HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Zytigia vs. Xtandi

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/5/2016 10:01 AM (GMT 0)
Just curious at this point, but is one or the other usually chosen first?
It would seem if it didn't matter that one would choose Xtandi since Zytigia must be taken with prednisone?

Mel
Posted 10/5/2016 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
I suspect your doctor will prescribe the one he can get insurance approval for....If he can either drug approved, You only have to take the Zytiga once a day. You take the low-dose (5mg) pred tablets twice a day.. Xtandi is taken four times a day. I have noticed no side-effects from the Zytiga or the prednisone. I've been taking it for a year now...Zytiga must be taken on an empty stomach so I take mine at midnight when I get up to pee....Both drugs work in a similar fashion and they seem to be equally effective...They are like Casodex X 10 in their mode of operation. Unfortunately, you must keep taking the Lupron too..
Posted 10/5/2016 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
Fairwind:

So far, my question is an academic one, as Lupron/Casodex seem very effective. But I suspect my second HT vacation will be over within a couple of weeks.

I thought pred. makes you gain weight and "puffy" as well as other SE (hip issues). Is that only at higher doses?
I also read that you can't stop pred., but need to wean off VERY slowly.

I guess I'd rather take more pills, if it means forgoing pred.

Mel
Posted 10/5/2016 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
At the 5mg dose, the side-effects seem to be minor. I occasionally forget to take it and notice nothing...The need to taper off might only apply to people taking higher doses for different reasons..I am working at losing weight and have dropped from 240 to 230 by avoiding sugar and reducing portions..Now, if I stopped drinking beer........:)
Posted 10/5/2016 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
Fairwind, is that accurate about xtandi 4x a day? I was on xtandi and took 4 tablets once a day at night. Just curious if it is prescribed differently at times compared to the way it was prescribed for me ( I know others that took it once a day also)....Jim
Posted 10/5/2016 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
You are correct ! I don't know where I got the idea Xtandi used a 4 times a day dosage....Four caps once a day, same as Zytiga..Full or empty stomach is okay with the Xtandi...Thanks for catching that...
Posted 10/6/2016 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
Compiler,

the medical articles I read state it is not clear whether you should use Zytiga or Xtandi first. All I found was one study that showed that Zytiga followed by Xtandi did work a bit longer than Xtandi first. However, this study was sponsored by the manufacturer of Zytiga who has an interest in this very result.

George
Posted 10/6/2016 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
My insurance requires you to fail on Zytiga before moving to Xtandi because Xtandi is more expensive by at least $1k/ month. Zytiga brought my PSA down below 1.0 within weeks, but shut down my liver. Xtandi (now) is only very slowly reducing my PSA (going down about 0.1 every 30 days). But my liver returned to normal function very quickly after stopping Zytiga.

The other SEs of Xtandi are much more pronounced than they were with Zytiga. Dramatically so.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply