Lupron schedule and hot flashes

[bean1008]

Here I am, just one week before my next three month Lupron shot, and the hot flashes last week and this week have been more frequent. It seems odd that my hot flashes would get worse as as the drug would seemingly be wearing off. Has anyone else experienced this?

[Ahk1]

I stopped treatments for about 2 1/2 months now and still getting hot flashes. My T is 11.

[6357axbz]

Very common in my experience.

[Sandy752 in reply to 6357axbz]

I've been on Lupron 8 years and have never been able to find a pattern to my hot flashes in relation to when I get my 4-month injection. At this point, the flashes are not as frequent or intense as they were in years 2-5.

[Tall_Allen]

I wish there were a 1-to-1 correlation. The brain has its own mind

[Hidden in reply to Tall_Allen]

"The Brain Has It's Own Mind"...lol, I like that and will be adopting it into my daily lexicon.

[6357axbz]

As an aside to this topic I’ve found, for me, having a ceiling fan above my bed is a big help for hot flashes. Just throw back the covers, expose as much bare skin as convenient and remove the pillow from underneath your head. The sweat evaporates quickly, you feel cool and good to go back to sleep.

[Kaliber in reply to 6357axbz]

Exactly what I do, works great for me as well. Additionally I sleep on a heated waterbed , so when I cover up …the warmth comes on quickly and remains constant if your evaporating sweat makes you too chilly or the room is .chilly.

[dhccpa in reply to 6357axbz]

I do that, even rotating the pillow over to the cool side. Fortunately my hot flashes have been minimal.

[Kaliber in reply to dhccpa]

👏👏❤️❤️😁

[6357axbz in reply to dhccpa]

I love cool side of pillow

[dac500]

I am on ADT break. I had my last 3 month Lupron shot on March 2, 2021. I still have hot flushes and testosterone is only 54 as of this morning.

[fmenninger in reply to dac500]

Ditto. I’m on ADT break and still have hot flashes. My brain hasn’t figured it out yet!

[bean1008]

Greatest thing I have found is my neck fan...bought it on Amazon for about $20. It has three speeds which nicely matches my 'mood'. About five minutes on low and I'm usually back to normal. I also have a small fan with bendable legs (tripod) that wraps around the slats on my bed's headboard. Charges via USB. Works great for those middle of the night visitors!

[db36867 in reply to bean1008]

I keep my little portable fan with me at all times for hot flashes. I’ve tried Black Cohash and Evening Primerose. They help a little but not much.

[Gearhead]

I have not been able to detect any patterns to my hot flashes involving things like, for example: Lupron injections, frequency, intensity, duration, or triggers. These things seem to vary in a totally random way.

[Chrisbaird]

I’m on 3 monthly hormone injections and have experienced this too hot flushes seem more frequent towards end of period

[bean1008 in reply to Chrisbaird]

Thanks Chris! I’m glad it’s not just me!

[fish7days]

Try Megace 20mg. Works very well for me. No hot flashes at all. Brutal before Megace. I stopped Lupron in Nov so waiting to see if I will stop the Megace.

[VHRguy in reply to fish7days]

I'll support this. Megace reduced my hot flashes about 75%, both fewer and less severe.

Estradiol patches completely stopped them.

[larry_dammit]

Never tracked mine that way, I just dress in cloths that I can get off quickly and my daughter got me a portable fan that I can stick down my shirt 🤪🤪. The fan was a life saver. On my 5 th year of treatment and the hot flashes are less all the time so hang in there warrior. 🙏🙏

[London441]

The Lupron is intended to be fully effective for its designated duration. It doesn’t start wearing off until after that.

[bean1008 in reply to London441]

Ah makes sense! Thanks London!

[London441 in reply to bean1008]

Where do you live? Is cool/cold air available?

[bean1008 in reply to London441]

Seattle so oh yes! But the last couple of summers have been scorchers!

[London441 in reply to bean1008]

Seattle! Ugh, I know the summer was rough. But hopefully you rolled around in all that snow you got recently…

[Hidden]

I tried tracking my hot flashes and first thought they were indeed worse as I neared the end of each 4 month injection. Anymore though, they are more random. What I have noticed, is when I'm staying busy and active (active is a relative term anymore) they seem to be rare or nonexistent.

[Hailwood]

Just random for me also. Had. A terrible one in the Drs office waiting for the shot!

[btca in reply to Hailwood]

I have been on bical and lupron since Jan 2021. Yes-hot flashes at various times during day and sometimes at night. Night seems to happen after I wake--for whatever reason. I do the throw the covers off and fan bit, quickly dissipates. Had a hot blast while shopping in grocery, sweat on face- only lasts a few min. Also seems to happen when I am doing yard work or anything that tends to make me hot and sweaty--just the helpful flash I don't really need. Then after dinner, relaxing in easy chair, have to get up unbutton shirt and fan a bit. Just relax and deal with it, there are worse problems. I have tinnitus for 25+ years, don't notice most of time just ignore it.

[MateoBeach]

It’s not in the mind. It’s in the body: thermal regulatory dysfunction in the absence of the stabilizing effects of sex hormones. It overshoots. That is why a brief cold exposure can trigger the next hot flush a few minutes later. Sex hormones correct it. That is why in the absence of testosterone it can be corrected by either a progestin (Megace) or estrogen (estradiol patch or gel).

