Lifting weights while on ADT: hitting a wall?

Phil:
I'm going to do radiation starting end of may in Middletown, NJ with Dr. Haseltine.
I look at it like this. After I go through this, it is highly likey I will never have to deal with prostate cancer again. So many cancer patients are going through treatments with worse side effects and their outcomes are far from certain.

Is your PSA < .05 now?

fantstic!

Tjv1156, I just finished that exact regimen at Sloan in Commack with Dr Barsky.
I went into the weights very vigorously but found , as you did, that my old strength just wasn’t there.
I dropped 10 lbs from the barbell, 5 lbs from the dumbells and was able to do the same amount of reps.
Same with the treadmill and other aerobics. If you can’t do what you once did, don’t force it! Drop a level or two, or shorten your duration or distance.
The idea is to be able to exercise somewhat vigorously during your ADT treatment. You don’t want to get discouraged to the point where you just give up and do nothing.
Hang in there, it sucks but goes quicker than you think. I’m 2 full months off of Orgovyx and feeling stronger and more energized by the day.
Phil

Hi @jporter
Additional background would be helpful for others to formulate better replies to your question such as when were you diagnosed, what was your PSA, what are your Gleason scores, have you had an MRI, Decipher Test or any other genetic testing done? When was the " minor stroke" and was it classified as a TIA or one of the other four categories of stroke?

If I were in your position, I would want the cardiologist, neruologist and my primary care doctors to confer with my medical oncologist on the best choice of ADT for me as well as the parameters of a safe resistance training and aerobic regimen given the history of stroke. As a patient, I would want to be reassured that the safety profiles of the ADT meds prescribed would be the best for me given a history of stroke, why they were chosen and what other medication options were considered . Both lupron and abiraterone have warnings about elevated risks of cardiovasclar events. Below are links to two studies to give you some background, If you don't want to wade through the entire study, skim down to the paragraph on SAFETY in the first link and RESULTS in the second link.

Way more than you asked for, but having had to deal with cancer treatment for my wife who suffered a stroke as a result of the chemo, these are my thoughts. Best wishes to you on a successful treatment and robust fitness program! I hope you will keep us updated on your journey so we may all learn from your experiences!
Bill
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2004325#:~:text=After%2048%20weeks%20of%20treatment,is%20shown%20in%20Figure%202.&text=Cumulative%20Incidence%20of%20Major%20Adverse,on%20a%20Cox%20regression%20model.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8437777/#:~:text=32%2C%2033%2C%2034%20In%20an,risk%20for%20stroke%20or%20MI.

Welcome to the unhappy club. I lift weights all thru the ADT treatments. Been on Zytiga- prednisone awhile ago. Had pelvic lymph nodes affected too. 28 RT trips took care of that. Psa is < .01 for 27 months now. Soon to stop ADT altogether. Age now is 76.

I was not sure whether to start a new post or add to this one. I had a biopsy about a month ago, then a petscan.

The cancer has spread to my lymph nodes. I am about to start a regimen with prednisone and zytiga plus injections of Leuprolide (aka Lupron), which is every 6 months.

After having a "minor stroke" two years ago I worked for awhile then retired. Last June I started lifting weights and have a trainer. I am 71.

Is it save to continue lifting weights?

I have only been following this support group for three days, so I am still coming up to speed on things.

Yeah- I'm having some light headedness. Nothing major - but still- it's there.

I'm 10 weeks into Orgovyx, almost half through my 6 month regimen. I lift twice a week and do body weight/functional training once a week, as well as run. I haven't seen a decrease in weight lifted, although I'm not trying to increase every week or so as I used to. More reps and sets instead. Seems to be working - hardly any side effects. Hope that continues as I start radiation this week.

When you're on the road and there's no decent fitness centre, Therabands are good for at least maintaining your strength. I used to pack a set in my suitcase as far back as the 1990s, since they weigh practically nothing and take less space than a pair of socks when they're rolled up.
https://www.theraband.com/

Hang in there.

I'm 4 months into Eligard and still holding steady and even increasing a bit the amount of weights I lift 3x per week.

When I travel, I used to look for cheap motels that had a free breakfast. Now, a fitness center is a must.