Wanting to come off Zoladex early

This was posted on your other thread, when I had less details. The following member hated zoladex and stopped early.

https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/default.aspx?g=profile&u=49973

I've left the original post below as is. The fact you have found that it changes success from 90% to 87% is very helpful. Considering your adverse side effects you should come off.

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Hi paddyman, I don't know anything else about you: age, diagnosis, treatment. Different people react to HT differently. Assuming you have had RT then the main benefits were before RT during RT, and progressively less value over about 18 months post RT (it takes about 18 months for irradiated cells to all die). If you stop HT it will take about six months for your body to start making testosterone so in essence you are getting another six months of HT like it or not.

So by now HT has done about 90% of the work it was required to do. If all the cells are already dead or severely weakened, the extra 10% is not required. If HT is making your life a misery, then stopping now means you will get two more years of improved quality of life at a very small risk of losing a few years at the end.

If you are over 70 you ain't got many years left so make the most of them, stop the HT. If you are under 60 giving the treatment the best chance might give you another 20-30 years of life, try and persist at least another year of HT.

Whatever you decide don't base it on what some random guy on the internet, who knows nothing about you says.

Edited by member 04 Dec 2022 at 12:59  | Reason: Not specified

Yes to all of the above. You've carefully figured out all the stats and come to the conclusion that one year should be enough, on balance and I think many people here would agree [against Drs advice I should add]. I've just pulled out at 2 years into a 3 year course of Zoladex. Andy, who often posts here and knows a great deal about all matters PC, stopped at 21 months and is now well into the recovery stage so his experience is helpful. For me at 2 years the side effects have diminished significantly [though of course libido cannot recover on Zoladex] so it's almost tolerable but I've still chosen "out". 

One thing that is never discussed is that zoladex itself has the potential to shorten your life through adverse cardio-vascular effects, raised cholesterol levels, weakened bones and a couple of other things.

See how you go with it. You might feel you can get through to 18 months when you hit the 12 month mark but if not you know where you stand in terms of probability.

Jules

Hello Jules,

Thank you for your feedback. It is good to hear from someone who has made the choice to come off early.

I wasn't aware that libido won't come back?

Hope all is going well for you.