Brandi Laperle was given Lupron to treat her endometriosis symptoms. Her body was sent into menopause overnight in her early thirties, a process known as chemical castration, and can not be reversed. Laperle has done her own research on the drug and with women who have also experienced negative results from the drug and hopes that she can help future women with better treatment for their endometriosis. Photo Courtesy of Brandi Laperle.
Brandi Laperle was a teenager living in Edmonton when her symptoms first arose. Severe cramping that would have her doubled over in pain, heavy menstrual flow, digestive issues, bladder pain, and swollen gums. It wasn’t until she was 31-years-old that she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis.
After years of trying different treatments like IUDs, birth control and pain medication, Laperle was given Leuproreli, more commonly referred to by its tradename, Lupron, and after one injection went into menopause overnight. A phenomenon known as chemical castration.
“I didn’t know that being given a certain treatment protocol, without add-back therapy was going to put me into menopause overnight, instead of the gradual process that happens over the course of a decade. And I didn’t know what the long term consequences could be,” says Laperle, adding, “My doctor said this is a lifelong thing. There is no cure, he’s done what he could, and that was the best I could really hope for.”
Although endometriosis was discovered over a century ago, there continues to be a lack of knowledge on the subject. From failed surgeries or misdiagnoses to being prescribed Lupron, which often makes the condition worse, women are desperate for better research and treatment.
Lupron especially continues to be controversial. Originally developed to treat prostate cancer, the drug was pushed on the market to also treat endometriosis in women. The drug is a hormone agonist, which prevents the receptors in the brain from releasing sex hormones in women this kick-starts menopause by reducing the build-up of the uterine lining.
In Laperle’s case, her hormone receptors never came back on after she was administered the Lupron, sending her into early onset menopause in her 30s, a permanent repercussion she now has to live with.
Manufactured by the drug company Abbvie, and one of their branches TAP, Lupron has proven to be a big source of revenue. According to Abbvie’s Annual Reports, the company made $726 million in the US alone, with $166 million from international sales making a total of $892 million for the company on Lupron alone in 2018. This makes up roughly 2.7 per cent of Abbvie’s total net revenue of $32.8 billion. In 2007, TAP brought in $3.1 billion from Lupron and their other drug Prevacid.
The symptoms of Lupron therapy can be similar to menopause: hot flashing, night sweats, trouble sleeping, mood changes and weight gain. However, other symptoms can present themselves such as nausea, bone and joint pain, headache and fatigue. Lupron has also been known to cause more severe side effects, which are not as common, such as osteoporosis, menopause, depression or suicidal thoughts and dementia.
In an article for Lawyers and Settlements, a woman’s Lupron prescription caused a brain injury and early onset dementia. Her discharge diagnosis from the hospital read that the woman, Amy, “had Lupron Depot induced dementia, bipolar disorder and anxiety.”
In another report by the Las Vegas TV station, KTNV, women were coming forward after experiencing adverse and severe side effects from being prescribed Lupron for their endometriosis. Women were having intense pain in their bones and joints, vision loss, and depression which had not been explained as possible side effects. The FDA added more warning labels to the drug after the investigative report was published.
A local woman, Celia (whose name has been changed for confidentiality) had severe endometriosis for most of her life. She had received different diagnoses for diseases, ranging from celiac to colitis, before finally being diagnosed with endometriosis. She was put on Lupron twice for heavy bleeding and cramping: the first time for six months before her diagnosis, the second for five months.
The Lupron not only didn’t help with the endometriosis symptoms, but it added more symptoms. Celia experienced more severe and longer periods, joint pain and bone loss including in her teeth, and leg numbness. She says she was never told about the possible side effects.
“Nobody warns you that it has the potential to hurt your bones. It’s right in the product monograph, which I ended up pulling off their website and reading after I started getting joint pain. Nobody tells you your period gets worse,” she adds.
“I can’t breathe because of the level of pain about a week after an injection. It’s just like I’m fine, I’m fine. Then all of a sudden you’re on the floor and you’re trying not to make noise and your coworkers are calling 9-1-1, getting pissed off and it takes 45 minutes for them to get there. Then as soon as you say the word endometriosis, the lights go off in the ambulance. When you get to the hospital, you’re put in the waiting room and you’re the last one called in.”
Lupron has faced several lawsuits already. In the 2010 case Cardenas and Paulsen v. Abbott, Takeda, TAP, paragraphs 13, 15-18 and 21-22 allege complete negligence and malpractice as well as damage done to the patients. The court documents state that studies have shown that more than one-third of the women who took Lupron did not have any reversal after taking the medicine and suffered permanent bone loss and other symptoms. This lawsuit was eventually dropped by the plaintiffs.
