Hot Flash Treatment Using Lupron
For those individuals currently taking Lupron, mild to severe side effects are a inevitability. In some cases, the resultant side effects can prove more troublesome than the underlying condition itself. In these instances, the side effects require treatment regimes of their own, which can become a vicious cycle. A common side effect of Lupron is hot flashes, which can affect both men and women taking the drug. While some are able to cope with this new facet of life brought on by the medication, others desperately seek relief.
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What is Lupron?
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Lupron is a synthetic hormone prescribed to both men suffering from prostate cancer and women suffering from endometriosis or uterine fibroids. Lupron acts by reducing current sex hormone levels in the body, reducing testosterone for men and estrogen for women. Lupron is administered via intramuscular injection. Injections are given every three to six months on average.
Lupron Side Effects
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Common side effects stemming from the use of the drug include breast tenderness or swelling, weight gain, pain in the bones, dizziness, headache, vision issues, confusion, vomiting, frequent urination and hot flashes. This is not an exhaustive list of the side effects that can be caused by Lupron, but it emphasizes the importance of sufficiently weighing the cost of non-treatment against the cost of treatment when considering these types of medication.
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Treating Hot Flashes
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The typical solution to deal with hot flashes is the administration of female hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the form of exogenous estrogen and progesterone. Aside from the fact that this type of treatment would appeal very little to men suffering from Lupron-induced side effects, it has fallen out of favor with female patients as well, as it has been shown that HRT leads to increased risk of stroke, breast cancer and heart attack.
Alternative Treatments for Hot Flashes
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However, there are additional methods through which hot flashes may be eliminated. Certain medications have proven effective at providing relief from those so suffering. Anti-depressants, specifically SSRIs, have been shown to decrease the frequency of hot flashes. Other medications such as clonidine, megace, medroxyprogesterone acetate and gabapentin are often prescribed.
Considerations
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One should also keep in mind that although Lupron-induced hot flashes can be treated using other medications, those medications will also carry additional side effects which may be worse than the hot flashes. Modern medicine offers much in the way of prolonging life and treating disease, but occasionally the damage caused by the treatment is worse than the underlying disease. Patients should always arm themselves with sufficient information about the side effects of possible treatments before entering into a course of action.
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