 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Prostate Cancer / April 2008SEX DRIVE
How does everyone define sex drive? Having erections? Just having normal interest in the opposite sex? Or the ability to acheive orgasm? I've lost the ability to have erections after RP but still can acheive orgasms, thank god. But I've already started Casodex, soon to have Lupron added...I'm told I will lose my libido...does that mean lose "interest" or lose ability to orgasm? .... or both :( (what a depressing question........) > How does everyone define sex drive? Having erections? Just having > normal interest in the opposite sex? Or the ability to acheive orgasm? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to orgasm? .... or both :( > (what a depressing question........) The simple, objective, naive answer reported by many men: If you feel any physical or emotional difference between watching a porn flick and watching The Golf Channel, your ADT isn't doing its job of driving your testosterone to castrate levels. That doesn't into account a loving relationship and a lot of patience, which some have reported can toss medical science out the bedroom window. I.P. .> The simple, objective, naive answer reported by many men: If you feel > any physical or emotional difference between watching a porn flick and > watching The Golf Channel, your ADT isn't doing its job of driving your > testosterone to castrate levels. Only when Tiger's in the lead..... > > But I've already started Casodex, soon to have Lupron > > added...I'm told I will lose my libido...does that mean lose > > "interest" or lose ability to orgasm? .... or both :( (what a > > depressing question........) Depressing indeed. > The simple, objective, naive answer reported by many men: If > you feel any physical or emotional difference between watching > a porn flick and watching The Golf Channel, your ADT isn't > doing its job of driving your testosterone to castrate levels. Having had Lupron, I can testify that there is considerable truth to I.P.'s characterization. I was able to look at a beautiful woman and still appreciate her beauty in an academic sort of way. I had trouble remembering why I was interested in any other way. > That doesn't into account a loving relationship and a lot of > patience, which some have reported can toss medical science out > the bedroom window. And that indeed is the saving grace. On a number of occasions I engaged in sex thinking that, while I had no interest in it, I would go through the motions and do my best to satisfy my wife. To my great surprise, after 15 minutes or so, I found I wasn't going through the motions any more. I became genuinely aroused and was able to complete the act in the normal way. So, sex becomes harder (everything gets harder as we get older doesn't it?) but not impossible. The plumbing continues to work, it's only the motivation that ceases. If you were able to have erections before, you may still be able to do it. Even if you were not, if you were able to have orgasms before, you may still be able to do that, and will still find them every bit as satisfying. So force yourself to get past the lack of interest. Force yourself to try. You may well find that after trying for a while, you're not forcing yourself any more. Also, when you go on Lupron there is a brief period of several weeks of testosterone flare. You might have a heightened interest in sex during that period. Enjoy it and take advantage of it. Good luck. Alan On April 7, Alan Meyer wrote, in pertinent part: > Also, when you go on Lupron there is a brief period of several > weeks of testosterone flare. You might have a heightened > interest in sex during that period. Enjoy it and take advantage > of it. If the medic is skilled and educated, (s)he will take steps to prevent that flare, which can be dangerous. Here, from the glossary of the Prostate Cancer Research Institute, is the definition of "flare": "the transient increase in serum testosterone for the first few weeks after starting an LHRH agonist. This increase in testosterone can potentially worsen the signs and symptoms of disease, especially in those patients with vertebral metastases and/or urinary obstruction; may be prevented by taking an antiandrogen (Casodex® or Eulexin®) several days before starting an LHRH agonist or by the use of an LHRH antagonist such as abarelix (Plenaxis®)." Seems to me that that's damned serious business. Regards, Steve J "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." -- Sun Tzu, "The Art of War" > On April 7, Alan Meyer wrote, in pertinent part: > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > If the medic is skilled and educated, (s)he will take steps to > prevent that flare, which can be dangerous. I might be wrong about this, but I think the steps normally taken is the administration of Casodex for a week or two before Lupron. I _think_ that Casodex doesn't prevent the flare. The testosterone level still goes up. What it does is block the uptake of testosterone in cancer cells. I don't know if it blocks the other actions of testosterone. I had both Casodex and Lupron and did notice what seemed to me an increase in sex drive for the first couple of weeks. However my rad onc started Casodex and Lupron on the same day, which is not the way it's usually done. Maybe others can report their own experiences. Alan Alan Meyer replied to me: > I might be wrong about this, but I think the steps normally taken > is the administration of Casodex for a week or two before Lupron. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > the way it's usually done. Maybe others can report their own > experiences. Please refer to the balance of my post, which seems to have been omitted: "Here, from the glossary of the Prostate Cancer Research Institute, is the definition of "flare": "the transient increase in serum testosterone for the first few weeks after starting an LHRH agonist. This increase in testosterone can potentially worsen the signs and symptoms of disease, especially in those patients with vertebral metastases and/or urinary obstruction; may be prevented by taking an antiandrogen (Casodex® or Eulexin®) several days before starting an LHRH agonist or by the use of an LHRH antagonist such as abarelix (Plenaxis®)." I don't really care about the chemical details; I just don't think that it is wise to expose oneself to the risk of worsening "the signs and symptoms of disease" just to feel temporarily sexy. It is evident that Alan's rad onc was ignorant, as Alan now understands. Regards, Steve J >>> But I've already started Casodex, soon to have Lupron >>> added...I'm told I will lose my libido...does that mean lose [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Alan I've got some ED going on, which is what got me in for a check up anyway, and they found the PCa. Urologist said my low testosterone was the issue. So, are you saying that, even with low T, with the proper inspiration, I should be able to perform like the good old days? Dwight > ... > I've got some ED going on, which is what got me in for a check > up anyway, and they found the PCa. Urologist said my low > testosterone was the issue. So, are you saying that, even with > low T, with the proper inspiration, I should be able to perform > like the good old days? If by "performance" you mean get hard erections and quick orgasms like when you were young, the answer is No. But if you mean being able to get into the act, become aroused, and carry it through to your satisfaction, the answer may well be Yes. Sex is partly between the legs, but a whole lot of it is between the ears. For me, the trick is to do everything I can to get my wife aroused and satisfied. Her arousal then stimulates mine. It works great for both of us. Alan > How does everyone define sex drive? Having erections? Just having > normal interest in the opposite sex? Or the ability to acheive orgasm? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to orgasm? .... or both :( > (what a depressing question........) A combination of surgery, radiation, and a less than understanding spouse, I could have no sex. It was very frustrating. But, after ADT, I have no libido, so I don't care anymore. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.