Travel Soon After Starting Medication

Posted by Tom @wn6ivj, 1 day ago

I've just joined the prostate cancer journey and would like to hear the thoughts of others about traveling soon after starting Zytiga and Lupron. I recently was diagnosed with oligometatastic prostate cancer after a biopsy where 9 of the 12 cores were cancerous, 6 of them being Gleason 9 (4+5). There are two bone and one lymph node metastases. My companion wants to take a three night trip to Las Vegas but I told her of my concern of travel so soon after starting new medications. I am particularly concerned about the Lupron since I have atrial fibrillation, and fluid retention. I've asked my MO for advice but I wonder if any of you have faced this situation and what choice did you make. I will be 79 in September and my goal for the treatment, including radiation, is to have time to visit with family and friends. Reading "Being Mortal" during another cancer treatment program has been very helpful to me.

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mjp0512 | @mjp0512 | 1 day ago

You would probably be fine, however, if you're not comfortable traveling, then don't. I've found there are times on this prostate cancer journey that selfishness is required and what other people think is irrelevant.

Tom | @wn6ivj | 1 day ago

I would like to go but am just scared. So much has happened in the last few weeks my head won't stop spinning.

Jeff Marchi | @jeffmarc | 1 day ago

Zytiga May not be right for you. I started abiraterone In 2021, 11 years after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

I had not had an afib event since 2006 after a prior one in 2,004. I thought they were behind me.

Since starting abiraterone, I have had five more. It is very hard on the heart, You need to be careful about what you do. Even after stopping it, I have still had 2 afib events, It seems to leave you in a state that is more susceptible.

Your trip may be just fine, but don’t be surprised if you have more afib events. One of the events landed me in the hospital for four days because I took an antibiotic, Azithromycin, that messed up my electrical system at the same time as an afib started. They couldn’t cardiovert me successfully (tried twice) because of the antibiotic. Cardioverting has worked in the four other cases I’ve had since starting Zytiga. Watch out for Azithromycin, it screws up the electrical system and won’t stop doing it for An 80 hour half-life.

I hope you are on a blood thinner. That can save your life if you have an afib event. They can cause strokes because they cause blood clots.

You would Probably be better off with a lutamide like Darolutamide (Nubeqa) Because it does not have the heart issues that Zytiga has And has no side effects for most people. Erleada (apalutamide) may be what they tell you to start with but it has a lot more side effects then Nubeqa.

You need to talk to your doctor about this and maybe get a second opinion from a different Medical Center. Zytiga Also gave me high blood pressure, which I’ve never had before, And I’m on three drugs twice a day for the rest of my life because of it.

guybe | @guybe | 10 hours ago

In reply to @wn6ivj "I would like to go but am just scared. So much has happened in the last..." + (show)

@wn6ivj Your head will stop spinning, eventually just facing forward, but maybe seeing things a little differently from before - including the importance of your relationships. I found that after the first few weeks a routine has set in, where adjustment to medication side effects becomes a daily same-old-same-old, with predictable but slow progression of those SEs. If you get radiation, that will put a gap in your schedule, but it will have start and end dates that you can work around. I would not hesitate to travel, especially if it means connection with loved ones. For me, one of the little "benefits" of PCa has been the highlighting of those relationships in my life. It gets better, and good luck!