What helped me with hot flashes: What helped you?

I was getting at least 10 hot flashes every day when I first got Lupron. Each one was proceeded by fatigue. After a miserable year my oncologist finally said to me if I get a depo-provera shot it would probably stop the hot flashes. I got one every three months for at least four years and it really really relieved the hot flash problem. I was getting almost none until I started taking Zytiga, it ended up giving me a few a day.

I then got involved with a beta test for a product called the Wave. A wrist device, you wear on the inside of your wrist. It sends cold, waves through your arm and can stop the hot flashes before they become intense. I now have a wave 2 the latest version from Embrlabs.com. I used to wake up in the middle of the night and the bed would be wet under me. The wave device has a night mode that stopped those nightly hot flashes completely. This technology was invented by MIT.

There are other hormones, besides Depo Provera, check with your doctor and see. I like only having to get a shot once every three months.

I switched to Orgovyx and the hot flash problem almost went away without the need for depo-provera. This worked for me, but may not work for everyone.

Funny. My urologist gave me oxybutynin for bladder spasms. That worked for a couple of months and switched to trospium. My pcp has tried several different meds to stop the hots. So far no luck in cooling off.

That sucks, I was having mad hot flashes, to many to count, lol but that med cut it down a lot.

We all seem to have different results from the same meds. Oxybutynin didn't help me at all. I use paroxetine and it helps and is an antidepressant as well so I stopped my Zoloft. It works ok but not total suppression of the hots.
Guess we gotta keep trying till we find something that helps. Cooperative docs help as well.

The latest thing being an Estradiol patch or estrogen injections. This is now being studied to find out what quantity of estrogen is needed.

Richard Wassersug PhD wrote the book “Androgen Deprivation Therapy: An Essential Guide for Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones”. Has personally been on Estradiol for a couple of years. he did a webinar about it that can be found at Ancan.org.

This option has a lot less side effects than regular ADT.

It is crazy, how meds work so differently on certain individuals

Such a good reminder that we are all different. What works for one person may not for another.

Here are additional discussions related to prostate cancer treatment and managing hot flashes.
- Relief for hot flashes during the night
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/relief-for-hot-flashes-during-the-night/
- Any tips on reducing number of Hot flashes after ADT
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/any-tips-on-reducing-number-of-hot-flashes-after-adt/
- How long do the side effects of Lupron/Eligard last?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-long-do-the-side-effects-of-luproneligard-last/
See all using group search: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/prostate-cancer/?search=hot%20flashes&index=discussions

Nothing truly helps completely. My hot flashes hit me in so many different situations. For example, I woke up twice last night because of a hot flash. Or sometimes when I drink hot coffee. I just accept it as a new normal and go through it. It always feels like I cannot break for a quarter second, then my body heats up from my stomach and moves to my head. At that point I'm turning red and sweating terribly. After it is done - I seem to cool off quickly and that feels good.

Cymbalta 30mg a day helped me.

I've been on Zytiga since the end of May and the hot flashes were pretty unpleasant. It was also a hot summer here in the US and I pushed myself through several circumstances that would have made me overheat in the best of times. I feel that this almost helped me because it was hard to distinguish between a hot flash and normal exertion and everyone else was sweaty too. I feel that hot flashes are almost more of a mental problem that a physical one but let's see what happens in the cold weather.

After a little research I asked my doctor for Gabapentin. I took it for a week or so before bedtime and it helped but I could feel in wear off in the morning. I upped the dose to 3 per day and my flashes have been well reduced, somewhat noticeable when they occur but very manageable. Yesterday a friend gave me one of those neck 'air conditioners'. It's noisy but it has a great cooling effect.

I'd be interested if anyone had comments on any downsides to taking Gabapentin for the long term.