Is there an average and/or an expected drop in PSA after Lupron shot?

Posted by olman @olman, Jul 24 3:25pm

I read in one of the other posts here that “ you didn’t provide enough info “
Since I’ve been moved from my regular VA regime to the Oncology Clinic; what strange to me is how little “ the team “ tells me. So after my first Lupron shot I wasn’t told anything about what to expect. After my second shot my PSA must have dropped so much that everyone reacted as if I hit the lotto. But although I know it dropped about 100 points. I still have no idea what it all means. And all I was told is “ unless you’re hit by a bus you can rest assured that you will die from this cancer.
Talk about not providing enough info!

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

Profile picture for jeff Marchi @jeffmarc

My father also died of prostate cancer, At 88 his father lived in 98. I remember the day he told me Lupron stopped working. I had never heard of it and was unfamiliar with what was going on, But he told me his cancer was getting worse as a result. My father had his teeth ground down and crowned without Novocain, when I was a teenager. He’d come home to dinner after seeing the dentist and eat normally. The last few weeks before he died, he was on so much morphine that he couldn’t carry on a conversation. Didn’t realize that my father dying of prostate cancer would not be a good omen for me.

In my case, it turns out not only did I get prostate cancer genes from my father I got BRCA2 From my mother. As a result, I got prostate cancer at 62 whereas my older brother got prostate cancer at 75 because he doesn’t have BRCA2.

You’re having some issues with the VA and I may have some information that will help you get better treatment. Ancan.org Holds a veterans health online meeting every first and third Tuesday of the month. They have a whole bunch of military people from generals and Colonel’s to all ranks, helping people get the best care they can possibly get. They know how to go around the military to get outside doctors and have it paid for It might really make a difference for you to attend a meeting.

You’re talking about meeting people that have similarities to what you find in this group. I have been involved in the advanced prostate cancer weekly meetings at Ancan.org For about four years. There’s a group of people that meets there every week and most of the people have been there for a long time and are there to help and to get help. If you come to a meeting for the first time, they will give you close to a half an hour to discuss what’s going on with your case and what can be done about it. They’ve been helping people for 15 years and really know their stuff. It’s a large group, Between 35 and 50 people show up to every meeting.

There’s another group I meet with that’s similar in that people know each other, some for a long time and they’re really friendly in the group. They meet twice a month. I’ve been going to these meetings for about a year. It is call the Cancer support community https://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/. This is another place you might like to come to the meetings and learn a lot. You do need to get authorized ahead of time so you just have to call and they want to make sure you have prostate cancer.

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Thanks once again Jeff!
Is there a way to private message me? This vision problem makes it difficult to save info and bookmark them. I copied and pasted the link you included for that one group in my “NOTES” so I don’t need to come back here in hopes of finding this post again. My vision is near then end of reading with one good eye.

TY if you can help me locate your GREST VETERANS info again I’d love to join them and see if I can solve a mystery or two

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Profile picture for olman @olman

Thanks once again Jeff!
Is there a way to private message me? This vision problem makes it difficult to save info and bookmark them. I copied and pasted the link you included for that one group in my “NOTES” so I don’t need to come back here in hopes of finding this post again. My vision is near then end of reading with one good eye.

TY if you can help me locate your GREST VETERANS info again I’d love to join them and see if I can solve a mystery or two

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Here it is again

You’re having some issues with the VA and I may have some information that will help you get better treatment. Ancan.org Holds a veterans health online meeting every first and third Tuesday of the month. They have a whole bunch of military people from generals and Colonel’s to all ranks, helping people get the best care they can possibly get. They know how to go around the military to get outside doctors and have it paid for It might really make a difference for you to attend a meeting.

You can private message anyone by going to the top of the screen on the right hand side It shows a bell with your number of messages and an envelope next to it. Click the envelope and you can send a message to anybody by using their @ name.

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Profile picture for jeff Marchi @jeffmarc

That first pill you took was Biclutamide (Casodex) another one of the lutamides.😀

I actually took Biclutamide when I became castrate resistant. My oncologist had me take it for a year and it kept my PSA from rising much, Went on abiraterone after the year..

