Leuprolide

Is Leuprolide safe?

Four decades of use; label warnings

Side effects follow from hormone suppression. They include hot flashes, loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue and mood changes. With long use, bone density can fall. In men the label warns of a brief tumor flare in the first weeks. It also warns of QT prolongation. And it warns of higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular events seen with androgen deprivation. Injection-site reactions are common. ²

In children, the pediatric label lists injection-site reactions, headache and emotional lability. Signs of puberty can briefly increase in the first weeks. Bone density can fall during treatment. The label cites published studies showing that bone gain is preserved after treatment stops. The label also followed treated children afterward. Most returned to pubertal LH levels within six months of stopping. Girls who reached age 12 had regular periods. ¹³

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Reference information only, not medical advice. Drawn from the Leuprolide article, fact-checked against the cited sources. No dosing anywhere on this site.