# Zoladex for Endometriosis



## Becks88

Hi ladies i was just wondering whether any of you have ever had a 6 month course of Zoladex injections to treat endometriosis. I had my first Zoladex 3.6mg implant on 31st October and I'm due my 2nd on 28th November (I'll also start Livial/Tibolone then too) 

I'm interested mainly in how long i can expect to wait before my periods return so we can get back on course. I've read about them never returning at all which is a little scary but i'm trying to forget that i ever read that 

:flower:


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## Becks88

21 views and no replies....


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## Angelm7

Hiya, I only had 1 zoladex injection- was prescribed a 3 month course but after speaking to my own consultant refused the next 2 injections- and it took my cycle 9 wks to return but that includes the 4 after the injection. Your cycle will return to normal those that don't tend to be of a menopausal age so just continue into the menopause. 
Hope this reassures you a little x


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## Dilek

Im your zolly queen, ive had 2 lots of 3month course and my period returned just less than 2 months. They have always returned and im due to start next week again and then the dreaded ivf cycle. 

Watch out in the beg u get hit with a high estrogen and makes you all hormonal than the headaches and then the big one, this constant feeling of being dazed. In the end the estrogen leaves your body (low sex drive). However it does work and its all worth it in the end.

It gets better after the 1st month but you will feel different and its totally normal.


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## fifi-folle

I did 6 months of Zoladex then started ttc once my cycle returned. It took 9/10 weeks from the last injection to have my first AF. The first month of the implants was awful but had some improvement after that (not having AF was the best bit!) Good luck x


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## pixiemisty

Hi becks88! i think we are undergoing the same treatment at the same time... after investigative lap, i have just had my 5th implant of zoladex.... i have so many side effects that i often feel like stopping the treatment but when i think of the reason i'm doing this i just keep moving on... i'm anxiously waiting for my last implant at the end of feb... and then wait for af to return.... hopefully we'll be able to ttc again this summer... (ttc since june 2010)


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## brumbar

Hey you! I only had the one 3 month implant followed by an ivf cycle! 
I had my period on time after the ivf cycle but i've noticed my ovulation has been later ever since! I've awlays ovulated on day 13-15 and after zolly it went to 17-20 !!!! Also, i had the fot waves and headaches throughout the ivf cycle and the cycle after... My private consultant warned me that it takes ages for it to get out of the system... Not sure if you will be ttc-ing on your own or with help after that, but bear in mind that if ifv-ing you will need much higher doses to stimulate...the NHS stuck me on zolly and i'm not sure it was a wise move for me! But for others it has worked! Fingers x-ed


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## Goldfish

brumbar said:


> Hey you! I only had the one 3 month implant followed by an ivf cycle!
> I had my period on time after the ivf cycle but i've noticed my ovulation has been later ever since! I've awlays ovulated on day 13-15 and after zolly it went to 17-20 !!!! Also, i had the fot waves and headaches throughout the ivf cycle and the cycle after... My private consultant warned me that it takes ages for it to get out of the system... Not sure if you will be ttc-ing on your own or with help after that, but bear in mind that if ifv-ing you will need much higher doses to stimulate...the NHS stuck me on zolly and i'm not sure it was a wise move for me! But for others it has worked! Fingers x-ed

Hi brumbar, did you have the 3-month Zoladex to treat endo or was it just part of your IVF cycle? I had one 3-month Zoladex injection in June 2011 and have been waiting for AF to return since Sep.... wondering if you knew anything about this as I'm getting a bit concerned...?


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## itsnowmyturn

Hi I no this is an old post but I wanted to ask the same question, I read somewhere that you have to wait 12 weeks after zolly to start trying, but since reading that ive read wait 4 weeks because then it will be out of ur system and then start trying.

