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ADT real problems

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User
Posted 03 Dec 2023 at 14:54

Hi All,


I've been on Prostap for the last year and a half and over the last couple of months, I'm really struggling emotionally.


The diagnosis was early last year and since then I had HDR Brachytherapy and EBRT & 2 years of these Hormones.


I have a full-time job which I am struggling with and feel like I have no mental strength in dealing with issues that wouldn't normally touch me. I'm working from home 2 days a week on Thursday and Friday due to fatigue.


I cry like a baby over nothing and feel numb to the world. My Wife has been strong for me but I relaise my state of mind is affecting our relationship.


I think I am now at the stage where I need to seek medical help? I don't want to stop the ADT as I want to give the best shot I can of being cured. PSA currently at 0.2


What are your thoughts and has anyone else had these types of issues on ADT?


Cheers


Jon.

User
Posted 03 Dec 2023 at 14:54

Hi All,


I've been on Prostap for the last year and a half and over the last couple of months, I'm really struggling emotionally.


The diagnosis was early last year and since then I had HDR Brachytherapy and EBRT & 2 years of these Hormones.


I have a full-time job which I am struggling with and feel like I have no mental strength in dealing with issues that wouldn't normally touch me. I'm working from home 2 days a week on Thursday and Friday due to fatigue.


I cry like a baby over nothing and feel numb to the world. My Wife has been strong for me but I relaise my state of mind is affecting our relationship.


I think I am now at the stage where I need to seek medical help? I don't want to stop the ADT as I want to give the best shot I can of being cured. PSA currently at 0.2


What are your thoughts and has anyone else had these types of issues on ADT?


Cheers


Jon.

User
Posted 03 Dec 2023 at 22:20

Hi I had pretty much identical treatment to you and a very similar diagnosis. I guess I'm lucky because I didn't have much trouble with the hormones. One of the posters on here really couldn't stand the HT and stopped it after six months, other than that most people find it at least tolerable.


The main benefit of HT is just before and just after RT, by the time you get to 18 months post RT it is probably only adding a marginal benefit. So consider stopping early, however if you did get recurrence I think you would spend the rest of your life thinking, maybe you should have gone the extra six months.


It is probably the case that if you did stop HT now it would still take six months or a year to get back to normal, so perhaps a better approach would be to treat the mental health issue, the problem is knowing exactly what to treat, it may be anxiety or depression, but I don't really know if being over emotional is in that class of illnesses.


Discuss the best option with your oncologist or CNS, if stopping HT is ruled out then, them writing to your GP, asking them to treat the side effects of HT might get you further up the queue than waiting for a GP appointment.


 

Dave

User
Posted 04 Dec 2023 at 00:05
HT does not cure anything, it just modifies cell behaviour and makes some cancer less aggressive.

The curative treatment is the radiation that you have already received. If the HT is ruining your life suggest you ask your ONCO if you can stop it early and what the likely impact will be.
User
Posted 04 Dec 2023 at 12:57

Hi Jon,


I understand where you are. I had that T shirt very soon after I started taking Prostap. I just couldn’t function at all, suffered severe anxiety and was an emotional wreck. After  reading this forum and speaking to others I went to my GP who prescribed me sertraline and it has made a huge difference. I can now deal with everything (so far anyway) that this journey has thrown at me. It also keeps me strong to find ways of dealing with ALL the side effects that I have had. 
I’m not promoting that anyone should start taking antidepressants, but I look at it this way. Ive got 3 years of taking this stuff and it’s doing horrendous things to my body at the same time as (hopefully🤞🤞🤞) helping to cure my PCa. So, anything that can make my QOL better I will jump at…3 years is a long time to be miserable.


If you’re not already in one, I can also recommend you join a local cancer support group such as Maggies…it’s so helpful talking to other people going through the same things as yourself.


All the best,


Derek

Edited by member 04 Dec 2023 at 12:58  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 04 Dec 2023 at 16:15

Thanks for all your replies and it makes it more manageable to relaise you are not on your own.


I did speak with a PCUK Nurse today who said it was normal to feel this way, but it's bizarre I have only just really felt it since the weather has changed and it's gone dark. 


I do know I need to focus for the next few weeks on my mental health, I was advised to look at a program called Cancer Coach that looks promising. I've joined up and I'm working through it.


I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow and I am going to suggest I need some medication to help me get through this next year - I want to follow the fully prescribed 2 years of ADT to give me the best chance of survival.


Cheers - I'll let you know I get on.


Jon

User
Posted 06 Dec 2023 at 10:18

Great that you have seen the GP so fast, and got some medication which should help. We get many similar posts where men become emotional, but I don't know whether it is severe enough or negative enough to be classed as depression. So I am curious as to whether an anti depressant/anxiety drug is useful.


