Lupron and Tamoxifen

Bosco   Tamoxifen is for PRE-memopausal women.  AI's are for POST-menopausal women.   How long have you been on Tamoxifen?  I have been on it for almost 6 months and my periods get shorter every month.   Lupron shots are actually birth control shots, i believe.  Not very safe in my book.

Hi Bosco,



As Joncey said the benefit of Lupron or like is suppressing ovulation, an act which is associated with estrogen production. So, since we're ER+, the less hormonal estrogen produced, the less our Tamoxifen has to compete with in blocking the estrogen from any potential ER+ breast cancer cells.



Clinical trials on Lupron (leuprolide) or Gosrelin (Zoladex) and their effects in ER+ breast cancer are still being determined. So the randomized, prospective clinical trial study data is still accumulating outcome data. This sometimes makes doctors and patients a little wary, wishing these date were fully known.



There's nothing that I'm aware of that jumps out on Lupron as unsafe, and in fact it is commonly prescribed for premenopausal ER+ women to turn their ovaries off. In fact as Joncey suggests, it may protect your eggs from damage.



Just so that you're aware, doctors still advise a barrier contraceptive while using these drugs.



All the best,

Tender

I'm glad you started this post.  I have been on Tamoxifen since last May, and so far I have resisted doing Lupron or an oopherectomy because of the lack of data for either one being beneficial over chemo and radiation.  I hope I'm not being a fool.  I just like to see beneficial data.  These options have been around for years.  It really bugs me that there is no concrete data on their additional benefit.  It also bugs me that the five year survival data has not been updated for all women since the advent of Herceptin and some of these other drugs on the market.  I know Herceptin is supposed to reduce recurrence by 50%, but as far as I know, survival data hasn't yet reflected that.  Sorry, I guess I'm just venting.

Hi Ladies...I was 35 at diagnosis and obviously very premenopausal.  Regular as a clock.  After all my chemo, my onc put me on Tamox about the same time as I started radiation.  It was then the fall of 2006.  Then started Lupron shots as well sometime later in 2006, can't remember exactly.  Anyway, I haven't had a period in almost two years.  Nothing.  I feel really good, strong.  Weight is definitely something I fight like crazy.  I have managed to maintain the same weight but I work out like crazy and play tennis, not to mention entertain my 4 year old!  I would say that for me, doing the Lupron shots once a month combined with Tamox is a good choice.  I really don't have too many complaints with it.  Hot flashes yes, but I'll gladly take them if it keeps the beast at bay.  My onc did the test to see how well I metabolize the Tamox and my results came back that I was a good metabolizer of it, so I will definitely finish out my five years on it.  Still have about 3 to go, then will probably do an ooph.  I'll be turning 41 at about that same time.  I'm now 37.  Hope that helps some!

Hi girls, I'm sure everyone is different, but I was on Lupron for 4 months when I was 25yrs old as a treatment for endometriosis.  I have never, ever felt worse in my life. I am now 36 (diagnosed 10/07) on Tamoxifen along with an antidepressant and feel just great (again, not everyone has the same results).  I am also pre-menopausal.  I was also given the choice between Tamox or Lupron when my Oncotype DX test showed I would not need chemo.  I told my doctor I would rather have chemo for 4 months than go back on Lupron for years if that tells you anything about how it made me feel (I'm sure those of you that have had chemo would beg to differ). My dr too said she sees patients feel worse on Lupron.  Is it possible for you to try one and if they side effects are unbearable switch to another?? I never even asked that question because I would not consider Lupron.

EHK