Rheumatoid Arthritis or Gout from hormone therapy

[woppaginny]

Has anyone found they are becoming arthritic in fingers or other places since being on hormone therapyMy fingers seem to be becoming arthritic so I did some research and found the following......

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), commonly used for prostate cancer, has been linked to an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Studies show a 23% increased risk of RA diagnosis in men receiving ADT, with the risk potentially higher with longer duration of treatment.

There is also a increased risk of getting gout from hormone therapy. Some studies suggest that while ADT initially lowers uric acid, it can also lead to a subsequent increase in uric acid levels in some individuals, potentially increasing the risk of getting gout.

Going to see the doctor to get this checked out.

[APK3]

I'm currently dealing with the same issue. Fingers are stiff as all get out first thing in the morning. Hard to even make a fist. Subsides as the day goes on but can still feel the tightness through out the day. Feeling it on the elbows and knees but not like the fingers. I wondered if there were others with similar inflammation of the joints that showed up out of nowhere.

[woppaginny in reply to APK3]

I'm was like you, finger stiffness and painful to bend fingers out of no where One day all was OK, the next day the stiffness and finger painful to bend or grasp some thing started. My short research found that the hormone therapy we're on can increase the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis and gout in some.

This hormome therapy i feel has also caused me to get an abdominal aortic aneurysm because of it affecting my heart and Vascular system let alone causing severe fatigue and tiredness.

Seems as if the treatments are worst then the cancer

[ARIES29 in reply to woppaginny]

I agree. After researching what Nubeqa does to your system I reduced my prescribed 120mg/day to 60mg/day now & much to the disgust of my Oncologist it is working, slowly but surely. Still have fingers cramping but.

[RCOG2000 in reply to APK3]

Same here. Somewhat better after 12 months off androgen blockade.

[APK3 in reply to RCOG2000]

Unfortunately for me I was DX as denovo metastatic from the beginning of this nightmare so I'm behind the 8 ball at the start. Mo highly suggest I stay the course of Orgovyx and Nubeqa . Easier said than done. Thxs for your reply.

[Doctorsceptic]

Hi! A few thoughts and comments which may help when you see your doc. You can Google my comments and check out typical pics etc.

1) Having a raised uric acid level (which can occur with ADT) does not necessarily mean you have gout. Gout comes in two forms, the commonest being acute arthritis in a single joint *redness, swelling, and severe joint pain" OR chronic "tophaceous" gout which is indolent and associated with nodules (tophi) of gouty uric acid crystal deposits around joints and also soft tissues (eg ears!).

2) A more likely explanation for your symptoms is "generalised" osteoarthritis (GOA) affecting fingers with bony swelling around the hand joints plus more generalised joint stiffness. Unlike rheumatoid, GOA results in hard bony swelling around the small joints at the end of the fingers (distal interphalangeal joints). Look up some pics. There is often a family history of GOA.

3) Rheumatoid arthritis - usually not an acute onset, comes on gradually and associated with early morning joint stiffness, (this symptom is common in 70+yrs anyway), typically affecting small joints rather than bigger joints initially. The signs would be soft tissue swelling around joints especially hands (but sparing the small joints at the end of the fingers), local tenderness and restriction of movement. The diagnosis is based on clinical findings supported by a combination of blood tests (ESR/CRP, rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP antibodies) and imaging (Xray, ultrasound) of hands and feet.

All the best.

[Grandpa4]

It does not sound like this is RA or gout although hard to rule out early mild RA. Gout is a very acute inflammation causing severe pain. The pain is usually in 1 joint in the beginning and is usually lower extremity. The pain reaches maximal pain within hours. It does not loosen up as the day goes on. RA is characterized by joint swelling. I suspect that the drugs make your osteoarthritis hurt worse. I had similar issues with my kneecaps and it went away when I came off the meds.

[Sunnysailor]

I posted about this last week. My husband has this and it’s so bad that he thumbs no longer bend. His toes are all the same but he can’t feel them due to chemo. He had was tested for RA and it was negative. It’s a side effect of Lupron, not the Nubeqa. Women on Lupron also get this. It’s likely the depleted hormones causing it. We are going to discuss an estrogen patch with the oncologist at his next appointment. Others have reported it helps. I will post once he tries.

[Papa1]

Source?

[jmarsh]

I emerged from ADT with arthritis in left thumb. Never even considered that it was ADT related. I guess it's the gift that keeps on giving...

[NewPotatoCaboose]

RA runs in my family but I've been okay up until the last few months. Suddenly my hands are very affected. Been on Orgovyx ~42 months.

[Professorgary]

almost 3 years on adt and no problems with joint pains but I am on heavy doses of anti inflammatories. I have three bad discs that require celebrex and curcumin to stay pain free. I also take berberine and magnesium for bp and heart protection. I take two 200mg celebrex daily and have tried several times to go down to one but after about a month the back pain starts to creep back in. Hope this helps.

[T911]

Major hand problems started around 13 months of Orgovyx. Slowly getting better since stopping ADT. My Survivorship Manager had me start on a joint supplement. ADT also pushed up my glucose levels which can also lead to similar hand problems.