In another case, Karen Klein v. TAP Pharma made it to the U.S. Supreme Court before being dismissed. David Redwine, an endometriosis specialist, shared his notes regarding Klein’s case in the Lupron Victims’ Hub, a site which explores the investigations, malpractice, misuse and so much more of Lupron. Redwine states how there are adverse side effects to Lupron, and the studies that have been done on the drug are funded by TAP Pharmaceuticals and are poorly conducted. Redwine believes that Lupron is completely the cause of Klein’s bone loss and the long-term side effects she continues to experience.
No lawsuits involving Lupron patients have been successful in court, suggesting many have been settled out of court to spare great financial losses on Abbvie and TAP Pharma.
However a lawsuit involving TAP and fraud was successful. The New York Times reported on a case in which Abbott Laboratories and Takeda Chemical Industries, or joint TAP, agreed to pay $875 million to settle criminal and civil charges for illegally manipulating medical industries. It was contended that TAP sales representatives gave free samples of Lupron to doctors, and then helped them to get government reimbursements for hundreds of dollars per dose.
TAP has also lost $1 billion in legal liability for dangerous side effects, inadequate testing, and corrupt marketing practices for Lupron, according to the Personal Injury.
Lupron Victims’ Hub Victims’ Hub raises the issue of a study on Lupron performed by TAP. Section of the report including “Study Results” and “Discussion” are censored, while “Key Findings” and “Conclusion” have been completely redacted. These areas of the study talked about the findings of the effects Lupron has on suicide and depression.
The FDA has also reported on the adverse effects of Lupron. Since 1997 there have been 16.7K cases of ill health, 7.2K serious cases, and 1.5K deaths related to Lupron.
Madison Breckenridge, a registered nurse and endometriosis patient from Pincher Creek, had a doctor that listened to her symptoms. She was diagnosed and given Lupron in her early thirties.
Madison Breckenridge had a good experience with Lupron and it ultimately helped make her endometriosis symptoms more manageable. She had a diagnostic laparoscopy surgery performed, where mild endometriosis and a teratoma, a type of tumour, were discovered. She underwent surgery to remove the teratoma and may do another round of Lupron in the future. Photo Courtesy of Madison Breckenridge.
“I actually really liked Lupron,” says Breckenridge, ”because I was in so much pain before I was put on the drug and it did help with the pain. However, that’s not the typical experience.”
She experienced the menopause symptoms such as hot flashing and night sweats, but says it was much easier to cope with than the endometriosis. She also was well informed of the risks associated with taking Lupron and was only on it for four months. Fortunately, she didn’t end up with the long-term side effects.
“We don’t have enough people researching these conditions and what works for them,” says Breckenridge. “Lupron has been the drug of choice for 20 years and it’s not perfect. We know what’s not perfect, but is it better than what you were having before?”
She also says she would recommend Lupron to future patients of endometriosis, but under proper supervision and following precautions to minimize the drug’s negative long-term effects.
Julie McConnell, although not prescribed Lupron, raises another issue in her endometriosis treatment. During her first surgery, her surgeon went in to see if endometriosis was present and if there was any cancer present. All that was said to McConnell before the procedure was that the endometriosis would be removed if there was any, and she would be notified of cancer.
Following the surgery, all she was told was there was no cancer and that endometriosis had been found. A year later she returned in even more excruciating pain than before the surgery and was told endometriosis and an infection had been found but was not removed completely because there was too much. The surgeon had performed an ablation surgery, scraping and burning the tissue, as opposed to an excision surgery which removes the tissue at the root.
“There was a lot of disease left behind,” says McConnell. “A lot. And because he didn’t remove any organs at the time, my left ovary which was covered in disease and also my left fallopian tube, which had ruptured and was full of infection, that’s where most of the disease and infection was left behind. All on my left side. So my left side was hurting me a lot more than the right for that reason.”
After two years of searching for a new surgeon specializing in endometriosis, she found one at the South Health Campus in Calgary and travelled from Edmonton to have the surgery. This time, McConnell’s endometriosis was properly removed with excision surgery, and her uterus, right and left fallopian tubes and left ovary were removed because adenomyosis had been found. Adenomyosis is a disease similar to endometriosis but one that occurs inside the uterine wall and can only be cured with hysterectomy.
Although McConnell was not administered Lupron, she stresses the importance of taking charge of your health by understanding the procedures and medications given to you by your medical provider.
“I mean now we’re starting to see more long-term side effects with [Lupron]. I really am hoping that most women who are experiencing the side effects are reporting them to their doctors because the doctors are supposed to report that back to the drug company. When these women are experiencing these symptoms, I know lots of them get angry and never go back to their doctor. Unfortunately that’s not actually helping the situation. We do need to go back to our doctors and tell them, ‘Hey, I’m experiencing this. It’s not going well for me. What can we do about it?’” says Breckenridge.
The case Cardenas, Paulsen was not dropped. The Defendants lied about Paulsen, ended up losing via statue of limitations and Repose. No one can win against these montsers. Paulsen completely disabled and very sick. Lost everything.
