‘My body Is on Fire’ – Georgia Woman Sues Over Lupron’s Crippling Side Effects

Lupron, an abbreviation of Leuprorelin, is a pretty well-known drug. It has been used (via injection) to treat prostate cancer since 1985, and more recently Endometriosis.

You’ve probably heard the name “Lupron” or one of its other variations (Prostap SR, Prostap 3, Eligard, Lucrin) at your gynecologist’s office and you may even be using it as part of your own treatment plan, but after reading about Georgia resident Terry Paulsen, you may want to reconsider your options.

Paulsen started taking the drug in 2004 as a part of her Endometriosis treatment plan; since then she has undergone two injections that have caused unbearable side effects.

“Her immune system began to attack her own bones,” Alan Levin, MD, said in a statement. “She got osteopenia and osteoporosis and now she’s got terrible osteoporosis.”

Now, Paulsen is taking action by filing a federal lawsuit against the company for leaving her and thousands of others uninformed about the crippling side effects.

“My body is on fire,” Paulsen told Channel 2 Action News. “My joints have arthritis everywhere. This drug needs to have a black box warning on it because I know what it did to me.”

According to Channel 2, Lupron users have filed nearly 24,000 reports of adverse reactions with the FDA; 60 percent of those were filed by women.

AbbVie, the makers of Lupron, has yet to comment on the studies or on Paulsen’s case.

This year, AbbVie released the pill version of Lupron, Orilissa, alongside a national advertising campaign that encourages women to talk to their doctors about the symptoms of Endometriosis.

Critics have raised concerns that the campaign is a ploy to recruit patients to try medication rather than seek proper treatment, such as surgical excision – the gold standard for treatment of Endometriosis. And much like the Lupron injection, Orilissa can only lay claim to treating the pain rather than the Endometriosis itself.

Like Lupron, Orilissa has also been found to potentially lead to permanent bone loss among other side effects, including liver problems and suicidal thoughts, actions, or behaviors. According to Vox, one clinical trial participant took her own life.