25th April 2008
[QUOTE=Dickiedo;3535792]I had surgery in 1995, 39 EBR treatments in 2001 and now I have been on Zoladex as of last June. I had no incontinence until the last 5 months and I can't get any answers why. My doctors act if this is no big thing I wish they were in my shoes. They were going to cure me in 95 and then again in 01 now they say it is going to kill me. I guess I am lucky just to be on the green side of the grass but I sure would like to find out how to stop this thing from leaking.
Hi Rich,
You have certainly paid your dues to beat the cancer, and I can understand your frustration.
However, I like your chances of outliving the cancer. (If you remember my case, your chances are better than my own.) Intermittent hormonal blockade works very well for a great many of us, though too many doctors are sadly misinformed and don't understand that it works as well as it does.
You've said before that your oncologist suggested another drug, and I'm guessing it was Casodex, or if not, flutamide. Personally, I'm convinced that most of us will do much better with a two, or better a three drug combination including Zoladex, Lupron or their equivalent; an antiandrogen such as Casodex preferably or flutamide; and Avodart or finasteride as the chaser; with a bisphosphonate in support (plus a calcium and high quality, absorbable vitamin D3 supplement). Avodart and finasteride add virtually no side effects to the effects of the other two drugs, with Zoladex contributing the lion's share. My impression is that Casodex doesn't add much beyond what Zoladex is already doing, though it's vital to check the liver for a few months to discover if the patient is one of the small minority that need help for liver function or who simply cannot tolerate the drug.
Quite a few veterans of surgery, radiation or both who go on triple blockade only need one course of blockade for about a year and then enjoy an indefinitely long off-therapy period of many years, using only finasteride or Avodart for maintenance. I hope you are one of them.
I doubt the blockade is connected with the incontinence.
Jim
Hi Rich,
You have certainly paid your dues to beat the cancer, and I can understand your frustration.
However, I like your chances of outliving the cancer. (If you remember my case, your chances are better than my own.) Intermittent hormonal blockade works very well for a great many of us, though too many doctors are sadly misinformed and don't understand that it works as well as it does.
You've said before that your oncologist suggested another drug, and I'm guessing it was Casodex, or if not, flutamide. Personally, I'm convinced that most of us will do much better with a two, or better a three drug combination including Zoladex, Lupron or their equivalent; an antiandrogen such as Casodex preferably or flutamide; and Avodart or finasteride as the chaser; with a bisphosphonate in support (plus a calcium and high quality, absorbable vitamin D3 supplement). Avodart and finasteride add virtually no side effects to the effects of the other two drugs, with Zoladex contributing the lion's share. My impression is that Casodex doesn't add much beyond what Zoladex is already doing, though it's vital to check the liver for a few months to discover if the patient is one of the small minority that need help for liver function or who simply cannot tolerate the drug.
Quite a few veterans of surgery, radiation or both who go on triple blockade only need one course of blockade for about a year and then enjoy an indefinitely long off-therapy period of many years, using only finasteride or Avodart for maintenance. I hope you are one of them.
I doubt the blockade is connected with the incontinence.
Jim