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HT

Samsungtech1
Posts: 321
Joined: Jan 2011
May 29, 2012 - 7:00 pm

I started HT two months ago. The first,two shots, were hurtful but I got through it. On the third of May I got my second shot. Did not go well. A wek later had an ultrasound that showed a cavity with fluid in it. I have not felt this bad since I started with rp in 2010-06. I am throwing up, worn out, and have pain from this shot. It is still swollen, and hurts. I can not see the reason to keep this up. Suffering like this is not a cure. It is a killer. I have decided to quit HT. Nothing is worth this feeling. Guess I will find out how diet and exercise work.
VascodaGama's picture
VascodaGama
Posts: 1256
 Joined: Nov 2010
May 30, 2012 - 4:31 am
You may try other ways for hormonal manipulations

Mike (Samsung)

I do not blame you for the decision. You are not the only one reporting on “accidents” with HT administration and giving up. I also experienced a sour situation with a novice nurse that did not know how to administer an agonist shot.
It all started when she tried to mix the two contents (polymeric substance plus leuprolide acetate). She simply did not know how to do it and I refused to continue and requested for someone else to help in reading the instructions. This is not a common injection. I certainly would have fallen in the problem you are confronted with.

The maker is strict and got particulars on Mixing Instructions and administration with regards to safety. Here is a link to their site;
http://products.sanofi.us/eligard/eligard_75.html
My pall doctor told me that those types of injections are seldom done, they are thicker and must be inserted at a particular angle to avoid injecting it in a BV.

I would recommend you to verify for the nurse's experience in similar treatments, choose a different care team, before giving up.
In any case, if you are so uncomfortable with the LHRH agonist shot, you can get castration by surgically removing the testes (sorry for my comment). You also could try to substitute the agonist with a daily antiandrogen pill plus a 5-ARI. These drugs do the job in a different way but not as efficiently.

After all, hormonal treatment resumes to the principle that cancer feeds on androgens (testosterone and derivates) and one should avoid it. LHRH agonist will try to close down the factory producing testosterone at the testes (chemical castration) and the antiandrogens will try to “close down” the mouth of cells (androgen receptors). The two drugs together will eliminate the feeding to a certain high extent (95%). 5=ARI (5-alpha reductase inhibitors) will avoid the transformation of the low levels of testosterone into a powerful form of T (ten folds) named dihydrotestosterone (DHT), produced at the adrenal glands.

In this link you can read about the experience of guys on Firmagon (antagonist) that take the drug on On/Off periods to avoid the pain.
http://csn.cancer.org/node/170142

I hope you find a way that fits your wishes.
Bests.

VGama