Re: Homone Therapy

[Guest guest]

On March 15, nike inquired:

> Using hormone therapy as partial treatment, when do side effects start

> to become noticeable?

The side effects (SEs) of " hormone therapy, " properly called androgen

deprivation therapy, can begin to be experienced -- to the extent they

are experienced -- within a few days of first injection. We are all

different, and there is no certainty.

An individual might experience some, none, or all of the possible SEs,

and in varying intensities.

An SE that can have serious consequences is loss of bone mineral density

aka osteoporosis or osteopenia. This can be treated/prevented if the

medic and the patient are alert to the probability.

Here are links to two excellent essays on Androgen Deprivation Syndrome:

http://www.prostate-cancer.org/education/andind/Guess_TestosteroneSideEffects.ht\

ml

or

http://tinyurl.com/2ymb8f

http://www.prostate-cancer.org/education/sidefx/Strum_ADS.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/g6fzp

Regards,

Steve J

[Guest guest]

> Using hormone therapy as partial

> treatment, when do side effects start to become noticeable?

My experience was that there were no side effects during the

first two weeks on Lupron. Lupron and other " LHRH agonists " work

that way. They send continuous hormonal signals to the testicles

to produce testosterone. The testicles comply for about six

days, after which they become overloaded and shut down. It then

takes a little time for the testosterone level to drop down.

If I remember correctly, I first began to notice hot flushes

around 3 weeks into the treatment. By 4-6 weeks they were in

full swing, with hot flushes, loss of libido, and some loss of

energy.

Two other side effects I had were elevated liver enzymes, an

indication of liver damage, for which it was decided I should

quit the ADT, and pain and stiffness in finger and toe joints.

The liver damage was not noticed by me, but my doctor detected it

in routine blood tests. The joint pain was noticeable. It began

very gradually after about 5-6 months.

The solution to many of the problems was exercise. It kept my

energy and strength levels up and it eliminated my joint pain. I

was also able to engage in sex from time to time in spite of my

lack of interest and that may have helped preserve that ability.

I did not try anything to relieve the hot flushes. I had ADT

during the winter and it was cold enough that the occasionaly

heat didn't bother me.

I also came out of treatment with a mild case of " Peyronie's

Disease " - a bending of the penis when erect. It's caused by

fibrosis of the tissues in the penis, i.e., conversion of

flexible tissue into inelastic fibers. I don't know if that was

due to the Lupron or to mis-aimed radiation.

Alan

[Guest guest]

I have been assured by my oncologist that osteoporosis is not a risk if one remains active whilst on ADT, as I am. Activity drives the calcium around the bones. Inactivity - which you might also call lethargy - can be induced by ADT. The point is to remain aware of this and not allow it to happen. This removes the Side Effect.

rgds

To: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Sunday, 15 March, 2009 4:45:36 PMSubject: Re: Homone Therapy

On March 15, nike inquired:> Using hormone therapy as partial treatment, when do side effects start > to become noticeable?The side effects (SEs) of "hormone therapy," properly called androgen deprivation therapy, can begin to be experienced -- to the extent they are experienced -- within a few days of first injection. We are all different, and there is no certainty.An individual might experience some, none, or all of the possible SEs, and in varying intensities.An SE that can have serious consequences is loss of bone mineral density aka osteoporosis or osteopenia. This can be treated/prevented if the medic and the patient are alert to the probability.Here are links to two excellent essays on Androgen Deprivation Syndrome:http://www.prostate

-cancer.org/ education/ andind/Guess_ TestosteroneSide Effects.htmlorhttp://tinyurl. com/2ymb8fhttp://www.prostate -cancer.org/ education/ sidefx/Strum_ ADS.htmlorhttp://tinyurl. com/g6fzpRegards,Steve J

[Guest guest]

I have been assured by my oncologist that osteoporosis is not a risk if one remains active whilst on ADT, as I am. Activity drives the calcium around the bones. Inactivity - which you might also call lethargy - can be induced by ADT. The point is to remain aware of this and not allow it to happen. This removes the Side Effect.

rgds

To: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Sunday, 15 March, 2009 4:45:36 PMSubject: Re: Homone Therapy

On March 15, nike inquired:> Using hormone therapy as partial treatment, when do side effects start > to become noticeable?The side effects (SEs) of "hormone therapy," properly called androgen deprivation therapy, can begin to be experienced -- to the extent they are experienced -- within a few days of first injection. We are all different, and there is no certainty.An individual might experience some, none, or all of the possible SEs, and in varying intensities.An SE that can have serious consequences is loss of bone mineral density aka osteoporosis or osteopenia. This can be treated/prevented if the medic and the patient are alert to the probability.Here are links to two excellent essays on Androgen Deprivation Syndrome:http://www.prostate

-cancer.org/ education/ andind/Guess_ TestosteroneSide Effects.htmlorhttp://tinyurl. com/2ymb8fhttp://www.prostate -cancer.org/ education/ sidefx/Strum_ ADS.htmlorhttp://tinyurl. com/g6fzpRegards,Steve J

[Guest guest]

On March 15, replied to me:

> I have been assured by my oncologist that osteoporosis is not a risk if

> one remains active whilst on ADT, as I am. Activity drives the calcium

> around the bones. Inactivity - which you might also call lethargy - can

> be induced by ADT. The point is to remain aware of this and not allow

> it to happen. This removes the Side Effect.

Please see Table 2, Common Chronic Side Effects in the first item I

linked in my post. For some reason, the author refers to ADT as TIP

(testosterone-inactivating pharmaceuticals), which leads me to wonder

whether he loves words the more the longer they are.

Anyhow, he refers to this chronic SE as follows: " Bone mineral density

loss (4-10% in the first year of a TIP use).

Also see the article which is the second link. It is entitled, " The

Androgen Deprivation Syndrome. " It was written in 1999 by B.

Strum, MD, a medical oncologist who has specialised in PCa for >20

years, is co-author of _A Primer on Prostate Cancer_ which in the

opinions of a great many is one of the finest texts on the subject, and

was a founder of the Prostate Cancer Research Institute. In the article,

Dr. Strum thoroughly discusses loss of bone mineral density which

inevitably results from ADT.

There is much that can be done medically to treat the condition,

primarily by use of bisphosphonates. Adjunct treatments include

exercise, supplemental calcium citrate, and vitamin D3.

Despite the fact that loss of BMD from ADT has been known for at least

ten years, all too many medics have failed to familiarize themselves

with it.

When I complained about the widespread lack of scientific knowledge

among medics, my cardiologist grinned and said, " welcome to Medicine. "

Regards,

Steve J

" We have to be looking at the patients in terms of their entire health,

not just as if they were a walking prostate gland. "

-- B. Strum, MD

Medical Oncologist

PCa Specialist

At the 2007 Prostate Cancer Research Institute conference.