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Posted Today 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
In the middle of 6 month Trelstar Hormone Treatment

After the 2nd 3 month shot i have developed a terrible

time with sleeping. Either have a hard time getting to sleep or

i wake up 2 hours later and cannot go back to sleep.

after 5 weeks of this it is getting old.

Anyone else have this problem

 

Posted Today 3:53 AM (GMT 0)

NCOBJIM said...
In the middle of 6 month Trelstar Hormone Treatment
After the 2nd 3 month shot i have developed a terrible

time with sleeping. Either have a hard time getting to sleep or

i wake up 2 hours later and cannot go back to sleep.

after 5 weeks of this it is getting old.

Anyone else have this problem

I have had trouble sleeping for most of the past two decades, and it got even worse for a time with HT. Then I was diagnosed with cervical stenosis and the treating doc prescribed a muscle relaxer called Tizanadine. It has been something of a miracle drug for me because after all those years with difficulty sleeping I now sleep very well and I attribute this almost entirely to Tizanadine. Also, unlike drugs like Ambien it is not habit forming.

Sancarlos
Posted Today 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
at first i had a problem with sleep so i started taking ambien, which i still take today. it helps but it doen't complete fix the problem.  once i started radiation i slept fine except for urgency after i received BT and then later with IGRT.  i'm 3-months past radiation and about 10-11 weeks past my last shot of lupron and recently i have been waking up very early (4 a.m. or so) and have a hard time going back to sleep.  about a month ago i started having hot flashes for the first time too and they seem to be getting more frequent but they are probably moderate in strength and duration.  the hot flashes have woken me up too but effect me the most when i'm trying to take a daytime nap with no sleeping medication.

the side effects really sound worse than they are.

ed

 

Posted Today 4:43 AM (GMT 0)
Not on HT, but been on Ambien for 11 years and Tranzene for 6 years, all for sleep problems since my very first cancer bout years ago
Posted Today 5:13 AM (GMT 0)
  NCOBJIM; I have been on trelstar for 19 months now and have had weeks at a time that I have a hard time staying asleep, but then there are times when you get a good night sleep it all depends on how bad the hot flashes get at night, good luck.  alf                   
Posted 12/3/2010 12:58 AM (GMT 0)

Thanks guys

Dr started me on Ambien last night.  Hopefully it will help with the sleeping.

Hot flashes have not bin to bad but i do have a fair amount of them.

Finished 7-1/2 weeks of IMRT in Sept. PSA went down below 0.0

IMRT went very well with almost no side effects. Next PSA in May, hoping it continues

downward.

Posted 12/3/2010 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
I'm only a couple of weeks into HT and it hasn't caused any additional sleep problems for me so far, but I have had transient problems with it for years. Ambien works OK, but I don't like the idea that it can be habit forming so I try to not use it too often. If I'm having a number of nights in a row I mix things up, with benedryl, melatonin, and occasionally dip into my stash of Lunesta. I like that one the best and it's not supposed to be habit forming, but the co-pay is higher so I don't use it exclusively. In your situation I'd probably give melatonin a try. For me it doesn't help as much with falling asleep as it does with staying asleep once I've gotten there.
Posted 12/3/2010 3:47 AM (GMT 0)
NCO,

Meds effect everyone differently of course. I have been on Ambien for 11 years now, I was put on it the first time I went through radiation back in late 1999. I am on 10 mg. When I was 1st on them, was costing about 168 dollars a month, now, in generic, my last monthly supply was $3.34, quite a diference. During the years, there was a couple of times for lack of insurance, that I had to be off the Ambien for as much as 3 months. I never had any withdrawal or odd symptons, just didnt sleep as well. And I have never had any of those odd happenings where people get up and do things they cant remember, etc. Ambien is a hypnotic class drug, and it is not intended to be taken unless one is prepared to lie down and go to sleep, and stay asleep. Ambien is greatly abused too as a recreational drug, where dummies crush the pills, swallow them with high caffine beverages, and force themselves to stay awake so that they will hallucinate. Dumb. Used as directed, it is safe, even long term, if under the care of a doctor. It has helped me immensely over the years.

David in SC
Posted 12/4/2010 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
3rd night with Ambien. Only 5 mg doseage so i guess it is not that strong. It does seem to get you to sleep pretty fast but i still wake up several times a night. I did try Melatonin for about 2 weeks but it did not seem to have any effect at all. Dr also tried Temazepam 15 mg but that also did no good. I am hoping that this side effect of HT will fade away after the 3 month Trelstar shot wears off.

