Hey all. I was diagnosed with PCa Oct. 2018. After radiation, Zytiga and Lupron, my PSA dropped to no-detect, where it has stayed for the past 3+ years. All very good news, right?
Yes....mostly. Though I've dealt with continuing hot flashes and fatigue, my big concern right now is weight loss. I'm normally a 170 lb kinda guy, but have dropped to 150 lbs. I can't seem to gain, no matter what I eat. These days, I'm largely on a Mediterranean diet, tho I have a hard time turning down carbs and dairy. I eat high protein.
I'm moderately active, but am having a hard time sticking with exercise. I have little strength and endurance. I used to hike 5-9 miles with no problem. I struggle to hike 3 miles (no pack, flat trails) these days.
Anybody else struggling with weight LOSS? And what did you do about it?
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LessPaul
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I'll raise you. Lost over 25 pounds, yet waistline increased 1.5" over my 8 years of ADT. Run three times a week, weights and exercises three times a week.
I have been on Lupron and abiraterone (initially with prednisone, recently switched to dexamethasone), since early 2019. This quickly dropped my PSA from 111 to <0.1. See my profile for details. I was skinny to start with, and my weight has decreased from 165 to 150. I work out regularly, but I must have lost mostly muscle, because i seem to have gained some fat (e.g., belly flab). I also eat healthy and hardily. Let me know if you learn how to gain weight that's at least half muscle.
I am curious how the switch to Dex has worked. I have been on Pred for 11 years and think a change is in the offing as my PSA has risen recently (from undetectable to still very low levels).
There are some threads here re how switching from prednisone to dexamethasone can potentially restore the effectiveness of abiraterone. But that's not why I switched. Based on some research indicating that hypertension is less common with abiraterone + dexamethasone than with abiraterone + prednisone, I switched because my BP had been steadily increasing with prednisone. So far (about 1.5 months) with dexamethasone, it looks like my BP is lower than it was with prednisone. I'll post quantitative results after I have more experience. I'll stop here because I don't want to hijack this thread. PM me if you want more info.
I added HMB a supplement and about 1.5 g creatine pre-exercise. Eating protein and carbs -- my aim is to increase muscle mass and if my flabby gut stays the same, at least I am not losing muscle. I'm concerned that if I ate very low carb on a vegetarian diet, it would be my muscles that would lose out to the flab.
Nobody seems to mention if they are smokers here. For the record, I am not. Ditto drinkers, which I am also not. One does wonder what happens when you mix abiraterone, lupron and prednisone with smoking and/or drinking a lot.
Have you talked to any Docs re this concern? Have you counted your daily calorie intake????? Any scan-detected metastasis? when did you discontinue ADT, what was your base T, and what is your T now?
Wow, I'm the complete opposite I've gained nearly 70 pounds. For the first 3 years on Eligard, Zytiga, and Prednisone I was very active. However, the past year has been difficult to keep up a high level of activity due to fatigue and bone & muscle pain
I have lost about 45 pounds since 2019 on a whole food plant based diet. It's been long and gradual. Some of it may be muscle and bone, hard to tell, but mostly just excess weight. Interestingly, many men gain weight on hormonal therapy.
Most men gain weight (as fat) on ADT as has been testified here. You may want to search for a non Pca related cause but the first most obvious question is your body composition. Do you lift weights or otherwise strength train?
In my 10th year on Lupron. Initially I tried and succeeded in maintaining my weight as I had read that many put on weight. Lately (I'm 78) it is much easier to maintain weight (if not drop a few pounds) as my appetite has declined. I eat a balanced diet but only two meals a day as that is all I want.
FYI- I started playing LOTS of Pickleball recently (5x a week) since April, and feel the best I have in years, both physically and mentally. And- BTW it's the best physical therapy/rehab for my knee, which has had 6 surgeries (including a replacement 6 years ago) that I have ever had, and I have been to PT MANY times for my knee over the course of 40+ years. Just be careful about being a "weekend warrior" and playing to "hard" until you start getting back into shape There are many injuries in Pball because many players are older and out-of-shape. I myself injured my shoulder, but I was able to continue playing while doing PT and getting a cortisone shot and am feeling close to 100 percent.
I am a mirror image of Sandy752. Between Lupron and radiation I have lost 13 pounds. Eat well, resistance train, hike, pickelball but I have found my appetite is reduced. I only eat two meals a day. A sandwich now serves two meals since I can cut it in half.
Recently like you I have noticed my legs were weaker on hikes. Especially going up long steep inclines so I have done two things. First, I increased my resistance training to my lower body/legs. Second, I have added 5 minutes at a high angle to a treadmill routine that I was not doing before. Over time this has improved my daily hiking stamina. Caution you to start small if you have not been working out and work into it over weeks. Too many people try to go to fast/heavy too soon and hurt themselves or give up.
You might also see your GP. There maybe something else going on that is causing this.
Can be a bit complicated as for many men on ADT weight gain is more of a problem. Are you still on ADT or are you on active surveillance? ADT have react so differently in each of us it is important to discuss issues with your PCP and Oncologist. An Oncology Dietitian may be of help. Increased protein helps deal with muscle loss, but dropping carbs too low could lead to weight loss and possibly entering Ketosis. There is also an increased risk of diabetes for some men and this would lead to weight loss. Do you still have a good appetite? If so a full metabolic profile may point to possible issues with kidney function or liver function, as well as nutrient profile to insure you are absorbing nutrients well. As we age absorption can be a problem as well as not maintaining balance in caloric intake. I follow a very strong Mediterranean diet coincided with a Blue Zones Lifestyle. Dairy doesn't have to be eliminated, move to low-fat or non-fat and control consumption. Carbs vary greatly in nutrition and levels of fiber and calories. I believe consulting with a dietitian (especially an Oncology Dietitian) could be of benefit along with a full metabolic profile to insure proper functioning of various organs and nutrient assimilation.
Yes, I had the same problem. I was on ADT for 21 months total. My side effects were not bad but weakness, muscle loss and an inability to maintain muscle mass were all problems. Brother, you must exercise; its the 'secret sauce' to surviving ADT...I cant express enough how lifting dumb bells every week, for 2 years, has saved me LOTS of problems...my weight at least leveled off and did not drop.
Now 6 months post ADT my weight is going back up again; putting on 1/2 to 1 pound a month...amazing. AND the weight training gets better; I lift more weights and fatique is much less...dont know what else or how else to tell you; must push hard to get into the gym and push your body. Every day you do this will give you lots of benefits going forward. Check these posts out;
Make sure you know about the metabolic side effects of ADT and do what you can to counter them. Sounds like you have your diet under control, which is good....I posted this a while back.
I had RARP in March 2018, then radiation less than 2 years later for recurrence. Started ADT bef radiation. I was thinking about adding back a little "T", but my last test shows PSA now going up again.
I am moderately active myself. I now struggle to get out of bed. I force myself to be as active as possible, but the muscle loss has been more than I ever expected, and you probably could beat me on strength and endurance.
I struggle to keep my weight down to around 200 lbs, but I use intermittent fasting. Otherwise I would weigh a lot more, even with the muscle weight loss.
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