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18 month update. How am I doing?

Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (14)

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@gsd

@eldorado80, first, thank you for posting! It is very helpful! It sounds like you feel you are doing quite well and that news boosts others!
Secondly, if your pulse is really 28-35, that certainly falls in the range of bradycardia. I too have a resting rate of 40-45 BPM and have for 45 years. Apparently, it dips into the upper 30's when I sleep. I was a distance runner for 4 decades. I got used to the look on nurses faces when they would take my vitals for the first time. Many times they would quietly exit and an attending physician would appear shortly thereafter! My cardiologist had me wear a holter monitor for 3 days just to make sure I didn't have any more serious heart rhythm problems.
I think its very reassuring to others that you have managed the side effects of your treatment and are enjoying life!
Might I ask you to contribute a bit of additional information to help others understand your lower heart rate as it might relate to your successful prostate cancer treatment?
-Am I correct that your had a 6 month course of Lupron ending 18 months ago?
-Do you remember what your blood pressure readings were before your prostate cancer treatment? Do you ascribe your low heart rate to your prostate cancer treatment or were you kind of like me in that you had a lower than normal heart rate before prostate cancer treatment?
-Are you on any other medications that might reduce your heart rate, like beta-blockers?
-Do you have any other symptoms symptoms, like dizziness upon rising quickly, or an irregular heartbeat? That was what my cardiologist was concerned about and why he had me wear a holter monitor. There was one, an elongated QT segment, he wanted to rule out. Fortunately, he did rule it out.
Thank you for posting! It's really helpful for PCa patients like me to read reports of men who are further down the road of treatment than I. It helps me understand the process and gives me hope!

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Replies to "@eldorado80, first, thank you for posting! It is very helpful! It sounds like you feel you..."

I have never even felt light headed. I found it myself when checking blood pressure at home after the single and only Lupron max 45mg injection. Bradycardia is a side effect of Lupron. My doctor sent me to Emergency, lots of tests and cardiologist recommended a Pacemaker (the normal response to Bradycardia). Having never felt any symptoms I refused. As of July 18 it will be 2 years since I received the injection that caused this. I must admit, if I did experience the onset of light headedness/fainting I would revisit the pacemaker.
BP is typically 120-130 /70 controlled by minimum dose of Losartan (25mg) I was taking before treatment because bp was in 140's at times. This is the only med I take. I hope that answers all of your questions.
Best wishes, Dave