Anyone out there ever been through artificial Menopause??
Question: I'm an 18 year old girl and last year i had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst the size of a tennis ball and they discovered that i have endometriosis and now my doctor wants to inject me with Depo-Lupron once a month for 3 months to put me into artifical menopause to help save my reproductive organs, has anyone else ever been through this that can give me some advice? I'm kind of scared because of the side effects, but the endometriosis is really painful at time and i want to be able to have kids.... no one else in my family has been through this so i really have no one to talk to.
Answers: Wow no I have never heard of that. I think as the other user suggested, you should definitely seek a second opinion (outside that hospital, a completely different specialist) before proceeding with this radical treatment. Good luck honey!
I would also get a second opinion if I were you to see if there are any other ways to tret your condition.
I would not go ahead with anything that extreme with out having a second diagnosis.
Just my opinion.
I've had endometriosis for about 13 years. I've tried many things including the depo-provera shot which is similar to the depo-lupron. It's an artificial menopause. It worked wonders for my pain for 3 years until I built up a tolerance to the drug. It also made me gain about 45 pounds because it was a steroid and I didn't know. I would recommend finding an endometriosis specialist in your area. Depending on what level your endometriosis is will affect what they suggest you go on. If it's extensive and putting your reproductive organs in danger then they will want to put you on the strong stuff like the shot, but if it's not too bad you may be able to get away with the pill or if the endometrioma isn't taking over and it mostly just really painful you could try to control the pain with pain killers. I'd also try the websites below, they'll offer a lot of information and maybe there is a support group in your area that you can go to. I wish you luck in finding a good doctor it can be difficult sometimes but they are out there.
I'm going to tell you what I wish someone had told me 18 years ago when the drug was first released and used for Endo. First, know that Lupron is ONLY a band-aid; it will only *temporarily* - if at ALL - bring symptomatic relief, and it comes with a myriad of side effects which may be long-lasting, looong after the drug is stopped. Think long and hard about undergoing Lupron injections for Endo or any other condition, for that matter. If we were to believe the doctors and Takeda Abbott Pharmaceutical's fancy marketing literature and website(s), we'd all think Lupron was the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's not, which is why I guess the maker of Lupron got fined $875 million for fraud, providing kickbacks to doctors to have them Rx it to their patients, and for illegal marketing tactics...it seemed to garner them an incredible income - fraudulently obtained at the patient's expense, but an incredible income nonetheless. Anyway - it's used for many different uses, both approved and not approved ( off-label ), including Endometriosis, fibroids, alzheimer's (imagine that, since it CAUSES memory loss), central precocious puberty, IVF protocols and prostate cancer, for which it was originally developed and intended for use.
Lupron is a bandaid that does not in any way clear up or cure the condition for which it is being used. Take Endometriosis, for example, which comprises one if its greatest user groups. All it does is temporarily suppress the hormones, thereby - in theory - offering temporary relief of the disease. It does not offer relief in many who use it, and quelling of the hormones is not a cure for Endometriosis. Were that true, removal of the ovaries would be all that was needed and we know that's not the case. The outdated myth that no period=no Endo is just that, an outdated myth by doctors who have not bothered to keep current on Endo research.
Same idea for use in fibroids - it is not in any way curative.
Side effects of Lupron are potentially extremely negative and long-lasting, and include (as reported by the manufacturer itself) Asthenia, General pain, Headache, Hot flashes/sweats, Nausea/vomiting, GI disturbances, Edema, Weight gain/loss, Acne, Hirsutism, Joint disorder, Myalgia, Decreased libido, Depression/emotional lability, Dizziness, Nervousness, Neuromuscular disorders, Paresthesias, Skin reactions at injection site, Breast changes/tenderness/pain, Vaginitis, Flu-like symptoms, Heart palpitations, Syncope, Tachycardia, Appetite changes, Dry mouth, Thirst, Ecchymosis, Lymphadenopathy, Anxiety, Insomnia/Sleep disorders, Delusions, Memory disorder, Personality disorders, Rhinitis, Alopecia, Hair disorder, Nail disorder, Conjunctivitis, Ophthalmologic disorders, Taste perversion, and Dysuria.
And that's just a few. Check the prescribing literature or check a PDR for the long list.
Typically, users of Lupron experience what is known as Clinical Flare, which is an exacerbation of side effects and symptoms during the first 2 injections or so; after about the 3rd injection, the symptoms for which you are using the drug (i.e., Endometriosis) may begin to temporarily decrease.
If you still decide to go ahead with it, hopefully, you will be one of the lucky ones who only experiences minimal side effects for a short time and in whom the drug is effective and has no negative effects. Barring that, may I suggest that there are many other treatments available, the best being surgical excision. It's not curative - there is no absolute cure - but excision (see www.centerforendo.com) can confer up 85% long term relief rates.
There is a reason the true Endo experts don't use this drug and other GnRHs like it. Those who do are just too damn lazy to learn how to truly and effectively treat the disease and learn all the current research and more effective, less harmful treatment options for it.
Good luck to you. You're not alone - stop by http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ERC to speak to others who have been there, done that. I also suggest reading this publication:
http://www.endocenter.org/pdf/surgery%20... Best wishes to you no matter what you decide to do.
Answers: Wow no I have never heard of that. I think as the other user suggested, you should definitely seek a second opinion (outside that hospital, a completely different specialist) before proceeding with this radical treatment. Good luck honey!
I would also get a second opinion if I were you to see if there are any other ways to tret your condition.
I would not go ahead with anything that extreme with out having a second diagnosis.
Just my opinion.
I've had endometriosis for about 13 years. I've tried many things including the depo-provera shot which is similar to the depo-lupron. It's an artificial menopause. It worked wonders for my pain for 3 years until I built up a tolerance to the drug. It also made me gain about 45 pounds because it was a steroid and I didn't know. I would recommend finding an endometriosis specialist in your area. Depending on what level your endometriosis is will affect what they suggest you go on. If it's extensive and putting your reproductive organs in danger then they will want to put you on the strong stuff like the shot, but if it's not too bad you may be able to get away with the pill or if the endometrioma isn't taking over and it mostly just really painful you could try to control the pain with pain killers. I'd also try the websites below, they'll offer a lot of information and maybe there is a support group in your area that you can go to. I wish you luck in finding a good doctor it can be difficult sometimes but they are out there.
I'm going to tell you what I wish someone had told me 18 years ago when the drug was first released and used for Endo. First, know that Lupron is ONLY a band-aid; it will only *temporarily* - if at ALL - bring symptomatic relief, and it comes with a myriad of side effects which may be long-lasting, looong after the drug is stopped. Think long and hard about undergoing Lupron injections for Endo or any other condition, for that matter. If we were to believe the doctors and Takeda Abbott Pharmaceutical's fancy marketing literature and website(s), we'd all think Lupron was the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's not, which is why I guess the maker of Lupron got fined $875 million for fraud, providing kickbacks to doctors to have them Rx it to their patients, and for illegal marketing tactics...it seemed to garner them an incredible income - fraudulently obtained at the patient's expense, but an incredible income nonetheless. Anyway - it's used for many different uses, both approved and not approved ( off-label ), including Endometriosis, fibroids, alzheimer's (imagine that, since it CAUSES memory loss), central precocious puberty, IVF protocols and prostate cancer, for which it was originally developed and intended for use.
Lupron is a bandaid that does not in any way clear up or cure the condition for which it is being used. Take Endometriosis, for example, which comprises one if its greatest user groups. All it does is temporarily suppress the hormones, thereby - in theory - offering temporary relief of the disease. It does not offer relief in many who use it, and quelling of the hormones is not a cure for Endometriosis. Were that true, removal of the ovaries would be all that was needed and we know that's not the case. The outdated myth that no period=no Endo is just that, an outdated myth by doctors who have not bothered to keep current on Endo research.
Same idea for use in fibroids - it is not in any way curative.
Side effects of Lupron are potentially extremely negative and long-lasting, and include (as reported by the manufacturer itself) Asthenia, General pain, Headache, Hot flashes/sweats, Nausea/vomiting, GI disturbances, Edema, Weight gain/loss, Acne, Hirsutism, Joint disorder, Myalgia, Decreased libido, Depression/emotional lability, Dizziness, Nervousness, Neuromuscular disorders, Paresthesias, Skin reactions at injection site, Breast changes/tenderness/pain, Vaginitis, Flu-like symptoms, Heart palpitations, Syncope, Tachycardia, Appetite changes, Dry mouth, Thirst, Ecchymosis, Lymphadenopathy, Anxiety, Insomnia/Sleep disorders, Delusions, Memory disorder, Personality disorders, Rhinitis, Alopecia, Hair disorder, Nail disorder, Conjunctivitis, Ophthalmologic disorders, Taste perversion, and Dysuria.
And that's just a few. Check the prescribing literature or check a PDR for the long list.
Typically, users of Lupron experience what is known as Clinical Flare, which is an exacerbation of side effects and symptoms during the first 2 injections or so; after about the 3rd injection, the symptoms for which you are using the drug (i.e., Endometriosis) may begin to temporarily decrease.
If you still decide to go ahead with it, hopefully, you will be one of the lucky ones who only experiences minimal side effects for a short time and in whom the drug is effective and has no negative effects. Barring that, may I suggest that there are many other treatments available, the best being surgical excision. It's not curative - there is no absolute cure - but excision (see www.centerforendo.com) can confer up 85% long term relief rates.
There is a reason the true Endo experts don't use this drug and other GnRHs like it. Those who do are just too damn lazy to learn how to truly and effectively treat the disease and learn all the current research and more effective, less harmful treatment options for it.
Good luck to you. You're not alone - stop by http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ERC to speak to others who have been there, done that. I also suggest reading this publication:
http://www.endocenter.org/pdf/surgery%20... Best wishes to you no matter what you decide to do.
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