The conversations here have been very helpful; so thanks everybody.
I am curious about how quickly others who have had ADT (particularly Lupron) have experienced side effects. I am on my 11th day following my first shot. I felt a little sluggish at first and have had one or two flushes that may have been hot flashes. I have not been horny like I was previously (but wasn't sure if that was a side effect or due to the placebo effect). I did check out a little porn just to test things about five days in and no not the usual response there either. But in the lst several days I had a coupld of erotic dreams and awoke with a little swelling "down there" but not any effect when I try to stimulate myself. Otherewise, I feel pretty much the same as before the shot so far, but I realize I am not very far into it. The shot was a 30-day shot, if that makes any difference.
Some background: My canacer was diagnosed in 2014. I had surgery then. My PSA rose slowly over time but jumpted from 1.9 to 3.0 this last quarter. Bone scans are clear. A CT scan in inconclusive; there my be some activity in the prostate bed. (I'm not a candidate for radiation due to a history of Crohn's disease and immunosuppression following a liver transplant.)
Just curious about other initial experience witgh side effects.
It may be possible for some to have minor side effects from Lupron but I think that is rare. It completely eliminates your testosterone. Testosterone does many things and without it you will be a very different person. I was on Lupron for over a year. I had severe hot flashes, general weakness and had a close call with some accidents before I understood that my sense of awareness and many other things I was used to had changed and that I needed to be very aware and extra careful. No more casual climbing of ladders etc.
Sex, what is that? I completely lost interest in sex. I could still appreciate the aesthetics of a beautiful man but had no interest in anything more than looking. I was completely amazed at how different a person I was for that year. I had Lupron in advance of and following radiation treatment so it lasted only about a year. It took another year, almost, to be back to "normal".
No t is devastating but we choose to live, rather than do nothing .Im clumbsy now accident prone and in effect fragile compared to pre-APC .Good luck in your journey!
Yes, indeed. We choose to live.
Thanks for the heads up. So far, I don't feel terribly different, but it is good to know that I need to be watchful. Also good to be prepared for what, I assume may come on gradually over time.