It's A Vicious Cycle

As if your period wasn't enough to deal with, many women experience attacks right along with their monthly symptoms. According to the American Porphyria Foundation, the use of Lupron (Leutenizing Hormone Releasing Hormone) can greatly minimize or even eliminate attacks linked to the menstrual cycle. Commonly used to to treat endometriosis, Lupron does have side effects such as headache and vaginal dryness. Information on Lupron and endometriosis can be found by clicking here http://www.lupron.com.

For porphyria, Lupron is administered through nasal spray, and may be an answer to the prayers of women who saw a hysterectomy as the only solution. Lupron suppresses the menstrual cycle, so side effects like hot flashes, or even osteoporosis, are possible. Low doses of estrogen seem to help these symptoms, but your physician will need to keep an eye on your bone density and how well you are tolerating the estrogen. Estrogen and progesterone can induce acute attacks in women, so hormonal replacement is not advised.

Women suffering from severe cyclical attacks that are considering trying Lupron should do some research on their own at http://www.lupronvictims.com/ The National Lupron Victims Network. Lupron has been linked to some serious medical complications and these must be considered before treatment is begun. You can also find others who have taken Lupron at http://content.health.msn.com/message_bo... the MSN message board.

Things to remember if you and your doctor decide to try Lupron:

1. Any abdominal pain warrants urine testing for ALA and PPG.

2. Keep a list of any physical symptoms you notice. Call your physician immediately if an acute attack occurs.

3. Certain foods may trigger an attack, keep track of what foods you have eaten throughout the day.

Porphyria- Clinical Trials in Preventing Cyclic Attacks in Women http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/cgi-bin... Remember, porphyria is still considered a rare disease. Rare meaning a condition affects less than 200,000 people in the U.S. The National Institutes of Health have established the Office of Rare Diseases to help with research and will respond to inquiries about porphyria. Their website http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/ord lists workshops on porphyria and they maintain a database of rare diseases.

As always, Dr. Karl Anderson's porphyria laboratory at UTMB in Galveston, Texas, may be the best place to start in your search for answers about porphyria. I have their phone number listed on the link page. Also, valuable information can be found at http://www.nih.gov/niams/healthinfo/howt...How To Find Medical Information. A free booklet that will help you learn where to look for medical info.

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