So, quick update. I have almost finished my first pack of apalutamide and went into Halton Hospital this afternoon to get my second 28 day supply. Side affects not too troubling thus far. I am a bit more tired than usual and I have had some mild hot flushes. My first PSA reading shows a decline from 6.7 to 0.2 so I'll take that!
I have been having increased frequency of needing a pee. Once a night is now 2 to 3 and I am going more during the day. I now know that this is due to a new diabetes drug I am on. It's called dapagliflozin and works by removing excess sugar and increases urinary frequency. When you end up on a cocktail of meds it's sometimes hard to know what is causing any given symptom.
Of more concern is my raised blood pressure and the apalutamide is known to cause this in some patients. I have been taking 5 mg of amlodipine for many years and that has kept things in check until now. My GP has now added in Ramipril at 2.5 mg and the first readings after this were worse! (I take a reading at home every 2 or 3 days). I have been advised to take the readings at roughly the same time each day (I haven't been doing that) because the readings were all over the place. I also take 2 readings each time and use the second one - it's invariably lower. I think I have given myself "white coat syndrome" with my home blood pressure because I now expect the worst!