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ADT - Pain

User
Posted 26 Jan 2026 at 13:36

Hi all, it’s a year since my diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer and starting ADT (Prostap). Completed chemo and radiotherapy with good results in PSA and scan. More details in my bio.

I had seemed to be sailing through ADT, but more recently have had hot sweats, not too bad, tiredness, but the worst seems to be pain in my upper arm and shoulder. This stops me doing certain things normally and keeps me awake at night. This was discussed with my specialist urology nurse who thought it was related to bone thinning, so I asked for a bone density scan. This was referred to the consultant, who instructed me to ask my GP to request an x-ray to see if there are any hairline fractures. 

The GP now wants to see me (5th Feb) to assess before any requests are made. Has anyone had a similar experience? How did things go? Does it seem that while it would be helpful, bone density scans may be hard to come by?

Any experiences or advice welcome.

Norman

User
Posted 29 Jan 2026 at 11:16
Thanks John, seems your experience of Prostap was similar. Will await my visit to the GP and see what it reveals. If it is down to ADT, then the option you chose is something I can consider.

Notice on your bio you’ve got a fight ahead of you. I had docetaxel, and I did get side effects, but they were all manageable in some way or another. So for me it wasn’t as bad as I originally thought.

User
Posted 26 Jan 2026 at 22:50

Hi

I was on prostap for a while initially. It gave me horrible aches and pains in my joints (as well as the hot flushes and fatigue).  As I was told I'd have to be on this hormone therapy for life, I opted for an orchidectomy - that got rid of the aches and pains as I no longer needed to have the prostap.

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User
Posted 26 Jan 2026 at 19:20

Hi,

I don't have direct experience, but it seems likely that the consultant is recommending an X-ray to look for any obvious source of the pain rather than a bone density scan which would predict your likelihood of future fractures due to bone loss.

There's so many possible sources including muscle, arthritis, neurological, fracture, cancer spread.  In our situation we naturally fear the last one - although if your PSA is undetectable that would be unlikely.  My shoulder pain turned out to be a trapped nerve which eventually went away with exercises.

If you take a note of the type of pain, timing (e.g. worst at night, after movement), etc. That and the X-ray should help your GP interpret the source of pain and appropriate treatment.

 

 

 

User
Posted 26 Jan 2026 at 20:39
Thanks Will, good to consider it could be lots of things. I will try taking a note of things before I go on the 5th Feb.
User
Posted 26 Jan 2026 at 22:50

Hi

I was on prostap for a while initially. It gave me horrible aches and pains in my joints (as well as the hot flushes and fatigue).  As I was told I'd have to be on this hormone therapy for life, I opted for an orchidectomy - that got rid of the aches and pains as I no longer needed to have the prostap.

User
Posted 29 Jan 2026 at 11:16
Thanks John, seems your experience of Prostap was similar. Will await my visit to the GP and see what it reveals. If it is down to ADT, then the option you chose is something I can consider.

Notice on your bio you’ve got a fight ahead of you. I had docetaxel, and I did get side effects, but they were all manageable in some way or another. So for me it wasn’t as bad as I originally thought.

User
Posted 08 Feb 2026 at 19:23

Does anyone get a side effect of ‘ sore skin ‘  during the night - that is the only way I can describe it really - the skin , mainly on my back shoulders and arms , is sore enough to make me take painkillers, or I cannot get to sleep. 

 
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