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Cutting my HT to 15 months instead of 18.

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Posted 9/28/2016 12:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hello again. Bringing you up to date on my treatment. Today I received another HT treatment (3 months) I have decided this would be my last one. So this will be a total of 15 months. I find the Eligard has elevated my weight by about 22%. This gain is caused by lack of testosterone in my body. I have been feeling weak, but manageable as well as the hot flashes. My onc told me due to my aggressive state that radiation may have treated 60% of the cancer and another 10 % with the HT. Odds are 30-40 % of recurrence. If that happens, its back to HT, as I will not do chemo. So that is why I quit the Eligard, as I saw very little benefit going another 3 months. I felt good about the meeting and will let time determine my fate. Onc feels that if cancer returns it becomes a chronic issue and I can deal with that. Life is good.

Gave your thread a subject. -- PeterDA

Post Edited By Moderator (PeterDisAbelard.) : 9/27/2016 8:14:50 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/28/2016 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hope you do well. I was on Eligard and Lupron for three years. Once off I lost 25 pounds in three months. Hormones do matter.
Posted 9/28/2016 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
Sixpacks,

I don't remember your situation, and there was no signature. Were you discovered with metastases? Is that why you didn't have radiation? Or are you saying that Eligard was after radiation, but that radiation + Eligard didn't get it all?

Many men on lifelong hormone therapy have vacations (intermittent ADT) where they allow the testosterone to come back up. But a new approach, in very early clinical trials now, is to actually inject men with megadoses of testosterone for 3 months and alternate with ADT for 3 months. There are other ways to approach hormone therapy too, such as with Casodex only.

Good luck with your decision. I hope you investigate the options available to men in your situation, whatever that may be.
Posted 9/28/2016 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry I was sure I had checked off the signature...I had radiation last March. I was not aware you could get testosterone shots.....will look into that. Thanks
Posted 9/28/2016 1:57 AM (GMT 0)
In January I will be due to take a lupron shot after 24 months. I had 45 days of IMRT ended March. If PSA stay below <0.1 will consider a vacation. My testosterone is < 7. Yes just like most it has had considerable SE. I g 8 t3a n1 m1 with PSA of <0.1. Will track my PSA and T score often. Keep me posted as you work on your vacation.
Posted 9/28/2016 1:59 AM (GMT 0)
Sixpacks,

Your signature doesn't mention your radiation. Looking through some of your previous threads I noticed that you sometimes say HT (hormone therapy) when you mean RT (radiation therapy). Your radiation was probably IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) so you could add something like this to your signature (fixing the date if I guessed wrong):

March 2016 -- finished 39 treatments of IMRT.

The treatment that Tall mentioned -- where they alternate between androgen deprivation (like your Eligard) and big doses of testosterone -- is mostly for men with advanced metastatic disease. You may find it hard to talk your doctors into testosterone supplementation for you at this point since you have that 60-70 percent chance of being cured and they won't want to mess with that.
Posted 9/28/2016 2:08 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah - I take back what I said- I didn't understand that you had RT.
Posted 9/28/2016 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
Peter..thanks for editing, I am not too literate with computers. I am so grateful for all who gave me feedback and this site is so awesome and well monitored. Tall Allen ..your contribution to this site is remarkable, and keep it up
Posted 9/28/2016 3:43 AM (GMT 0)
dupe to last comment...I did edit my signature, but did not show up..trying again
Posted 9/28/2016 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
Sixpacks,

When you change your signature it takes a bit of time before the changes show up when you post a comment. Generally it takes just enough time to exhaust the patience of the member who is trying to change his signature.
Posted 9/28/2016 11:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hi sixpacks. I understand wanting to shorten the HT duration. I was on it for 3 long years, and am hoping that if I ever go back on it that will be a long time from now!

I added you to the roster of the G9 Crew on my thread for those with this diagnosis. If you look through this thread, and maybe the earlier one linked within it, you may find others with a similar situation.

Click on this link and it will take you to that thread:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3182035&g=3182504#m3182504

Good luck, and I hope all goes well for you.
Posted 9/28/2016 2:10 PM (GMT 0)
Just saying hello to you, six-packs. And empathizing with you over the HT--it sure ain't fun! Hope your T bounces back quickly.
Posted 9/28/2016 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Michael...thanks. My T's are not monitored at this time, but sure hope they come back soon so as I can get into my size 34 pants again..lol
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