Lupron Side Effects

When my first RE started to suggest a 3 month course of Lupron Depot as a pre-cycle Endo treatment, I was wary.  Wary because this drug has an entire website dedicated to the hatred of the dang thing.  When Dr. Awesome brought it up again, I figured it was time to dive in.  He promised we could do "add-back" therapy if things got too tough. With add-back therapy, you take a little bit of estrogen to keep the side effects at bay.  I really wanted to tough it out, though.  If the goal was to be estrogen-free, I wanted to do it right.  I'm proud to say that I have not needed to use any add-back.

Lupron works by making your pituitary gland stop telling your ovaries to produce hormones.  If estrogen is not being produced, then the endometriosis lesions have nothing to feed them, and the hope is that they will shrink.  As a Depot shot, there is a controlled release of the drug over time.  I've been on a 3.75 mg injection once a month for three months.  I have to go to my RE's office to get the injection, mostly because they are supposed to check in on you and your side effects.

I thought I'd lay out a list of common side effects and what my experience has been.  Every woman is different, and everyone's course on this drug is going to be unique.  There's just so much scary stuff out there, I thought it was important to weigh in.

Hot flashes and night sweats:  Um, yeah.  They are not fun.  They are uncomfortable and embarrassing.  For during the day, I've learned NOT to wear a jacket in the car under any circumstances.  My boss recently went through "the change" and she gave me her mini fan to sit on my desk. It helps a LOT.  I love to have a glass of wine now and then, but I find that if I have one, the hot flashes are worse for the next day.  So no wine.  At night, I don't wear much.  I also have a fan facing me.  God love J for putting up with it.  He says I toss and turn all night even with the fan, but at least I'm not waking up as much.

Headaches:  I have not had any headaches *knocks on wood*

Vaginal dryness:  Oh yeah.  I think that was my first side effect.  Nothing a little lube won't cure, friends.

Tiredness:  I wouldn't say that this is totally noticeable outside of nights I don't sleep well.  I do have some days when I'm on the treadmill and just feel like I have no energy to put one foot in front of the other, though, and that's been new.  Then I have days like today where I just don't feel like doing much.  For instance, this could be a much funnier post if I felt like it.  Sorry for you, you just get a list of my symptoms.  Tough shit, I'm menopausal.

Nausea/vomiting:  Nope (again with the wood knocking).

Fluid retention:  Nope.

Weight gain:  I've been working my ass off (literally) to lose weight since my first shot in early November.  I'm at almost 10 pounds.  It hasn't been any harder or easier than it usually is and weight loss has never been easy for me.  My appetite is greater than usual, though, so I've been tracking calories to keep myself accountable.

Acne:  No.  My skin has actually been super super dry.

Hirsutism:  Nope.  Stable hairiness level.

Loss of sex drive:  Totally gone.  Hugh Jackman could walk in all nakie and I'd be all, "Can I get you a cup of tea?  How about pants.  I'm pretty sure you'd like some pants."

Joint pain:  I have had some of this and it's been odd.  One day my left ring finger will hurt and the next day it will be my right knee, then my right hand.  Totally random, and a little scary to be honest.

Depression:  No.  I've actually been feeling pretty good.  I've chalked it up to not actively TTCing.

Dizziness:  Nope.

Breast changes/tenderness:  Actually, they've shrunk.  I don't think it's all weight loss either.  J is none too happy about this.  I hope they bounce back.  I am so funny.

Bone density loss:  I have no idea.  Since I'm only doing 3 months worth I'm not really at risk.  I have been taking my calcium just to cover my bases.

Insomnia:  For the first time in my life I've been experiencing this.  It is really not fun.  It's only been a few nights, but one night is too many!  I heart sleep.  I do not heart staring at the clock, wondering when I'm going to feel sleeping, thinking about how much tomorrow is going to suck.

Paranoia:  Holy crap this is weird.  Earlier this week I stopped my workout in a panic, completely certain that I had left the oven on at work.  I could not let it go.  I was sure that the whole office was going to burn down and it would be all my fault.  J had to talk me off the ledge and even after reminding me that it could be a side effect, I was still sure I left the oven on.  I hadn't of course.  Last night I was sure that J was hiding something from me.  He swears he's not.  I'm still not sure.

Mood swings:  I've had a couple, but they haven't been too bad.  We shall not discuss my irrationality in this forum, K?

Memory problems:  This has actually been entertaining.  Word finding has been the big issue for me.  I just stand there, snapping my fingers, muttering "You know, that girl who was here last week.  She had that one thing with the pink on it and her mom worked at that one place."  My mom thought this was hilarious over the holidays, my boss finds it equally laughable, and J has just learned to fill in the blanks.

So that's it!  It has been completely bearable for me.  The most important thing is that I have been PAIN FREE!!!!  Sex doesn't hurt, pooping doesn't hurt, gas bubbles don't hurt.  No random aches and pains in my pelvis and it's fabulous.  If only it could last forever.

Peace out from menopause land.