This is reposted from an old, now dead blog.
I've spent 9 months trying the Visanne tablet in addition to the Mirena IUD to control my endometriosis growth and cyclical bleeding from my bowel. It hasn't worked. So now the gynecologist has switched me to a 6 month course of Lupron (technically, Enantone-gyn).
Lupron is a cancer treatment drug that is also used to shut down the hormone production system in women. It effectively pushes them into a chemically induced menopause.

I’ve already been on the related GnRH agonist medication (Zoladex), so I know what to expect.

Of course, you get all of the menopause side effects, plus a host of others not normally so strongly associated with menopause. The standard side effects include:

  • poor temperature regulation
  • hot flushes, moodiness
  • loss of libido

If Zoladex is anything to go by, I’m expecting serious nausea, dizziness, headaches, weight gain, and a significant increase in fibromyalgia pain.

It is meant to stop endometriosis growth in its tracks, and can shrink the size of the adenomyomas (temporarily).

Lupron and Zoladex are temporary treatments

Unfortunately, the bowel endometriosis symptoms appeared less than 2 years after my last 6 month course of Zoladex. So this is a very short term treatment.

Endometriosis will always re-grow.

I was given the choice, wait for another 4-8 weeks until I can get an opinion from an expert in endometriosis about the next step (surgery), or start now.

I decided to start it now, a month before my appointment in Berlin for two reasons - it just might stop the bowel bleeding, and it will give the specialist another bit of information to work with.

I’m also keeping the Mirena in for the time being. It’s due for replacing at the end of the year, so they don’t really want to take it out yet. Especially as I may need an operation of some kind or another (do it all in one hit!)

Starting Lupron - nasty injections

Right now, my tummy hurts at the injection site, even though it was a tiny needle. It was just a powder/liquid mixture, unlike the solid slow-release tablet of Zoladex, and therefore didn’t need any local anaesthetic.

But I think my poor body hates injections, it’s already going blue.

Of course, I’ll add updates as I experience side effects, and success (cross fingers).

Hopefully Lupron will surprise me and be less nasty than Zoladex.