low testosterone

My history is certainly different than yours, but I started (actually re-started) testosterone just 6 months post-op, with an undetectable PSA.

I had been on TRT for about 15 months when we noticed my PSA had gone from 2.7 to 5.1 in a year. That led to a biopsy, diagnosis and surgery. With very little Gleason pattern 4 and a good post-op pathology, plus 6 months of undetectable PSAs, my surgeon approved me to resume the T. Both my surgeon and endocrinologist normally use a 1 year minimum waiting period, but they felt it was reasonable for me to go back at 6 months.

The surgeon said to me "Maybe there's still some cancer in there. Maybe there isn't. The testosterone will make no difference in any potential progression."

However, it seems that waiting periods before starting T tend to be much lower after surgery vs other treatments. I am guessing you will have a harder time finding a doc willing to give you T, especially with some Gleason Pattern 5.

However, with the advent of alternating ADT/TRT, you might someone more open to the option. Best of luck. After 5 or so weeks back on T, I feel so much better in every respect.

Like you Jim, I'm also on Vitamin D supplementation -- presently 10,000 IU a day, then 6,000 IU a day after a month.

Doing Blood work tomorrow morning and will see if it makes a big difference to T and other parameters. All being said, I do feel much better.

And like dmlvt, my URO and ENDO agreed that its OK to proceed with T supplementation. I'm back on T for months now ( see profile below).

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You were diagnosed with Gleason 8 prostate cancer.. You treated it aggressively and the results look very promising...But it's only been a year, if that, since your treatment ended..I don't think your Radiation Oncologist is going to approve boosting your testosterone at this point...But I would sure ask him before I went jumping on the testosterone band-wagon...

Hi fellow canuck,

I have had two one year rounds of Zoladex following failed RP and SRT. I still had next to zero T six months after the last shot of the first year should have worn off and I suggested T replacement to my oncologist. She nearly fainted but managed to blurt "absolutely not!" After 8 months I had bit of T recovery and it eventually rose to the lower end of the normal range about the time my PSA also rose to the point I had to restart ADT. I'm currently about 6 months post ADT again and don't feel like there is any T. My docs don't even bother to measure it unless I demand it, which I will do with my next PSA test. I have escaped the worst of the possible ADT side effects, except ED and no libido. Fortunately my partner reminds me she wants me and trimix makes a response possible.

I expect most oncologists won't consider T replacement unless you can maintain "zero" PSA for a considerable time after the ADT wears off and will be reluctant to consider it even then. Its frustrating because from what I can glean from research, once you have T above castrate levels it is fuelling any remaining cancer, so you might as well have enough T to make you feel good until you have to repeat the cycle.