[Gabby643]

Oh ya, it’s normal. Try to look past them and keep looking forward. Take long walks with head phones( music or talk radio) it helps. I get them just as I lay down at night, Pi’s… me off, now I’m ok with it.

[spencoid2]

As others have said there seems to be no explanation as to when hot flashes will occur. It is amazing that the medical industry has not figured this out and found a cure especially since more than one half of the population will have them if they live long enough.

I have tried "everything" and maybe get a tiny benefit from some things. Am trying an estradiol patch now and do not really see much difference. I am pretty much resigned to hot flashes for life. I fan with the covers to cool never tried fans.

The one thing that pretty reliably prevents hot flashes that I have found is "spooning" with my dog. My last dog would do it all night but the current ones are a bit more independent. The husband has sleep apnea so we can not sleep together or at least I can't.

[MGBman]

Wait….there is a bonus though. These flashes and other stuff which my brain didn’t seem to have any control over, let me relate to all our menopausal lady friends. You tell them how hard it must be for them and lay it fairly thickly and soon they’ll be feeling really sorry for you too. Of course my wife and the other ladies’ husbands think I’m a scoundrel….but hey!

[bean1008]

Thanks guys for the great advice and some laughs! It makes it easier knowing we’re not alone in our journey!! Best wishes to all of you!!

[Clotter1]

I have found no pattern for my hot flashes. My doc put me on 2.5mg of Oxybutynin twice daily and it did seem to stop or significantly reduce the hot flashes.

[bean1008 in reply to Clotter1]

Thanks! I will check that out!

[Break60]

Apply one .1 mg estradiol patch weekly and hot flashes will be gone. They don’t decline at the end of each Lupron dose !

[bean1008 in reply to Break60]

Thanks! Will ask my MO when I see him next week.

[j-o-h-n]

I guess I'm an anomaly.... originally I had a very few light hots for about two months, then bingo..... no more..... all gone.....signed John Inuit

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Saturday 01/15/2022 6:22 PM EST

[garyjp9]

I know one man who swears by frozen grapes for the hot flashes. But what I would really recommend for those who are suffering with hot flashes is to check out the Wave 2 from Embr Labs. embrlabs.com/products/embr-... It is not cheap and runs about $350. It was originally designed for women, but the company

recently ran a study trying it with PCa patients. I know a handful of men who were in the study, and all of them raved about this device (worn like a wristwatch), which has a button that you push in order to block an incoming hot flash.

[bean1008 in reply to garyjp9]

Wow interesting! I will look into it!

[CurrentSEO]

How about switching from Lupron to Orgovyx? So far I was 2.5 months on it and have no side effects whatsoever. Of course we are all different, but maybe instead of figuring out how to deal with hot flashes, try to switch medication?

[bean1008 in reply to CurrentSEO]

I worry a bit about the possible cardio issues…glad it us working for you! Maybe someday!

[CurrentSEO in reply to bean1008]

Orgovyx has much less risk of cardio issues than Lupron.

"A clinical trial of 930 patients with advanced prostate cancer was conducted to directly compare Lupron and Orgovyx. Participants were treated with either Orgovyx 120 mg once daily or Lupron injection every 3 months for 48 weeks and their outcomes directly compared.

Overall 97% of Orgovyx treated patients maintained castration levels of testosterone for 48 weeks compared to 89% of Lupron recipients demonstrating the non inferiority of Orgovyx. In the Orgovyx and Lupron treatment groups patients castrate levels of testosterone on day 4 were 56.% and 0%, respectively. The incidence of major cardiovascular adverse events was 2.9% and 6.2% with Orgovyx and Lupron, respectively.

A lead author of the study Dr. Shore concluded that “In this trial involving men with advanced prostate cancer, Orgovyx achieved rapid, sustained suppression of testosterone levels that was superior to that with leuprolide, with a 54% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.”

You can browse this forum and find that some man switched from Lupron to Orgovyx and many side effects went away. Of course we are all different, but why not to discuss it with your doctor?

[bean1008 in reply to CurrentSEO]

I will definitely do that. I actually brought up Orgovyx when I was about to start my ADT treatment in Nov 2020. It had just come out and my MO wasn’t quite ready to try it…I’ll ask if he’s changed his opinion. The lower CV numbers sound good. Thanks!

[roncyn]

I had severe hot flashes from lupron, I swithched to zoladex and hot flashes basically subsided, but when I have one they are mild…

[bean1008 in reply to roncyn]

Good to know! Thanks!

[cancerfox]

Do any insurance plans cover the cost of purchasing a dog to spoon with to deal with hot flashes? I don't think mine does. Would a cat work?

🤪

[Tjc1]

Ive been off lupron for over 2 years still get them. And still castrate. I used to take Magace for hot flashes. That knocked out. Thats when i was getting them every 30 minutes.

[bean1008 in reply to Tjc1]

I sure hope they are decreasing with time!

[Tjc1 in reply to bean1008]

Yes they are, i mostly get them at night. Wake up sweating. Got the window at my heaf i crack it open for awhile!

[Pmer]

Seems to be no pattern or order to my hot flashes. They come at any time and vary in intensity. The couple of days I’ve started getting cold and staying cold to the touch as well primarily legs arms ears and neck. Has anyone had this as well