ADT and Tendon Pain

[garyjp9]

Now in my 3rd year of ADT (Eligard), which has also included 2 years of Abi + Prednisone. I had issues with my tendons for years before my PC, but the problem has worsened steadily with the PC drugs. I now have tendonitis in both feet, both achilles, a hip, wrist, elbow and shoulder. We're encouraged to exercise to help with SEs, but whenever I start again the tendonitis comes back. Any ideas? What about collagen---might that help? If so, what kind of collagen? Thanks.

[Tall_Allen]

Have you talked to an orthopedist about physical therapy?

[garyjp9 in reply to Tall_Allen]

I'm in therapy almost constantly. I try to exercise, develop tendonitis, get a cortisone shot, stop the exercise, do weeks of PT, then slowly try to resume the exercise, and then the cycle repeats.. I am baffled. The doctors just look at the one body part of their specialization (feet, hips, shoulder, etc.), but whatever it is must be systemic. Not sure who to see or what to try, but I was wondering if any of the brothers on here had ever encountered this problem.

[GSDF in reply to garyjp9]

Hello friend... You mention collagen. It certainly may help... Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a powerful collagen builder and may help you. But the type of vit C you take is crucial. Pill form from a bottle is poorly absorbed and when you try to take increased doses you reach bowel tolerance (diarrhea) and since vitamin C is water soluble, even when you ingest to just under bowel tolerance, most of it passes out of the body through urination.

So in order to take in enough vitamin C to build collagen, intravenous infusions is an option albeit expensive and inconvenient. But there is another form of C called "lyposomal" Vit C that has been scientifically proven to be as effective of a delivery method as IV administration. Virtually 100% is absorbed into your body.

Lyposomal vitamin C is encapsulated in lyposomes, rendering it fat soluble, which enables the body to absorb 100% of it at the cellular level, avoiding the digestive tract.

Look on YouTube for videos by Dr Thomas Levy on the benefits of high doses of vitamin C, one of which is a powerful collagen builder. You can buy true lyposomal vitamin C made by LivOn labs on Amazon. LivOn invented the lyposomal delivery system. Be careful because there are many fake vit C on Amazon purportedly calling themselves lyposomal...only LivOn Labs is true lyposomal...Hope this helps. 🙂

[garyjp9 in reply to GSDF]

Thank you for this suggestion

[Tall_Allen in reply to garyjp9]

Multiple cortisone shots break down the tissue. I'm sorry to hear about this.

[garyjp9 in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thank you, TA. As I said, I am trying to do the right things but unable to do them now because of the pain. I am thinking of consulting a rheumatologist to see if he/she may have any ideas. I thought I would check with the brothers here first.

[doc1947g in reply to Tall_Allen]

How about Prednisone 50mg and Vitamine D 10,000 IU + Alendronate 70mg/week ?

[OldVTGuy]

I have had bad tendinitis in my elbow since ADT. Doing all the exercises to get rid of it but it’s persistent. I have one shoulder also in constant pain

Had bad joint pain in my knee when I first started losing muscle but my RO told me that this is not unusual as your joints need to adjust to the changes in surrounding muscle tissue. Lo and behold that has gone away after 4 months. I’ve probably lost an inch in circumference off of each thigh.

I’m a believer in the fact ADT completely changes your muscle structure no matter how much you exercise. The question is, once we are off it will it return to the way it was.

[garyjp9]

Thank you for this. I am glad your knee pain finally went away. I hope you are right and that mine will go away if and when I stop ADT. My experience has been that the more I exercise, the more pain develops, and it does not get better in a day or two like usual muscle pain.

[Seasid in reply to garyjp9]

You should exercise but you should not overdone it. I had a golf elbow and I raised myself out of the water holding to the trambulin. You are immersed in the water and rise out of the water by holding the trambulin with both the hands as much as you feel comfortable. Therefore not overstraining your ligaments but exercising your muscles. After doing this daily for 12 weeks you will feel the difference.

I successfully get rid of the pain by strengthening the muscles and joints and ligaments. Everything very carefully. You can slowly build up the rises from the water.

I believe that swimming should also help.

Tako care and don't get dexamethason injections if you could avoid it.

[garyjp9 in reply to Seasid]

Thank you for the suggestion. For now, I have been told not to swim either.

[Seasid in reply to garyjp9]

Did you see the message? I just forwarded the information which you could follow up with your reumatologhist. I really don't know if it is relevant or helpful but it is worth asking your doctor about it.

[garyjp9 in reply to Seasid]

thank you

[SteveTheJ]

Find a good physical therapist (not personal trainer). They can show you gentle, repetitive exercises that can help your tendon pain. I've had that since before the cancer and when the pain is bad I start up on the exercises and they help.

ADT has not made my tendon pain worse, however. Life itself does that.

[Graham49 in reply to SteveTheJ]

Yes, slow exercises with awareness, such as clinical Somatics might be worth a try. They helped my discitis much more than physiotherapy.

[garyjp9 in reply to Graham49]

Thank you

[London441]

I hope you are trying as many different forms of exercise as you can, including swimming. There is always something you can do and inactivity should be avoided at all costs, especially on ADT.

Cortisone gives diminishing returns and eventually does significant damage.

[garyjp9]

Thanks. I know, hence my frustration. One of my injuries is to a shoulder, and I have been told not to swim with it and have been sent back for PT.

[Seasid]

Maybe vitamin C could help with collagen. When I had problems with my tendon in my feet the naturopath recommended me silica supplement. That was long time ago. I should drink marine collagen for osteoporosis but I am not doing it.

Did you have bone mineral density scan? I am osteoporotic now after 5 years on ADT.

[Seasid in reply to Seasid]

This is a link about silica.

siliciumg5.com/blog/en/stre...

[garyjp9 in reply to Seasid]

Thank you for this info and suggestion. Yes, I had a dexa scan and am due for another one in a couple of months. I was osteoporotic but have now been on Prolia for over a year, so I am not sure what it will show now.