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Updates on husband's latest numbers 9 weeks after Zytiga started

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Posted 4/12/2019 12:17 PM (GMT -5)
Hello everyone. Yesterday my husband's test results came in PSA 1.8. He started Zytiga/Prednisone February 9, 2019 in addition to the Lupron restart in late August, 2018 after his PSA rapidly doubled last summer when he wasn't on Lupron anymore. As you can see from the signature, the numbers have come down quite a bit at this point. Yay! I've added to the signature some of his Alkaline Phosphatase levels. Right now, we're relieved the PSA is way down from 9.8 last August to 1.8 yesterday.

For what it's worth, before the Zytiga started my husband didn't suffer such severe Lupron side effects as he did from when he took it for that 33 months--have no idea why but thank goodness for both of us! Even with the Zytiga added, the side effects aren't as bad as the old Lupron bad. He still feels very fatigued in the afternoons, but a nap and plenty of exercise fixes that for the most part.

So that's my report and I'm stickin' to it . . . at least until our next monthly visit--hate those.
Posted 4/12/2019 12:45 PM (GMT -5)
Great to hear the good response and reduced side effects. Yay is right!
Posted 4/12/2019 1:25 PM (GMT -5)
Great response. How is his blood pressure.
Posted 4/12/2019 1:49 PM (GMT -5)
The BP was high, so high I don't want to say, mainly due, my husband thinks to three cups of coffee consumed before blood work was done. (We have to travel 2 hours to Boston on a shuttle at ghastly hours, so coffee is more important in the moment than blood pressure unfortunately. However, he's had decent BP the last few weeks, under 120/60--doesn't take statins either) Curiously, no one but me even blinked at the BP. I feel as if these cancer centers are so specialized they barely register anything else that's not PCa related. I'm going to be a bit of a nag, though, about the blood pressure since it can really climb on Zytiga. Thanks for asking about it.
Posted 4/12/2019 7:07 PM (GMT -5)
Good numbers. Hope they keep getting better. If hubby's liver numbers start rising b/c of zytiga don't hesitate to try 1/2 dose or 3/4 dose. If zytiga is working you don't want to give it up. My MO was not that concerned about my increasing blood pressure. Went to my GP and he prescribed low dose med. Pressure is better now.
Posted 4/13/2019 12:27 PM (GMT -5)

Hello Spouse21,

Looking at your recent lab results, you can easily see that ZYTIGA is helping, in your case.

When I first started ZYTIGA, my doctor had me do some initial lab work about three weeks later, just to keep track with how things were going initially. Of course, it can take longer for positive benefits to show up. However, ZYTIGA "kicked in" for me right away, which is what it seems to be doing for you.

I will always remember my doctor saying that an early, positive response to ZYTIGA was always a "good sign" ... and so I wanted to share that with you, because you are also seeing a good initial response.

I have been on ZYTIGA now for over 40 months --- readers here know that I decided to save the first empty bottle, just on a whim, but then from there, I have saved all empty ZYTIGA bottles, just as a way to mark my progress. I'm thankful to have over 40 ZYTIGA bottles now lined up on a shelf today. It's part of my daily, morning ritual --- always taken with water.

Within this past month, I recently switched over to the new generic version of ZYTIGA which became available a few months ago, in late 2018. In case that might result in cost savings for you, the generic version is now available, which you can talk about with your doctor.

Keep us posted on your progress!
CYCLONE ~ Iowa State University
Posted 4/13/2019 1:51 PM (GMT -5)
Nice to see good response!
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