I have stage 4 prostate cancer
On Lupron for about 6 mo last psa was... - Advanced Prostate...
On Lupron for about 6 mo last psa was.9 having depression dr put me on lexapro been on it for two days don’t like how it makes me feel.
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lj1951
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If you can, stick with it. You get a serotonin buzz at first that goes away with continued use.
When lexapro did not work for me (no emotions at all), we changed to Wellbutrin. I agree you should stick with it a bit, but if it’s still not working, you have options.
Yost responded below, and he's been around a while. I'm at 8 years with st. 4 that was somewhat aggressive. Numbers don't matter anyhow. It's what you do to make those cancer cells stay at bay.
I've been on Lupron or a derivative thereof, for all this time. I got mets in some bones, and now they're gone. I thank Xgeva for that. Zytiga, of course with Prednisone, and when it comes, a switch to
Yea, I'm a cream puff. Yea, i'm as weak as a.........fill it in yourself.
But, you can get better. Actually, maybe not. Don't expect miracles. The thing is, it's a long trip. You make it your own. You can cry and say 'woe is me', or you can stand up and fight the fucker with all you got.
Peace, J
Most people feel pretty weird when they start drugs like Lexapro. Usually the weird spacey maybe nauseated feeling wears off pretty quickly. If it hasn't worked in three weeks either it means it isn't going to work or you need more. The evidence for any antidepressant treatment isn't great. They certainly work in variably in individuals and if one antidepressant of a certain class doesn't work then it's unlikely any antidepressant of that class will work. If it does work but the side-effects are unpleasant then it is sensible to switch within the class to try to minimise the side-effects.
The evidence for exercise is far better. There was a study that was performed in women with postnatal depression comparing treatment with Zoloft which is a similar drug to Lexapro and they compare this to exercise. In the study the exercise was not that difficult. It was 50 minutes a day of supervised walking five days a week. The exercise group had significant improvement in mood and decreased anxiety within five days. The antidepressant group began to get some decrease of symptoms in 10 days but did not reach the effect of exercise for three weeks. If you are really miserable, and I have been with this fucking disease and especially with no testosterone, maybe you should do both although there is some evidence that taking Lexapro like drugs might slow the beneficial effects of exercise but that evidence isn't very well supported.
I swim 1 km a twice a week, go to the gym twice a week doing careful weights because I'm scared of snapping my spine through all the metastatic disease, and ride a bike approximately 150 km per week. If I reduce this or stop for 3 weeks I have to go on antidepressants like lexapro and I hate them but it's better than feeling like shit
Research the SSRI with Lupron. Not a good combination. Most physicians do not research that aspect. Be careful with all SSRIs!
Hi lj, as we are all in the same boat and mostly on the same medication it's good to hear how it works on others. My Doctor put men on Eligard which is a fancy name for Lupron but it is injections every six months. It is a time released medication that at least for me had no side effects other than hot flashes which are tolerable. You may want to look into that I'm not saying it will be the answer but at least you can go by my experience with it. I'm also on Zytiga,Prednisone,and Xgeva no side effects. I take the Zytiga at 6AM with 12 oz. Of water on an empty stomach and when I have breakfast around 9AM or so the Prednisone it is very important to take medication as directed by your doctor I found that out the hard way. The best medicine for our fight is a positive attitude fight it with all you got. Best of luck Brotherhood in arms. Leo
Hi Lj: You're not alone, many of us become depressed by what we face. Years ago I was on Lexapro. It worked great. But then I switched to a generic version and it was totally ineffective. A little research (I am a chemist) seemed to show that Lexapro was a mixture of certain forms (isomers) but the generic was a different mixture. Both met FDA requirements, I guess. So this, too, may be having an effect. Are you on the generic or the name brand?
I myself found no difference in response but am also wary of generics because of limited knowledge about origin (China, India, etc.) and oversight.
Moderate exercise has helped me avoid depression. Recommend asking the doctor for an exercise trainer who is experienced with PCa patients.
Great idea. Good luck to me finding a doc who has a clue about this, but there are other ways.
My husband started Lupron last August. At that time he did not have mets. PSA around 8. In January his PSA was 2.5, but then about three weeks later, it was 6 and he had bone mets in the hip, groin and back bone. They added Xtandi. Now he is starting to feel better. With Lupron he became very tired, and quit getting up early. He had some hot flashes. When added extandi, his hip area was sore, and he quit going and doing things. Now it seems like the extandi is working and he is starting to leave the house occasionally. His biggest problem now is urine and bowel control due to complications of the scar tissue left from radiation about 18 years ago.
Two days on lexapro or generic brand thought I was going out of my mind third day it all went away just hang in there it gets better
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