First Lupron shot Monday

Ive heard so many horror stories about this drug. Had anyone handled the side effects well?

It's not fun, but it's doable. You sort of learn to power through it. For me hot flashes were the most bothersome. Lack of libido was strangely peaceful.

How long will you be on it?

Been on ADT for seven years, continuously, since diagnosis.

I agree with other posters here --- stay active! It boosts energy!

I walk every day, and that includes weekends. Stay consistent.

Choose the exercise you like ... yardwork, walk the dog, visit the gym, ride your bike, set up a workout routine at home, stop by the rec center ... whatever works for YOU.

I have a large park that borders my place ... with a trail, creek, wooded areas, large pond. Weekends, I walk at county or state parks or at an area lake. But on a busy day, after work, a walk around my neighborhood works well, too.

A half hour walk can work wonders.

A word of caution to all fellows on ADT shots ... the shots often impact bone density.

For that reason, you want to avoid slips and falls, at all costs. Beware of ice and snow ... just a word to the wise.

Side effects may vary, but hot flashes and night sweats are common, to the point of typical ...

My favorite strategies to overcome those ...

Ceiling fan in living room and bedroom ... drink ice water at home or work ... cool cotton briefs or boxers ... cool cotton bed sheets ... and put two pillowcases on each pillow to protect the pillows, due to night sweats. Launder often.

Some fellows keep a glass of ice water or chilled water bottle on their nightstand or even a frozen ice pack nearby ... easy idea!

For most social events ... sporty cotton t-shirt, with a wrinkle-free cotton Oxford shirt over that ... adjust the buttons, roll up the sleeves. Now, you can be cool, comfortable & casual for most social events, restaurants, get togethers ...

When you get down to it, cotton clothing is my "go to" these days ...

I remember the slogan for cotton clothing producers at one time was stated as: "Cotton - The Fabric Of Our Lives." Hey, it works for me ...

So, there's some "easy breezy" ideas for you ... choose any that work for you.

My favorite idea from above? Ceiling fans or even basic room fans are a lifesaver!

When radiation treatments start, post again ... we have tips to help you navigate those treatments!

With my best,
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

Wisdom from my doctor, to add:

"The day you don't feel like taking a walk, is actually the day you need to walk more than ever."

I have found great wisdom in those words. May they motivate you, as well!

CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

weewillie131, I'll bump up the Adt and Srt journey thread for you this was started for a bunch of us guys that all started late 2017 and 2018. I think it is one of the longest threads on our forum so lots of reading, a lot of personal experiences that we have encountered along the way. Wishing you the best as you start your journey!!!

Larry

It's a 'walk in the park' 😜
Actually, it is not, but a walk in the park will do you a world of good as Cyclone and others have already advised.
A side effect that hasn't been mentioned is that your libido will 'grind' to zero and will take quite some time to get back to normal. Unfortunately, for some this will never happen. Age is an important factor with the recovery.
You may well encounter some short-time side effects from the injection itself. But they typically disappear in a day or two. The longer term side effects will come later, after the testosterone has gone way down.

PS: You should discuss with your rad oncologist whether your Lupron tour can be shortened to 18 months. There is good (peer reviewed) evidence that that is OK for certain cases, but I don't see your (prostate) resume so can't really say much.
In my case (Gleason=9), the rad oncologist originally prescribed Lupron for 24 months, but that got lowered to 18 months based on the evidence I just mentioned.

Weeville, I concur with what others have said. Not fun, but manageable. I had hot flashes. Annoying but not the horror stores I’d heard about. Gained about 10 pounds all around the middle. Some loss of body hair, but it’s coming back.
I didn’t exercise as I should have. But now I do (I’ve been off it fir over a year now.)
As others have said, stay active. Fight the urge to be lazy.

I was scared to death of Lupron after hearing about many of the side effects to expect. I was so nervous the day of the injection that I took Xanax to calm my nerves. Thankfully, most of my fears were unfounded: no hot flashes, no fatigue, no depression, no brain fog. I had a little loss of body hair, weight gain in the belly, and my cholesterol numbers jumped up. Other than that, it was not bad for my 6-month course. Exercise I believe helped me. I wish you the best.