First PSA check after starting Firmagon

It takes a while, it WILL start dropping, unlike lupron that may spike the numbers and then lower, firmagin only lowers, my husband reluctantly started it in the spring and each time it lowered, from 285 he's now below 2... He also delayed taking zytiga but that helped too and he's almost done with chemo.

How is your husband? Doing ok with chemo?

Firmagon is fine for getting your first shot of ADT. Getting it in your stomach over and over is a real pain in the neck and not necessary.

After the first month of Firmagon, you can move onto Lupron or even The daily Orgovyx Pill. Tell your doctor you don’t want that Firmagon shot you want another option. The urologist like to continue to give you that because they make a lot of money giving it every month. The Lupron shot can be given every three or six months.
I had the six month shot for almost 6 years, Had no side effects ever from the shot itself unless I was pressed right into the spot where they gave it the day I got it, It could be slightly sore.

Hi Jeff did your cancer eventually go CR and if so what next steps did you choose? I read you said your were on ADT for 6-years that’s fantastic, I just started 4-months in orgovyx plus zytega. I would be grateful if I don’t go CR for 6 or more years. Just had imrt for two lymph nodes, my prostate was proton radiated 3- years ago I had 3 cores G6, G7, G8. recent psma/pet showed no uptake in the prostate. So unfortunately I feel I have cells throughout my body because of the lymph nodes Mets, I’m praying for remission but being realistic. Anyway I hope your doing feeling well.

I’ve been on ADT for almost 9 years. Six+ years on Lupron And Orgovyx over 2 years since.

I became castrate resistant 2.5 years after starting Lupron. At that point I went on Casodex for almost 1.5 years and then Zytiga for over 2.5 years. I then switched to Nubeqa and I have been on it for about two years. It has kept me undetectable for the last 21 months. I have BRCA2, which is why it keeps coming back. I did have a metastasis in my spine zapped two years ago.

The fact is, staying on Zytiga and ADT can lengthen the amount of time that it can take before you become castrate resistant. They didn’t know that when I started Lupron years ago. Zytiga can be very tough. It caused me to have high blood pressure, which I take three pills for twice daily. It also caused me to have four afib events the last of which put me in the hospital for four days. I work with one guy who has had extreme fatigue from Zytiga, Got him, along with his doctor to switch to 10 mg of prednisone, which helped a lot. Zytiga Really increased the number of hot flashes I was getting, Since it’s job is to reduce testosterone below what ADT takes it down to.

I’ve had some strange things happen at the end of July. I lost 7 pounds in a few days and I’ve never been able to get it back. My blood pressure systolic, which had been about 100 for at least two years, has been pretty consistently 130 and above since I lost the weight. Had a bone scan yesterday and they found nothing. A PSMA PET scan won’t work because my PSA is undetectable. I’m having a CT scan Monday to see if it shows something. The median survival after becoming castrate resistant is two years, It’s been six years for me.

Good luck, Sounds like you’re heading in the right direction. Hopefully with the drugs you’re on now you can stay undetectable for years.

I’ve been on ADT for almost 9 years. Six+ years on Lupron And Orgovyx over 2 years since.

I became castrate resistant 2.5 years after starting Lupron. At that point I went on Casodex for almost 1.5 years and then Zytiga for over 2.5 years. I then switched to Nubeqa and I have been on it for about two years. It has kept me undetectable for the last 21 months. I have BRCA2, which is why it keeps coming back. I did have a metastasis in my spine zapped two years ago.

The fact is, staying on Zytiga and ADT can lengthen the amount of time that it can take before you become castrate resistant. They didn’t know that when I started Lupron years ago. Zytiga can be very tough. It caused me to have high blood pressure, which I take three pills for twice daily. It also caused me to have four afib events the last of which put me in the hospital for four days. I work with one guy who has had extreme fatigue from Zytiga, Got him, along with his doctor to switch to 10 mg of prednisone, which helped a lot. Zytiga Really increased the number of hot flashes I was getting, Since it’s job is to reduce testosterone below what ADT takes it down to.

I’ve had some strange things happen at the end of July. I lost 7 pounds in a few days and I’ve never been able to get it back. My blood pressure systolic, which had been about 100 for at least two years, has been pretty consistently 130 and above since I lost the weight. Had a bone scan yesterday and they found nothing. A PSMA PET scan won’t work because my PSA is undetectable. I’m having a CT scan Monday to see if it shows something. The median survival after becoming castrate resistant is two years, It’s been six years for me.

Good luck, Sounds like you’re heading in the right direction. Hopefully with the drugs you’re on now you can stay undetectable for years.

Thank you Jeff your a great source of extremely helpful information, grateful that you share your experience and knowledge. I was curious about the zap for the spinal lesion are ‘zaps’ one and done or is it a course of radiation treatment? I hope all turns out well with the upcoming scans for you.

Thank you Jeff your a great source of extremely helpful information, grateful that you share your experience and knowledge. I was curious about the zap for the spinal lesion are ‘zaps’ one and done or is it a course of radiation treatment? I hope all turns out well with the upcoming scans for you.

Hi Jeff, how long do men stay castrate sensitive, on average, while on ADT + zytiga/abiraterone? Does anyone know yet