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Frequency of Hot Flashes on Prostap

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User
Posted 11 Nov 2022 at 17:01

I’m getting a significant amount of hot flushes whilst on Prostap , which I’ve been on for 4 months now. They didn’t kick in immediately but I’m now getting up to 20 a day during daytime. They don’t last long, normally around 3 minutes and my new best friend is a pocket rechargeable fan which I take everywhere I go.


I do get some sweats during the night as well but not severe but they do wake me up sometimes.


I’ve been monitoring them using a little app called MySymptoms which has shown they normally start after drinking or eating. I can get them every half hour and it’s quite debilitating to be walking around all the time damp from sweat.


I started taking Sage Leaf a few weeks ago but I’m not sure if they are making much difference. I am wondering if you can take Evening Primrose Oil as well?  I’m also going to visit my local Maggies centre next week to see if they have any recommendations for acupuncture.


I’m on Sertraline for anxiety which started when I took the Prostap…these have helped tremendously with the anxiety but possibly contributing to the sweats.


I was just wondering what other peoples experience on frequency and length of these hot flashes?


Thanks.

User
Posted 12 Nov 2022 at 18:17
Not much of a comparison as I was on Zoladex and had many hot flushes day and night. I was a bit embarrassed about going to work and having wet patches that I always wore a jumper, not the best idea but never mind.
Anyway just to say Acupuncture really helped me.
Peter
User
Posted 20 Nov 2022 at 16:57
I've been on Decapeptyl since early August and am currently experiencing a long list of side effects, some of which, like for others, have worsened considerably over time. Worst of all are the regular hot flushes and the pains that come with them. The frequency varies, anything between once to three times an hour during the day.

I find the flushes can be quite debillitating, draining me of energy and panting for breath, meaning I need to sit or lie down for a while. The accompanying pain is a strange one, sort of hot and tingly, like nothing I have ever experienced before. It's mainly in the back of my hands, wrists and arms but also more mildly over other areas of the body. It's at it's worst at night, waking me up four or five times by a combination of hot flushes and nocturia (the need to wee). Prior to HT I was getting up to wee a couple of times each night.

I find rubbing the backs of my hands eases the pain but sometimes I need to get up and walk about to distract myself from it. Painkillers don't seem to make much difference, although they do sometimes help me sleep better. Fortunately the pain eases after a few minutes along with the hot flush, and I usually get back to sleep fairly quickly. Except by around 4am, when I no longer feel tired enough for sleep.

I'm due for my next three-month injection dose in a couple of days time and not exactly looking forward to it! But given HT has already reduced my PSA from 17.5 right down to 0.07 I can but cling to the notion that it is extending my life, which despite everything, still has plenty of upsides!
User
Posted 31 Dec 2022 at 16:32

Well that’s nearly 3 months taking Sage Leaf and have they made a difference? Not really sure TBH I had good days and bad days, sometimes still getting them every 30minutes until recently😟


However I have now had 3 sessions of acupuncture and the hot flashes have definitely decreased in frequency and intensity, they can still happen with change of temperature but are not every half hour as before which is quite debilitating! Also night sweats have greatly reduced….only happen when I put the electric blanket on then get into bed! I will have another 2 sessions of acupuncture at least I think.


I’ve been watching the Webinars about diet and the benefit of soya in your diet rather than dairy so I’ve started to introduce that and also drink green tea, which I’ve found quite pleasant. I’ve heard the Soya isoflavone supplement can help with hot flushes as well so have got some from H&B but am wondering whether I should be taking these as well as Sage. I’m starting my radiotherapy on 16th a January so don’t want to take anything which might upset my gut.


Anyone got any views on this?

User
Posted 11 Nov 2022 at 22:24
It’s impossible to make generalisations, unfortunately. Everyone reacts differently to HT. I was fortunate and didn’t get any hot flushes at all.

Best wishes,

Chris
User
Posted 19 Nov 2022 at 16:27

Hello Decho


I am on ht and rt for 6 months.  On week 10 after my first of 2 zoladex injections which last 12 weeks each. Radiotherapy coming up soon.


