Prostate Cancer: sex drive after surgery or other treatments

I have had RP, 44 radiation treatments, and two years of Lupron injections. My PSA is next to zero and my testostrogen is increasing. I now have an urge for sex but nothing works. Plus, I still have penis shrinkage. Need help or at least hope.

Ken, it's great that the urge is returning, but certainly disappointing that functionality is not cooperating. Have you considered consulting with sexual health professional?

Ken

Part of the answer may lie in your pre-operative function, youth age and physical condition and health. Another part would be whether or not your surgery was nerve sparing.

You can research PRT - penile recovery therapy, here's a link to John Hopkins.- https://urology.jhu.edu/erectileDysfunction/erectile_dysfunctions_Rehab.php

It's a phased process beginning with "simple" to the more complex. As you move from simple, Cialis and Viagra to shots involving Trimix and implants, a lot depends on you and your partner willingness to talk and understand how intimacy has changed, no more spontaneous erections, no ejaculation, size, the amount and type of stimulation it takes to achieve an organism...and what constitutes intimacy now, you can still organism without an erection so mutual masturbation, oral sex, sorry, not trying to be too detailed here but my point is intimacy has changed and you and your partner will need to decide what the "new" is.

I had surgery in 2014, it was nerve sparing, by a very good surgeon. Still, it took 12-18 months to regain function, but as I said, things were different. I had SRT in 2015 but that had no impact. i did 18 months of Lupron starting in Jan 17 an dyes, genital shrinkage, back to one's pre-pubescent days. I did not lose my libido though, some data says 20% don't. I finished my treatment with the last shot in May 18 so by August it was clear of my system. By October T was 135, by February 19 it was 482. With the return of T and help from Cialis, my new "normal" returned.

Kevin

I am slowly getting desire back but am not able to do much physically. I am also shorter after surgery, radiation, and Lupron for two years. Due to heart problems, cannot take Viagra.

I am embarrassed because I am smaller and I leak urine. I peak at my beautiful wife when she is naked. Helps with desire. Thanks for your comments.

Can I take Maca root & Ashwagandha and will it help

Good Morning.
I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in July of 2022. I am 50 years old. PSA levels of 39 and Gleason scores of 4+3 in a few spots of my prostate. But luckily, no evidence of it spreading outside of my prostate. Been through internal radiation treatment, followed by external radiation for 5 weeks, and 2 of the 3 month hormone therapy injections. I have 2 months left of the last hormone injection in my system. How long, if ever, should it take to get my libido back? This last shot just flat shut it down 100%.

My libido stopped with the beginning of treatment. Hasn’t returned yet-12 years. Yours was caught pretty early and if they feel it has been strongly contained, they may take you off treatment and then it may return. I hear that from other people.

I was told it would take the number of months that I was on the ADT treatment. I was on treatment for 18 months and libido came back in about 18 months after the ADT treatment was over.

I was on ADT for 18 months, some data indicates 20% of men do not lose their libido while on ADT, I was part of that 20%, sigh, of course my testicle and penis shrunk to their pre-pubescent days and I'm in a sexless marriage, so... My last 90 day shot was May 18, by October 18 my T (which had been <7 while on Lupron) recovered to 135 and by Feb 19, was at 482.

There are a number of factors which affect recovery T, one I have read about is exercise. I have always exercised and been active, 5-7 times a week, elliptical, indoor and outdoor bike, weights, basketball, swimming, hiking, skiing. Did that play into my recovery, well as they say, study of one but that's my story!