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Article Series: Cancer
Help Me Understand Cancer
Hormone
Therapy For Men: Side Effects
Before you agree to launch your program of
hormone therapy, be aware of side effects that may occur as
well as the basic pros and cons of using hormones.
Hormone
therapy can be tremendously beneficial and can effectively
stave off your cancer spread for years, but it shouldn't be
taken lightly. When you take hormones (or have an orchiectomy),
your body reacts to the orchestrated change in body chemistry.
Some side effects of hormone medications may be annoying, aggravating,
or really difficult, depending on the type of drug you take,
the dose, whether you take one or more hormones, and your own
physiology and general health. If you take hormones for a short
period, you shouldn't have any problem tolerating their side
effects.
When you take hormones, tell your physician about any side
effects you experience. Don't be the strong and silent type
who never complains. The downside of never complaining is that
your doctor has no idea how much you're suffering, so he won't
offer you any medications or other solutions to make you feel
significantly better. Your family members will appreciate it
too, because men who don't feel well can be very difficult
people to be around.
The following sections describe common side effects you may
experience when taking hormones.
Hot
Flashes
When most people think of hot flashes
- which are momentary feelings of heat all over your body,
like you
were quickly thrown into a sauna and then tossed right out
again - they think of older women going through menopause.
But men can experience hot flashes, as well. If you find that the hot flashes caused by your hormone therapy
are really difficult for you to cope with, talk to your doctor.
A variety of established medicines can help alleviate your
hot flashes, such as a very low dose of estrogen or a hormone
drug called Megace (generic name: megestrol acetate). Some
alternative medicines may also help with hot flashes.
Irritability & Mood
Swings
Hormones
can transform Mr. Nice into Mr. Extremely Irritable. If you're
suffering from
bouts of extreme irritability, don't worry: You're not having
a total and permanent personality change. But the emotional
impact of your irritable behavior can be tough for you (and
your loved ones) to take. As much as possible, make a concerted effort to think first
before snarling and lashing out. Count to ten when you find
that your emotions are difficult to control. It really does
help. You need to realize that, when you get used to the hormone
therapy or it's done, Mr. Nice (or Mr. Average, or whoever
you were before hormone therapy) will be back in the driver's
seat of your mind again. If the hormone therapy is permanent,
the mood swings will lessen with time. If the mood changes
become too severe, ask your doctor about antidepressants or
other mood-altering therapies. They usually work.
Decreased
Sex Drive
When
you take hormones to fight cancer, your sex drive may be
very low or even reduced to zero. With
no sex drive, you'll likely become impotent. Impotence may
upset your partner, but it may not upset you a lot, because
of your missing-in-action sex drive - except that you may
feel bad that you really can't have intercourse with your
partner
while you're taking hormones. (But don't forget: Just because
you can't have intercourse doesn't mean that you have to
give up sex altogether. You can still pay attention to your
partner
sexually, even if you're not in the mood yourself.) If you're on intermittent therapy, your doctor may eventually
take you off hormones for awhile. In many cases, your sexual
desire and potency will return after the drugs are out of your
system and you begin producing testosterone again. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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