Does everyone get sides on Lupron/Zoladex and what are they?

I'm curious about guys' experiences on androgen deprivation therapy. Does pretty much everyone lose their mojo and get ED or just a majority? How common are side effects like muscle wasting and how bad does that get? Is weight gain inevitable? And if you get gynocamestia or man boobs do they these have to be surgically removed to go away?

What was your experience of Lupron and did the sides go away?

likely you will get some of the many side effects, some handle it way better than others it seems, weight gain is common, losing muscle mass is common enough, longer term bone density and memory can even be affected. There are other drugs you can add to combat some side effects and exercise is worthy too. As for gynecomastia it may happen in some men and more so with casodex added in combo or in high dose casodex 100-150 mg daily adds risks for this, also proscar or avodart adds risks for this.

BOOBS- Now you can take another drug to attempt to prevent boobs from happening or you can get immediate radiation light doses to the boobs to stop growth (works in many men), can be done with lighter duty 'electron rays' and usually 3-4 sessions or you might have a doc do it in one session (which I did do and was helpful, although I should have done it even sooner than I did, but worked). I had like a sunburn looking round ring approx. 4+" dia. around each one, showing like a tan or burn but it subsided after less than 30 days, but for those 30 days going to beach is not without high risk laughter or questions (lol). Been 8 yrs. since the boob radiations and no known issues (fyi). Dr. Myers pointed out that like 15-20% of men approx. never get boobs even with alot of these drugs, so it is not a certain event. Surgery is another late option and a friend of mine did that not to long ago, he sent me photos of the two drainage tubes hooked up immediately after (not wonderful to think about), but he looks very good now and not with any boobs.

Depending upon how long you are on these drugs, you may return to a normalcy of prior manhood or to some degree, the longer you are on it the more it becomes a possible real issue. Other can fill you in with more details and likely examples (TMI) might even be written about. (-:
As for mojo I think you have much better chance of having mojo with casodex useage vs. LHRH-Lupron, Zoladex, et al types.

Post Edited (zufus) : 9/22/2012 3:32:12 PM (GMT-6)

No boobs, but 20 pounds weight gain, sore knees, fatigue easier, loss of libido. At least the hot flashes are less pronounced now. Memory loss....I can't recal.....I do seem to drop everything I pick up. Nearly two years down and one more to go so the future is looking better.

Reduce land animal protien, dairy and eggs, alcohol, and caffine. Increase fruits and vegetables and exercise. These actions will help and restore energy.

I received my last (hopefully) 6 month Lupron injection this past April. I will revisit my uro for another psa next month.

The hot flashes have been aggravating. I hate sitting in a meeting or in church, and break out in a hot sweat dripping water off my arms and running down my face. Have gained 25, and every cookie in sight is in mortal danger. No boobs aside from those caused by the excess poundage.
Have had some joint issues, esp trigger fingers. Some lethargy followed by spurts of energy and wanting to get all my chores for the next two years finished by sunset. Muscle mass seems to be okay, but hard to ascertain.

What is sex? Seems as if that word is supposed to mean something, but danged if I can recall. Oh yeah, Lupron causes CRS disease as well. Now....what the heck does CRS stand for? Seems as if I Can't Remember Stuff anymore.

Oh well......if you think of anymore questions, ask away, but hurry. Once I leave this website, I can't remember how to find my way back.

K

I've been on Lupron/Casodex for about 11 months now and have side effects and boob growth although none of it has been debilitating or dramatic.

I have hot flashes, and sometimes they come at the most inappropriate moments, but never severe. I have some brain farts when I can't remember something, or just a particular word eludes me. I don't know if I've lost any muscle mass but I feel weaker, and in the morning I have more trouble getting up. I have to give myself about 20 minutes of resting with my eyes closed before I feel some energy to lift myself up and get into the shower. By the time I finish my shower, I'm fine.

My breasts have grown and sometimes I feel depressed looking into a mirror in the bathroom, and they are often tender and hurt a little bit. But it's tolerable for now. At work I'm often aware that my nipples are poking through my shirt a little and I wonder what people think, but hey, I'm alive and not dead and that's what's important. I'm not competing in any body building contests or fashion shows.

There is definite loss of libido but I can still perform and there doesn't seem to be any loss of nerve endings. My wife and I still "keep in touch" but everything is more subtle, if you know what I mean. There's little issue between us about things not being as energized as it used to be, because we are very much in love and just enjoy the intimacy. Things may change as the years go by and I stay on this therapy, but right now, it's low key but still moving.

We joined a gym and started exercising, but with the hectic schedule we have with our jobs, its been difficult to do more than 45 minutes three times a week. I suppose that's better than nothing.

Seven months ago I went on a very radical diet, and lost 80 pounds. Recently I gained about 5-7 pounds back but it seems to be in a holding pattern right now.

I suppose I could have lost all my libido and gained twenty pounds, but things are tolerable right now.

I'm so happy to be alive and in no pain that all these side effects are very tolerable.

My Lupron was only a one time injection for a three or four months duration and that was to shrink the prostate down to a more acceptable level for Brachytherapy but I still got all of the SE's already mentioned however none were severe. My whisker/beard growth really slowed down considerably during those months. Nuts/balls/testes got down to the size of jelly beans but everything is back to normal now ( a little over two years later ) Thing I despised the most was the memory screw up's, mood swings and of course the night sweats. I received Lupron only that one time and hope not to have need for it ever again. As indicated above, the SE's were not that bad and if necessary, I'd go through it again with no apprehension.