1. < Prostate Cancer

Hormone Treatment Experience

Posted by mhordes @mhordes, 11 hours ago

Had my first visit today at MD Anderson Proton Center and the Dr ordered AlteraAI to see if Hormone Therapy would help

If so he is leaning to Hormone Therapy Light. Not sure what that means? Hormone Therapy does not look like fun!

Anyone have experience with ADT Light or just Hormone Md light? Are the side effects the same?

Thanks for any feedback

Mark H

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mhordes | @mhordes | 10 hours ago

My PSA score dropped in one month?

I had my PSA taken a month ago at Houston Metro Urology and it was 8.1

Today at MD Anderson it was 6.6

Don’t understand how it dropped with out doing anything or receiving any treatment or meds for PC

Any thought appreciated

Mark H

REPLY
northoftheborder | @northoftheborder | 9 hours ago

PSA bounces up and down. You're still in the same rough range (let's call it "5–10"): maybe before the first test you'd recently ridden a bike, or sat in an uncomfortable chair, or engaged in certain intimate acts, or who-knows-what. It's the trend that matters, and fingers crossed that it continues downwards for you!

REPLY
jeff Marchi | @jeffmarc | 9 hours ago

There really isn’t an ADT light, The purpose of ADT is to drop your testosterone as close to zero as possible. Every single ADT drug does exactly that. With zero testosterone, the prostate cancer has nothing to grow with so it stops growing and in many cases shrinks. By ADT lite he may mean altering ADT instructions so you stop and start the drugs reducing the testosterone drop,

The alternative to hormone therapy is to use the Estradiol patch. It still drops your testosterone, but it doesn’t affect the heart as much, It doesn’t affect the desire as much and you get Fewer hot flashes. You can search patch study if you want more information.

I’ve been on ADT for eight years and it really has not affected my actual daily life, Other than the fact that I now exercise by walking on a track twice a day and going to the gym three times a week the rest of my time is quite normal for 15 years with PC.

Just some information so you know ADT possibilities

Due to their different mechanisms of action. ADT which includes Orgovyx, Firmagon, Lupron, Eligard, Prostap, Camcevi, Lucrin, Zoladex, Trelstar, Pamorelin, and Decapeptyl can cause numerous side effects. Actually due to a lack of testosterone.
Hot flashes
Fatigue
Muscle deterioration
Bone weakening
Brain fog
Depression
Weight gain
Difficulty in breathing

Not all of these side effects occur to everyone on the drugs. Most of them are just things you have to be aware of and circumvent. I walk on the track twice a day, 1 mile at least, to help prevent bone weakening, fatigue and muscle deterioration. I also go to the gym three days a week (usually) and spend an hour with all different types of weight exercises. One thing that happens is people get a beer belly from the muscle deterioration, I do a lot of sit-ups to offset that.

Some people get depression but it is not common. It is easily treatable, according to people that have reported it on here and on Online Meetings I have participated in. If he has that problem Come back and ask for help, Or see a psychiatrist about doing something to relieve the depression.

Some people get no hot flashes at all. Others only have a few hot flashes and they are very minor. I had severe hot flashes for the first year on Lupron. As a hot flash was hitting I would feel a lot of fatigue. After a year, my oncologist prescribed a depo-provera shot every three months and it really stopped those hot flashes on Lupron. There are other hormones that can do this, speak to your doctor.
I know one person that says eating tofu every day really controlled his hot flashes, another person in this forum said the same thing. Can’t hurt to try it.

According to a doctor that spoke to a recent webinar, all people on ADT should be taking bone straighteners. I took Fosamax for six years and I’m now on Zometa. That along with calcium taken daily helps keep your bones strong. Ask your doctor about this.

I have never gained any weight while on ADT. I get on the scale every morning and base what I eat on what I weigh. Skip lunch at times.

