Side effects of Zytiga?

[brktym]

My Dad is 73 years old and is currently under generic Zytiga medication for a month now. His latest PSA a week ago was about 9000 and he is experiencing bone pain, nausea and vomiting. He also cannot eat anything and losing weight. His hemoglobin is also low (68) ang got a blood transfusion last week. His doctor recommends chemo as next step. Anyone experience the same? Will a chemo helps him? He is a bit hesitant now to try chemo and losing faith. Any advise or recommendation is greatly appreciated.

[Tall_Allen]

There's no way of knowing for sure until he tries it. All we can say is that it usually helps. If nothing else, it may help with the pain.

[brktym in reply to Tall_Allen]

Appreciate the quick response.

[CAMPSOUPS]

Keep in mind too that one doesn't have to commit to all of the chemo infusions. You can stop after one infusion etc. if feel the need to.

Total speculation on my part but a lot of his poor blood work and symptoms are likely from his PC. Chemo can at times reduce the cancer load and those symptoms improve.

The combo of Lupron/Eligard, Zytiga, and chemo is often especially beneficial in guys with high PSA, PC load at the time of diagnosis.

[brktym in reply to CAMPSOUPS]

Thanks. So the chemo is done with the combination of other medication. Not just chemo alone and stop the current medication? Same thing with bone therapy, need to continue as well together with chemo? Any comments is greatly appreciated.

[CAMPSOUPS in reply to brktym]

Yes the other medication is hormone treatment ( Lupron/Eligard etc. and the Zytiga he has been prescribed ) and is continued with the chemo.

You don't have a bio filled out but I assume he is just diagnosed about a month ago and with 9000 PSA and bone pain has bone metastasis. The bone therapy is continued to help retain some bone strength in light of the damage done by the PC when bone metastasis is widespread.

[brktym in reply to CAMPSOUPS]

Thanks. To add on my Dads bio, 18 months in Bicalutamide with monthly bone therapy and quarterly Treptorelin injection. Then last Jan 2023 his PSA went from from 3 to more than 1000. Last Mar 2023 PSA went up to about 8000. Started generic Zytiga + Prednisone last end of May 2023. PSA went up to 9000 last week. His doctor wants to finish his zytiga up to about end of Aug 2023. Then if nothing happens we were advise to do the chemo.

[Bronzee]

Hi ! Been on generic ztiga for2 yrs.. no such side effects. I do take it with 5 mg prednisone

[brktym in reply to Bronzee]

Thanks. Maybe its PCa symptoms then.

[Bronzee in reply to brktym]

most likely. I am also having ADT injections every 6 months..

[pakb]

Is he also taking an ADT medulication? Lupron or Eligard etc? You just say Zytiga.

[brktym in reply to pakb]

Just Zytiga with Prednisone.

[pakb in reply to brktym]

Tall_Allen might be able to explain better why ADT may help.

[Peealot]

I’m 72 years old and on Lupron, Zytiga and Prednisone. I have not experienced any significant negative side effects.

[brktym in reply to Peealot]

Thanks. I wonder why his doctor did not prescribed Lupron.

[CAMPSOUPS in reply to brktym]

Triptorelin is the same as Lupron.

[Woodstock82]

My PSA when first diagnosed four years ago was even higher than that. I got excellent results from Lupron (ADT) and docetaxel (chemo).

The chemo was on a three week cycle. Week 1 started pretty well because the steroids I received as pre-med to the chemo made me very energetic for several days (the downside was I had trouble sleeping). Then about the fourth day my energy and mood would crash. The end of Week 1 was the hardest to endure. Week 2 was gradual recovery. Week 3 was almost back to normal. Then the cycle started over.

The side effects of the chemo build up over time. I was very glad not to have more than I did. It took almost six weeks after the last one for me to feel normal again.

The nausea, weight loss, and low hemoglobin you describe are worrisome. He's going to need a lot of help with that and overall support no matter what therapy path he takes. Help him to hang in there.

[brktym in reply to Woodstock82]

Thanks. This is very helpful. Hope we can convince my Dad to do the chemo.

[brktym in reply to brktym]

How many cycle did you take the chemo?

[dadsdrdawn]

My prayers and love go out to you, My dad is 88, and had done several treatments and will NEVER do chemo. His last medication was Zytiga, that he went off of after one month due to exactly what you were talking about. He did opt for 5 doses of radiation to the largest tumor on his spine...and that took away 75% of his back and leg pain within another month! He is taking 5mg of THC w 10mg CBD gummies 3 x daily. That has helped with his appetite, and helped him sleep at night. He takes a hybrid in the daytime and at night just a indica blend with CBD. This is legal in Michigan, so I hope your dad is open to this wherever you live. My dad is very active mentally and works in the architectural field STILL (he's back to work consulting for the firm he founded when he was 40!!) , he draws, he drives and lives a very full life - despite a spontaneous fracture, 20 pounds of weight loss, and days that start with a bit of gagging and nausea.

He just started a shot for his bones that they give to people with osteoporosis.

I hope this helps. Please reach out if I can help with anything else...

Have hope. Try to keep his mind busy, and not ALWAYS focusing on his disease. Find things he loves to do...and urge him to keep doing as many of them as possible...

Love,

Dawn

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

Oh Yea..... you're 88 year old Dad is mentally active and still an active architect and drives....

Well, I'm 86 years old and I challenge him to a game of pick up sticks.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 08/03/2023 3:40 PM DST

[brktym in reply to dadsdrdawn]

Thanks. This is very helpful. His doctor recommends to finish his Zytiga meds which is less than a month from now. Then see if the PSA went down, before moving to chemo.

[Flathead]

Zytiga, Pred and Lupron. 14 months. PSA good for what, 30 years, then spiked. Brought it down earlier this year to .3, then started climbing. Still within "normal" range. Finally got results back from Chicago on what variant I have. Dr called, stopped Zytiga and Pred two days ago, cold turkey. Scans today, meet on 08 AUG. Dr mentioned Xtandi? and possibly some others specifically for my variant. He will tell me the name of the variant at the meet.

SIDE EFFECTS: Been hard to discern, with 24 years of Fibromyalgia, BUT:

My hand tremors disappeared in one day. My energy levels shot up. My need to nap constantly is gone. I have told my Dr I am dying, but it's the chemo (cancer drugs, anyway) that are killing me.

Would be nice to have something that doesn't slam me to the ground so hard.

EVERYBODY is different. Side effects are "you may experience..."

But I know whom I have believed....and am persuaded....

[Roscoaus2000]

You have not explained how he got to a psa of 9000. If you look at my bio you will see it took me 11 years to reach that. I was finally diagnosed with a CT scan to hav metastatic prostate cancer. When I saw the Urologist I refused Chemo and I had only the choice of Zoladex ( chemical castration), Casodex and Denosamab. Amazingly my psa dropped quickly to <1 and stayed there for 12 months before rising. I was then given Enzalutamide that took it back down <0.01 and I felt wonderful and energetic but this only lasted about 4 months until it breached the blood brain barrier (a listed side effect) .I was then put on Zytiga and Prednisolone instead of the Enzalutamide. This upset my digestive season and I considered quitting but I was encouraged to keep trying. After 3-4 weeks I was OK and now 5 years later my psa is still <1.0. I feel wonderfully blessed. At 83 I can walk and lightly cycle. It is important to keep your weight under control because deleting your Testosterone makes you much more likely to put on weight.