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User
Posted 09 May 2017 at 22:16
Hi,

I ended my hormone treatment last August. I'm still very much feeling the effects of the treatment and decided to ask for a testosterone test to see whether or not my body getting back to normal.

I had the results today and they took me a little by surprise. My testosterone level is only 0.03. Somehow, I thought it might be higher than that given that I ended treatment over eight and a half months ago (my last zoladex injection was last June). I suppose this explains why I'm still struggling at times to have the energy I thought I would have.

It has raised a concern in my mind that since December 2015, my PSA has risen every time I've had a test. It's still low, but it's been almost doubling every three months.

My PSAresults: Dec 2015:0.027, April 2016: 0.043, June 2016:0.054, August 2016: 0.070, Dec 2016: 0.136, March 2017: 0.210

Any thoughts would be very welcome as I don't see the Onco for another month.

Thanks.

Steve

Edited by member 10 May 2017 at 06:14  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 08:48

Hi Steve
Can't help you with the testosterone levels as I've never had it measured.
Rightly or wrongly I would have expected the psa to rise once you're off HT. My onco said if I start IHT then I would only start the HT again if the psa reached 10.

Insofar as your intermittent lack of energy maybe it's something to do with the Reading Half Marathon?

I'm sure someone with their own experiences will be on soon to help.

Cheers

Paul

User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 09:25

Steve

I don't know the answer either.  Hopefully, someone will come along soon.

Ulsterman

User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 12:35

Hi Steve

I always follow your posts.   Can't help much at all.

I did fine ..  https://csn.cancer.org/node/255429  and had a read, as always keen to build up my understanding of all things PCa.

What unit is your 0.03 then ?   I've never had Testosterone measured, so no idea either. 

re. PSA doubling every 3 months, as you know this is complex and so many variables. If you ask Onco will there be a 'max' value before further action required, however only time will tell, as you know.   ?   Your May value should give more indication, as they are not exponential, and we are measuring at 3 dec. places at a low level still.     

Do I assume correctly you are having quarterly  PSA tests ?   

I will check with my brother who is starting RT next month , if he has ever had Testosterone measured (he has lived in Australia since 1974), my profile has some info about himself as well as myself (I had RP)

 

All the best

Gordon   

Edited by member 10 May 2017 at 12:48  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 12:47

check that the result was in units nmol/L rather than mol/L

SAssuming the result is in the normal reporting format, you are still halfway under castrate level but some men take a long time to start producing testosterone again - TopGun took about 18 months. He knew when his T was back because he suddenly started getting erections! The upside is that the low T is helping to continue starving the cancer which increases your chances of long term low PSA.

I don't think your PSA is much to worry about - healthy prostate cells are regenerating and they will produce some PSA. See what the onco thinks next month but I wouldn't be worried.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 17:54

Steve from my PSA history I was 0.1 after 12 months and 0.3 after 18 months so roughly that's 0.2 after 15 months which pretty much matches yours.

It was a good 12 months before I even began to think my energy levels where back to as was. From then on energy levels and amount of body hair have certainly not been consistent. I put it down to periods of T fluctuating, but never had it tested.

Ray

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User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 08:48

Hi Steve
Can't help you with the testosterone levels as I've never had it measured.
Rightly or wrongly I would have expected the psa to rise once you're off HT. My onco said if I start IHT then I would only start the HT again if the psa reached 10.

Insofar as your intermittent lack of energy maybe it's something to do with the Reading Half Marathon?

I'm sure someone with their own experiences will be on soon to help.

Cheers

Paul

User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 09:25

Steve

I don't know the answer either.  Hopefully, someone will come along soon.

Ulsterman

User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 12:35

Hi Steve

I always follow your posts.   Can't help much at all.

I did fine ..  https://csn.cancer.org/node/255429  and had a read, as always keen to build up my understanding of all things PCa.

What unit is your 0.03 then ?   I've never had Testosterone measured, so no idea either. 

re. PSA doubling every 3 months, as you know this is complex and so many variables. If you ask Onco will there be a 'max' value before further action required, however only time will tell, as you know.   ?   Your May value should give more indication, as they are not exponential, and we are measuring at 3 dec. places at a low level still.     

Do I assume correctly you are having quarterly  PSA tests ?   

I will check with my brother who is starting RT next month , if he has ever had Testosterone measured (he has lived in Australia since 1974), my profile has some info about himself as well as myself (I had RP)

 

All the best

Gordon   

Edited by member 10 May 2017 at 12:48  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 12:47

check that the result was in units nmol/L rather than mol/L

SAssuming the result is in the normal reporting format, you are still halfway under castrate level but some men take a long time to start producing testosterone again - TopGun took about 18 months. He knew when his T was back because he suddenly started getting erections! The upside is that the low T is helping to continue starving the cancer which increases your chances of long term low PSA.

I don't think your PSA is much to worry about - healthy prostate cells are regenerating and they will produce some PSA. See what the onco thinks next month but I wouldn't be worried.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 10 May 2017 at 17:54

Steve from my PSA history I was 0.1 after 12 months and 0.3 after 18 months so roughly that's 0.2 after 15 months which pretty much matches yours.

It was a good 12 months before I even began to think my energy levels where back to as was. From then on energy levels and amount of body hair have certainly not been consistent. I put it down to periods of T fluctuating, but never had it tested.

Ray

 
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