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increasing fatigue

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User

Posted 12 Oct 2015 at 22:56

Hi All,

this is probably a well thumbed subject but being relatively new to the site I haven't found any threads that quite cover the subject as I had hoped. I am 16 months in on my ADT ( zoladex ), having endured septicemia , surgery and RT , with probably another 18 months to go . My experience of the side effects is not too bad in the grand scheme of things , mild sweats ,tendency to run hot , a bit emotional , a bit weaker than previously ,aching feet and worsened arthritis in my hands which I am really hacked off about ,body hair loss and yes I do wonder how it vanishes without trace , slight memory issues ( I think )!, possible heart arythmia , also one that doesn't get mentioned often the shriveling nuts ,complete disinterest in anything carnal and finally the fatigue .I have a physical job and have managed to keep going throughout , being self employed has helped in as much as I can set my own schedule 4 or 5 hours a day is about my limit but financially it has been stressful to say the least we are deep into our reserves. However over the last few months I feel that I am losing ground stamina wise . I suppose my question is has anyone else had a similar experience . I can't decide if I really am more fatigued and if so is it the ADT tightening it's grip or is it that the whole journey is grinding me down , is it a combination or am I simply expecting too much ? ( PSA 0.05 )

So, has anyone else had or is going through similar experiences I would be interested to hear .

Thanks

Nigel

PS is anyone else doing the REDI trial ?

User

Posted 13 Oct 2015 at 00:22

Hi Nigel,

OK - You need to deal with two simultaneous developments, firstly you are 60 and growing older, so you will anyway be losing physical prowess, strength and stamina are ebbing away, and staying awake all afternoon is increasingly difficult.

Against that background which applies to all healthy 60 year olds you have the added bonus of prostate cancer and you are on hormone treatment.

First time around I was on hormone treatment for 3 years and like many I was concerned with all of the 'here and now' side effects, like hot flushes, the hairs on my legs etc. What I didn't notice was the slow, steady, remorseless loss of muscle, the loss of strength, the fact that after 3 years without testosterone I had the body of a 57 year old boy.

I then had two, nearly three years off the hormone treatment, and without really trying I found that my muscles, strength and stamina started to improve, I started to get back the body of a man.

So do not despair, if you accept the first premise, that due to normal healthy ageing, you are never going to be as fit as you once were, there is every chance, that without really trying, once you stop the hormone treatment you will definately improve on where you are now.

If you follow the advice of some blokes on this site and join a gym and/or take up swiming, running, walking, weights, indeed anything physical to coincide with the end of your hormone treatment, you might do even better?

All of the above is of course working on the premise, from your profile, that in a year / 18 months you will finish hormone treatment, and I hope it works out for you.

However for guys who are on hormone treatment longterm, or guys like me, who find themselves back on HT, there is always the intermittent approach. I don't know enough about that to offer any advice, but if you check out George Hardy's posts you will find lots of sound advice on intermittent HT.

Best of luck

Dave

User

Posted 13 Oct 2015 at 01:27

Hi Nigel,
PC-UK were doing some project work around fatigue - Devon Maid's husband took part and she said it was very helpful. Others have reported that swimming seemed to help a lot, presumably because it is a low impact activity.

I haven't seen anyone mention REDI but just looked it up and am a bit depressed - it is a PC-UK trial and this is a PC-UK forum so wouldn't you have thought there would have been fanfares and flashing lights???? Sometimes I wonder if PC-UK forgets all about the hundreds of members on here :-(

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 13 Oct 2015 at 21:48

many thanks Dave and Lyn for your replies , it's really tricky having done all the research and accepting all the received wisdom and peoples experiences and not in any way being in denial , there is still some part of me that quite simply doesn't want this to be happening to my body and mind come to that . I wish that in my down time I had some physical or mental energy left to do more exercise .

As for the REDI trial I think it was by invitation as they only wanted chaps at a certain stage of hormone therapy and it was limited to 90 or so places at Guildford and Newcastle . It would have been nice for it to have been flagged up on this site even if only for interests sake . Mind you I found it pretty knackering and I have the second session early next month .

Thanks again

all the best Nigel

User

Posted 22 Oct 2015 at 22:11

Trials... UCL are looking for people to join two separate trials one for men with rising PSA and previous biopsies that were clear (Picture trial) and one for men with confirmed Pc.
https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/OurServices/ServiceA-Z/Cancer/cancertypes/PROSTC/Pages/Home.aspx

:-)
Every day is a beautiful day 😌

User

Posted 22 Oct 2015 at 22:53

Yes hubby did do a fatigue study with Prostate Uk charity and it has helped long term. He had to complete a daily record of his activity and then discussed it weekly with his nurse over the phone. He gradually learned about pacing himself and that's the bit that has remained. He knows he can do activities for two days then he can't do anything on the third but he's ok with that as two out of three ain't bad...... 5 years on he does have an afternoon nap, sleep on the chair whilst watching riveting TV but he seems to have got used to it and can function better because he is used to it. He has very little muscle left though and that is one of the reasons he gets so fatigued, so if you can bring yourself to exercise then do. John can't because his worst side effect of the many mess is breathlessness and he can't walk far and is very slow now. However, all is not lost, we still have a good life and he can lift our baby granddaughter and cuddle her to his heart's content.

Best wishes
Allison

User

Posted 23 Oct 2015 at 08:23

Hi Nigel, like you I have every side effect that you mention, except hair loss, but I would not mind losing a bit as am covered in the stuff all over.. I to am self employed although past retirement age but do not think I will ever stop and I rest every so often in the day, fall asleep in the evening watching even more riveting tv then spend the night getting up every 45minutes for a wee.

I have no stamina and have noticed my muscles wasting away a bit and keep thinking I need to exercise but my lack of enthusiasm soon puts a stop to that thought.. Whenever I do any work it lasts for about three hours max then I tire quick so, luckily I work with my wife, take breaks and leave it to her to complete our day then I help her and drive back home .

It could also be the whole journey as I feel a bit weary after Dx in Feb, HT, TURP, (short interruption with gall bladder removal) and now at end of sixth week of RT, got two more to do. Understandable really but the challenge is to carry on regardless. Still got 12 months HT to do.

Keep well and hope tiredness abates.

Regards Chris/Woody

Life seems different upside down, take another viewpoint

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