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What is Abiraterone? Couldn’t read the directions so I was taking one tablet a day. Called pharmacy and was told that I needed to take 4 tablets on an empty stomach everyday. I now take 4 tans all at once about 1 AM so when I finally get out of bed for the new day I only need to endure an hour or so before I can eat. I normally don’t EAT breakfast but since the prednisone says “ take with food that’s the next med that I take the “ food “ part is often a cup of cheerios or two hands full of chees-it’s. I think the no food/ with food is one of the most difficult parts of taking these new meds and no one has been available to advise/guide me through the process of taking them.
Besides my vision problems seemingly getting worse I really think someone should be assigned med questions
Are some of these new problems telling me something that my doctors should also know? That what seems to be the case of happening.
BTW my dad use to tell his friends that “ my oldest son “ MAKES ME PEE MY PANTS “ and guess what those friends say me as being a bad son because Dad never added to that but of knowledge that “ he like peeing his pants! Especially when they Catherine’s him. I couldn’t bear hearing him scream! Tears are running down my face now as I’m recalling those screams! I can not imagine him in a POW camp for 9 months losing half his body weight and his belt going around his waist twice!!! I got him his 100% VA disability and a Sunday ceremony at the VA to present him with 4 medals that he earned but never recieved while in the service! Including the purple heart after being shot down twice in his B17 which he piloted! His brother use to say whenever they were asked who their Hero was they always said “ My Btother” damn, I’m crying again!
I miss my parents very much; married 70 years!
I have to stop talking now because I can’t see at all through the tears of LOVE.
Thanks for your support!

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Sorry once again I lost everything I was typing. I’m going to go out for a long walk and may even throw in a little job.

Check back later

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Profile picture for olman @olman

What is Abiraterone? Couldn’t read the directions so I was taking one tablet a day. Called pharmacy and was told that I needed to take 4 tablets on an empty stomach everyday. I now take 4 tans all at once about 1 AM so when I finally get out of bed for the new day I only need to endure an hour or so before I can eat. I normally don’t EAT breakfast but since the prednisone says “ take with food that’s the next med that I take the “ food “ part is often a cup of cheerios or two hands full of chees-it’s. I think the no food/ with food is one of the most difficult parts of taking these new meds and no one has been available to advise/guide me through the process of taking them.
Besides my vision problems seemingly getting worse I really think someone should be assigned med questions
Are some of these new problems telling me something that my doctors should also know? That what seems to be the case of happening.
BTW my dad use to tell his friends that “ my oldest son “ MAKES ME PEE MY PANTS “ and guess what those friends say me as being a bad son because Dad never added to that but of knowledge that “ he like peeing his pants! Especially when they Catherine’s him. I couldn’t bear hearing him scream! Tears are running down my face now as I’m recalling those screams! I can not imagine him in a POW camp for 9 months losing half his body weight and his belt going around his waist twice!!! I got him his 100% VA disability and a Sunday ceremony at the VA to present him with 4 medals that he earned but never recieved while in the service! Including the purple heart after being shot down twice in his B17 which he piloted! His brother use to say whenever they were asked who their Hero was they always said “ My Btother” damn, I’m crying again!
I miss my parents very much; married 70 years!
I have to stop talking now because I can’t see at all through the tears of LOVE.
Thanks for your support!

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You need to take the prednisone at a different time than these Zytiga which you have now. Sounds like you’re doing it right taking Zytiga first thing in the morning..Doesn’t the bottle say Zytiga or abiraterone?

There are other drugs you take two of, but when you’re taking prednisone It’s because you’re on Zytiga.

I used to take prednisone and eat breakfast wait two hours and then take the Zytiga pills. Wait one more hour and it’s probably around lunchtime. Whatever works best for you?

Zytiga Makes the hot flashes worse and some of the other side effects you’ve had due to ADT. Lupron takes your PSA down to under 20 Zytiga reduces it to below five. It can cause problems with blood pressure and your hart and blood sugar.

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Profile picture for jeff Marchi @jeffmarc

You need to take the prednisone at a different time than these Zytiga which you have now. Sounds like you’re doing it right taking Zytiga first thing in the morning..Doesn’t the bottle say Zytiga or abiraterone?

There are other drugs you take two of, but when you’re taking prednisone It’s because you’re on Zytiga.

I used to take prednisone and eat breakfast wait two hours and then take the Zytiga pills. Wait one more hour and it’s probably around lunchtime. Whatever works best for you?

