LUPRON DEPOT KIT (LEUPROLIDE ACETATE)

Lupron Depot Kit Description

Lupron Depot Kit contains an injectable long-acting medication that may be prescribed for men diagnosed with prostate cancer. The active ingredient in Lupron Depot Kit is similar to a hormone called gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) that occurs naturally in your body. Lupron Depot Kit or generic Leuprolide Acetate is inactive when taken orally, so administration by injecting the drug is required. The generic alternative is not manufactured by the company that makes the brand product.

How Lupron Depot Kit Helps Slow Cancer Growth

Your body normally releases small amounts of GnRH leading to the occurrence that stimulates sex hormone production. Once Leuprolide Acetate has been injected, the events that lead to the production of the sex hormones will be interrupted so the testes will no longer produce testosterone. Most prostate cancer cells rely on testosterone in order to grow. With the action of the Lupron Depot Kit, growth of the cancer cells will decrease and slow the progression of your cancer. However, this is not a cure for prostate cancer.

Conditions Treated by Lupron Depot Kit

Just as Lupron Depot Kit decreases the male hormone testosterone, it also works to interfere with the production of estrogen in women in order to treat endometriosis and fibroids. Endometrium is the tissue that lines your uterus but can sometimes start growing outside of your uterus, causing pain and heavy menstrual cycles.

Fibroids are tumors that are usually non-cancerous; they grow in the wall of your uterus and can vary in size. Many women aren’t even aware they have fibroids. By cutting down estrogen production with an injection from your doctor, Lupron Depot Kit can help to shrink fibroids and reduce excess endometrial tissue.

Before You Use Lupron Depot Kit

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are breast-feeding as Lupron Depot Kit or generic Leuprolide Acetate may harm your unborn or nursing baby. Discuss your medical history so it can be decided if Lupron Depot Kit is the right treatment for your situation.

If you will be undergoing Lupron Depot Kit therapy that involves more than one injection, your doctor may instruct you on the proper way to administer the injection so it can be done at home if you are comfortable doing so. Treatment with Lupron Depot Kit may take a few weeks before its benefits are noticed, so be patient.

Proper Use of Lupron Depot Kit

Certain brands or strengths of Lupron Depot Kit are only intended for men. As your hormones adjust to Leuprolide Acetate, your symptoms may worsen temporarily. Women of child bearing age should not use birth control that contains estrogen while undergoing treatment with Leuprolide Acetate.

Possible Side Effects of Lupron Depot Kit

• Irregular bleeding (females only)
• Cloudy urine (males only)
• Headache
• Stomach discomfort
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Temporary soreness at injection site