Now technically I was not officially diagnosed when I went on it so I do not know what stage I was when I started the lupron. My doctor, and my insurance, were willing to let me try it as a treatment with just my symptom history as a tentative diagnosis for endo.
Personally, while I was on it, it was great. My symptoms were almost negligible, I felt good, etc. But within a couple months of completing 9 months of treatment, I was right back were I started. A few months later I had surgery and was diagnosed officially, I believe I was stage 1 at the time. My doctor did comment that there was less than she was expecting based on my pain levels, so it is entirely possible that the lupron shrank some of it down, and that the reduction just wasn't significant enough or wasn't in places necessary to reduce my pain. Since I didn't have a pre-treatment surgery, we'll never know for sure.
I've had some better luck with longer-term control using Depo Provera, in case you are interested. It is something you could consider going on after you finish the lupron course. It's the progestin-only birth control shot, in case you weren't familiar. Partly why I think it works for me is that it completely suppresses my cycle (which is where the worst pain is) and I can just stay on it continuously, which you can't do with lupron.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-07-03 09:09 pm (UTC)Now technically I was not officially diagnosed when I went on it so I do not know what stage I was when I started the lupron. My doctor, and my insurance, were willing to let me try it as a treatment with just my symptom history as a tentative diagnosis for endo.
Personally, while I was on it, it was great. My symptoms were almost negligible, I felt good, etc. But within a couple months of completing 9 months of treatment, I was right back were I started. A few months later I had surgery and was diagnosed officially, I believe I was stage 1 at the time. My doctor did comment that there was less than she was expecting based on my pain levels, so it is entirely possible that the lupron shrank some of it down, and that the reduction just wasn't significant enough or wasn't in places necessary to reduce my pain. Since I didn't have a pre-treatment surgery, we'll never know for sure.
I've had some better luck with longer-term control using Depo Provera, in case you are interested. It is something you could consider going on after you finish the lupron course. It's the progestin-only birth control shot, in case you weren't familiar. Partly why I think it works for me is that it completely suppresses my cycle (which is where the worst pain is) and I can just stay on it continuously, which you can't do with lupron.