The list of potential side effects is daunting, but for me the first week of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was not bad.
I started taking a daily 50mg Bicalutamide pill (generic Casodex) on mid-day Monday. It was not expensive – my copay was $12 at Walmart for a monthly supply.
Bicalutamide is a supplement to the ADT therapy – it prevents testosterone from binding with the prostate cancer cells. I waited until after my Monday workout before taking the medication, thinking it might have a sudden impact (see its potential side effects). But so far it has not.
During the week I felt some slight cognitive effects like short-term memory difficulty and reasoning skills, but nothing serious. My weight was stable, and my blood glucose was in a glycemic control range for most of the week.
I felt a little flushed on Thursday evening and was ready for my first hot flash, but it did not come. By the way, I live in the Sonoran Desert so getting hot is normal here.
As a former quality assurance professional, I believe in measuring and collecting data as a means to monitor and improve. So every day I check my blood glucose and weight, will begin checking my blood pressure with more regularity.
Blood glucose
I am a diabetic and test my fasting glucose every morning.
From Friday to the following Thursday my readings were in the mid 150’s, which for me is glycemic control.
My Friday morning reading was 213, but it was 164 on Saturday morning (this morning). To stress the importance and potential benefits of sleep, the only delta between the high reading and the others is that I did not sleep well the night before the high morning result.
Exercise
I have not missed a gym workout since I started in mid-August, and that includes three workouts this week.
My trainer set up a very comfortable program that includes a core workout followed by a few exercises that focus on a specific part of my body each day. And it is working well. Read more about my exercise routine.
It also helps that I exercise early in the morning when my energy is highest. I feel that supplements like coenzyme Q-10 have been helping with my morning energy.
I walked on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and rode my bike for four miles this morning. So far, so good.
Nutrition
I stayed on my daily regimen of eating fewer calories and better nutrition. No straying this week. I will provide information about my nutrition and supplements in a future post.
Weight
One week ago, on the Friday of my injection, my weight was 239. It crept up during the week, to around 241.5.
I attribute the gain to increased muscle mass from my gym workouts, because this morning (Saturday, a week after the injection) my morning weight was back to 239.
Blood Pressure
I take hypertension medication in the morning (100mg of Losartan) and evening (5mg of Amlopidine).
I only checked my pressure a couple of times during the week, and both times it was a bit high (145 / 80).
I will start checking it with more regularity, especially to get a feel for the connection between exercise and hypertension.
For example, this morning after riding my bicycle, my blood pressure was 118 / 71.
Aches and Pains
I had no serious body pains except for an ongoing shoulder impingement that causes tendon pain in my right upper arm and somewhat limits the arm’s range of motion. But it is improving.
Summary
Although I feel that my preparation and exercise regimen has helped me to overcome some potential side effects of ADT therapy, I realize that it has not taken full effect. In fact, this week may have been a “testosterone flare” week.
So, I realize that the worst is yet to come. But I feel ready.