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5 years and back on Lupron

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Posted 12/27/2017 2:37 AM (GMT 0)
At least I muscled through 5 years of high pressure job, traveling and bull crap Corp America to get my family raised and college mostly paid for. 60 now and I use pot frequently to keep myself Happy. Psa back to .18
After a six month Lupron shot. ED was resolved for a year and now back to nothing. On a holiday from
Lupron till psa rises again.

I filed for disability 6 months ago because of the effects of Lupron which every one tells me has just a few incomviencied( makes me want to punch them in the face).

Anyhow doing manual
Labor right now hoping for a consulting role if my disability gets denied.

So I am alive and trying hard to be positive but when I leak or have an accident I feel like a freaking ogre. Mild inconvenience they say. Well it has btlrought me to my knees.
Posted 12/27/2017 8:01 AM (GMT 0)
What a phenomenal job you’ve done for your family the past five years! You didn’t accomplish all that on your knees. I’d be honored to lend you a virtual hand anytime and help you up, hero.
Posted 12/27/2017 12:45 PM (GMT 0)
I like the pot therapy. If I could get it legally here in NC I would keep a steady high too.
Posted 12/27/2017 1:35 PM (GMT 0)

jliggett69 said...
....I filed for disability 6 months ago because of the effects of Lupron which every one tells me has just a few incomviencied (makes me want to punch them in the face)....

I had a terrible time on Lupron - the "gift" that unfortunately keeps on giving shocked
Posted 12/27/2017 9:56 PM (GMT 0)

John_TX said...
I had a terrible time on Lupron - the "gift" that unfortunately keeps on giving

Amen to that. Only halfway thru and weight gain + manboobs starting to creep up on me.
Posted 12/27/2017 11:02 PM (GMT 0)
I started on Lupron, went to Firmagon, and back to Lupron-

I found SE's were a little less with Firmagon, but the monthly injection was too frequent for me. Also, pain at the injection site for 4 or so days, but not that bad.

Bobby Mac
Posted 12/27/2017 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Good to hear other's experience with Lupron. I'm only on my second month but have experienced a high level of fatigue. It's a real struggle to make it through a day at work.
Posted 12/28/2017 12:55 PM (GMT 0)
Cary - There are many threads here on the topic of Lupron and HT. Most guys report about the same side effects... a surge of sexual energy for about the first ten days ("Lupron flare") if not previously started on Casodex... frequent hot flashes and night sweats starting the second month and persist throughout. Severe mood swings and brain fog can be a big problem. Some put on weight and/or lose body hair.

The fatigue is something you can become accustomed to and accommodate the night sweats. I keep a fan next to my chair and a ceiling fan over the bed (very common in Florida). I asked my doctor for Venlafaxine for the mood swings and hot flashes. It really helps, but you may need to fight for it... I did.

Good luck with your SRT next month. Guys have varying levels of experiences with RT. You can search for past threads on these topics (HT & SRT) here and on other PCa forums. Any questions, just ask. And welcome to HW!
Posted 12/28/2017 2:02 PM (GMT 0)

RobLee said...
..... I asked my doctor for Venlafaxine for the mood swings and hot flashes. It really helps, but you may need to fight for it... I did....

The brand name is Effexor and I can also vouch for the drug effectiveness. It really mitigated my hot flashes/sweats.
Posted 12/28/2017 3:21 PM (GMT 0)

Cary1963 said...
Good to hear other's experience with Lupron. I'm only on my second month but have experienced a high level of fatigue. It's a real struggle to make it through a day at work.

I'm on month 3 --- I've gained 20 pounds, and I can't sleep.

However, I did come up with a "hot flash" emergency system for sleeping that I wanted to share.

I put a fan on low facing the bed, with a wall of pillows blocking the direct air flow.
If I start to feel a hot flash coming on, I can take a pillow off, and I'm suddenly hit with relief ... if I need more I can take a second pillow off, or create a window in the wall to blow directly on me...

It's saved me a few times from fully waking up from a wonderful dream state smile

Zzarth
Posted 12/28/2017 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
The hot flashes from Lupron for me where unreal some lasting for 30 minutes. My Urologist put me on Effexor which worked for 5 months. I started to get them back and am now taking 150mg of effexor and the new one is Gabapentin which is at 900mg. She wanted to wean me off the effexor but I am having no more hot flashes so I asked to just leave me on both.

