Dealing with ADT side-effects?

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I will continue with my search for this topic, but my question might be quite specific and I may not find any hits.

I'm really struggling with the hot flashes while on ADT (Zoladex). At first I found it funny and even joked with my wife (menopausal) about lining up the events so we could effectively manage the thermostat and bed covers.

I no longer find it funny. It wakes me up anywhere from 15 to 25 times every night (according to my smart ring and the dark circles around my eyes). I'm trying to get my radio-oncologist to put me on a clinical trial for Veozah (Fezolinetant) but no luck so far. The "small dose antidepressant" approach doesn't appeal to me and apparently has barely moderate success.

But my wife's endocrinologist recommended that I look into Genesta's Estrovera (used very successfully with menopausal women, it's a highly selective agonist of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and is considered highly safe *and* effective for women). There have not been any clinical trials for men on ADT, but the ERβ agonism in the prostate is actually considered potentially favorable, not harmful. Still, no clinical trial means not well understood.

So here I am with a few questions.

- Anybody else *really* struggling with hot flashes?

- Any solutions, workarounds, tips or tricks?

- Any direct knowledge or experience with Estrovera?

- ... or Veozah?

I feel like a whiner for lamenting so much about "just" hot flashes, but they are really having a detrimental effect on my sleep and therefore quality of life. I've been on Zoladex since November, and am not sure I can put up with it for 7 more months

Any advice or encouragement appreciated

L1m 21 days ago

Hi DP857864 (069b23ebadbd49f1a83e70b817c230d6),

I've suffered with severe hot flashes day and night which prevented me sleeping, my oncologist eventually prescribed me with medroxyprogesterone 20mg daily and that really sorted it. I still get flushes, but they are much milder and fewer apart, and don't interrupt my sleep. I have been on this medication for about 2 years without side effects and get it on repeat prescription via my GP.

Hope this helps

Mr U 21 days ago

After being upset with up to 12 flushes an hour in the early days of the Zoladex I was offered and took up acupuncture which I think started to sort out my head. If I’m honest reading your profile, you have a predisposition to distrust the medical community you are in in lovely Quebec so one small thing you could try, like I did, is get my head fixed. What I noticed was that although the acupuncture didn’t get rid of the flushes per se what it did do way calm me down. This led to me taking sage and evening primrose and counselling to attack those diminishing flushes.

I've been on Zoladex 3.5 years and I’d say that there are many things that fire up cancer, flushes, headaches, and that is stress and worry. So think about your head which you may have forgotten in your search for a magical instrument to alleviate those pesky flushes. Calm your passions for every detail of how your medical system is hurting you and work with it (with self help) that might be good for you and allow you to function all day with remedies and mind control.

Take care

Millibob 21 days ago

Hello DP857864

My hot flushes were bad - leading to me sleeping with a bath towel!!

The answer for me was Sage Tablets - I've been on "Menoforce" for 4 years and not had a flush from about a week after I started taking them. They are a tad expensive (for a tight Northerner) but they work for me, they don't work for everyone. You can find them on Amazon and at Holland & Barrett.

You should check with your team before taking any supplements just to avoid a medication clash.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes - Brian.

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Dealing with ADT side-effects?