Seriousness of "Flair" on Eligard

[ezhoe]

wondering about flair and what help is casodex? I'm in 2 weeks since 6mo shot and other than a few surprise "stiffie's" the SE are not bad yet.. last check of T before shot was 230 maybe that might be some of the answer. Ed

[Tall_Allen]

It's too late for Casodex to prevent the effects of testosterone flare from Eligard. That may explain why you feel so good now,

[Tall_Allen]

I don't think there is a difference of opinion that GnRH agonists (like Lupron, Eligard and Zoladex) cause a TESTOSTERONE flare. The question is - does it matter? Does it temporarily encourage disease progression? Increase PSA? Cause mets to become painful? If Morgentaler's saturation theory holds, it shouldn't make any difference. It is prudent, however, if mets are already symptomatic, to start the patient with a couple of weeks of Casodex or begin him on Firmagon and switch him to Lupron after a couple of months.

[ezhoe in reply to Tall_Allen]

I think if my T tripled I would still be about "normal"

[Hidden]

230 T? My experience..... April of 2004, upon discovery of mets to my spinal column, I immediately had a 3 month injection of Lupron and two weeks of Casodex, 50 mg once a day for four weeks. My initial baseline blood draw reflected PSA at 32.4 and T at 925. At six weeks from initial diagnosis, I entered into a six month chemotherapy/hormone therapy. My blood draw at this point reflected PSA at 3.0 and T at 5. I was told that the goal was to keep T at <5; which I did.

After the trial my PSA was undetectable and the trial called for two years of Casodex, 59 mg once a day. At eight months out, PSA climbed to 1.9 with T <5. My Oncologist stopped Casodex and remarked, that he was hopeful that my PSA would drop like a rock. 20% of the time with Casodex Withdrawal, PSA drops. By December I was undetectable and have remained so ever since.

In February 2010, we stopped the Lupron/Eligard injections in an attempt to bring back T. Unfortunately my T never came back. Eleven months later, I started low dose testosterone therapy with 4mg of Androgel twice a week. My T came back to range between 450 to 650. I stopped Androgel a year later, T dropped like a rock and six months later i restarted testosterone therapy. Today PSA is undetectable and T ranges between 450 to 750 depending on gel application and blood draw.

My simple line of thinking is that the multiple drugs which I took in the trial killed whatever testosterone building resources that my body had; however, I am thinking that overall, it was a good thing - killing and starving the cancer at the same time.

Note, I read later that a lot of Oncologists strive for a T of <50 during treatment and some do not even test for T. I don’t really know what is the right method; only what worked for me.

I would think it is another discussion point with your Oncologist. Keep kicking the bastard.

Gourd Dancer

[dbrooks_h in reply to Hidden]

Which chemotherapy drug was used, this information is very encouraging.

[ezhoe]

Well, the eligard seems to be doing It's thing.. 8/28/18. took eligard shot psa =22.5 T=232.. 9/20/18 .. psa =8.67... T= 39.0 ..Ed