Side effects three days post prostate radiation ?

Regarding the affects of radiation. I had 30 rounds of proton radiation. My R/O said to expect fatigue, urination side affects like increase and urgency. Thus from what was told to me by R/Os at Mayo and UFHPTI I would suggest you look at the side affects of Lupron therapy?

What were the side affects you were told about Lupron therapy? I did not have hormone treatments and I assume the Lupron is a hormone therapy. From the side affects you mentioned and from what I have read from other posters on MCC sounds like side affects from the hormone treatments.

These side affects should be discussed with your R/O and your primary care doctors. They can guide you on the probably cause. My hesitation here is that I would have expected your urologist, R/Os, to have gone over the side affects of radiation and lupron therapy with you. That way when side affects do appear you know what the most probably cause is (lupron or radiation) and also what guidance you were given to treat them.

I did not have your posted side affects with 30 rounds of proton radiation. I did have low level fatique, increase urination, increased urgency, dribbling, but all those slowly went away after treatments ended. The difference is I was prepared for them when they happened as was given in depth information on what to expect from the radiation side affects.

Others on MCC can give you a better side affects they got from Lupron Therapy as I did not receive hormone treatments but again for those that did I have seen posts like yours coming from hormone treatments.

I had no side-effects around 20 rounds of SBRT at the time. A year later, however, my radiation cystosis and proctosis became noticeable enough to grab my attention.

Can't thank you enough for your reply. My opinion of the heath care in California should be left for someone that's writes better than myself. I suspected that Lupron was the culprit but was not given any advanced warning [need to know I guess] Just seem strange that two days after completion of Rad. all my side effects intensified. Again thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

#thitch
From what I was told by my urologist and R/Os what you posted and experiencing were what my R/Os gave me for side affects of hormone treatments. On MCC I try not to assume something or try to give medical guidance as I am not a medical professional and certainly don't have the training or experience to ever try to.

From all the things I read about homone treatments it sounded like is echoed what my R/Os had given me and what other posters who had hormone treatments posted. I was originally going to have hormone treatments as my original diagnosis was intermediate risks. My R/Os at Mayo and again at UFHPTI went over in depth what to expect for side affects of my radiation and hormone treatments.

My R/Os recommended Decipher test before final treatments began. The Decipher came back low risk notthe original itermediate risk from biopsies. This changed my treatments to just radiation not hormones.

The radiation damage to your prostate, surrounding tissues, organs, etc. side affects will get worse and worse as your treatments go on. This comes from my own expeierence and what my R/Os and PCP stated would occur as your prostate and body react to radiation damage. When you mentioned your side affects got worse at end this would echo what my R/Os said about accumulating as more and more damage was done.

Fatique was given to me as a side affect and did come as my treatments continued. The side affects of increase urnination and voiding were worse at end of radiation treatments but I expected that as the radiation damage is cumulative as you have more and more.

You have a better attitude toward your doctors than I would have had. They should have gone over the side affects that very common with your radiation and hormone treatments. Especially the hormone treatments as they are from whay my R/Os explain to me and from what other posters have posted are much worse than side affects of radiation.

But again we are all different. What will happen to one poster will not happen to anohter. One thing though you will read that as time passes the side affects will lesson more and more.
Good luck!!

Many doctors are not forthcoming about the side effects of ADT. I specifically asked and was told "hot flashes and tiredness." The Lupron official web lists these side effects:

Hot flashes or sweats
Injection-site reactions or pain
General pain
Swelling
Testicular shrinkage
Difficulty urinating
Fatigue or weakness
Headache
Joint, gastrointestinal (GI), and respiratory problem

From experience, I would add depression and other mental health issues, short term memory issues, insomnia, bone loss, heart palpitations, loss of body hair, ED and anorgasmia to this list. Interestingly, I never got hot flashes.

Lupron was not an easy ride. I switched to Orgovyx halfway through and it was a bit better but still not ideal.

I had 25 treatments and literally on the last day I started with diarrhea as well. Maybe even a little nausea, but it was transient.
You almost have to expect anything with radiation near the gut.
Palliative measures - Immodium, bland diet, hydration are your best bet. However, if you see blood (from either end) or your symptoms have not subsided (mine lasted about 10 days and slowly got better) contact your RO for advice. Best
Phil

I had 25 sessions of radiation as well as starting Lupron (monthly shots). Very little info from R/O as what to expect even with me drilling him on it. Second day after Tx started almost complete loss of libido (actually felt a disturbing sensation in testicles). Then shortly after Tx, all the other side effects kicked in (fatigue, depression, loss of body hair, a lot of muscle loss, skin irritations along with wrinkly skin, memory recall, hot flashes, genital shrinkage, poor body image, and more emotionally sensitivity. I continued on Lupron for 7 months and switched to Orgovyx 1/13/2025 (as it is supposed to have a better recovery period). Noticed some changes in side effects like an increase and intensity of hot flashes with some breathing and sleeping difficulties, and some occasional joint pain.
Oncologist generally don't like to discuss details of side effects as they sometimes do not have the time or effort to do so or know that they may lose patients from agreeing to start ADT. I've seen that we are all different in how we react to different ADT Tx.
One thing to remember before you start any Tx is to get some baseline measurements. My PSA level was taken 2 months before Tx (when my PSA was increasing by 2 points a month). I never got a T level measure until 6 months after Tx same with a DXA scan.
As it turns out after 6 months of Tx, my PSA dropped from 10 to .09, T level was 16 ns/dl (no baseline measure, but think I was around 800 10 yrs ago), and DEXA scan showed significant loss in bone density (no baseline measure taken).
Obviously, Tx did lower my PSA but not without the negative effects of the Tx. It has been extremely difficult for me to deal with all of this, but taking it day by day.

28 radiation sessions more-or-less in the middle of 6 months of ADT with Orgovyx for me. I experienced most of the side effects you mention, but yours sound particularly severe - and odd that you're experiencing this right after you've completed your radiation treatments.

I think I would check in with your oncologist's office and see what they have to say. While I was having my radiation treatments, there was a once-a-week "doctor day," when they would go over any side effects I was experiencing and offer suggestions for coping (or, in one case writing a prescription).

Hope you get past this soon!

I agree, they should go over the possible side effects but they never want to SUGGEST that you may feel that way.

the side effects of the hormone shots lessen?

@garylr
I had the same once a week meeting with R/O at UFHPTI.

As I mentioned to the other poster this is where we (and you did also) went over side affects, questions, concerns, etc. I think whomever he was seeing she hould have gotten the same excellent care needed when having treatments such as these.