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ADT injection: Benefits worth the toll it will take on my body?
I’m 62 and will start Proton Therapy next week. My psa is 8, with a 3+4 Gleason 7. my doctor is suggestion ADT for 6months. I’m concern with the muscle loss and other adverse affects. Is the
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@dantewedge make sure you check your PSA monthly, even if the doc says at the 3 month interval.
I started with Lupron 3 month injection. My PSA droppethe first month, however the second month went back up more than doubling. I went back to the urologists with the PSA results and he immediately switched me to Firmagon. He stated that my body was resistant to Lupron already. Have been on Firmagon since December and all is fine.
Definitely be your own advocate and take matters in your hands.
Stay strong and be positive.
Dinu
@dantewedge
Everyone that gets Lupron, without Casodex first, will get a flare. The doctor just does not seem well informed. I would be careful about information they pass on to you. Make sure you verify it elsewhere.
@dinu
This is very well could be due to the fact that you have ATM. I just don’t hear people saying that Lupron did not work for them, more likely they just don’t like it.
Starving the cancer is a good thing, but my reading suggests oral vs. injections. Biologics by McKesson oncology pharmacy found a grant that paid for the first twelve of my 18 months.
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3 ReactionsThanks for the feedback so far! Appreciate all of it.
I did the Eligard and 4 days later no real problems yet. I know it’s early and I’m prepping the best I can with exercise and eating better. Taking Vit D & K w MCT oil.
Going back to USA in a month so will seek some more opinions and look into the pill form for round two after the Eligard cycles thru in 3 months.
Already signing up for blood panels monthly for testosterone and PSA levels , as well as other biomarkers.
So much information out there that it’s difficult to determine the “correct” path. I have to get regular ultrasounds to monitor the benign tumor in my kidney as well.
I struggle with my sugar addiction so considering a GLp-1 for the next few months to aid in my weight loss.
Anyone else do that?
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1 Reaction@jime51
It is all about the money unfortunately. Your doctor will go for the treatment that earns him the most and keeps him in control. Maybe Trump can get Big Pharma to do the best thing and lower prices.
@pesquallie I don't know the dollars, but oral ADT seems to act faster and dissipate faster and have fewer incidents of heart and other issues.
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2 Reactions@dantewedge I started GLP-1 (Mounjaro/Zepbound) right before my cancer diagnosis (due to diabetes diagnosis) and lost 40 lbs on ADT + Mounjaro at 5 and 7.5mg. All GLP-1 have major gastric effects such as requiring titration to get to an effective dose. The starter dose (2.5mg Mounjaro or .25mg Ozempic) really does not do much except get you ready to double the dose to 5mg or .5mg depending on drug. At that point almost everyone experiences some nausea. Your digestion slows down to an extent that if you eat too much you get nausea. If you eat too late you get heartburn (I learned what this was, a first for me). Since food stays in the stomach longer more gas escapes through the mouth (burps). I quickly learned what not to do to minimize the side effects. The pills have the same side effects and titration requirements as the injections but are less effective at weight loss. Only benefit is the pills do not need to be refrigerated.
To lose fat vs. muscle you need to do regular resistance exercises, but you should already be doing those to counter the ADT muscle and bone wasting effects. The other issue you will need to continue with is how to taper off the drug without regaining weight. It has been reported that there is more rapid regain vs. the old diet method. Not a concern for me since it is the most effective diabetes drug out there; reduced my A1c from 8 down to 5.5 which is normal. Mounjaro or Ozempic are much cheaper in Thailand than the USA.
@dantewedge
Orgovyx sounds like a better less side effect ADT drug than the older Lupron. Comes in a daily pill form you can stop asap vs a three month shot with three months of side effects. Might want to have your doctor check into it……
Dave 3+4
@readandlearn I too was on two stints of Lupron (9 months, and then later one year without any noticeable major side effects. Once while waiting for my quarterly shot there was another patient waiting for his shot, expressing dread, knowing from past experience the dose is going to kick the crap out of him. Until then I didn’t know how lucky I was.