What rehab to do after 6 months of Orgovyx and 38 sessions IMRT

@pamperme
ADT deteriorated my muscles to the point that I couldn’t get off the floor without pulling myself up on something. I didn’t really realize how much it damaged muscles.

With some exercise, I am stuck doing things with much lighter weights than I thought I would be able to handle. As @heavyphil mentions however, Doing as many reps as you can with lighter weights, until you can’t do another one, really does build those muscles. Over time you can move up to heavier weights. Getting in there and doing it early, can prevent the loss of muscles that are going to happen, if you don’t do the exercising.

I’ve heard many people talk about the sleep problems. Are you making sure not to sleep during the day so that you are tired at night? I don’t recall ever having a sleep problem with ADT, But for a few years, I would wake up multiple times feeling I had to go pee and I knew I didn’t. Fortunately, taking the right drug fixed that. I don’t go to sleep until midnight and wake up about 6:30, That assures that I’m tired and I don’t usually wake up In the middle of the night, It happens occasionally, but I go right back to sleep. Not sure this really helps but figured I’d bring up things that work for me.

@amota
A PSA of .68 is quite high for somebody that has had a Prostatectomy. What’s more important however is how quickly it’s rising. If it doesn’t significantly rise in a multi month, period, then it does not matter.

I’ve run into a lot of people in the meetings I go to, who have had their prostate cancer come back after 10, 15 and even 25 years. It does happen and treatments can make a difference. You could live to 90 and beyond If you need treatment.

I had my prostatectomy 16 years ago and it came back after 3 1/2 years and I had radiation. I’ve had three more reoccurrences and I’m now 78 (79 this year). I can do everything somebody my age can do and more probably. I walk on a track a fast mile twice every day. I go to the gym three times a week and work on weightlifting to keep my muscles strong. I am on two different drugs for prostate cancer, but nobody has any idea unless I tell them. My wife and I go dancing on the weekends, work up a sweat swing dancing. People have told me they think I’m 10 years younger than I am.

Don’t be afraid of being treated for your cancer, If it reoccurs. Being active is the most important thing.

@surftohealth88 I was not aware of the bouncing moves for bone density. I have been doing some aerobics but not trying to build muscle mass which is what they want you to do. I will do the probiotic and am on bland diet
Wishing you the best always
Timmy

@jime51
This is a fantastic video explaining the importance of exercise in every phase of prostate cancer and what excercises to do. It explains doing weight type excercises several times a week is the best way. This is trying to build muscle using weights where you can only do up to 12 reps. He explains what is important is muscle mass and you do not want to lose weight if it takes away too much muscle mass. The studies show if you are doing excercises during active surveillance you may not have to go further or have more time before going further. You should do excercises before radiation because it brings oxygen to the cancer which helps kill it when irradiate it. When on adt you should be doing excercises before radiation to maintain muscle mass and slow the growth of cancer. And when the cancer Nastasi’s occurs the excercises will slow the growth extending life expectancy.
He gives what excercises are to be done and this is more important than the aerobic part
I will start out doing the smaller weights and more repetition to get use to it again but I need to transition to heavier weights with 6-12 repetitions. If I knew this before my radiation I would have gone to the gym each day before it. I keep changing what I have to accomplish.
There was SIU-ICUD which went out on this in 2025.

@heavyphil
I will be taking this tact because I have always tended to overdo things. At some point from the article I read I need to go to heavier weights where I can do fewer reduction to build muscle mass since it produces the most to fight the cancer. Thanks for your comments, I need to take it slow, I always tend to go to fast and overdo it. Best wishes always

Regarding weight training. Rob Newton is a leading exercise oncologist who I've studied. His recommendation is to start at 85% of what you can lift in any particular weight training exercise, and do it three times a week until it isn't hard to repeat 12 times. Then increase the weight until you can only do 6 reps. You want to keep a few reps in reserve, i.e. stop at 6 if you could, with maximum effort, do 8. Etc.

He usually is reluctant to issue general instructions, but in one video recorded by P.C.R.I. he was pinned down on a routine for anyone who was not in danger of breaking fragile bones or who was in serious trouble in other ways.

He listed six pin machine exercises:

Chest Press/ Seated Row/ Lat Pull Down/ Leg Press/ Leg Extension/ Leg Curl. I.e. upper body and lower body exercises, 2 or 3 sets, 6 to 12 reps each, 2 or 3 times a week.

