Excessive sweating

User

Posted 16 May 2022 at 10:57

Hello!

My Dad was diagnosed with PC last December. Luckily the hormonal treament and radiation has had an incredible effect, to the point his PSA is down to 0.007! Couldn’t be happier with the treatment, however the side effects are starting to really effect him. In particular the excessive sweating.

He’s tried acupuncture, evening primrose, and sage, all with varying degrees of success. It seemed to be calming down, but his last injection has really made things worse in that respect.

Does anyone have any tips or advice on what he can do to help control this? Obviously I don’t want to sound ungrateful as the treatment has saved his life, but if we could just get this under control then things would be so much better for him. I’ve bought him some Odaban spray for his face and head which works incredibly well, so I’m hoping that has an impact and will let you know how it goes for those going through similar.

thanks!

Graeme

User

Posted 16 May 2022 at 23:16

How long has he been on HT and is there a planned end date.

Dave

User

Posted 17 May 2022 at 06:54

He’s been on HT since January 2021. Regarding an end date, I’m not sure to be honest. I feel like he told me 5 years but he can’t remember that! He also hs an injection every 3 months

User

Posted 17 May 2022 at 07:22

If he was treated with curative intent, Graeme (he doesn't have advanced prostate cancer?) it's very unlikely that he'll be on HT for five years. Two years is more common!

Best wishes,

Chris

User

Posted 17 May 2022 at 11:21

I think technically it is classed as advanced, however even before treatment started the consultants were happy that it had been caught early and they’re very happy with how the treatment has gone so far. He’s had radiotherapy but doesn’t need any more (as of yet) and doesn’t need an operation or chemo. From memory the plan is to see how he reacts to the treatment and to have regular reviews. It sounds like the last injection he had last month has really upped the amount of hot flushes.

User

Posted 17 May 2022 at 12:43

Sounds as if he's doing well. Unfortunately what side effects someone gets with HT is wholly unpredictable. I was fortunate not to get hot flushes; fatigue was my main side-effect.

If he does have advanced prostate cancer, he'll probably be on the hormones for the rest of his life.

Best wishes,

Chris

User

Posted 17 May 2022 at 12:48

It is probably "locally advanced", and that is curable and HT will most likely stop in Jan 2023. If the side effects are really bad it could be stopped earlier with a slight increase in risk.

If it were advanced RT would be unlikely to have been given and HT would be for life. If anything can be done for hot flushes our member Andy62 will be the best person to comment.

Dave

User

Posted 17 May 2022 at 15:40

Make sure his bedding is cotton, not polyester cotton, same goes for his pyjamas, shirts, etc. Try to cut all man made fabrics to a minimum. Sleeping on a towel is tempting but often makes it worse for some reason. It is a shame the acupuncture wasn't successful - it works well for some people although obviously you have to keep having it regularly. Until recently, our hospital cancer centre provided free acupuncture to men on HT and I think some local hospices still do it.

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

User

Posted 17 May 2022 at 18:44

I was treated for locally advanced PCs via Zoladex & RT as primary treatment (also had abiraterone&enzalutimide via trial). I did have many of potential side effects including the hot flushes day and night. Luckily I was able to have a number of acupuncture sessions and they really helped for me, they didn't disappear but greatly reduced. This was via a holistic cancer care charity, so if only had a couple is sessions of acupuncture possibly try more? Although as mentioned it doesn't work for all of us.

Peter

User

Posted 17 May 2022 at 18:56

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

It is a shame the acupuncture wasn't successful - it works well for some people although obviously you have to keep having it regularly. Until recently, our hospital cancer centre provided free acupuncture to men on HT and I think some local hospices still do it.

I used to be really sceptical about acupuncture until I went to see a physiotherapist for a frozen shoulder. She used acupuncture and it worked wonders!

Chris

User

Posted 01 Jun 2022 at 17:22

Just to give a bit of an update in case anyone visiting has similar problems.

Firstly, thank you all for your replies and advice. I passed them all on to my Dad who has already made a few changes and he’s very grateful for your support.

Secondly, I had confirmation from Odaban that it is safe to use as it won’t interfere with any medication. So I bought by dad some to try out, and what a difference it has made! Within a few days he has gone from sweat dripping off his face when even just sitting down, to not sweating at all from his face in a very hot Spanish environment! He is incredibly pleased with results and it has given him a lot more confidence. So if anyone out there is having problems with excessive sweating due to meds, definitely check out Odaban (or any other alternatives, I’m sure there’s other brands out there but thats the one I used so was happy to recommend - I don’t work for them I promise!)

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