Testosterone recovery after ADT

I cannot comment on the supplements, however, my pre-Orgovyx T was about 560, and one month after cessation it was 385.

Stay Strong Brother

How long it will take depends on how long you were on Orgovyx and how old you are.

I was talking to my oncologist Monday about stopping Orgovyx. In the past, she has been concerned about my testosterone rising, but I have been on Lupron for seven years and Orgovyx for seven months. She commented about the fact that it usually takes as long to have testosterone come back as you’ve been on the drugs. Since I’ve been on them so long, she said go ahead and stop Orgovyx, I then requested she have a testosterone test done every month just like my PSA test, order is in.

So depending on age, your testosterone could come back quickly since you’ve only been on Orgovyx, but it depends on age and how long you’ve been on it. One thing is for sure, you recover more quickly when on Orgovyx only. There’s just no way to tell you how soon that will be.

Thanks. I wish I had been told that BEFORE I consented to this treatment or I would never have agreed. I really can't stand it anymore.

I personally wouldn't pay much attention to the unproven supplements, unless you have too much money and want to get rid of it by producing expensive urine.

Based on your past posts, I think you're in a good place: you're young (around 60-ish, if I recall correctly), eating and exercising well, and socially active, so you're giving your body a lot of support for its upcoming recovery.

Orgovyx has an elimination half-life of only 60 hours (!!!), compared to 29 days for Firmagon, so it will be out of your system very soon after you stop taking it. That doesn't mean your testosterone will spring back immediately, but at least you'll hit that first important milestone quickly.

After that, be patient and kind to yourself. I imagine stress affects sexual function as much as (lack of) testosterone, so if you can get into a good place and relax, your body can do its work better.

When I was first diagnosed with PCa (and paraplegic from the metastasis, to boot) I told my spouse that my body had let me down; she replied "No, it's working hard fighting for you." I've never forgotten that. Your body's fighting hard for you, too.

Without ADT your cancer can come back quickly, leaving you with few choices other than starting ADT and another drug like Zytiga which will drive your testosterone down even lower than Lupron or Orgovyx. You would also end up being on them much longer, like my being on them for almost 8 years due to my BRCA2 issues.

Yes it is annoying, but ADT is extending your life, staying on it the recommended time in the beginning is well worth it. Gives you a chance for remission.

This is helpful. I've seen so many conflicting things online about ADT. Some say it only improves the odds by 5%, while others say it greatly improves them. Radoncs also seem to be all over the place when it comes to ADT duration. Guys with the same diagnosis as me have gotten as few as four months of ADT and some have gotten two years. I get a sense that there's some element of educated guesswork to all of this.

It's a tricky balance with early-stage prostate cancer. With advanced cancer, ADT is automatic (and forever).

According to the NCCN, which sets the standards for prostate cancer treatment. If you have a Gleason seven you get six months of ADT, Gleason 8 gets 18 months of ADT, Gleason nine and 10 get 24 months of ADT.

That’s based on what works best for those levels of cancer, to stop or limit reoccurrence. It doesn’t always work because no two cases of prostate cancer are identical, and if it has spread past the prostate, treatment and reoccurrence varies a lot.

This makes more sense. It seems like most doctors follow these guidelines but some deviate from them, hopefully for valid reasons and specific patients.

I can’t comment on that drug, but I received a total of three shots, early last year just before my treatment. I got two Firmagon and one Elligard. To say they were fun is not a choice. It’s been 18 months since being a Survivor and my testosterone is still not back to normal. At my last checkup, it was up to 175 and double from the prior testing. I get tested every 6 months now. A webinar from the PCI discussed this and said it could take a long time. I asked if supplements would help and was told no, it could be like throwing gasoline on a fire. So I guess, we all have to sit back and enjoy the ride. Overall, I’m doing well and functions are coming back, slowly but it’s there. The doctors are all very happy with where I’m at and while it’s been very challenging, I’m good with where things are now. Stay the course and don’t push it.