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← Return to Abiraterone alone for HT ADT therapy for PC
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Abiraterone alone for HT ADT therapy for PC
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: May 21 5:59pm | Replies (32)Comment receiving replies
Stage 4, Gleason 9, mets to iliac bone and regional lymph nodes. I took a digarelix (Firmagon) injection monthly along with 1gram abiraterone and 5mg prednisone, daily, for about 2.5 years. Usual SE with hot flashes, muscle wasting and loss of stamina. Switched Oncs and new one put me on Eligard inj every 3 months and abiraterone 250mg and 5 mg prednisone daily with LOW-FAT breakfast. He switched me because I was complaining about the long monthly drive and painful injections with the digarelix. But after just a few weeks of the change I started developing muscle pain in my glutes (butt) which eventually extended down into my hamstrings. Made walking and even standing straight up difficult and painful. Doc stopped the abiraterone (eligard still in the system) and the symptoms subsided. Now he has put me back on the 1gm abiraterone regime with another injection of Eligard. It has been 3 weeks and the muscle pain is starting, again. Something about Eligard or the combo with abiraterone ... my body does not like. I have asked him if he would order relugolix (oral version of the digarelix I was on before) but he shied away because of the difficulty they have had getting insurance approval. I will suggest strongly that we discontinue the Eligard and start me back on the digarelix injections pending his submitting for relugolix approval.
Replies to "Stage 4, Gleason 9, mets to iliac bone and regional lymph nodes. I took a digarelix..."
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It’s pretty clear that your problem is abiraterone not Eligard. You could request Orgovyx again, it has been approved by almost all insurance companies. Ask him to at least request it. He could give you a one month Eligard shot, So you can see if you can get Orgovyx.
Some people that are on Abiraterone have dropped back to three pills instead of four to try to resolve the side effects problems. See if your doctor will allow you to do that and if it makes a difference. You don’t want to sacrifice your PSA when you try this, however. I tried it and my PSA went from .2 to 1 in 18 days.
I found that switching from abiraterone to Darolutamide was much better for me. I was on Abbie for 2.5 years but since Switching my PSA has been undetectable for 18 months, in the 2 1/2 years I was on Abbie I was only undetectable one month. Your doctor might let you switch to Enzalutamide because it is cheaper, but it does have more side effects.
Don’t really expect that long-term orgovyx will work any different than Eligard. They do the same thing which is reduce your testosterone dramatically.