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Leuprolide (3 Month)

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Pronounced

"LEW-pro-lide"

Common brand names:

Lupron Depot

Uses

Leuprolide is used to treat advanced prostate cancer. It is not a cure. Most types of prostate cancer need the hormone testosterone to grow and spread. Leuprolide works by reducing the amount of testosterone that the body makes. This helps slow or stop the growth of cancer cells and helps relieve symptoms such as painful/difficult urination. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of treatment.

How to Use This Medication

Read the Patient Information Leaflet if available from your pharmacist before you start using leuprolide and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

This medication is given by injection into a muscle by a health care professional. It is given as directed by your doctor, usually once every 3 months (every 12 weeks). This product slowly releases the medication into your blood over a 3-month period.

Use this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, mark your calendar to keep track of when to receive the next dose.

During the first few weeks of treatment, your hormone levels will actually go up before they go down. This is a normal response to this medication. Your symptoms may get worse for a few weeks. If you have prostate cancer that has spread to the spine or caused urinary blockage, you may require closer monitoring by your doctor, especially when you first start treatment. Tell your doctor right away if you have any bone pain, numbness/tingling/weakness of the arms/legs, blood in the urine, painful/difficult urination, unusual weakness, or inability to move.

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Drug information is selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First DataBank, Inc. This is a summary and does not contain all possible information about this product. For complete information about this product or your specific health needs, ask your healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your healthcare professional if you have any questions about this product or your medical condition. This information is not intended as individual medical advice and does not substitute for the knowledge and judgment of your healthcare professional. This information does not contain any assurances that this product is safe, effective or appropriate for you.

This information is intended only for residents of the United States. Products sold under the same brand names in other countries may contain different ingredients.

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Information expires December 2025.