I was diagnosed with really bad endometriosis in 2014, I was 31 at the time, I was given a choice to take Lupron once a month for 6 mths as also prescribed birth control injections once every 3 mths, after which I underwent laparoscopic surgery, miraculously my endometriosis deposits had disappeared leaving only 1, which was removed, bladder and rectal function returned to normal, with significant decrease in lower abdominal and back pain, some mild pain with intercourse but overall it was game changing, not withstanding, I did change my diet, limiting meat, oils, and sugar. I was fortunate and blessed as the lupron did send me into immediate menapause with all the symptoms, like hot flashes and made my depression worst, but overall, I’m now pregnant at 38 years old with my second child, expected to deliver in just 5 weeks. Everyone’s body and circumstances are different, however I feel more research is needed to assist women suffering from endometriosis, without having long term devastation and irreplaceable implications.
In 1997, I was having extremely sharp pains in my left side. After going back and forth to a gastroenterologist and a gynecologist, I was told I had mild to moderate endometriosis in the ligaments that hold the uterus in place and was given 6 months of Lupon Depot shots. I wasn’t given any options by my doctor or much explanation, but only to take it. The first thing I noticed was that I was rapidly gaining weight but was barely eating. Some weeks were as high as 6 lbs. The second thing was that I was having trouble standing for very long. I was engaged at the time and had to get a larger wedding dress 2 weeks before my wedding. I also was missing work because I didn’t have the energy or strength to do much of anything. I would tell my doctor that I was not improving, and he would say with his accent, “You are doing much better.” When I ended the shots, I still had the left side pain and eventually ended up with a hysterectomy years later. Anyway to make a long story shorter, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia. That was when people first started hearing about fibromyalgia so I was getting a lot of backlash from doctors and also the doctor at the company of where I worked. My symptoms only continued. My temperature would be 94 one day and then have a low grade fever the next with my blood pressure all over the place going as low as 80/30, my dizziness and weakness got worse. I was in and out of the hospital several times with doctors not knowing why all of this was happening. I would work but would have trouble missing due to being bedridden for days/weeks at a time. I could barely make it from my bedroom to my living room without ending up on the floor. I even lost a few jobs too because the symptoms were so bad and lasted for so long. After traveling to a specialty hospital, I was diagnosed with dysautonomia and was told I would just have to live with it. I am also now prediabetic, have diverticulosis, microscopic colitis, sleep apnea, and have constant pain in my neck, shoulders, and back. I’ve left some things out because there has been so much, but I would never have taken Lupron Depot if I had known the side effects. It totally changed the quality of my life for the worse. I even have a friend who took it and we can compare the health issues that we have had. Any time I hear someone say they have endometriosis, I make sure to tell them to stay clear of Lupron Depot.
I broke my leg 5 months after my last dose of Lupron. I am fit, and 44. I was not warned or monitored about how Lupron affects my bone density.
I was told for treatment for fibroids I needed 6 Lupron injections followed by two other treatments that they’ve now abandoned. The side affects were way worse then the reason for having the treatment in the first place. I was ok with the idea of menopause, but I didn’t know it was going to make my bones so brittle immediately.
Looking for lawsuit against LUPRON. I took in 1997,and 1998. Need an attorney, (
Looking for lawsuit against Lupron. Have been on 3 rounds of this drug this year.
Looking for a suit, not only against Lupron Depot for the damages I’m suffering from but also for using me during trial of the drug and not making me aware of all of the long term terrible side effects! Notations should have been glued to my history of being injected the first time with 9 doses, the second time with 6, and 3rd time with 3! If that’s not bad enough, I ended up with triple negative breast cancer and they had no records about all of that Lupron!!!!!! After my second dose of chemo I literally woke up and thought, today’s the day I am going to die and I’ve been the same way for 10 years! Lupron? You have made tons of money at the cost of my quality of life? Now you will make more using it on the positive breast cancers! I believe I should be reimbursed for my quality of life! Period!!!!!!
FYI, this is the same drug that gets called a “safe and entirely reversible puberty blocker” when used on children who “need extra time to figure out” their gender identity.
I was given Lupron injections twice. Ever since then I’ve had hot flashes that start with what feels like an electric shock. Then my whole body tingles and aches like flu symptoms then I get super hot. I absolutely hate it. I was 37 or 38 when it was given. I went through the change when I was 48 and I’m now 57 and still have these shock flashes daily and often. I am willing to bet it was because of Lupron. The shots were for ENDO for which I had surgery 3 years previously.
In search of lawsuit against lupron, had this injection for a year in stability of heavy cycles back in 2015-2016 Still to today have many side effects.
I was given Lupron in 1991 at the age of 34 and I never came out of menopause. The side effects of this medicine has been tough on my body. I’m 63 now and I cried reading this article. My doctor actually released me from his care because I refused to keep taking it. My life was a nightmare for many years after being given this drug and the damage to my body can never be repaired. I was never ever warned of any side effects. I couldn’t get anyone to believe me and have never had confirmation until now that this drug was really my problem.