Posted 12/4/2010 2:39 AM (GMT 0)
Physical exercise has great benefits and promotes natural sleep..Moving a mouse around for 6 hours a day does not qualify as exercise...When I go to bed at around 10 or 11 pm, I read a book or magazine for as long as I can, it's not very long before the book slips out of my hand..Lights out....
Posted 12/4/2010 2:57 AM (GMT 0)
I found it more than interesting to see this thread tonight, since it is a topic that I was discussing with corvette jeff just this afternoon. I have been on lupron now for about two months. For the first few weeks, it was no big deal. Now, it's a big deal. Recently the hot flashes have been pretty bad every night just as I go to bed. Libido is zero, zip, nada. And most recently, the depression has overtaken me in ways that I've never experienced.

Sure, I'm almost 58, and life throws us all some ugly curves occasionally that get us down, but mostly, I'm pretty upbeat. Especially in recent years, as we've bought our retirement homestead, building the new home, and getting things built the way I want them has taken priority. But in the last few weeks, I've been overwhelmed with a sense of "life has no meaning any more." And, I just don't give a flip about anything. Don't get me wrong; I'm staying busy, doing my job, and taking care of things, but, I feel that I've lost my passion for anything, and that's depressing as well.

I guess, seeing this as a way of life for the next two to three years doesn't help at all.

Now, on the flip side, I'm alive, and with God's blessings, and if this stupid lupron works, I'll continue to breath this sweet Louisiana air for many years yet.

g'night all, I better start the deep breathing exercises to prepare for the hot flashes. Maybe some pushups would help.

Nah, not "those" pushups. <sigh>
Posted 12/4/2010 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
kbota,

Hang in there buddy. It's always darkest just before the dawn.

You can do this.
Posted 12/4/2010 3:13 AM (GMT 0)
You doing HT with no RT Kbota? PSA undetectable?
Posted 12/4/2010 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you GoodLife; Guys like you and others here on HW are hugely important to me. You guys make a difference in the lives of others.

That's right FW. They want to hold off on any RT. PSA still considered non-detect. My taking HT was/is very controversial. I hope I'm doing the right thing.

How are you doing?
Posted 12/4/2010 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
David, I have been thinking about our conversations. You know buddy I am praying for you. Hope this will let up and if it does not that you get adjusted.

Cajun Jeff
Posted 12/4/2010 8:35 AM (GMT 0)
Kbota -- hang tough it'll get easier and then it'll be time for another shot.  just keerp putting one foot in front of the other and i think you're gonna be fine.

ed

Posted 12/4/2010 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
For those who have been in HT a bit longer than I, how long would you say it took for your libido to bottom out? After about 3 weeks I can tell it's reduced, but it's certainly not gone.
Posted 12/5/2010 5:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hello all,ive been on zoladex ht for 5 weeks now and i would say that libido probably got to lowest point at approximatly 4 weeks.Ive only had sex once in the last 7 days and i used to be an every other day man.Its very strange because the days and nights pass and you just seem to forget that you havent had it for some time.
Posted 12/5/2010 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
>>Its very strange because the days and nights pass and you just seem to forget that you havent had it for some time.<<

when friends ask me about the side effects of lupron i sometimes forget to mention that i am chemically castrated. i guess i forget.  there's no desire so i don't even think about sex.  it's almost freeing in a way.  this causes problems for many wives.  in smaller ways we are more physically demonstrative than ever before.  e.g. we kiss and cuddle more and i tell my wife several times a day that i love her.  but that isn't the case with a lot of couples.  the guy can grow cold and nitpicky.

 

your sex drive may vanish soon and you won't even notice for awhile.

 

ed

 

 

Posted 12/6/2010 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
Once again, here are links to two excellent essays on how to cope with side effects (SEs) of Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), sometimes mistakenly called hormone therapy:

http://www.prostate-cancer.org/education/andind/Guess_TestosteroneSideEffects.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/2ymb8f

http://www.prostate-cancer.org/education/sidefx/Strum_ADS.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/g6fzp
Posted 12/6/2010 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
Excellent links mycroft. Thanks for posting.
Posted 12/6/2010 2:45 AM (GMT 0)
Ed and Jeff; Thanks for the support. I consider all of you fellows here on HW to be an extended family of sorts, and are a part of a huge support system. Jeff, I really do appreciate the phone time with you...it meant a lot. It can be difficult to express feelings to someone who has no idea what's going on, yet, you and the guys hereon HW do understand. Many of you have been through it, are going through it, or at least have read about others going through it. That puts you in a unique position of understanding and empathy.

I appreciate you guys.

At the same time that my days and weeks are flying by,..... the next 2 to 3 years appear to be a long time. Could that qualify as an oxymoron? (all moron jokes will be accepted and properly laughed at, so bring'em on.....I need the chuckles.)

<sigh>
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