What rehab to do after 6 months of Orgovyx and 38 sessions IMRT

I do not know if your doctor gave you any advice about training during salvage RT and ADT use : (((, but you should have been doing weight training all along as well as some gentle bouncing and/or step aerobic moves to stimulate muscle and bone growth. But it definitely is not late to start now . There are many programs for that and all depends on your level of fitness so the best thing would be to find personal trainer or ask you doctor for referral for PT.

Regarding gut issues, I guess what helps guts in general would help in your case too. Perhaps you might add good pre-biotic and pro-biotic as well as some calming teas and mucus protective herb like slippery elm and marshmallow root, etc. Try to stick with bland diet for now, no strong spices or rough food like popcorn, corn chips, nuts etc.

Wishing you very fast recovery and complete eradication of PC and congrats on finishing SRT 👍🍀

Orgovyx Has a 25 hour half-life. It will take 90 days at least before your testosterone gets up to decent levels, around 250. You should try to get to the gym three days a week to keep your muscles strong. That also can help your testosterone rise.

No single food will magically raise testosterone, but eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet provides the exact building blocks (like zinc, magnesium, and healthy fats) your body needs to produce the hormone naturally. The most effective approach is eating whole foods that support overall hormonal health.

ADT can cause you to have sleep problems, but they will go away as your testosterone rises.

Usually the urinary problems start to go away after a few weeks.

I had a prostatectomy and 3 1/2 years later my PSA started rising. I had an 6 month Lupron shot and around 40 sessions of IMRT. It didn’t cause me any side effects at all, I had the treatments in the morning and immediately went to work after. Six years later, I did start having incontinence problems, which continued to get worse over the last six years. . I just ate normally and never lost muscles since I was very active. It came back 2 1/2 years later and I went on ADT full-time, Lupron was the available drug back then.

It’s now 16 years after surgery and I’ve been on ADT for eight years, The last three with Orgovyx. You get used to it after a time?

Here’s a link to the hero study, which shows how long it takes to get testosterone back after Orgovyx.

Testosterone recovery Orgovyx vs Lupron

In the HERO study, relugolix demonstrated sustained testosterone suppression superior to that of leuprolide acetate (97% vs 89%; difference 7.9% [95% confidence interval, 4.1–12%; p < 0.001]).

Men (N = 934) were randomized (2:1) to receive relugolix 120 mg orally daily or leuprolide acetate injections every 12 wk for 48 wk.

Overall, 74 of the 137 men in the relugolix cohort recovered to testosterone >280 ng/dl, with a median time to recovery of 86.0 d (95% CI, 65.0–92.0), versus two of the 47 men in the leuprolide cohort, with a median time to recovery of 112.0 d
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588931123002900

I work for a physical therapy company in Indiana. Utilize your medical insurance and get a referral for PT. Deconditioning from cancer treatment will be the reason insurance picks up. A physical therapist/ ATC will assist in developing a plan

Thank you for the advice. I have been doing band excercises and 60 sit ups a day. The dr did not tell me but people on this site told me you needed to exercise. I stopped weight training but did ski all the season. On the longer trails I was hurting. I will have to work back into the weights as suggested, I know the way I feel now I would not stand a chance. The idea of probiotics and pre biotic is also good, thanks surftohealth88.
Jeff thank you again for all the information. I had urinary problems prior to my prostate caused by infections and hypersensitive nerve. The study kinda sounds like 3 months, I will have to see how I do and being on it for only six months changes anything. I will change some of my things if I go onto Orgovyx again, it became very hard for me at the end of radiation but I was getting very little sleep,I felt much better on days I slept. Going on it for three years is amazing to me. Thanks everyone for the help given to me as I go through different phases.

@tattodice I will go for physical therapy, that is a good idea. They can suggest other things too.
Getting back to the gymn is also on my list

Here is a video from a recent prostate cancer seminar. I have been doing the six recommended exercises to reduce the amount of muscle lost during ADT. https://youtu.be/XXTcYilkPJo I have taken sucralfate enemas to reduce bleeding from radiation proctitis and 1g Mesalamine suppositories in an attempt to reduce bowel frequency and urgency but am starting hyperbaric oxygen therapy Tuesday in the hope of better healing. I use Psyllium fiber and Gut Restore probiotic from Ancient Nutrition to help control diarrhea.

@jeffmarc As I am putting down all the things I need to do, what you have been doing gives me inspiration. It has always been hard for me to get to the gym three times a week and when I went onto Orgovyx it went out the window. I need to establish a good work out plan and keep to it. Then if the PSA starts to go up I will be better prepared to do the routine if I go onto Orgovyx again. My biggest problem with Orgovyx was mental and I believe it was the lack of sleep. Up until later on the radiation I was keeping up my cardio but I have not done it for four weeks, I will see if I can get back into it. There is no question when I am exercising I feel better and more alert. Best wishes always and thanks for the guidance. As other people have said this is a journey.

@pamperme Use light weights; there is no point hurting yourself trying to lift what you used to.
Better to do more reps with lighter weights to get the tone back and get the tendons used to the weight - you don’t want to tear something!😩
After you are feeling comfortable, tack on a few more pounds and go from there; there is no rush, no endpoint.
The only goal is to make those muscles work and the rise in T will follow. Good luck,
Phil

Addressing a different issue: Testing frequency.

Following completion of radiation in May 2023 ( and short term Orgovyx in June 2023), my RO at a COE first tested me post treatment in Nov 2023, timed to be 6 mos following completion of the radiation in May, and every 3 most since (all have been undetectable< .02 gratefully).

The radiation continues to work after completion of active treatment and Orgovyx impacts substantially dissipated by 4 - 6 mos following the last dose.

My anxiety currently recurs now every 3 mos when I test uPSA and Testosterone.

And per @heavyphil, it is important that you exercise more than what you do.

Best wishes.

I understand Orgovyx is an androgen deprivation medication like Lupron, the one I took. The job of these hormones is to lower the testosterone levels. My normal testosterone is 521. It came as low as 8 while taken Lupron.
I was so weak that I got tired just tying my shoe laces.
I stopped the hormone 3 years ago and I have regain part of my strength. My PSA is being checked every 3 months and last month it was 0.68.
Notice that my prostatectomy was performed 11 years ago and still, thanks God, I can do most of what is normal for an 80 years old.
Good luck.