ADHT Lupron INJ: How long till Side Effects hit?

[depotdoug]

Well it’s been 20days, 20hrs,20m since my Lupron depot 90day injection. No side effects,Yet.

1. No Lethargy

2. No Hot Flashes

3. No muscle soreness

4. No Energy Loss

5. No Exercising roadblocks

Am I normal?

Or does it take more time to?

[LearnAll]

Intensity of Lupron side effects vary for each individual...I read on this forum description of horrible hot flashes and extreme tiredness I was scared when Lupron inj was given first time.

To my surprise, rather than hot flashes I had cold flashes (chills) in the first month.

As for tiredness, it had moderate tiredness in first two months but when I started walking 4 to 5 miles a day regularly and increased my stretching ...tiredness diminished very much.

Now, after 4 months, I have mild hot or cold flashes once or twice a week.

So, level of side effects vary in different people.

[depotdoug in reply to LearnAll]

Thanks. I’m exercising right now on The Eliptical machine. For 20 min maybe.

[FCoffey]

The way Lupron works produces a temporary surge in testosterone before it falls. For me, that surge lasted about 3 weeks, and I only felt the fall after a month or so.

As LearnAll said, the side effects vary. My life on Lupron was not worth living, but most men don't take it so hard.

Good luck!

[packfan]

My side effects started right at 60 days. No effects before that, but after that I had severe fatigue all at once. I should add I had a 4 month shot at 60 days, and that I seem to be less tolerant to Lupron than most people have.

[depotdoug]

Thanks men, I'm trying to evade the invasion of the side-effects. Kind of sounds like a movie. I'm so looking forward to my next PSA & Testosterone labs in 3 weeks. They should be down down from Sept 10th labs. Which were only 8.566ng/mL and 294ng/dL. Those reads are down from 17.7PSA and 329 T-Levels. I could msg my MO's RN or their lab group specialists about my Lupron 'Side Effects' Kick-in time. Doug

[FGSmith]

Just started my second round on Lupron. The first shot hit me hard at about the 2 week time frame. Fatigue, hot flashes, unable to concentrate. Starting upping the exercise program with more weight lifting, and a better diet. About 2 months in I started feeling pretty good. So far, three weeks since my second shot I feel pretty good, much much better than the first shot. Just the hot flashes that come and go, along with fatigue if I am in hot weather, all very worth the positives that come with the Lupron.

Best of luck!

[westof]

Hmm... I started Lupron and Casodex exactly 1 year ago (quarterly injections) and shifted to Zytiga, prednisone and Lupron in March. My MO indicates another 22 months of treatment.

The only side effects I've experienced are loss of libido and ED.

I turn 71 in December. G9, stage 3 and high PSA was 28 (no mets). HDR Brachy and 25 days of IMRT. PSA has held steady at <0.014. Although I'm waiting for the post RT PSA "bump".

I feel great! However, as others have mentioned; everyone has a different reaction.

Best

[depotdoug in reply to westof]

22 months more added to 12 already done. That’s a long stretch. Many side effects or muscle problems or body aches??

[depotdoug in reply to westof]

Ooops I should have read the whole message. Sorry about that

[Don_1213 in reply to westof]

I'm confused as DepotDoug - it seems you've been on Lupron for 12 months abd your MO is telling you you'll be on it for another 22 months? So a total of 34 months of ADT?

There are recent studies showing that ADT fails to provide any additional curative benefit following radiation treatment after 18 months. The original SOC was 3 years (because a study compared 3 years to 6 months, and 3 years had better long term results), then it became 24 months since a study was done, and people taking 24 months of ADT had equal positive results to the people doing 36 months. Finally a study was done with 18 months - which again was found to have equal results to 24 and 36 months of ADT.

If your MO doesn't know about these studies - please ping me and I'll send you some links to them.. as one researcher in the 18 month study said "At 18 months the job is done.. no gains will be seen by treating longer.."

I'm a G9/10, 45 radiation treatments IG/IMRT/Boost/ARC, ADT so far 12 months. PSA has been consistantly 0.1 or below (undetectable.) All three of my MDs (urologist, rad-onc, med-onc) had agreed that 18 months should be enough.

[depotdoug in reply to Don_1213]

18 months and out or done ADT. Ok. I should see if I qualify; but I’m just 4 months in on my 2nd ADT Lupron depot treatment rounds. Last time was 2008-2012 intermittently. Now I’m confused. I think. I had 42 IMRT radiation zaps way way back in 2005.

Depotdoug

[Don_1213 in reply to depotdoug]

Ah - there's the confusion. What you're getting now is for reoccurance? What I was talking about was primary treatment.. first stuff done after diagnosis.

[depotdoug in reply to Don_1213]

I think I like the word done ✅ DOUG.

But not in the (-) context.

[westof in reply to Don_1213]

Hmm... Yep, I get my sixth quarterly injection next month and I feel great. SE's too few to mention and I just turned 71.

Now, I will meet with my MSK RO and MO on 2/6 and I will pursue the matter (scheduling is a dream with both and waiting time 10-15 minutes at most).

What does concern me is why am I on Zytiga? My scans indicate no mets!

I've read that "Z" is for met patients only. Overkill, "hit it fast and hard"?

Maybe, I should get a 2nd opinion from T_A!

