trying to figure out what happened and I'm getting to the point of

accepting the fact that I'm probably never going to know. For those

interested, here's Dr. Kirch's response to my question.

__________________

" After UAE, I would not expect Lupron or Zoladex to have any

significant effects, since you can't hormonally modulate dead fibroid

tissue or scar.

A formal study of the usefulness of Lupron before UAE is warranted.

However,when I approached TAP pharmaceuticals about it they weren't

interested. "

___________________

Makes sense, I guess.

As for how the Lupron has affected me, it's not been nearly as bad as

I expected. I had some minor headaches and noticed some joint

stiffness for the first two weeks after I received the first shot. I

had my second shot on Monday and haven't had recurrance of these

symptoms.

However, Lupron does affect how I feel emotionally. I get irratated

more easily than I used to, and have noticed a mild depression. I

also feel lethargic and sluggish sometimes. I've always been a

pretty active and energetic person, so this is new for me. I also

have more trouble sleeping than I used to. I feel sort of restless

at night even though I'm really tired.

None of these changes have been dramatic, but I still don't like the

idea of being on Lupron for six months. It's kind of hard to

explain, but it somehow affects how I feel about myself as a woman. I

somehow feel less sexual, but I can't quite explain why. It's really

strange.

Anyway, I guess I don't need to worry about doing an intro anymore,

since that pretty much was my story in a nutshell. I look forward to

participating in this group and I've already learned a lot in the

short time I've been on the list.

> Good question Gwen about the Lupron and Zoladex. I take it to mean

that

> you are asking does Lupron or Zoladex work on someone who has had

ufe? I

> hear these horror stories about lupron, what exactly does it do to

you?

> Does it affect you mentally as far as mood or is it more physical,

like

> naseaus (sp?), weight gain/weight loss, aches and pains etc. So I

guess

> I'm asking can lupron help a fibroid that has been embolized

> " shrink/dissolve " faster? And you would not have to worry about

them

> growing back afterwards. Do any of the doctors know the answer to

this.