It has worked for decho, if it works for you, I will modify my future posts to suggest people on HT should seek help earlier, rather than put up with a problem which can be easily cured.


Can you post an update in a couple of months (or sooner).

Dave

User
Posted 06 Dec 2023 at 13:39
They are pretty good at my Doctors and I can normally see someone in a few days. I know everyone is not so lucky.
I told the doctor exactly what I was feeling and she did say that medication may help symptoms like mine, but it was only until I finished my ADT and I would get reviewed in 6 months. Hopefully, the doctor knows her stuff.

Yes, I'll let you know how I get on. Apparently, it takes 4-6 weeks to work so I'll see what happens and report back Dave.
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User
Posted 03 Dec 2023 at 22:20

Hi I had pretty much identical treatment to you and a very similar diagnosis. I guess I'm lucky because I didn't have much trouble with the hormones. One of the posters on here really couldn't stand the HT and stopped it after six months, other than that most people find it at least tolerable.


The main benefit of HT is just before and just after RT, by the time you get to 18 months post RT it is probably only adding a marginal benefit. So consider stopping early, however if you did get recurrence I think you would spend the rest of your life thinking, maybe you should have gone the extra six months.


It is probably the case that if you did stop HT now it would still take six months or a year to get back to normal, so perhaps a better approach would be to treat the mental health issue, the problem is knowing exactly what to treat, it may be anxiety or depression, but I don't really know if being over emotional is in that class of illnesses.


Discuss the best option with your oncologist or CNS, if stopping HT is ruled out then, them writing to your GP, asking them to treat the side effects of HT might get you further up the queue than waiting for a GP appointment.


 

Dave

User
Posted 04 Dec 2023 at 00:05
HT does not cure anything, it just modifies cell behaviour and makes some cancer less aggressive.

The curative treatment is the radiation that you have already received. If the HT is ruining your life suggest you ask your ONCO if you can stop it early and what the likely impact will be.
User
Posted 04 Dec 2023 at 12:57

Hi Jon,


I understand where you are. I had that T shirt very soon after I started taking Prostap. I just couldn’t function at all, suffered severe anxiety and was an emotional wreck. After  reading this forum and speaking to others I went to my GP who prescribed me sertraline and it has made a huge difference. I can now deal with everything (so far anyway) that this journey has thrown at me. It also keeps me strong to find ways of dealing with ALL the side effects that I have had. 
I’m not promoting that anyone should start taking antidepressants, but I look at it this way. Ive got 3 years of taking this stuff and it’s doing horrendous things to my body at the same time as (hopefully🤞🤞🤞) helping to cure my PCa. So, anything that can make my QOL better I will jump at…3 years is a long time to be miserable.


If you’re not already in one, I can also recommend you join a local cancer support group such as Maggies…it’s so helpful talking to other people going through the same things as yourself.


All the best,


Derek

Edited by member 04 Dec 2023 at 12:58  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 04 Dec 2023 at 16:15

Thanks for all your replies and it makes it more manageable to relaise you are not on your own.


I did speak with a PCUK Nurse today who said it was normal to feel this way, but it's bizarre I have only just really felt it since the weather has changed and it's gone dark. 


I do know I need to focus for the next few weeks on my mental health, I was advised to look at a program called Cancer Coach that looks promising. I've joined up and I'm working through it.


I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow and I am going to suggest I need some medication to help me get through this next year - I want to follow the fully prescribed 2 years of ADT to give me the best chance of survival.


Cheers - I'll let you know I get on.


Jon

User
Posted 06 Dec 2023 at 09:46

Morning All,


So I saw my Doctor yesterday and after going through the various options it was agreed for me to start taking Sertraline 50mg until I finish my treatment. I've also been signed off work for 2 weeks.


Hopefully, they will start working in the next few weeks and I'll feel much better for 2024. I need to get my mental strength back.


Cheers


Jon


 

User
Posted 06 Dec 2023 at 10:18

Great that you have seen the GP so fast, and got some medication which should help. We get many similar posts where men become emotional, but I don't know whether it is severe enough or negative enough to be classed as depression. So I am curious as to whether an anti depressant/anxiety drug is useful.


It has worked for decho, if it works for you, I will modify my future posts to suggest people on HT should seek help earlier, rather than put up with a problem which can be easily cured.


Can you post an update in a couple of months (or sooner).

Dave

User
Posted 06 Dec 2023 at 13:39
They are pretty good at my Doctors and I can normally see someone in a few days. I know everyone is not so lucky.
I told the doctor exactly what I was feeling and she did say that medication may help symptoms like mine, but it was only until I finished my ADT and I would get reviewed in 6 months. Hopefully, the doctor knows her stuff.

Yes, I'll let you know how I get on. Apparently, it takes 4-6 weeks to work so I'll see what happens and report back Dave.
 
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