I have gained about 20 lbs lack in energy, but are going to a gym twice a week. Getting to sleep and staying asleep has been an issue, but got a prescription for some sleep meds.
Posted 12/29/2017 12:47 AM (GMT 0)

Everton said...
now taking 150mg of effexor and the new one is Gabapentin which is at 900mg.... I have gained about 20 lbs lack in energy, but ... Getting to sleep and staying asleep has been an issue...

Speaking of Gabapentin and weight gain, I had been taking 300mg of Gabapentin (Neurontin) nightly for RLS, but now my ENT has me taking 1800mg daily (yes, 1,800/day) for neuropathic pain in my throat. I had been a steady 218 lbs for most of this year, but since sextupling the Gab I've shot up to 225, which appears to be my "new" stable weight. Nothing else has changed.

No problem sleeping here. The megadoses of Gab just knock me out. I am currently in the process of upping my Effexor to 150 as well. Be aware that withdrawal from SNRI's is potentially more serious than is even narcotic withdrawal.
Posted 12/29/2017 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
I can second the advice on Effexor (venlafaxine). The hot flashes I had were so severe that if I had one while exercising I felt close to passing out. I had about one per hour. Plus they woke me up three or four times every night. The Effexor reduced them to a few times a day and none were as severe as before. But I quit it the first time I started. The doctor put me on 75 mg every day at bedtime. After four days I felt like a zombie. But after reading about it I learned that one must start (and stop) gradually to avoid side effects. So I restarted at 37.5mg per day without trouble and after a couple of weeks increased to 75mg/day. No problems then. It also improved my social anxiety, a lot. Made me a real chatterbox. I actually enjoyed the drug.
I quit the venlafaxine after I was off the Lupron for three months, expecting the hot flashes to be over but they can back. This in spite of the fact that my testosterone had gone back into normal range, though still only about half of my pre-treatment level. Now, more than 8 months off Lupron I still have mild hot flashes. Lupron is indeed the gift that keeps on giving. However, as a retired pathologist, I well remember getting many testis sent to me every week in the days before Lupron. So I'm not hating the drug that saved mine.
Posted 12/29/2017 3:19 AM (GMT 0)
Amen to you, going through all the ADT and raising a family and feeling s—-t through the whole process.. my prostate ca a non-issue, struggling thru orthopedic issues trying to get to Medicare instead of obamacare/trump care nightmare, 3 years, 3 months 10 days for me
Posted 12/29/2017 3:51 AM (GMT 0)

RobLee said...

Everton said...
now taking 150mg of effexor and the new one is Gabapentin which is at 900mg.... I have gained about 20 lbs lack in energy, but ... Getting to sleep and staying asleep has been an issue...

Speaking of Gabapentin and weight gain, I had been taking 300mg of Gabapentin (Neurontin) nightly for RLS, but now my ENT has me taking 1800mg daily (yes, 1,800/day) for neuropathic pain in my throat. I had been a steady 218 lbs for most of this year, but since sextupling the Gab I've shot up to 225, which appears to be my "new" stable weight. Nothing else has changed.

No problem sleeping here. The megadoses of Gab just knock me out. I am currently in the process of upping my Effexor to 150 as well. Be aware that withdrawal from SNRI's is potentially more serious than is even narcotic withdrawal.

I will take note of coming off Effexor when and if the time comes as I been told Lupron is my life long buddy.I was told by the pharmacist the Gabapentin would put me to sleep. I am still waiting.
Posted 12/29/2017 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
MODERATORS - any chance of moving the second half of this thread to have it's own title? Although we are generally still discussing Lupron, it has veered away far OT from jliggett's initial 'observations' and (admittedly) I essentially hijacked the thread in response to what appeared to be Cary1963's first post on HW... though I see that he has been lurking for over a year.

Still, the discussing regarding Venlafaxine and Gabapentin is of great interest to many, or so it seems. I would like to reply to the three preceding posters but do not wish to take the thread further off topic. Plus some others struggling with ADT SE's might benefit from some of these replies. Thanks!
Posted 12/29/2017 4:44 PM (GMT 0)
Excellent request, Rob!!!

ADT side effects are a very hot topic.

I've been on Casodex for about a month, and my RO wants to start me on a six month course of Lupron, and commence RT two months after starting Lupron, continuing Casodex for the entire time.

I'm overjoyed smhair
Posted 1/7/2018 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
Guys I will test psa next week as my 6 month shot is wearing off. Guess I am on my Holiday but working outside all day here in S Florida to try and keep
Some muscles. I smoke pot and I like it. At 60 I guess I can bring a few bad habits back. Lupron is workin for me but the potty issues pissing all over cuz I know have a ninny suck. Urgency is an issue. Belly laughs means leaking. darn old age is not for the weak.
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