Lupron Side Effects

[RA11]

Had a prostatectomy 8 years ago. PSA slowly rising. PET scan shows very small suspicious nodule in lymph node. New doc recommends Proton radiation, 5 sessions only, which I am on board with. He also suggests Lupron before radiation, which I am hesitant about. Any feedback about side effects from Lupron would be appreciated.

[pjd55d]

from what I have learned - ADP is usual before radiation - shrinks the tumors

yes Lupron has side effects - but - in my opinion it makes sense. Ask direct questions about side effects. If you trust your Dr for the radiation, trusting the Dr about Lupron is pretty reasonable

[Tall_Allen]

You need whole pelvic radiation with 2 years of intensive hormone therapy. Consider this clinical trial:

clinicaltrials.gov/study/NC...

[London441]

The Lupron enhances the effectiveness of the radiation. You are still in a good position for cure so I would not avoid the Lupron for fear of side effects, provided you are not in poor health and are willing to commit to more exercise and less food while on it.

[MarkS]

Look at the Lupron as a challenge. If you take lots of exercise, weights, etc. and eat a good diet then you can feel pretty normal. Think of it as stopping you getting mets - that's far more important than any SEs.

[T911]

As I understand it the Lupron prior to radiation shrinks the prostate and it's tumors therefore moving the target area away from the rectal wall and bladder. It makes a smaller target to be treated and decreases chances of damage to rectum and bladder. That's a side effect I was willing to take.

[Vynbal]

Besides the CT that T_A offered, I have seen two other trials that might suit you:

Both looking for men newly recurrent after primary treatment, not on ADT -

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...

and

clinicalstudies.info.nih.go...

[j-o-h-n]

From Google:

Difficulty urinating

Headache

Injection site reaction

Hot flashes

Nausea

Mood Changes

Swelling

Weight gain

Breast tenderness

Depression

General pain

Testicular shrinkage

Vaginitis

Chest pain

Decreased Libido

Difficulty in breathing

Dizziness

Fatigue

Skin rash

Bone pain

Arthralgia

Myalgia

Seizures

Sweating

Please update your bio (thank you).

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[janebob99 in reply to j-o-h-n]

You left of Osteoporosis, increased blood glucose, and increased bad cholesterol from Lupron

[j-o-h-n in reply to janebob99]

Of course...... silly me and my poor memory... Thanks...

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[janebob99]

You may want to consider using transdermal estradiol Patches or Gels in place of Lupron. Transdermal estradiol (tE2) has been proven that it can replace Lupron and provide the same PSA control and same metastasis free survival probability after 14 years, but with reduced hot flashes, no osteoporosis, better sugar control, and better cholesterol levels. See the PATCH Phase-III trial results.

Email me at [e-mail] for papers about this excellent option.

[jazzy53]

My main side effects from two years of ADT: hot flashes, weight gain, muscle loss, joint pain, headaches, loss of libido, swollen hands with trigger fingers, and mood swings. The good news is that all of the side effects went away by about the 8th month post-ADT except for some sexual issues, mainly dry orgasms. I get erections again but they are slow to occur, which might also be age-related. I highly recommend getting as much exercise as possible and eating healthy foods. Doing so mitigated the poor balance (I fell several times before getting serious about exercise) that came from muscle loss. But just as important, they improved my mental outlook and helped me fight despair.

[RA11 in reply to jazzy53]

Thanks Jazzy53, I appreciate you sharing your experiences. Wishing you all the best. Ron