Megestrol for Lupron caused hot-flashes? - Advanced Prostate...

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Megestrol for Lupron caused hot-flashes?

Don_1213 profile image
26 Replies

My urologist prescribed megestrol 20mg 2x daily for hot-flashes. I'm on about day 4 of them. So far no huge side-effects and perhaps the hot-flashes are lessened. Found the following papers:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/802...

cbuna.org/sites/default/fil...

A cautionary article (although the dosage is 3x what I'm getting): malecare.org/be-cautious-ta...

Anyone else taking it?

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Don_1213 profile image
Don_1213
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26 Replies
HOPEFULSPOUSE profile image
HOPEFULSPOUSE

My husband was prescribed it to help increase his appetite. It was prescribed by an oncologist who was filling in when his regular one went on holiday. He took it for about a week and it did increase his appetite. But when his onco came back he told him not to continue taking it because it is a hormone based drug so he is against patients with hormone driven cancers taking it. Instead he suggested that he start building up THC/CBD in his system to help his appetite.

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

I have talked to a few patients who use it as a transdermal. It will increase your appetite. I think transdermal (patch or cream) estrogen may be a better choice. Two men I know are successfully using acupuncture. Some are successful with venlafaxine.

Gary94 profile image
Gary94

I used megestrol for hot flashes and it worked. Increased my appetite as a bonus. They took me off of it when I started on Casodex because of potential clotting problems.

Tommyj2 profile image
Tommyj2 in reply toGary94

Are you on Lupron??.... I thought one of the side effects of ADT that disturbed many men was weight GAIN.?? This is the first I am hearing of appetite problems with ADT... this is , apparently, common??

Gary94 profile image
Gary94 in reply toTommyj2

No lupron because I took the surgical option. Megestrol is given to long term cancer patients to increase appetite.

larry_dammit profile image
larry_dammit

I’m on Effexor 2 times a day , carry a large kerchief and a portable fan. 😜😜😜

EdBar profile image
EdBar

I’ve been using estradiol patches prescribed by Dr. Myers for about 4 1/2 years now, they work very well, in fact I think they may help me feel better overall. They trick your body into thinking it’s got some testosterone since some of the testosterone produced in men is converted to estrogen.

Ed

Break60 profile image
Break60

Estradiol patches are so good for hot flashes that I dropped Lupron and use only patches for ADT.

Tommyj2 profile image
Tommyj2 in reply toBreak60

How are you making out with the " man boobs"

I had read that the patches were much more prone to produce this SE??

Break60 profile image
Break60 in reply toTommyj2

True but the other side effects of Lupron are gone. My man boobs aren’t any worse than other guys my age.

Tommyj2 profile image
Tommyj2 in reply toBreak60

Are you on anything else besides the patches?? I seemed to have a recollection that you are?

Break60 profile image
Break60 in reply toTommyj2

I’ve been on metformin and dutasteride for PCa and on celecoxib, and rosuvastatin not for PCa but they’ve been found to be helpful for PCa as well .

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n in reply toTommyj2

Man Boobs? I've got "Man Booms"

My wife calls me TNT = Two NIfty Tits...

Good Luck, Good Health and Good humor.

j-o-h-n Wednesday 06/26/2019 6:43 PM DST

Don_1213 profile image
Don_1213 in reply toj-o-h-n

The official name for them is "moobs"... so I'm told.

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n in reply toDon_1213

Thanks, mine are KABOOMS

Good Luck, Good Health and Good humor.

j-o-h-n Wednesday 06/26/2019 7:21 PM DST

preciousbz1 profile image
preciousbz1

I started taking the dosage you are taking and it helped 95% with hot flashes...After a month I reduced it to 1 megestrol per day..works fine and less meds.

Don_1213 profile image
Don_1213 in reply topreciousbz1

That sounds like a plan...

BobGee profile image
BobGee

My oncologist switched me from Lupron to Eligard. Not sure why, but you might want to ask yours to explain the difference and which is better for you.

carbide profile image
carbide in reply toBobGee

Cost?

In some cases, health care professionals may use the trade name eligard or other names lupron or lupron depot or viadur when referring to the generic drug name leuprolide. rug type: Leuprolide is a hormone therapy. It is classified as an "LHRH agonist." For more detail, see "How this drug works" section below).

IrishDude profile image
IrishDude

I have been taking the same dose as you for just a little less than a week. It hasn't seemed to improve anything yet.

Don_1213 profile image
Don_1213 in reply toIrishDude

It wasn't instant for me. Took a week or two to kick in. Daytime flashes are pretty much history, night time flashes are 1 a night and very mild.

IrishDude profile image
IrishDude in reply toDon_1213

Awesome, thanks for the info. I was kinda wondering how long it was going to take to kick in. Waking up every night at 4 am feeling like you are lying in a wet cold ditch is getting old.

Do you think it has increased your appetite much?

Don_1213 profile image
Don_1213 in reply toIrishDude

I don't think it increased my appetite.

Even on Lupron, I haven't gained weight - just redistributed it on my body. What used to hold my pants up (butt) no longer does, it now is in my pot-belly. Very odd thing.

Good luck!

Don

Cinderelda profile image
Cinderelda

My husband has just been prescribed Megace. How long were you on it? Also, could you comment on the following article.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

I understand it to say PCa can feed on progesterone when androgens are unavailable.

Thank you for your time!

Derf4223 profile image
Derf4223 in reply toCinderelda

The thread you are on here is 4 years old. Also, for hot flashes Venlafaxine works for me, recommended by my MO. I'd be leery of Megace (aka progesterone.) My hormones are mucked-up enough by ADT/Abiraterone.

Cinderelda profile image
Cinderelda in reply toDerf4223

Thanks. I knew the thread was old. I was looking for a long term user of Megace.

Your response confirms my concern. I will suggest that Venlafaxine would be safer. He certainly needs more sleep.

Thank you!

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