What to expect after starting ADT treatment for prostate cancer?

How many treatments will you have?

Starting ADT can bring many questions about what changes to expect, and it's completely understandable to wonder what lies ahead with this treatment. Many people in this community have shared their experiences with ADT, so connecting with others here who understand this journey firsthand can provide valuable insights and support during your treatment.

That's such great advice - connecting with others here who've been through ADT really helps, and don't hesitate to ask about the practical day-to-day stuff too, like managing energy levels or dealing with any side effects that come up.

I completely agree - the community here has so much wisdom about ADT, and you might also find it helpful to ask about practical tips for managing any side effects as they come up.

Shots for 24 months & 28 radiation sessions

Bob , will tell you what helped in my treatments.Your bladder holds 16oz. It takes 20min for that water to get into your bladder. This was good to know and helped me get my routine down. Took me a week of filling my bladder and holding it. The procedure itself takes maybe 7 to 8 min. Practice at home take 10min to fill your bladder or around their. Hold it for 40 min then go. When you can do this you will be fine. Good Luck and God Bless

I’d suggest that if you don’t have an exercise/workout schedule you should find one and start ASAP. ADT will cause significant muscle loss so you need exercise to maintain your activity and lifestyle. Hard to get muscle mass back once it’s gone

Finished 28 DAYS Radiation mid-April, on Eligard since early Feb. Radiation was for 4-3 Gleason & went ok (followed diet exercise & hydration). then few days later hot flashes, fatigue, sleeplessness, etc. set in ... a learning curve... i walk 2-3 miles/day; lift light weights, going through pelvic floor PT... have support folks ... a challenge ...My Fitbit Sense 2 , AI by google is very good at tracking my exercise & issues

I've been on Lupron for 27 months so far. It takes its toll. Good results though, my PSA has been at undetectable levels since about month 5. I've got stage 4 with a Gleason score of 5+4=9. Has only spread locally and to a couple of lymph nodes so far. Walking and exercise are the best ways to keep ahead of the side effects. I get the hot flashes and mood swings, not fun. But I'm making the best of it. Walking outdoors helps the mind as much as the body. I've gained about 20 pounds since starting on Lupron. I just read that they are doing studies with the fat shot and cancer patients. Many benefits like decreased inflammation. I'm going to look into that! Good luck with your treatments. I've also been taking turmeric 2x a day for inflammation. You might want to look into it.

I had a Gleason score of 9. But still localized to prostate. Started with Brachy Therapy, then five weeks of external beam radiation. I had my fourth and hopefully last Eligard ADT shot four months ago. Numbers near zero since starting. Yes there are hot flashes, fatigue, muscle loss, etc. But you will get through it. I just adopted an attitude of yes that stuff is here but I am not going to let it affect living my life. There is a medication that helps Significantly with the hot flashes. I had them pretty bad at first. The medication knocked it down about 90%.

Karl, very good information! What's the name of the medication you use for hot flashes?

It is Effexor also known as Venlafaxine. Highly recommend you ask your doctor for it. It was doing well for the first year then was not helping quite as much. So Dr increased the dose a bit. Then it was back to being as effective as it was at first.