How did you manage mood swings while on Lupron or other ADT?

What your husband is having is not uncommon. There are two options when somebody has serious mood swings when they are on ADT (Lupron).

One solution is exercise. It sounds like your husband’s doing that though. I run a mile twice a day and go to the gym three days a week because ADT destroys your muscles. For many people that helps with the mood swings, I have never had them.

People exercise does not help, should consider seeing a psychiatrist to get mood stabilizing drugs. You have to realize that not every drug works for everyone so it may be necessary to try different drugs to see what works for him.

Common drugs for depression, mood swings and anxiety
Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Effexor, Buspirone, Cymbalta, Lexipro, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil

There are more drugs, a psychiatrist can find the one that works for him.

During my second year on Lupron and abiraterone I experienced mood swings and agitation despite significant daily exercise. As I was frequently the last person to be aware of it, I set an alarm on my phone which went off every 15 minutes throughout the day to remind me to check my mood and to pause and consider my attitude before opening my mouth to speak. Was it irritating, yes. However, the alarms (as well as my loving wife and understanding friends) illuminated the issue and conditioned me to check my mental and emotional state before speaking or reacting to others. I'm sure meds are more effective, but I really dislike taking them unless it's absolutely necessary.

I have been off of lupron and abiraterone for two years now. The mood swings and agitation faded away along with most of the other other side effects. I count my blessings when it comes to family and friends as those relationships, tempered by adversity, are stronger than ever.
Bill

Thank you for sharing your experience and that helpful tip. My husband also does not wish to add more drugs to his body. We are encouraged by your message and find hope that this too shall pass. Thank you

@jwoy, I updated the title of your discussion to gather more tips from the guys about managing the mood swings that can be common with androgen deprivation therapy like Lupron.

I know you said your husband doesn't wish to add more medication, but I'm adding this discussion just for reference:
- Drug treatment for mood swings and emotional instability https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/drug-treatment-for-mood-swings-and-emotional-instability/

You may be interested in this discussion that @ep1cre started a little bit ago.
- Support for wives with the Orgovyx tornado: Needing an olive branch https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/support-for-wives-with-the-orgovyx-tornado-needing-an-olive-branch/

@jwoy, I see that your husband finds the mood swings challenging and wants to get them under control. I can imagine they are hard on you, too. What do you find helps you when his mood swings into dark zones or irritability or other unwanted moods?

I was on Lupron & Abiraterone for 2.5 years, & no mood issues.

I was on Eligard for 18 months, and it wasn't a walk in the park, with the muscle weakness, hot flashes, and weight gain. I ran into mild mood swings weekly. I tried to avoid stressful situations and simplify my life. When a mood swing kicks in, concentrate on an activity that requires your attention, even if it's only assembling a jigsaw puzzle.

I've been on Orgovyx for 3 months. I've experienced fairly wild mood swings in the past two weeks. I'm not absolutely certain the drug is wholly or partly responsible, but I'm concluding that it is. My plan so far is to learn how to cope - to accept that this is how I am now, and to focus on preserving what is most important to me.

I’ve been on ADT for 14 years. Telstar for six; Lupron for four; now Eligard for four. Mood swings and have no testosterone. Was given Prozac first then switched to Wellbutrin. That helped a bit but mood swings never completely went away. The low T just complicates things. No real choice but to live through it. Best part? I’m still with family and friends. Most important to me: Life is precious.

@mtoka
There are a lot more drugs people have used in order to find the one that works for them.

Ask your Doctor about switching to one of these to see if it makes a difference.,
Zoloft, Effexor, Buspirone, Cymbalta, Lexipro, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Escitalopram

I had some behavioral lability on firmagon then lupron. On top of which I had some anxiety while I was processing emotions evoked by the whole PCa onset timing. Found long walks very helpful, but I would suggest letting your onco care team know that lability and behavioral issues are a KNOWN SIDE EFFECT of ADT. Full stop. I received some very unprofessional blowback from them and let them know this. Their attitude might be to say it is our problem, which is IMO highly unprofessional as opposed to being objective.