Introduction and questions

[Defcon1]

Hello all.

I am 64 years old and was diagnosed in 2010. After a bunch of treatments, I am now on Zytiga. The side effects, for me, have been fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, and loss of strength. Are these common? They are debilitating, and I am wondering if it is worth it.

Thanks

[Tall_Allen]

Yes those are common side effects of this therapy.The most common side effects of ZYTIGA® include:

Feeling very tired

Joint pain

High blood pressure

Nausea

Swelling in your legs or feet

Low blood potassium levels

Hot flushes

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Infected nose, sinuses, or throat

Cough

Headache

Low red blood cells (anemia)

High blood cholesterol and triglycerides

High blood sugar levels

Certain other abnormal blood tests

The question is - can you do anything to mitigate the worst side effects? The best solution for fatigue and loss of muscle strength is plenty of exercise. Both cardiovascular and weight bearing. It is probably the last thing in the world you feel like doing now, but really the first thing you should be doing. If you can afford it, get a trainer at the gym who will force you to do it.

If you are on Zometa, talk to your doctor about adding Celebrex to it. The combination has been shown to increase survival by 22%. Celebrex may also relieve your joint pain. NSAIDs may help too. Also, ask your doctor to check that you are taking enough prednisone (usually two 5mg tablets daily) to make up for the loss of cortisol that Zytiga causes. Inadequate cortisol can lead to some of those symptoms.

[Break60]

Wow! I assume you were on first line ADT before you added Zytiga? How would you compare side effects then and now?

I have taken metformin, avodart, Celebrex , Crestor , vitamin D3 , calcium, cabergoline , estradiol patches and cymbalta while on ADT triple blockade and continue on them while on ADT vacation.

As TA says, resistance training and aerobics really help with fatigue, pain , and mood . Sound counterintuitive maybe but it’s absolutely true. You must drag your butt to the gym because watching others work out gives you incentive. I find that listening to rock music with your earbuds makes it more fun and helps time pass more quickly💪!

[rosewebb]

My father also had horrific effects from just one week of Zytiga. He went off it and is in the process of asking his doctor for a script for LDN - Low Dose Naltrexone.