REPLY
1 reply
mhordes | @mhordes | 6 hours ago
In reply to @jeffmarc "There really isn’t an ADT light, The purpose of ADT is to drop your testosterone as..." + (show)
@jeffmarc

There really isn’t an ADT light, The purpose of ADT is to drop your testosterone as close to zero as possible. Every single ADT drug does exactly that. With zero testosterone, the prostate cancer has nothing to grow with so it stops growing and in many cases shrinks. By ADT lite he may mean altering ADT instructions so you stop and start the drugs reducing the testosterone drop,

The alternative to hormone therapy is to use the Estradiol patch. It still drops your testosterone, but it doesn’t affect the heart as much, It doesn’t affect the desire as much and you get Fewer hot flashes. You can search patch study if you want more information.

I’ve been on ADT for eight years and it really has not affected my actual daily life, Other than the fact that I now exercise by walking on a track twice a day and going to the gym three times a week the rest of my time is quite normal for 15 years with PC.

Just some information so you know ADT possibilities

Due to their different mechanisms of action. ADT which includes Orgovyx, Firmagon, Lupron, Eligard, Prostap, Camcevi, Lucrin, Zoladex, Trelstar, Pamorelin, and Decapeptyl can cause numerous side effects. Actually due to a lack of testosterone.
Hot flashes
Fatigue
Muscle deterioration
Bone weakening
Brain fog
Depression
Weight gain
Difficulty in breathing

Not all of these side effects occur to everyone on the drugs. Most of them are just things you have to be aware of and circumvent. I walk on the track twice a day, 1 mile at least, to help prevent bone weakening, fatigue and muscle deterioration. I also go to the gym three days a week (usually) and spend an hour with all different types of weight exercises. One thing that happens is people get a beer belly from the muscle deterioration, I do a lot of sit-ups to offset that.

Some people get depression but it is not common. It is easily treatable, according to people that have reported it on here and on Online Meetings I have participated in. If he has that problem Come back and ask for help, Or see a psychiatrist about doing something to relieve the depression.

Some people get no hot flashes at all. Others only have a few hot flashes and they are very minor. I had severe hot flashes for the first year on Lupron. As a hot flash was hitting I would feel a lot of fatigue. After a year, my oncologist prescribed a depo-provera shot every three months and it really stopped those hot flashes on Lupron. There are other hormones that can do this, speak to your doctor.
I know one person that says eating tofu every day really controlled his hot flashes, another person in this forum said the same thing. Can’t hurt to try it.

According to a doctor that spoke to a recent webinar, all people on ADT should be taking bone straighteners. I took Fosamax for six years and I’m now on Zometa. That along with calcium taken daily helps keep your bones strong. Ask your doctor about this.

I have never gained any weight while on ADT. I get on the scale every morning and base what I eat on what I weigh. Skip lunch at times.

Jump to this post

Thanks Jeff. All very helpful information. I sort of knew that there was a silver bullet that made it easy, I see from your comments it takes commitment and focus to keep it all in balance

Mark

REPLY
1 reply
mhordes | @mhordes | 6 hours ago
In reply to @mhordes "Thanks Jeff. All very helpful information. I sort of knew that there was a silver bullet..." + (show)
@mhordes

Thanks Jeff. All very helpful information. I sort of knew that there was a silver bullet that made it easy, I see from your comments it takes commitment and focus to keep it all in balance

Mark

Jump to this post

sorry....not a silver bullet that made it easy! Mark

REPLY
1 reply
jc76 | @jc76 | 5 hours ago

@mhordes
I did not have hormone treatments. They were first recommended when my original Biopsies were intermediate risk. I had the Decipher test and it came back low risk, so my R/Os dropped the need to do hormone treatments. In addition to Decipher I had the PSMA and bone scans all negative.

Even though I did not have hormone treatments can I asked what Altera AI? I have not read that term and would like to know.

REPLY
jeff Marchi | @jeffmarc | 5 hours ago
In reply to @mhordes "sorry....not a silver bullet that made it easy! Mark" + (show)
@mhordes

sorry....not a silver bullet that made it easy! Mark

Jump to this post

Somebody’s talking to themselves. Do you need to see a doctor?

REPLY
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