In week 2 or 3 after my first zoladex injection in early Sept 22, I was thinking, 'well, this is not so bad' ... and I did not have any side effects as far as I could tell. Then the hot flashes hit me!  Like you, I seem to have them continuously. Similarly, they last only 3 or 4 mins. But annoyingly, wearing a zipped fleece I find sometimes I am taking it off and putting it back on again right afterwards because once the hot flash goes my body cools down again very quickly.


They are most annoying at night where they seem to wake me about every 2 hours. I sleep under a cotton sheet with a medium duvet on top. When the hot flash comes, I push down the duvet until it passes and then put the duvet back and hopefully get back to sleep quickly. The difficult one is where I cannot get back to sleep quickly and feel very tired the next day.


I am trying sage and evening primrose capsules but they don't seem to be making a lot of difference. I may investigate acupuncture.


Good luck with your treatment.


 

User
Posted 20 Nov 2022 at 18:27
Lifestoshor…..that’s a really good result after 3 months! Mine had dropped from 36 to 3 after 3 months and they were delighted with that. My next HT injection is 4th January and hoping to start RT early January. Then up to another 2 years of this HT😟
I’ve just ordered some Odaban anti-perspirant which some people have said greatly reduced the sweating….this would be great as it’s the constantly going from damp to dry, then damp to dry again that gets to me.
User
Posted 19 Nov 2022 at 17:05

Thanks Vin59,


OMG….that is just me, I had exactly the same experience and thoughts.


a change in temp seems to bring it on…I have a cup of tea…BANG! I get into bed at night, get warm and turnover…BANG! I was out in Fuerteventura on holiday and generally it wasn’t any worse until I opened the freezer door in the supermarket to get some ice cubes…BIG BANG….sweat pouring off me!


I am on HT for 6 months, then RT followed by up to 2 years HT after that. I hope it gets a bit better through time as it can be quite tiring at times, especially when it’s wakening you at night.
My saviour has been this magic little device on Amazon.


it’s costs £8.99 and is rechargeable…a charge will last a few days depending on use. As soon as I feel a flash coming on I put this on full blast(it has 3 speeds not 2 as suggested)  on my face and it helps a lot  -cools me down and reduces the length of the flash. It goes everywhere with me and folds nicely down to fit in my pocket.


I have 2….a spare always fully charged🤣🤣🤣


 


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jhua-Personal-Handheld-Portable-Rechargeable/dp/B07BQHN4DY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=PI6KR2SQOW6B&keywords=jhua%2Bhandheld%2Bmini%2Bfan&qid=1668876675&sprefix=Jhua%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-3&th=1


 


good luck with your treatment as well and let keep in touch 😊

User
Posted 22 Nov 2022 at 17:55
I have about 20 hot flushes a day, they last 3 or 4 minutes. After over 4 years on Prostap it's part of my life, guess I've just got used to it.
I'm spending a quarter of my time now in Spain got to say hot flushes bother me far less in hot weather than on a winters day here.
User
Posted 23 Nov 2022 at 22:58

Hi 


I'm on 3 monthly prostap3 injection and enzalutamide,my hot flushes are unnoticeable during the day this time of year(in the summer it was worse)but late evening and through the night I no one is coming and it comes with a sweating head and neck,but I'll certainly pay that price because I feel that if I'm still getting hot flushes the medication is still working.


Regards Phil.

User
Posted 28 Nov 2022 at 18:36

I’ve had a few good days recently, last week I really thought things were turning for me…had the sage leaf started to help…..or something else I am doing? I have no idea! Sunday was quite bad though but been out on my ebike today doing  45 mile route and then the gym. Had a bit of a sweat but was working quite hard. Had tea and hot drink and no sweats. Hmmmm…does exercise help?


long May it continue🤞🤞🤞

User
Posted 31 Dec 2022 at 18:30
I think if the sage wasn't making any obvious difference, ditch it while you try the new supplement so that you have a baseline? You could always start with the sage again in the future?
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
Show Most Thanked Posts
User
Posted 11 Nov 2022 at 22:24
It’s impossible to make generalisations, unfortunately. Everyone reacts differently to HT. I was fortunate and didn’t get any hot flushes at all.

Best wishes,

Chris
User
Posted 12 Nov 2022 at 18:17
Not much of a comparison as I was on Zoladex and had many hot flushes day and night. I was a bit embarrassed about going to work and having wet patches that I always wore a jumper, not the best idea but never mind.
Anyway just to say Acupuncture really helped me.
Peter
User
Posted 19 Nov 2022 at 16:27

Hello Decho


I am on ht and rt for 6 months.  On week 10 after my first of 2 zoladex injections which last 12 weeks each. Radiotherapy coming up soon.


