Early stop of Zytiga discussion

NO NO NO. Been on it now since 2020 and doing good... Having the time to watch my grandkids grow up is all worth the SE

Mattam, my bad — you are correct about the start date of ADT. MARCH 14. Same date as 1st RT. So, only 7 months so far. (Seems so much longer.) The original plan was 2 years of ADT.

MO did not really express any “preference” on continuing or ceasing the Zityga and that may be what is confusing. I’ve never heard anyone report doing that. I tend to agree that going after this beast with the “double barrel” approach is what makes sense. So far I have not had any evidence of the Zytiga causing any concerns with my heart as some have reported. Perhaps the reason she entertained that is that my Test. dropped to zero on first blood work. I’ve been on TRT for over 25 years and stopped that immediately upon my dx. I think the SE of no Test. are more than just the physical effects. I think it really causes a general overall depression. Rather than really living life, I feel like I’m just existing now and going through the motions - kinda “faking it” and waiting for the “next shoe to drop”. I’ve always been a workaholic and now I just don’t give a **** about business. Even it’s a drag on me.

Thanks for the responses. I don’t really expect to hear that anyone has quit Zytiga when they’re getting positive results. I’ve only read of a couple guys stopping it or reducing the dosage due to heart issues.

Thanks, Michael. Then unless there are some SE to my liver or heart (someone said their BP soared), I can’t see any reason to “fix it” if it’s not broken.

You’re signature is very encouraging if I’m reading it correctly. My PSA and GS were very similar to yours and it appears you’ve had no need for additional treatment.

Hello, IsItSerious ~

Handshake, reaching out, one brother to another ...

A few things ...

First of all ~ fatigue from radiation treatments can linger for months.

You are pursuing a multi-layered treatment approach, just as I am.

You may still be experiencing levels of fatigue from radiation. I had 45 treatments. I'm a teacher and was thankful my last treatment was in May, because I needed the summer to rest, as needed.

Something else to discuss with your doctor:

The next time you visit the lab, ask your doctor to place a request for a ferritin test, to make sure your IRON levels are sufficient.

Some time ago, my doctor stated my iron levels might be low. Sure enough, they were. I now take an iron supplement. Iron levels are easy to assess & might be part of your "fatigue factor."

Another thing to consider:

My doctor does not want me to have the multi-month ZOLADEX injection, because he feels it would create more fatigue. It's yet another form of the ADT shot you got ~ in your case, ELIGARD.

You might consider switching to a one-month injection, to see if it results in less fatigue. Try it! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

I have been on ZYTIGA for over 8 continuous years. I teach full-time and have a steady flow of energy, all day long.

A huge part of this ~ my daily trail walks, after school. Make certain you are exercising every day. You may not feel like it, but the more you get out there, the more energy you will have.

Exercise creates more vitality and energy. Start with a half hour walk around your neighborhood. I walk year 'round & I don't skip weekends.

My lesson learned?

One of my doctors said one day, " The day you don't FEEL like exercising is the very day you need to exercise the most!"

Stay properly hydrated, as well ...

ZYTIGA seems to be helping you ~ and these are a few strategies that can perhaps help you, as you navigate forward!

Stay active, keep moving, keep looking forward ~ one day at a time!

With my best ~
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

I posted this link from a Consumer Reports article about online pharmacy prices last spring. I'm among the lucky few who qualify for free prescriptions including Zytiga from the VA medical system. If I needed to get my Zytiga from my BC/BS Medicare Advantage plan instead of the VA it would cost me about $10,000 per year in co-pays.

But out of curiosity and concern for most others who aren't covered by the VA I went down the list of pharmacies published in the article and checked each for the price of Zytiga. I was surprised to find a couple of the pharmacies would fill the prescription for way less -- one was less than $90 per month. And that was by going directly to the online pharmacy without using my insurance. In other words it would be way cheaper to ignore my insurance and just buy directly from the pharmacy online. Go figure!

I hope this link still works. If not, post here and I'll type a list of the online pharmacies. https://www.consumerreports.org/online-pharmacies/online-pharmacies-can-help-you-save-big-on-prescription-drugs/

-One other thing. I'm sorry to hear you are having such bad side effects. But for others who may be reading I just want to say, that these side effects can vary greatly from one patient to another. In my own case I've had hardly any SEs from either Lupron or Lupron plus Zytiga - no weight gain, hardly any hot flashes other than a few mild - barely warm spells of a few minutes at a time and only in the couple of weeks following a Lupron shot. When I added Zytiga I had no additional symptoms. I've never had fatigue from any of my treatments over the years - neither from radiation nor from ADT. So just letting anyone who may wonder what to expect, it's a broad spectrum minimal SEs for some like me, to worse SE's for others.
Jim

costplusdrugs.com Mark Cubans pharmacy Zytiga $160 per month.