Hormone Therapy

I’ve been on hormone therapy for a year. It was successful in decreasing my PSA to undetectable. I previously had my prostrate removed in 2001 but a growth reappeared several years ago. The therapy has totally decreased the growth.
I can put up with the hot flashes, constipation and some minor aches. The weight gain has been minimal, only 5pounds but I am careful with what I eat and drink.
What I can’t put up with is what has happened to my nasal passages. I have been to an ENT doc and he scoped for polyps. NOTHING. I then went to an allergist and was tested. NOTHING. Most days I can not breathe through my nose without having a nasal strip. On some days my nose runs so bad I end up plowing my nose so much that the area below my nose becomes raw.
So far no one has been able to help.
If anyone has a similar experience and solution please let me know. As I said this is the worse side effect I’ve had and it’s horrible.

I received a split treatment plan of 23 IMRT's followed by 16 Proton Boosts. Finishing last Dec. at the Jacksonville FL, UF Shands Proton Therapy Center. This was after following a typical guy's education process who ends up at a Proton Treatment Center. Most doctors would not discuss Proton Therapy, it was surgery only. Or combination of IMRT's and seeds. I received my first Lupron shot early last July to put everything on hold until I could start my treatments. The plan was for 18 total months. I have since received 2 more shots at 3 month intervals. My next shot is scheduled for mid March with 2 left after that. I have been very lucky. The hot flashes are not fun, especially when they seem to come in waves. I work outside so last summer was a learning experience. I will see how this summer goes. Other side effects I can live with until the shots are over with. Then we will deal with them. BUT I would now follow the exact same treatment plan again. I found my elevated PSA on a random blood test Jan '18.. As a reference point. Jan '18 PSA 4.1, April '18 PSA 6+, Early July PSA 8+. After treatment and 2 hormone shots of Lupron Dec. PSA 0.10. We (my fantastic wife and I) will see where it goes and deal with it. Sorry for the length.

As a general response to concerns about ADT side effects, I offer these comments. Maybe it will make someone's quality of life just a little better, given the truly difficult realities of ADT.

Nine years ago when I first was put on Lupron and radiation treatments I was determined to be the guy that could handle it. Not to be. After 6 months with every side effect in the book plus narcolepsy, I quit. I said I'd rather be dead than feel like I felt on Lupron, and maybe I meant it. And I did well with some additional radiation and some carefully chosen supplements. For a few years I thought I could keep the cancer at bey without Lupron. But that all changed eventually, and now here we go again.

This time I have planned a strategy for almost every side effect. I was very active, a runner, racer, bike rider and Lupron knocked all that out before. This time I have anticipated that and have my wife and friends ready to push me to go on walks regularly (no, I don't have much initiative!), I bought an e-bike (pedal assist), and these things keep me active, unlike before.

I was quite sexually active, but knowing that the Lupron would kill my Libido, I arranged for a source of affordable Sildenafil and scheduled regular "sessions" whether I felt like it or not. And once I get into it, I start to feel my normal sexual self again, at least for an hour or so!

The narcolepsy has not emerged as a problem this time, but if it does I have my doctor ready to address it with medication. The hot-flashes? Still working on that one!

These are just a few examples that are relevant for me. There are a few others. These strategies help keep me feeling somewhat like my old self, not like some other entity had invaded my body as I did before. They add pleasures that I lost completely before. They give me hope that I can continue this until such time that another approach is needed.