In week 2 or 3 after my first zoladex injection in early Sept 22, I was thinking, 'well, this is not so bad' ... and I did not have any side effects as far as I could tell. Then the hot flashes hit me!  Like you, I seem to have them continuously. Similarly, they last only 3 or 4 mins. But annoyingly, wearing a zipped fleece I find sometimes I am taking it off and putting it back on again right afterwards because once the hot flash goes my body cools down again very quickly.


They are most annoying at night where they seem to wake me about every 2 hours. I sleep under a cotton sheet with a medium duvet on top. When the hot flash comes, I push down the duvet until it passes and then put the duvet back and hopefully get back to sleep quickly. The difficult one is where I cannot get back to sleep quickly and feel very tired the next day.


I am trying sage and evening primrose capsules but they don't seem to be making a lot of difference. I may investigate acupuncture.


Good luck with your treatment.


 

User
Posted 19 Nov 2022 at 17:05

Thanks Vin59,


OMG….that is just me, I had exactly the same experience and thoughts.


a change in temp seems to bring it on…I have a cup of tea…BANG! I get into bed at night, get warm and turnover…BANG! I was out in Fuerteventura on holiday and generally it wasn’t any worse until I opened the freezer door in the supermarket to get some ice cubes…BIG BANG….sweat pouring off me!


I am on HT for 6 months, then RT followed by up to 2 years HT after that. I hope it gets a bit better through time as it can be quite tiring at times, especially when it’s wakening you at night.
My saviour has been this magic little device on Amazon.


it’s costs £8.99 and is rechargeable…a charge will last a few days depending on use. As soon as I feel a flash coming on I put this on full blast(it has 3 speeds not 2 as suggested)  on my face and it helps a lot  -cools me down and reduces the length of the flash. It goes everywhere with me and folds nicely down to fit in my pocket.


I have 2….a spare always fully charged🤣🤣🤣


 


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jhua-Personal-Handheld-Portable-Rechargeable/dp/B07BQHN4DY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=PI6KR2SQOW6B&keywords=jhua%2Bhandheld%2Bmini%2Bfan&qid=1668876675&sprefix=Jhua%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-3&th=1


 


good luck with your treatment as well and let keep in touch 😊

User
Posted 20 Nov 2022 at 16:57
I've been on Decapeptyl since early August and am currently experiencing a long list of side effects, some of which, like for others, have worsened considerably over time. Worst of all are the regular hot flushes and the pains that come with them. The frequency varies, anything between once to three times an hour during the day.

I find the flushes can be quite debillitating, draining me of energy and panting for breath, meaning I need to sit or lie down for a while. The accompanying pain is a strange one, sort of hot and tingly, like nothing I have ever experienced before. It's mainly in the back of my hands, wrists and arms but also more mildly over other areas of the body. It's at it's worst at night, waking me up four or five times by a combination of hot flushes and nocturia (the need to wee). Prior to HT I was getting up to wee a couple of times each night.

I find rubbing the backs of my hands eases the pain but sometimes I need to get up and walk about to distract myself from it. Painkillers don't seem to make much difference, although they do sometimes help me sleep better. Fortunately the pain eases after a few minutes along with the hot flush, and I usually get back to sleep fairly quickly. Except by around 4am, when I no longer feel tired enough for sleep.

I'm due for my next three-month injection dose in a couple of days time and not exactly looking forward to it! But given HT has already reduced my PSA from 17.5 right down to 0.07 I can but cling to the notion that it is extending my life, which despite everything, still has plenty of upsides!
User
Posted 20 Nov 2022 at 18:27
Lifestoshor…..that’s a really good result after 3 months! Mine had dropped from 36 to 3 after 3 months and they were delighted with that. My next HT injection is 4th January and hoping to start RT early January. Then up to another 2 years of this HT😟
I’ve just ordered some Odaban anti-perspirant which some people have said greatly reduced the sweating….this would be great as it’s the constantly going from damp to dry, then damp to dry again that gets to me.
User
Posted 22 Nov 2022 at 13:49

Thanks Decho, but tbf you're PSA did have farther to travel, so 36 down to three is still huge. Hopefully you're next PSA will take it right down into the zeros. Good luck with the RT, hopefully it won't be too much on top of what you are already going through. I had RT following a RARP in 2009 and found it not too difficult overall.

