Lupron Depot is a prescription drug and must be administered under a doctor's care. Therefore, you will usually receive your first dose, and every dose thereafter, in your doctor's office. Lupron Depot is given as an intramuscular (into a muscle) injection. Your healthcare provider will determine the most appropriate injection site for you.

Depending on your dosage, you will need to return for an injection every month, every 3 months, or every 4 months. Your doctor may use these subsequent office visits to check your progress, check your serum testosterone and PSA levels, and address any treatment-related concerns you may have.

Possible Side Effects

As with any medication, side effects may occur from the use of Lupron Depot. The most common side effect associated with Lupron Depot is hot flashes. Some men may also experience a temporary increase in prostate cancer related urinary symptoms or pain in the first few weeks of treatment. The rise in testosterone that happens in the first few weeks of therapy may cause an increase in these symptoms.

Like other treatment options, LH-RH agonists may cause impotence. If you experience impotence during Lupron Depot treatment, it could be due to decreased testosterone levels. Talk to your doctor about your concerns.

Injection Sites

Lupron Depot is an intramuscular (IM) injection, a shot where the needle goes into the muscle under the skin. Lupron Depot must be administered under the supervision of a physician.

• Upper arm
• Top of the thighs
• Buttocks

After an intramuscular injection, there may be some minimal discomfort at the injection site.

Sticking to the Appointment Schedule

It is very important that you keep all scheduled appointments for Lupron Depot injections with your doctor because maintaining testosterone suppression is key to treatment. Missing an appointment by a few days should not disrupt the benefits of treatment, but sticking to the injection schedule is important.

Manage your treatment plan. Our email Appointment Reminder can notify you a few days before upcoming doctor appointments. Learn more about the Appointment Reminder.

Communicating with Your Doctor

Before doctor visits, spend some time thinking about the questions you'll want answered. Good communication between you and your doctor can help make living with prostate cancer a lot more manageable. By taking an active role in your treatment, you can partner with your doctor to help your doctor help you. This means asking questions, taking notes, and even keeping a journal. Understanding more about your treatment can help make you more comfortable over time.

For questions about hormone therapy, download and print our free Questions to Ask Your Doctor.

Read more about the benefits of Lupron Depot.