numbers for Steve K

Hi Steve,

New number for your records. PSA now .43 as of 12/12/06. Am not going
back on Lupron until April, accompanied by Casodex. PSA was increasing
at the rate of about 50% every 4 months, is now 50% in three months. Am
making the most of this off-time but will not push it any further than
another 4 months. The Dr. is in agreement with this, with QOL in mind.
Take it when you can get it, I guess.
Of possible interest to you and others, it appears that the more
noticeable of the side effects of the Lupron lasted for about 6 months
after going off of it. I was on it for two years this time. Now, at 9
months since the last injection, I was extensively tested for memory and
cognitive function by a neurologist. Memory glitches, primarily with
working memory, were evident, but he did not feel that they were now
due to the Lupron, and gave other reasons. Cognitive function he said
was very high, at 95%, so the Lupron obviously was no longer affecting
that. The hot flashes began to fall off around six months, and they are
now down to maybe three a day. Before they happened for no reason at
all, now it is only with a trigger. I am one of those who had many every
day, and night, and would also get a 1-3 day "burn" or flush maybe once
a month. Energy levels began to rise, fatigue faded away, fewer naps
were needed, all at roughly the 6 month mark.
In summary, the visibly side effects I could see began to decrease
somewhere around the six month mark, with really good progress in the
following two months. Libido, for what it's worth, also has perked up. A
little. Apparently the not so visible side effects, the memory and
cognitive things, are on the same timetable, it's just that you yourself
cannot measure them. It appears that after being on Lupron for two
years, six months is about what it takes to start getting back to
whatever normal is.
I see that your current number is really good, so here's a prayer from
me that your numbers stay good for a long long time. Apparently going on
Casodex can lower the psa quickly but only for a limited duration, but
then going off of it does the same thing in many cases, lowers it again.
There are just so many bullets to fire at this beast, and no way to know
ahead of time which ones might work for you. Anyway, Best
wishes------------Bob

"Bob C." <bob@chady.org> wrote in message
news:elq2ae01jm@enews4.newsguy.com...

> PSA now .43 as of 12/12/06.

Damn! Sorry to hear that, Bob. Well, you will have had three years off the
nasty stuff. That's not all bad.


> I was on it for two years this time. Now, at 9 months since the last
> injection, I was extensively tested for memory and cognitive function by a
> neurologist. Memory glitches, primarily with working memory, were
> evident, but he did not feel that they were now due to the Lupron, and
> gave other reasons. Cognitive function he said was very high, at 95%, so
> the Lupron obviously was no longer affecting that.

I didn't think Lupron affected cogntive memory; but then, I'm on Lupron, so
I could have forgotten.

> Libido, for what it's worth, also has perked up. A
> little.

Ahhhhhhh. I wish I could have just one more roll in the hay. I'd make it
more memorable than my last.

> I see that your current number is really good, so here's a prayer from me
> that your numbers stay good for a long long time.

Thanks, Bob. My sincere wish is that the good Lord doesn't want me up there
with Him all that quickly and your and others' prayers will convince Him.

> Apparently going on Casodex can lower the psa quickly but only for a
> limited duration, but then going off of it does the same thing in many
> cases, lowers it again. There are just so many bullets to fire at this
> beast, and no way to know ahead of time which ones might work for you.

Strange disease, isn't it? I'm just hoping that the PCa is fooled long
enough for science to catch up to it.

Thanks, Bob, for the post.




--
PSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46
Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c
RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins
PSA .1 .1 .1 .27 .37 .75
EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47
PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32
Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 (4 mo), 12/03, 4/04, 09/04, 01/05, 5/05, 10/05,
2/06, 6/06
PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145
Casodex added daily 07/06
PSA <0.04
Non Illegitimi Carborundum



--
PSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46
Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c
RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins
PSA .1 .1 .1 .27 .37 .75
EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47
PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32
Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 (4 mo), 12/03, 4/04, 09/04, 01/05, 5/05, 10/05,
2/06, 6/06
PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145
Casodex added daily 07/06
PSA <0.04
Non Illegitimi Carborundum

Steve Kramer wrote:
> "Bob C."wrote

>> I was on it for two years this time. Now, at 9 months since the last
>> injection, I was extensively tested for memory and cognitive function by a
>> neurologist. Memory glitches, primarily with working memory, were
>> evident, but he did not feel that they were now due to the Lupron, and
>> gave other reasons. Cognitive function he said was very high, at 95%, so
>> the Lupron obviously was no longer affecting that.
>
> I didn't think Lupron affected cogntive memory; but then, I'm on Lupron, so
> I could have forgotten.

OHSU compares cognitive effects of ADT to those of early Alzheimer's. See

http://www.ohsu.edu/unparchive/2004/102104forget.html and

http://psa-rising.com/med/side_effec..._hormones.html ,

for starters.

I.P.

I.P. Freely wrote:
> Steve Kramer wrote:

> > I didn't think Lupron affected cogntive memory; but then, I'm on Lupron, so
> > I could have forgotten.
>
> OHSU compares cognitive effects of ADT to those of early Alzheimer's.

I'd agree with that.

Of the 8 months on Lupron, the last 3 were a fog, a blur. I had a hard
time typing. I write code (computer software) for a living and really
struggled on Lupron.

It took at least 6 months off Lupron before the code would flow off my
fingertips.

-kh