Zytiga Makes the hot flashes worse and some of the other side effects you’ve had due to ADT. Lupron takes your PSA down to under 20 Zytiga reduces it to below five. It can cause problems with blood pressure and your hart and blood sugar.

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I found that I pee three or four times a night and take the abiraterone/Zytiga at my pee time around 6 am in the morning and go back to sleep for another hour if I can. I find no ill effects from the abiraterone at all and neither from the prednisone, fortunately.
The only thing that has changed is I can't drive past a garage sale without stopping and the Halmark channel is getting more use.😁
Good luck everyone and hoping for that silver bullet that will help everyone out of this.
Dave

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Hi Jeff,
I never heard of “ castrate resistant “ until I read it here. None of my doctors ever mentioned it to me.
I’m guessing that it means pills no longer do what they are suppose to do. Is that what it means?

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Profile picture for jeff Marchi @jeffmarc

You need to take the prednisone at a different time than these Zytiga which you have now. Sounds like you’re doing it right taking Zytiga first thing in the morning..Doesn’t the bottle say Zytiga or abiraterone?

There are other drugs you take two of, but when you’re taking prednisone It’s because you’re on Zytiga.

I used to take prednisone and eat breakfast wait two hours and then take the Zytiga pills. Wait one more hour and it’s probably around lunchtime. Whatever works best for you?

Zytiga Makes the hot flashes worse and some of the other side effects you’ve had due to ADT. Lupron takes your PSA down to under 20 Zytiga reduces it to below five. It can cause problems with blood pressure and your hart and blood sugar.

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Yesterday I felt really strong so I started out on my 2 mi course, then did it again, continued feeling strong so I added a third leg to my trip. Suddenly I felt like I was hitting the wall and I didn’t take water with me. I threw up a little then had dry heaves but made it home. My tea shirt was so soaked I could ring it out but “ the good FEELING STRONG went away. I drank mineral water but I must have been so dehydrated that I didn’t pee for hours and when I did it was just a small amount of orange colored pee. I kept drinking water mixed with a bit of mango juice Went to bed about 1030 awoke at one am and went to pee not because I had a calling but so if I fell back to sleep again I would have a calling later during sleep time. I slept till 6 am and still haven’t peed as much as most days.
Bad news was taking my 4 pills at 6 am meaning that I can’t eat until 10 am 45 mins to go. But I still feel good and will take my prednisone at 10 with some food. I’m not often hungry in the am so I hope a couple handsfull of Cheerios or Cheez-Its will suffice.
I tried to post a picture of the calcium supplement I’m taking but a copy and past wouldn’t work. Is there a way to post a picture here?

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I was told by my oncology team that they hope for a PSA of 0.0. At least that is what I recall and my memory isn’t at its best as of late…

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Profile picture for olman @olman

Yesterday I felt really strong so I started out on my 2 mi course, then did it again, continued feeling strong so I added a third leg to my trip. Suddenly I felt like I was hitting the wall and I didn’t take water with me. I threw up a little then had dry heaves but made it home. My tea shirt was so soaked I could ring it out but “ the good FEELING STRONG went away. I drank mineral water but I must have been so dehydrated that I didn’t pee for hours and when I did it was just a small amount of orange colored pee. I kept drinking water mixed with a bit of mango juice Went to bed about 1030 awoke at one am and went to pee not because I had a calling but so if I fell back to sleep again I would have a calling later during sleep time. I slept till 6 am and still haven’t peed as much as most days.
Bad news was taking my 4 pills at 6 am meaning that I can’t eat until 10 am 45 mins to go. But I still feel good and will take my prednisone at 10 with some food. I’m not often hungry in the am so I hope a couple handsfull of Cheerios or Cheez-Its will suffice.
I tried to post a picture of the calcium supplement I’m taking but a copy and past wouldn’t work. Is there a way to post a picture here?

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Because you are taking prednisone, it is pretty obvious you are taking Zytiga.

Are you really saying that the bottle You are getting the pills from has no information on it at all? That sure would be illegal in the United States.

You only have to wait one hour after taking the pill to eat. I think there’s some confusion here if you are waiting four hours.

When you are on Zytiga Fatigue can get to you. Some people have just terrible fatigue and other people have none. Hopefully, you are close to the none group

You may not be able to post pictures or links because you are new to this forum. They limit people for about 30 days from being able to post things like that, to prevent scams and garbage from being posted. It sure seems to work.

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