How long is Lupron effective for prostate cancer?

After beginning treatment, testosterone levels will drop within 2 to 4 weeks and the manufacturer has noted that levels have been shown to remain at castrate levels for more than 5 years.

Is Lupron used to treat prostate cancer?

LUPRON DEPOT® (leuprolide acetate for depot suspension) 7.5 mg for 1-month, 22.5 mg for 3-month, 30 mg for 4-month, and 45 mg for 6-month administration are prescribed for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. LUPRON DEPOT is a prescription medication that must be administered in your doctor’s office.

What is leuprolide used for?

A drug used to treat advanced prostate cancer. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Leuprolide acetate keeps the testicles from making testosterone by blocking other hormones that are needed to make it. This may stop the growth of cancer cells that need testosterone to grow.

Why is leuprolide given?

Leuprolide injection (Lupron Depot) is used alone or with another medication (norethindrone) to treat endometriosis (a condition in which the type of tissue that lines the uterus [womb] grows in other areas of the body and causes pain, heavy or irregular menstruation [periods], and other symptoms).

How many Lupron shots do you need for prostate cancer?

22.5 mg — one injection every 12 weeks. 30 mg — one injection every 16 weeks. 45 mg — one injection every 24 weeks.

Is leuprolide the same as Lupron?

What is Lupron? Lupron (Leuprolide Acetate) is an injectable medication which reduces the production of hormones (estrogen and progesterone) by the ovaries. Lupron works by blocking the effect of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) on the pituitary gland in the brain.

Is leuprolide chemotherapy?

Official Answer. Lupron Depot (leuprolide acetate) injection is not a chemotherapy treatment, but a prescription hormone medicine used in the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Palliative treatment is used to relieve pain or other symptoms and improve the quality of your life.

How long should you take leuprolide?

Thinning of the bones may occur during therapy with LUPRON DEPOT, which may not be completely reversible in some patients. The duration of therapy with LUPRON DEPOT is limited to 3 months. The symptoms associated with fibroids will return after stopping therapy.

Where do you inject leuprolide?

Lupron® is injected subcutaneously—or into the fatty tissue under your skin. The primary sites for injection are your abdomen—2 inches on either side of the navel—and your upper, outer-thigh where the skin is loose. Wash your hands thoroughly and make sure that the surface you work on is clean.

What are the long term side effects of Lupron?

Women have reported to the FDA hundreds of cases of insomnia, depression, joint pain, and more than 100 cases of blurred vision. About 900 reports cite side effects that children below age 13 have suffered, mostly within months of taking Lupron.