Youtube vid: The Power of Exercise for Prostate Cancer https://www.youtube.com/watch

Newton lays out a concise description of what exercise oncologists have discovered in this article: Prostate Cancer Treatment with Exercise Medicine https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tre.884

@jeffmarc I will get back to doing the repetition with the weights. I was only on it for 6 months and it has affected me. I am also aware that there is a good chance of my cancer reappearing and I would be placed back on Orgovyx and I need to do better.
The sleep is a major problem for me and started before my prostatectomy. I had multiple infections in my seminal vessels and the pain became chronic. It also made me feel like I have a uti with pain in the penal area making me feel like I have to go all the time. The most painful part disappeared and I was extremely happy when they removed my prostate and seminal vessels but the feeling I had to go did not go away and the sensing of pressure of my sphincter muscles and any tension is magnified and the only time it is not when I am going.
Since I feel I have to go all the time I am constantly getting up to go at night If I wait to long or if something like seeing a bathroom I just spasm.
I went onto a catheter for 4 months and was still waking feeling I had to go but told myself I had a catheter and finally I started to sleep through the night. The catheter was a lot of work and limited me from doing things. I got several infections and did not want to get a chronic infection so I went back to diapers. I slept well because if I woke up I accepted the diaper and went back to sleep. Sometimes I made it through the night and sometimes I didn’t but the sleep was blissful.
But then my mind went back to trying stay dry and getting up. I watch the clock staying awake and getting up. I am at a 52% sleep deficit and with the Orgovyx and radiation I can barely function. last night I got up eleven times and could not wait to get the night over watching the clock. If I can not get by the mindset of getting up at night I will have to go back to the catheter. Even being over the radiation and Orgovyx the sleep is needed. It is now my top priority. What drug are you taking for sleep, I have tried several with no success. I just need to get my mind back to sleeping through the night.
Thanks for all your help you have given me and to others. You are an inspiration to me. Best wishes always.

@pamperme
I don’t take anything for sleep. I don’t need it.

I take Myrbetriq To stop urgency at night, Also, during the day, I suppose. I used to get up at least three times at night now I don’t get up at all, Well, maybe once a month.

Gemtesa is supposed to do the same thing.

Both of them say they can reduce incontinence, at least a little.

Stopping that urge seems to also stop the waking when you get the urge.

I’m surprised your doctors have not tried to put you on something to stop urgency. Is there a problem with your bladder that is causing this? Have you had them check your bladder to make sure it’s empty after you pee? Have they determined what is actually causing this urgency issue?

@pamperme

I tried many herbal supplements for sleep and they help if I am not very stressed but when I need extra help Benadryl (6 hour) helps , or ZQuil and I also discovered that CBD and THC gummise help 100 % ( and I use half the recommended dose !!! , go slowly if you never used weed, I did not ever try it before).
I tried one med. that doctor prescribed and I thought I would die even though I took half the pill - it is called Tramadol - never again I will ask a doctor for sleep aid 😡. If you do go to doctor ask for mild sedative, NOT this crap that is actually very old anti depressant - just horrible drug and lasts for at least 24 or more hours. I have no idea what is wrong with doctors in general.

Bouncing moves - absolutely necessary since those use "gravity signals" sent to bones to grow stronger. I have no idea why nobody mentions that in their presentations (actually that Australian guy who sells app. did - he suggested bunny jumps and step). Many studies are done proving that bounce gives bones signal to grow. If you have sensitive knees or hips than simple "up up, down down" on one step will do. Or small trampoline too. There is no need to do whole aerobic routine on a step - just gong up and down that platform or if you have steps in the garden or in the home use the first step as a prop. Now, if you have stamina step aerobic part would give you both - bone exercises and cardio and lover body muscle exercises.

My husband does weight also , every day for 30 min and uses you-tube series for prostate cancer patients. Exercises are done at home. He showed them to UCSF nutritionist and their PT person and both confirmed that they are exactly what he needs to do. He was told to challenge muscles with heavier weights as soon as repetition becomes "comfortable". One has to do given number of reps till one just can not do single one more.

Wishing you the best always 💗

@climateguy I’ve been doing those six, two sets of 12 (5 minutes rowing) twice a week for several months and it definitely makes a difference.