I have two friends who were unable to get pregnant until they tried the drug Lupron. Both have gone on to conceive three healthy children. Because they were both successful, I thought I would provide you with information about this drug.

The technical name for Lupron is Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Analog (GnRH-a). (Try saying that five times quickly!) Lupron is one of several brand names for this drug. Since Lupron is a much easier name to read, I will use that name throughout this post. However, the information in this post refers to any of the brand names.

In a nutshell, Lupron works by shutting down the female reproductive system. While you are taking this drug, you will have no menstrual cycles. Your endometrial tissue will not grow, and you will not ovulate. Basically, your reproductive organs get to take a little vacation. Then, like after any good vacation, your reproductive organs should be ready to get back to work and, hopefully, conceive a baby when you stop taking the drug. This is exactly what happened for two of my off-line friends.

While missing periods sounds fabulous to me, the drug can cause a number of side effects, including -

• Acne
• Breast size changes
• Decreased libido
• Emotional irritability
• Headache
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Sore muscles
• Vaginal dryness

One of my friends had a very hard time emotionally while on this drug. She also found the physical side effects to be bothersome. Fortunately, her doctor only wanted her to take Lupron for a couple of months. She became pregnant soon after she stopped taking the drug, so the side effects were well worth it.

You might want to ask your doctor about Lupron if you struggle with endometriosis. By the time I learned about this drug, I was ready to throw in the towel with fertility treatments. I do wonder if I would have conceived if I had tried it.