Anyone taking Lupron (leuprolide) for breast cancer?

Posted by auksst @auksst, Jun 18, 2021

My 42 year old daughter was diagnosed with stage 1 Grade 2 Invasive ductal carcinoma and extensive DCIS. She had mastectomy with reconstruction in April. She started on Tamoxifen in June and is to start Lurpon in August but is very nervous about the side effects of the Lupron. Does anyone have experience with this?

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Hi @auksst, welcome. There are a few discussions in the Breast Cancer group on Tamoxifen. Here's a couple of recent and relevant discussions that I think you'll find useful:
- Tamoxifen https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tamoxifin/
- Conflicted on taking medication https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/conflicted-on-taking-medication/

@johnvivian's wife took/takes Lupron (leuprolide) for breast cancer. As you like know, Lupron is a LHRH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) agent hormonal therapy. Zoladex and Trelstar are also LHRHs. LHRHs shut down the ovaries and stop them from producing estrogen so there is less estrogen to fuel the growth of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Lupron typically is used to reduce the risk of early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer coming back in premenopausal women after surgery and other treatments.

Will Lupron be added to tamoxifen or will it replace her taking tamoxifen? What side effect is she most concerned about?

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Added to the tamoxifen. She had one cycle of Lupron when she went through in-vitro about 6 years ago and said she had never felt so horrible in her entire life. Hurt all over, extreme fatigue, just felt ill.

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Hi. Not sure if my comment is helpful or not ... I took Lupron to shrink my many fibroids prior to a hysterectomy. The main unbearable side effect was serious sweating - instant and strong. My 'hot flashes' lasted up to 4 hours. Sometimes, I'd feel just drenched, my head and hair hot and sweaty. Best of luck for your daughter.

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Anyone out there that can give "okay" experiences with taking lupron? How long were you on it?

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I have been taking Lupron for nine months along with an aromatase inhibitor and I'm doing fine on both. It took a period of adjustment, but now the side effects are manageable.

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