Is severe upper abdominal pain common when on Lupron?
I'm at Stage 4a (cancer has spread to abdominal lymph nodes), currently in remission (latest PSA count was 0.01). I've been on ADT for two years; first on Lupron Depot, then (and now) on Zeulide. I experience ongoing upper abdominal pain, with intense/severe episodes twice daily (morning and evening). My pain management tool is Percocet (5/325), twice daily.
My MO is sympathetic about my having pain, but, other than prescribing the Percocet, seems disinclined to delve more into the cause/s of the pain, or into possible alternatives to Percocet.
Is this pain a side-effect of the Lupron? Is it a consequence of the cancer's spread to my lymph nodes? What other pain management tools might I consider?
I don't have severe pain anywhere - I'm on Lupron, Abiraterone and Prednisone. Stage 4 with lymph node involvement. My opinion, is that you might need to see another doctor - anything requiring daily application of percocet seems like a pretty big deal to me.
I neglected to say that I took Prednisone during my first round of ADT. (as well as Casodex). I had no pain while I was taking Prednisone. But my MO had me taper off the Prednisone quite quickly, and then prescribed Percocet.
I too am concerned about daily Percocet use, and am willing to consider another doctor's opinion. First, though, I'm going to broach the subject head-on with my MO, and see if that brings any answers.
Good luck on your journey through this. I think that I have found that we are all in the position of having to be our own advocates. I pushed hard for a physical therapist to help with the pelvic floor, and harder for a naturopath to help with the hot flashes and a couple of other issues.
Thanks for your kind words. You're right, I need to engage more with my MO, and this would be a good place to start.
Do you have a general practitioner (family doctor?) I am myself very relactan to use my 10 minutes time with the oncologist to discuss anything else than my cancer. I know that my family doctor would be very happy if the oncologist would do his job, but I don't feel comfortable taking much of the MO time as I know that he has lot of very sick people needing his attention. You can certainly let the oncologist know about your pain. I also had pain like you when I was using my CPAP machine. My family doctor referred me to the sleep apnea specialist. I wish you luck in finding the cause. Maybe an ultrasound would be the easiest fist step.
I'm scheduled to speak with my GP tomorrow. I've raised the pain management issue with my MO a number of times, but haven't got any further with him than being prescribed Prednisone and Percocet for it. And I've had a number of abdominal ultrasounds, though not recently.
I had a gallbladder polyp 20 years ago. It was a fundal polyp. It was laparoscoply removed. 2h15 min operation. I had only intermittent pain. It was premalignant.
It’s my understanding that you don’t get pain from Pca until it gets in your bones and then not until it’s a bad case. I had a couple suspicious lymph nodes back in ‘15 and hit all pelvic nodes with imrt. But they were never painful. Even my oligometastatic bone mets later on were not painful. I’d see GI doctor if I were you .
That's my understanding of pain, too. In fact, this morning of talking with my GP as a referral to a GI specialist. I expect that to be available soon.
I was on Lupron for 2.5 yrs. and now back on it for a month and never had abdominal pain. Recently I got constipated, and didn't realize because it has only happened a couple of times in my 74 yrs. and I was having severe leg pain. Without a prostate nerve bundles are closer together down there, I think? Assuming you don't have one?
My father is also on ADT and 1 week ago he did 1st round of chemo. He is also complaining of upper abdominal pain. He describes it as tightness in the upper part of abdomen, especially the sides, not the center. Did you talk to Gastroenterologist? How are you now?
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