Are my partner's Hormone therapy side effects affecting me?

Posted by jehjeh @jehjeh, Aug 22, 2023

My husband is receiving hormone therapy for stage 4 prostate cancer. I am now experiencing hot flashes. It's not menopause, I went through that 2 decades ago.

He was hospitalized on Saturday and my hot flashes have stopped. Could his medication be affecting me?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.

I am sorry to hear of this situation. I have not heard of this scenario. Hormone therapy usually comes in two types, one that prevents the testicles from producing testosterone (90% of the source) and the other that prevents the adrenaline gland from producing testosterone (10% of the source). I guess there is a chance that the latter drug is somehow impacting your adrenaline gland and producing the temperature imbalance?

REPLY

@jehjeh, that's a very interesting question. Some people still experience hot flashes after menopause. Might stress be a trigger for you? Or returning to an old habit, like smoking or eating more salt?

Have you talked to your doctor about experiencing hot flashes again?

REPLY

I also am having hotflashes while my husband is going through radiation and hormone treatment. If i touch him i sweat, i am in perimenapause. It is absolutely crazy but i have slept alone and it is not the same. My fatigue is also horrible, almost flu like. Thought i was just having sympathy pains for him. But it has been horrible. If we touch skin to skin i sweat buckets.

REPLY
Profile picture for mmschulte70 @mmschulte70

I also am having hotflashes while my husband is going through radiation and hormone treatment. If i touch him i sweat, i am in perimenapause. It is absolutely crazy but i have slept alone and it is not the same. My fatigue is also horrible, almost flu like. Thought i was just having sympathy pains for him. But it has been horrible. If we touch skin to skin i sweat buckets.

Jump to this post

@mmschulte70, sorry to hear that you are both trying to cope with hot flashes. Have you been able to accommodate sleeping arrangements with open windows or fans to keep you both comfortable? Is your husband still in radition treatment? How are you doing?

REPLY

My husband is taking hormone therapy and since he started this for prostate cancer, I have been having terrible hot flashes. He left for a week to go visit his brother and while he was gone, it took a day or two, but I was finally free! Three days ago he came back and got his second shot and now I am miserable. I am going to move him into the guest room and I am not going to touch him and see if that helps! Any suggestions?

REPLY
Profile picture for gehler7 @gehler7

My husband is taking hormone therapy and since he started this for prostate cancer, I have been having terrible hot flashes. He left for a week to go visit his brother and while he was gone, it took a day or two, but I was finally free! Three days ago he came back and got his second shot and now I am miserable. I am going to move him into the guest room and I am not going to touch him and see if that helps! Any suggestions?

Jump to this post

@gehler7
What you have said is very confusing. Your husband got hormone therapy and you are getting hot flashes. There is no correlation between his treatment and your hot flashes.

I know, hundreds of men that have had hormone therapy and none have ever said anything about their wives having hot flashes as a result. I’ve been on it for nine years and my wife’s never had hot flashes.

Stress can bring on hot flashes quicker than just about anything. If you are at the age where menopause is common, the stress of him being around may be what is causing your hot flashes.

It is technically impossible for his hormone therapy to affect you directly and cause you to have hot flashes.

REPLY
Profile picture for gehler7 @gehler7

My husband is taking hormone therapy and since he started this for prostate cancer, I have been having terrible hot flashes. He left for a week to go visit his brother and while he was gone, it took a day or two, but I was finally free! Three days ago he came back and got his second shot and now I am miserable. I am going to move him into the guest room and I am not going to touch him and see if that helps! Any suggestions?

Jump to this post

@gehler7
It is physiologically impossible that your husband's hormone blockers can effect you just by being near him.

IF he was using some topical creams and patches that were hormone REPLACEMENT and you came in contact with them than yes , you might have some effect. But he is on BLOCKER for testosterone that is not in any contact with you. Besides, for females only drop in estrogen causes hot flashes.

You might have hot flashes due to high stress and yes, your husband's disease is causing you being stressed but removing poor guy to another room would not be fair since it not his ADT that is causing your hot flashes.

REPLY
Profile picture for gehler7 @gehler7

My husband is taking hormone therapy and since he started this for prostate cancer, I have been having terrible hot flashes. He left for a week to go visit his brother and while he was gone, it took a day or two, but I was finally free! Three days ago he came back and got his second shot and now I am miserable. I am going to move him into the guest room and I am not going to touch him and see if that helps! Any suggestions?

Jump to this post

@gehler7 Is it that he is flushed and sweaty and you feel that? When my wife went thru menopause it was like sleeping next to a steam engine, so I diplomatically moved to the edge of the mattress…
That’s the only way you would experience someone’s else hot flashes…you cannot ‘catch’ them.
Phil

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.