I want to start trying as soon as i can, im on the pill as well as zoladex so have to stop both, ive heard that you are more fertile immediately after coming off the pill but then some ppl find it takes ages for their fertility to come back to normal, i no there are no risks to getting pregnant immediately after coming off the pill but obviously fertility wise i want it to be perfect timing. also some ppl say after zolly they were super fertile and other say it took months for it to return. So i guess my question is when do i come off the pill, i have a few options
1) the day of my last injection to give my body 4 weeks without the pill
2) 4 weeks after my last injection to coincide with my zolly being out of my system
3) now so that my body has 3/4 months with no pill

I duno its all confusing, need to speak with dr on friday when i go for my third, il be half way thru then


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## Goldfish

Not sure about the pill - prob best to ask your doctor? Good luck!


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## fifi-folle

I'd be chatting to my consultant about it. Why are you on the Pill and Zoladex? If zolly is working your cycle should be shut down and if you're on the combined Pill you're feeding the endo oestrogen which is what the zoladex is trying to stop. Sorry if my questions are dumb, it's a while since I've been on anything for my endo (pregnancy and bf'ing for the past 2.5 years)


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## itsnowmyturn

fifi-folle said:


> I'd be chatting to my consultant about it. Why are you on the Pill and Zoladex? If zolly is working your cycle should be shut down and if you're on the combined Pill you're feeding the endo oestrogen which is what the zoladex is trying to stop. Sorry if my questions are dumb, it's a while since I've been on anything for my endo (pregnancy and bf'ing for the past 2.5 years)

Zoladex isn't licensed as a contraceptive so they have to recommend you use one and as I was already taking one I figured I might as well and I didn't want to change anything else so I knew any effects that were happening were caused by the Zoladex.

I don't take combined pill its a POP so no oestrogen. The pill I dont actually take for endo I have been on some sort of contraception since 14 so it always seemed like the best thing to do is carry on with it, 10 years on the pill or injection so I don't no whether this will affect my short term fertility immediately after coming off the pill or not

Thank you


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## fifi-folle

Ah ok, I wasn't on the Pill when suffering badly from my endo (it doesn't agree with me) so no conversation about that, can't remember being advised about contraception either though. It took 9 weeks after Zoladex for my cycle to return, we started ttc after my first AF, although that is more for dating the pregnancy than anything else. I guess I'd stop the Pill after stopping the Zolly, do you still get AF on POP? If so I would stop the Pill when I had first AF otherwise I'd probably give the zolly a few weeks to come out your system before stopping. 
Good luck!


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## Amber3

Hi there,
I am just trying something called N-acetylcysteine. It is very interesting and seem to really help with endometriosis, but without all the side effects. You can look it up on Google
Amber:)


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## itsnowmyturn

fifi-folle said:


> Ah ok, I wasn't on the Pill when suffering badly from my endo (it doesn't agree with me) so no conversation about that, can't remember being advised about contraception either though. It took 9 weeks after Zoladex for my cycle to return, we started ttc after my first AF, although that is more for dating the pregnancy than anything else. I guess I'd stop the Pill after stopping the Zolly, do you still get AF on POP? If so I would stop the Pill when I had first AF otherwise I'd probably give the zolly a few weeks to come out your system before stopping.
> Good luck!

I have just been for my third zoladex today and asked my doctor, he says wait 4 weeks after my last one then come off the pill but he says it may take a while for my fertility to come back due to 10 years on contraception and after 6 months of zoladex. 

Its good news for me because I thought I would have to wait 12 weeks after last zoladex from something I read so for me it means 2 months earlier :happydance: 

No i dont have AF on the pill Im on, dont think iv had a proper regular period for about 5 years. But as long as there arent any medical problems with trying straight away im not bothered about them dating the pregnancy, thats their problem not mine lol only joking Im sure we can figure it out between us


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## fifi-folle

fingers crossed then that you don't have an AF at all :D

ETA 12 weeks can be how long it takes for first af after zolly, but hopefully you conceive before that!!!


