Checking in -- great PSA results, mild anemia

Briefly checking in:

I am at the 4.5 year mark since initial treatment started. I am approximately 18 months past 36 months of ADT. PSA is still undetectable at <0.015. Testosterone levels seem excellent. All this is good news on the prostate cancer front. So far this has turned better than I hoped for with all the early gloom and doom around my initial diagnosis.

In the mode of things can't be perfect I suppose, I am persistently, mildly anemic. I have chronic low back pain and ibuprofen works well enough for pain control. However, my GP is concerned that my low HGB, HCT, etc could be the result of internal bleeding. So, over the last month I stopped ibuprofen and am only taking 500 mg of acetaminophen before bedtime. I am getting by with that although it is decidedly imperfect for pain management. My oncologist is not too concerned about the blood work, considering me as mildly anemic. He wants to recheck in 6 weeks. I waiting to hear back from my GP on the latest CBC results. My RBC, HGB numbers ran low all the way through ADT. At the time, the oncologists chalked it up to low testosterone.

Take care all.

Southern Comfort

SC,

Thanks for updating us with your good report. Hope the anemia improves. I'm a blood donor and had to cut back on the donation frequency due to low iron stores. Ah, old age!

Great psa result....that is good news
Congrats!

Thanks for checking in Robert. Great to see the very effective PCa control you have experienced and the T recovery. I am 18 months post-HT and have only recently climbed above 100 on my T. We missed you in Baton Rouge and have hoped you are doing well.

I have had a similar journey to you and Jerry regarding the HT, but I have not had any anemia. However, my wife has as a result of her chemo and HT for breast cancer. Her onc says it is the collective assault on the system of these drugs. He is a proponent of Vit D and includes it in her regular testing and treatment. When her D levels are good her blood work is better. He says the HT for both sexes makes it more difficult for the body to maintain proper D levels without supplements. Have you, and Jerry, had D levels as part of your regular blood-work?

Looks like mostly good news! Yay!

Congratulations on your great results. Hope you have many many more years of those.

I take 5,000 units of D each day and my last test was just under 50. I am going to try Jim's, I mean Nomar's recipe adding the calcium and K-2.

Thanks for all the replies. It is a little more comforting to hear that others with similar treatments have mild anemia issues. I had my vitamin D checked last November -- it was 41 (normal is 30-100). The Dr wants to me start vitamin D supplements. I will get started on those. I am living in a new, cooler, cloudier location as compared to Arizona. So, I am not getting quite as much sun. (We have actually had great weather this past winter, due to el nino I suspect.)
SC