After chemo and radiation treatment for Gleason score of 9, 7 years ago for PC, my testosterone has since always been around 90-100, but recently it has dropped to 53. Any thoughts on how I can safely raise my testosterone level, or why it has dropped.
Thanks for your help.
Chuck
My T levels dropped immediately after radiation, but recovered after a couple of years. But over the years it steadily dropped again due to aging. I now use TRT. As long as your PSA is below 0.5 and has been that way for a while, you should be able to get TRT to maintain normal T levels:
I have no experience with radiotherapy, still doing the holistic & integrative strategy. I don't want chemo but may entertain proton radiation treatment. psa is 23 going to lab every 6 months.
The quick fix is a testosterone [T] patch or T-cypionate self-injection (much cheaper). I have known 2 guys with T as low as yours. They were given Cipro [Ciprofloxacin] to no avail & ended-up on T replacement.
Obviously, you would monitor your PSA.
-Patrick
I was also treated with Radiation and Chemo 5 years ago for Gleason 9s and a 10. But I also had 2 years of Lupron. My T was close to 0 during Lupron but returned to around 300 after
about 15 months. Were you on Lupron or Firmagon? Do you know what your T level was before all the treatments? I understand that once you pass the 3 year point with ADT, the
recovery of T to pre treatment levels is more difficult. You should definitely confer with an Oncology doc.
Since Testosterone feeds prostate cancer cell growth, I would think you would want to keep it down. I mean that is the whole point of hormone therapy, keeping T low. Right?
That's exactly what I thought which is as far as I'm concerned NecessarilySo...
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Monday 11/09/2020 6:35 PM EST
If your PSA is low and stable (<1.0) you can probably do a personal trial of TRT and monitor response. Must be stopped if PSA takes off. But no progression is seen in patients for whom this happens and PSA comes back down for most. However this is from several small trials in different stages of PC. No definitive randomized trials yet. So most docs are not comfortable with it and will not prescribe it for a personal trial. There are exceptions though and some here doing well on high doses of T. Or some form of BAT. Search other posts on this topic for discussion and links to current research. Or PM me and I can send several to you.
Thanks for your helpful response.
testosterone level.
Testosterone level while taking lupron and xtandi
Testosterone level rising toward end of Lupron cycle
Testosterone Levels and Prostate Cancer Risk - 1
Low Testosterone Level
