A-Z Indexes

Food

Health Guides

Health News

Leuprolide

This form:

Pronounced

"LEW-pro-lide"

Common brand names:

Lupron

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.

Leuprolide is also used to stop early puberty (precocious puberty) in children. It helps to delay sexual development (such as growth of the breasts/testicles) and the start of menstrual periods. It also helps slow down early bone growth to increase the likelihood of reaching normal adult height. Leuprolide works by decreasing the amount of sex hormones that a child's body makes (estrogen in girls, testosterone in boys).

Other Uses

This section contains uses of this drug that are not listed in the approved professional labeling for the drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional.

This drug may also be used for ovarian cancer.

How to Use This Medication

Read the Medication Guide and Instructions for Use provided by your pharmacist before you start using leuprolide and each time you get a refill. Ask your health care professional how to prepare and use this medication. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Inject this medication under the skin as directed by your doctor, usually once a day.

Children's dosage is based on weight and response to treatment. The doctor should consider stopping treatment before age 11 for girls and age 12 for boys. Consult the doctor for details.

Before using, check this product for particles or discoloration. If either is present, do not use the liquid. Before injecting each dose, clean the skin you are going to inject into (the injection site) with rubbing alcohol. Change the injection site each time to lessen injury under the skin. To lessen bruising, do not rub the injection site after a shot. Learn how to store and discard medical supplies safely.

Use this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, use it at the same time each day.

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.

If you are using this medication to stop early puberty, you may notice worsening symptoms (such as menstrual periods) at the start of treatment. However, you should see an improvement in symptoms usually within 1 to 2 months. Tell the doctor promptly if new or worsened symptoms develop after starting treatment.