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## itsnowmyturn

fifi-folle said:


> fingers crossed then that you don't have an AF at all :D
> 
> ETA 12 weeks can be how long it takes for first af after zolly, but hopefully you conceive before that!!!

Id heard that it was to let it get out of your system but I dont think thats true. Iv heard of people getting their AF after its worn off so 4 weeks, but Im not all that bothered about having AF lol they are more trouble than they are worth


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## aminawasiq

I am 28 , I get married , 4 months ago I went to doctor and do ultrasound and MRI , they told me I have bloody cyst in left ovary (4.2*6.6). doctor gives me 5 Zoladex 3.6 mg injection , I did ultrasound after three months , size of cyst reduced. Can I be pregnant? when I will get my period after last injection.


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## itsnowmyturn

Just so u no ladies zoladex and endo do not stop ur bfp, I got mine today after 7 months of trying there is hope ladies xx


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## Skye101

Hi, has anyone else experienced pregnancy symptoms ei. Sore breasts, nausea and vomiting, bizarre dreams. After being on zoladex? My last injection was two months ago to the day and I've had a blood test to confirm I'm not pregnant, just wondering if anyone else has this experience? Kinda going crazy


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## itsnowmyturn

I did, it's just ur hormones altering back, I got my first af after about 6 weeks


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## itsnowmyturn

That's 6 weeks after the last injection wore off so 10 weeks from the last injection


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## fifi-folle

Amina - it can take a while for zoladex to wear off. Did the doctor not do any other tests? Endo can only be diagnosed through a laparoscopy. 

Itsnowmyturn - congratulations! Endo certainly doesn't stop you getting pregnant! I have an almost 3 year old and a 19 month old!!! (don't assume conceiving your second will be as hard as 1st! DS was 6 months old when I got pregnant with DD!!)

Skye - sounds like your hormones are returning, fingers crossed you have success soon!

As for me I had a lovely break from endo when pregnant with DS and DD and until recently. I have just had surgery to remove my right ovary which is where most of my endo was (and lots of scar tissue). No plans for any more babies though!!


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## itsnowmyturn

filli - how was your endo during early pregnancy? I have still been getting excruciating cramps, exactly how my endo ones were, obviously I keep telling myself its just the scars stretching but as you can imagine it can be concerning, and I then go and check that I'm not bleeding. I think part of it is that it still hasn't really sunk in. So far its only my word for it lol, the doctors dont do tests so its just no period and 5 positive tests, hoping the midwife does bloodwork on Thursday and can give me reassurance on the pain


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## fifi-folle

itsnowmyturn said:


> filli - how was your endo during early pregnancy? I have still been getting excruciating cramps, exactly how my endo ones were, obviously I keep telling myself its just the scars stretching but as you can imagine it can be concerning, and I then go and check that I'm not bleeding. I think part of it is that it still hasn't really sunk in. So far its only my word for it lol, the doctors dont do tests so its just no period and 5 positive tests, hoping the midwife does bloodwork on Thursday and can give me reassurance on the pain

With both pregnancies the pain was awful, especially at the start, so much so that I ended up having emergency scans to make sure they weren't ectopic. I kept on painkillers with my son right through the pregnancy as I was in quite a lot of pain due to scar tissue, the pain eased when he was born and with breastfeeding. My cycle returned at 4mo pp and was pregnant with dd at 6 mo pp. Pain again at the start but eased sooner (but then hip pain kicked in around 6 mo pregnant.)
The stretching pain is really sore, mine was all at right side (where ovary etc was all tied together - had op 6 weeks ago to remove adhesions and right ovary). But after baby the pain was a lot better. This time the pain was ok til DD was 15mo :)


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## itsnowmyturn

I was just told by the doctor not to worry n she didn't even consider ectopic but I really do think it's just the scar tissue stretching, it's wearing me out, supposed to be bk at work Wednesday but I'm not sure I want to go feeling so crappy


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