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Stan, I'm four years plus on Zoladex, having started with the usual one month Casodex, which you're on and had my radiotherapy about six months after diagnosis. I too was Gleason 9 and had a starting PSA of 62, so we're comparable. Read my full story on Experiences on this site, if you can stand the detail, and you'll see what an emotional see-saw may be involved and get an idea of problems that can arise.
We all react differently to the ADT, but there are side effects to this treatment and I think I've described the usual ones. Things will settle down after a month or two. My advice is to stay positive, get fit and stay fit and eat healthily. Don't let the ADT make you fat and lazy as it can.
There is a life after PCa diagnosis, even when the numbers are big like yours and mine. I really do expect to be keying comments like this in another ten years and playing golf, getting out and about and enjoying each day as it comes.
Don't despair because you have hard time in the first few weeks. You will get through it.
The side effects of ADT (Androgen Deprivation Therapy)which is what your initial therapy is technically known as, varies considerably from man to man. It is also possible that your reaction to one of the many drugs in use may be greater than to another, so the possibioity of changing medication might be something that you discuss with your doctors.
It might be an idea to review the stories of the men who have had a similar therapy to you to see what the effects were and how they overcame them. You can go to the INDEX and click on the EBRT link, paging down and clkcking on the names of men who have EBRT/ADT against their names.
You might especially like to go to the site The Prostate Advocate, set up by Chuck Maack whose story is here. As you will see if you read his story, he is a long time survivor and, like me he has no medial training but has acquired a deal of knowledge on his journey. He has a number of pages on his site dealing with specifci aspects of PCa and the one that is of most interest to you, I'd guess is ADT SIDE EFFECTS
Good luck and I hope you discover how to deal with your issues.
I did similar concept to what you are looking at ADT3 drugs prior to radiations and thereafter. I stopped at two years of ADT3 and went unto DES 1=mg useage for the 7+ years thereafter. Some docs are now putting their patients on lupron+casodex+estradiol patches so as to lessen the side effects and it helps. My last 7 yrs. being off lupron+casodex-proscar have been wonderful in comparison, avoiding the nasty side effects. There are other drugs to help counter the side effects, you are going to likely hate Lupron or any LHRH drug, casodex is usually better tolerated by most I noticed. Good Luck. I also have some high and lousy stats and coming up on year 10 in April...so keep looking at everything is a good idea.
Thank you for the replies.
I realise that we all react differently to treatments, some have better experiences than others. I will just have to deal with everything as it comes up.
My outlook on life has changed. Some things that seemed important, seem less so now. My relationship with my wife seems stronger than ever as we have stopped taking each other for granted.
Being diagnosed with cancer doesn't mean a death sentence. This thing can be beaten.