User
Posted 22 Nov 2022 at 17:55
I have about 20 hot flushes a day, they last 3 or 4 minutes. After over 4 years on Prostap it's part of my life, guess I've just got used to it.
I'm spending a quarter of my time now in Spain got to say hot flushes bother me far less in hot weather than on a winters day here.
User
Posted 23 Nov 2022 at 22:58

Hi 


I'm on 3 monthly prostap3 injection and enzalutamide,my hot flushes are unnoticeable during the day this time of year(in the summer it was worse)but late evening and through the night I no one is coming and it comes with a sweating head and neck,but I'll certainly pay that price because I feel that if I'm still getting hot flushes the medication is still working.


Regards Phil.

User
Posted 28 Nov 2022 at 18:36

I’ve had a few good days recently, last week I really thought things were turning for me…had the sage leaf started to help…..or something else I am doing? I have no idea! Sunday was quite bad though but been out on my ebike today doing  45 mile route and then the gym. Had a bit of a sweat but was working quite hard. Had tea and hot drink and no sweats. Hmmmm…does exercise help?


long May it continue🤞🤞🤞

User
Posted 31 Dec 2022 at 16:32

Well that’s nearly 3 months taking Sage Leaf and have they made a difference? Not really sure TBH I had good days and bad days, sometimes still getting them every 30minutes until recently😟


However I have now had 3 sessions of acupuncture and the hot flashes have definitely decreased in frequency and intensity, they can still happen with change of temperature but are not every half hour as before which is quite debilitating! Also night sweats have greatly reduced….only happen when I put the electric blanket on then get into bed! I will have another 2 sessions of acupuncture at least I think.


I’ve been watching the Webinars about diet and the benefit of soya in your diet rather than dairy so I’ve started to introduce that and also drink green tea, which I’ve found quite pleasant. I’ve heard the Soya isoflavone supplement can help with hot flushes as well so have got some from H&B but am wondering whether I should be taking these as well as Sage. I’m starting my radiotherapy on 16th a January so don’t want to take anything which might upset my gut.


Anyone got any views on this?

User
Posted 31 Dec 2022 at 18:30
I think if the sage wasn't making any obvious difference, ditch it while you try the new supplement so that you have a baseline? You could always start with the sage again in the future?
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 01 Jan 2023 at 20:41

Hi Decho


With my hot flushes, I am taking evening primrose and sage capsules but it is hard to tell if they are making a difference? Like before, I frequently get the hot flushes during the day. With the recent cold spell it was interesting that I had less of them at night - my body must have been grateful for the extra heat being produced in the freezing temperatures and I actually slept through some of the flushes!!


Personally, I am a great believer in exercise and I have seen and read quite a few articles stressing its benefits as hormone therapy in particular weakens muscles.  Up until a few weeks ago I was continuing my regular 5k runs and parkruns. In the past week or two, due to tiredness and Christmas, I have let the runs slip but will hopefully get back into them soon. Even before I got my diagnosis I always felt more alert and refreshed after a run so if you can get into any sort of exercise, personally, I would recommend it.


Thanks for your point about acupuncture - I have been thinking about looking into this and your experience sounds very encouraging.


Good luck with your radiotherapy. I had 5 sessions using the MR Linac at the Christie hospital in Manchester. I guess everyone is different but I had some urinary issues (frequency and urgency) mid way through my sessions but these have eased off now with the help of tamsulosin tablets. The staff were really good and the actual sessions were fine to go through.  Strangely enough, nearly 3 weeks after the sessions finished, I am feeling quite fatigued. I assumed tiredness might affect me as I was having the treatment but the booklet I was given did say side effects frequently come weeks after radiotherapy. They are manageable though.


My hormone therapy continues and I had my 2nd zoladex implant about a month ago so there are a couple of months of that having its full effects (hot flushes) before hopefully tapering down in about March. Despite its many side effects ht has done its work in getting my psa down from 19 to 0.65 so that is obviously great news.


 

 
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