I am not a medical professional. I am just a person who needs to take Lupron Depot to try to shrink a large fibroid and stop anemia before having the fibroid surgically removed. I’m describing my experience with this medication, and thought I would summarize what I have learned about it here.
What are the common side effects of Lupron Depot?
Why did I decide to try Lupron Depot?
What is Lupron Depot?
Luproelin, the active drug in Lupron, is a GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) analogue. It binds to GnRH receptors in the pituitary gland, and this initially stimulates production of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). LH and FSH secretion leads to increased serum levels of estradiol (aka estrogen) and testeosterone because this is how the normal HPG (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal) axis functions.
Hypothalamus : makes GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone).
Pituitary: has receptors for GnRH. When GnRH binds to those receptors, it stimulates production of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone).
Gonadal: Ovaries and testes have FSH and LH receptors and when LH and FSH bind, this stimulates production of testosterone in males and estrogen and progesterone in females.
Lupron (leuprorelin) binds to the GnRH receptor in the pituitary gland, and causes it to be perm T will stimulate INCREASED production of estrogen and testosterone. But, Lupron ultimately leads to decreased estrogen and testosterone production because the GnHR receptors on the pituitary gland become desensitized (no longer responding to stimuli) after weeks of continuous leuprorelin therapy, and this causes down regulation of the LH and FSH pathway and ultimately less estrogen or testosterone.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leuprorelin
(Wikipedia is not always the best resource for information and is sometimes incorrect, but hopefully this gives an idea of what is occurring)
Simplified version:
Lupron is a “hormone blocker”. It binds to proteins involved in regulating the production of estrogen and testosterone, which in the short term actually stimulates production of more estrogen or testosterone, but this screws up the system so much that it ultimately decreases the amount of hormone (testosterone or estrogen) produced.
Who is Lupron Depot for?
Women with uterine fibroids
Women with endometriosis
Women with estrogen dependent breast cancer
Men with testosterone dependent prostate cancer
Children (both male and female) with precocious puberty (puberty at an early age, which can lead to many health complications when older).
There are probably other reasons, but for the Lupron Depot form these are the “approved” uses. A shorter acting Lupron is used in IVF protocols (as part of the “Down Regulation” process to prevent premature ovulation during the ovarian stimulation process).
How is Lupron Depot taken?
The Depot of Lupron Depot indicates that this drug is given as an injection in a localized mass (called a depot), which is gradually absorbed by the surrounding tissue.
Lupron Depot is injected intramsuclarly (into the muscle), and can be taken every month or a larger amount that covers three months.
My doctor’s office performed the injection for me, and the first dose was delivered to my gluteus medius muscle.
What are the common side effects of Lupron Depot?
My medication listed as potential side effects:
Hot flashses
Increased sweating
Night sweats
Tiredness
Headache
Upset stomach
Breast changes
Acne
Joint/muscle aches
Trouble sleep
Decreased libido
Vaginal discomfort/dryness
Swelling of feet/ankles
Dizziness
Mild burning/pain/bruising at injection site
In addition to those listed, there is a lot of evidence that Lupron Depot can cause osteoperosis and bone damage in some individuals. As far as I know, this is not common, and treatment is often limited to 6 months or less to minimize the risk, but it is something to be aware of before deciding to take this medication or not. Often the potential benefit outweighs the risk, but definitely something that should be discussed with your healthcare provider.
Why did I decide to try Lupron Depot?
For a slightly longer summary, see here.
I have a large fibroid which causes so much blood loss each month that I am anemic and taking iron supplements every day and progesterone every day is not enough to stop the blood loss and anemia.
I had a D&C with hysteroscopy to determine what was causing my extremely heavy bleeding, and my doctor found a huge fibroid, and removed part of it using MyoSure. She was concerned that if she tried to remove the entire fibroid at its current size, it would cause too much blood loss during the surgery. My options were either a hysterectomy or trying to shrink the fibroid before more fibroid surgery. I am not ready to give up my uterus entirely; I also can’t go on bleeding the amount I do every month, so even with the risks and side effects, I ultimately determined that I would try the hormone blocking.
Running with a thyroid problem 