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Very low Testosterone and depression in men under PCa treatment

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Posted 6/15/2017 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
A question for all the experienced gentlemen of the forum,
I live in Canada and my parents live in another country. Currently, I am back to my home country to visit them and I feel as if my father is not the same person AT ALL. sad
He used to be very active, cheerful and social. Right now despite his overall wellness and body resilience to Chemo (finished third session this Monday) , probably because of low masculine hormones (Test. Almost 0) his mood doesn't look so great. He doesn't speak very often and prefers to sleep or to sit on the coach, watching the floor, even not the TV screen.
Would his mood improve over time after some adaptation and body homeostasis?
I am flying back to Canada tomorrow night and I feel so down and sad for him that I may burst into tears any moment.
Dady's gril...

Post Edited (Farz53) : 6/15/2017 11:26:38 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/15/2017 6:16 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear about your father. You sound close to him, and it's hard to see ones we love that are struggling due to disease or treatments. this may not be very helpful, but I can completely identify with what you're describing.

He may have a couple of things going on. Depression is not unusual at all during hormone therapy. The therapy affects our mental processes, and honestly prostate cancer really demolishes us as men, especially aggressive treatments for advanced cases. Our sexuality is a large part of who we are, our self image. For some guys even their self worth depends on it. This disease and its treatments can completely destroy that, especially hormone therapy (the low testosterone, masculine hormone, you mentioned).

The second one is directly related to hormone therapy, in that it causes problems itself. Lack of testosterone makes us experience hot flashes, a persistent fatigue, a mental fog, and even a strange "lack of motivation". While I was on it, I often simply did not want to do anything at all. Just, nothing. That has never been my personality, and it was driven by the hormone therapy. I couldn't stay up much past 8:30pm at home.

Fatigue and brain fog even robbed me of my rather lively sense of humor. I love verbal humor, teasing, sarcasm, playfulness. On hormone therapy that just collapsed. In fact, after I finished hormone therapy that was one of the earlier signs my "masculine hormones" were recovering. That aspect of my personality woke back up!

So, persistent fatigue, complete loss of sex life, lack of interest in anything, and yes that does change one's personality.

You might suggest that he try some light exercise. Even regular walking can help with some of those symptoms.

He surely appreciates your support, even if he maybe can't show it much right now.
Posted 6/15/2017 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
Dad has lots of things going on right now....The side-effects from HT are far-reaching. How old is your Dad? What is his prognosis? Do you know the details of his diagnosis? PSA, Gleason score? Dad might be having a tough time getting his head wrapped around all this and the effects of the HT don't make it any easier...
Posted 6/15/2017 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
@ Island time: I appreciate your sympathy...I still can't believe what is happening. He was the healthiest man in our big family (no bragging). Everything happened so fast since Nov 2016.
@ RedWings57: " I love verbal humor, teasing, sarcasm, playfulness", all used to be part of his personality, too. Now he is mostly tired and looks down. He used to ask me to stand and walk as upright as I can, his posture as perfect just a few months ago, now when I ask him to sit upright, he keeps it for few seconds and again leans forward.
As a woman, I never get the importance of sex life for men, life is more than sexual desires, after all. (I don't judge)
I am asking him to join a gym and keep himself active. He usually goes for 1-hour walks, but no other exercise. His muscles literally disappeared after radical prostatectomy and he feels so bad about it. But doesn't take any action to improve his situation.
Maybe I should wait and see how he will deal with this new chapter of his life.
Posted 6/15/2017 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
Farz,

I understand your concern. After RP, and the realization and the surgery didn't provide the "cure" we had hoped for, my husband started ADT and salvage radiation. He suddenly went from a man who never stopped, who was silly with the grandkids, and always engaged, to a man who simply dropped into his chair and stared. I was really worried that depression was doing more harm than PCa. It went on for several months. During the past year, he had returned to his old self, despite continued ADT. I'm not sure why he turned the corner, but at this point, you'd never know anything was wrong at all.

I think in my husband's case, it was a matter of needing to process all that was happening. The ADT, of course, didn't help. Hearing that you have incurable cancer is depressing in itself. Give him a little time. he may need time to sort out all that has happened/is happening.
Posted 6/16/2017 1:43 AM (GMT 0)
It's totally normal for a guy to get depressed after treatment for PCa. I found that you must get over the sex thing and get on with life. You need to refocus! HT really is awful for a man and I found that I needed to pull myself out of bed and stay active so I work out strenuously daily. I also take cymbalta for depression and other meds to reduce SEs of HT. If you let this disease take over your life you're in deep trouble.
Bob
Posted 6/16/2017 2:12 AM (GMT 0)
Farz, I have not experienced being on Hormone Therapy, and the only knowledge I hve of it is what I read here. But I do have my own "Daddy's girl".
I think the best thing you can do far dad right now, is stay upbeat, no matter how difficult . Especially when you are with him.

I know that the hardest thing I've had to do, since I was diagnosed, was telling my little girl (age 32 at the time). Because I knew how upset she'd be. And it upsets me whenever she is unhappy. But it makes me just want to cry, when I see her upset over me it my situation
I'm sure your dada feels the same way. Try to stay upbeat, when you are with him. It's will make it easier for him.

I'm sure he will get through this tough situation. Give him some time and space
Posted 6/16/2017 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
I haven't been on chemo yet, but when my wife was on it for breast cancer, she was usually in bed for a few days. So you maybe witnessed the chemo effect. I would encourage you to check in with your mother to see if there is a change in your fathers mood and energy level over time. His body is being hit with some heavy duty chemicals right now. Wishing your father a good outcome.
Michael
Posted 6/16/2017 4:25 AM (GMT 0)
The side effects of repetitive chemo cycles can create a lot of fatigue and other side effects. Your visit to him could have coincided with some of his chemo-related "down days" that many people who are getting chemo almost invariably have a few days after getting the chemo treatment, itself.

Charles
Posted 6/16/2017 4:39 PM (GMT 0)
It's curious how often I hear that the best solution for fatigue and lack of motivation is to get up and exercise. If only it were that simple.
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