It has come to my attention that many people are being told that as long as they take HRT they can have Lupron as many times as they wish. This isn’t exactly true.
While it is not illegal for doctor’s to prescribe Lupron (Prostap), it is stated in the leaflet insert that is in the injection kit that: “The safety of
re-treatment as well as treatment beyond 6 months with Lupron has not been established.” This statement indicates that they have no idea how safe it is to have Lupron (Prostap) for more than 6 months at a time, or to even have it for more than one course.
People who have this medication should also have regular bone density scans to check whether or not this medication is affecting their bone density. Anyone who is going to have more than 1 6-month course should definitely make sure they receive one of these scans before beginning another course.
I would also recommend that before starting this treatment, you research the drug very carefully so that you fully understand the impact that it could have on your life.
Just wanted to say thank you for writing on the risks of the extended use of Lupron.
From running my online support group for the past 7 years, I’ve come across many, many women who have suffered the negative effects of Lupron without being informed of the risks by their doctor. One of these woman’s stories, which will always stick out in my mind, was that of a 20-something year old who had been on Lupron for the last 5 years (continuously) and who when insisted to her doctor to have a bone density scan was told that “all those ill effects are just a rumor”. When she did have the BDS scan done months later, they found that her bones were very porous, and that she was at great risk of developing osteoporosis by the time she reached even 30!
I know that this message was written quite some time ago, but I wanted to comment all the same as the effects of this medication are timeless and so should be the warnings out there.
Hugs,
Melissa Ralston