Best

[depotdoug in reply to westof]

2nd opinion- yeh they are free aren’t they. I’m 23 days into abiraterone acetate only 250mg daily. No SE’s yet...... My Mets were ID’d my 08/01 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET SCAN. 1/2 x 0.75” avid lit 🔥 up area on posterior side of my still inside me Prostate gland(atrophied). And not AVID 🔥 Up spots on Pelvic lymph nodes+ sone smaller 🔥 up areas abdominal lymph nodes. I think I’ve memorized my PSMA scan rad report.. My status as of 12/10 according to MO doc is 1} metastatic 2} Stage 4.

MO was going to start me with 4 250mg abiraterone acetate per day= 1000mg but since my Cardiovascular conditions and my Co-pay would be $1,500/month, we decided start with min 250mg.

No SE’s? None, scary scenario if you really knew my 28 active medical documented active problems. 28 ouch.

[westof]

Nope. I just finished off my nightly ration of beer and brandy ( I have indulged in this practice all of my adult life) and DO NOT recommend my lifestyle to anyone!

After an early bone scan (negative), my MSK RO did a CAP CT to see if my other organs had been affected (also negative). I specifically asked about my liver, kidneys and heart, his response was "great shape".

My MSK MO was horrified when I mentioned my lifestyle (just before starting Zytiga) and we agreed that if my liver enzymes didn't return to normal after a few months, I would stop "cold turkey". I did stop the week before and after brachy. No problem.

I get a CMP blood draw draw every 2 weeks and just had a CBC (slight anemia) and every other test. My results are better than they were 6 years ago.

Now, I do value my life and don't mean this reply to be cavalier in any way. I know that many of our brothers are suffering.

It's just the way I want to live my life.

As I mentioned in my first (and only) post:

“I refuse to live the rest of my life in a constant state of anxiety, nor will I allow myself to be entombed in a cocoon of dread”.

Best to all.

[depotdoug in reply to westof]

QOL is a word I never thought would be in my 67 year old vocabulary. But it is now. Really it happened May12,2011 when I drove myself to my local hospital ER, 3 min from home. Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the ER, 12 days in CICU, Dx'd wit Non-Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia and inherited my 1st ICD/Pacemaker and now on my 2nd ICD/Pacemaker implant 01/17/2019. My PCa Dx and IMRT RT was way back in 2005. Then ADHT treatments 2008-2012. Now its returned, Prostate Cancer that is. My Cardiac Health is excellent and I'm going to try and keep it that way. They say Lupron Hormone stuff can wreak havoc with a mans cardiac function. I'm trying to prove that theory or fact wrong. Exercising twice daily and pushing myself a lot for the last 4./5 years physically. Will see how long my QOL stays quality wise.

[whatsinaname in reply to westof]

You quit booze ???

How very very sad

[depotdoug in reply to whatsinaname]

Whatsinaname:

Well. Guess what I saturated my body with alcohol for 35+ years. Started drinking at 23 ended when I was 58yo. Stopped 3 months before my Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Go figure I saturated my heart muscles daily, causing loss of Potassium, Magnesium, Sodium, and all electrolytes that heart needs to pump. Messed up my whole electrical Cardiac rhythm functioning of my heart. Therefore No Heart functioning not much left to live with.

Don’t have to worry about Advanced Prostate cancer without a functioning pumping heart. Life Choices ‘whatsinaname’. Life Choices.

[whatsinaname in reply to depotdoug]

I have close relatives who drank responsibly everyday from an early age till well in their nineties.

Of course, they didn't have "prostate cancer".

One more thing. My reply was to westof, not to you.

Cheers, "depotdoug"

[depotdoug in reply to whatsinaname]

Sorry about the miss-reply. I’d better be careful typing whilst on medicated drugs; Lupron Depot and lying in bed at 6:45AM. Time to exercise myself for my morning E.E.C. Ing ( excessive Exercising Compulsion) they say I’ve got. 2X daily pushing my bodies limits at the gym. Crazy but healthy and love it. I can out pace a lot of the younger heavyweight Fitness Planet fanatics. Exercising on drugs(Lupron). There ought to be a song about that.

[Jimhoy]

I began my ADT in Early August. Hot flashes weren’t really bothersome for me being a 230# career heavy construction worker (that would rather punch you in the throat than argue with you), but on Columbus Day weekend, I found myself, uncontrollably bawling my eyes out at the camp fire!!!! That should have been my indicator to find forums like this but unfortunately, I didn’t think of it until I lost my job and my mind by (out of ignorance) succumbing to the couch potato syndrome! Still trying to come back from that even after being off Eligard for 9 months (being on it for 18 months). So. Keep exercising you mind, body & faith wether you think you need to or not!!! It’ll sneak up on you and bite you in the A$$!!!

Best of luck

Jc

[j-o-h-n in reply to Jimhoy]

"that would rather punch you in the throat than argue with you" Shit that's my technique....go ahead and ask my ex-wife if you doubt me...

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Sunday 10/06/2019 10:55 PM DST

[depotdoug in reply to j-o-h-n]

huh? Punch you in the throat?

[j-o-h-n in reply to depotdoug]

Half in jest, whole in earnest....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Sunday 10/06/2019 11:04 PM DST