I'm back... because IT is back... : (

Hi! It's been a while since I posted or even read posts here. Hubby was doing so well and his PSA remained undetectable once he got established with an oncologist who started him on Cassodex and Prolia. BUT.... his PSA has gone up twice now (tests 6 weeks apart) and he will be retested in June. If it continues to rise (as oncologist expects), he will start Xtandi, and if the corona threat is to a level hospitals can manage better, he will have CT and bone scans to look for mets . I've been reading about it and the possible side effects of Xtandi. Anyone here want to share their personal experiences?

Xtandi (or any other second line ADT drugs) is not often prescribed without also using Lupron. If your husband is already on Lupron he probably won't notice much difference in side-effects. If he was only on Casodex as ADT medication previously, he still may not notice much difference when he goes on Xtandi.

Good luck!

Worried, I can't answer your question but will simply say that I wish you and hubby the best as you navigate the next stages of this.

Jim

WorriedaboutTH, so sorry about the circumstances that bring you back here. I put Xtandi in the search box, and this thread came up... https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3799031

Doing that search brings up other threads that might be of interest as well.

Sorry i can't help with direct answers, but i am sure others will chime in soon.

Hello, WorriedaboutHubby,

Yes, I am on ZYTIGA --- and you're right --- my prescription protocol is to take the medication on an empty stomach ---- in this case, no food for two hours prior, and no food for an hour afterwards. Some fellows take the medication late at night, at bedtime --- I take mine first thing of the morning.

Meanwhile, I hope XTANDI can have a mighty impact for your case --- we have members here who have been helped greatly by XTANDI.

Yes, when circumstances allow --- some scans, when possible, can help guide future treatment paths.

One thing that is part of my story. Upon diagnosis, LUPRON certainly helped me. However, after some months, my oncologist noticed "spikes and flares" in my PSA levels.

He decided to add a simple testosterone test to my next lab visit. What we discovered --- in my case, LUPRON was not consistently controlling my testosterone levels, resulting in PSA flares.

The simple fix? We decided to try another form of ADT --- for me, ZOLADEX worked better than LUPRON. I'm very thankful we tried something different.

My lesson learned? Ask your doctor to place an order for a simple testosterone test, next time you do labs. You want to make sure your ADT shot is ""squelching" the testosterone levels, to a high degree.

ZOLADEX keeps my testosterone at a consistently low level now, which helps keep my PSA in check. My original urologist refused to try anything but LUPRON.

Thankfully, my oncologist had the foresight to see if another form of ADT could help me even more. Needless to say, he is now the QUARTERBACK on my medical team.

Meanwhile, keep in touch with us here --- we're all in this together, and most importantly -- we're standing right alongside you.

With my best, from across the miles,
Cyclone --- # Iowa State University