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This question may seem a load of balls but ....

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User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 12:47

Testicles, I believe, produce testosterone, and prostate cancer grows on testosterone.  

When I had my prostatectomy my seminal vesicles were removed. My question is, do testicles still produce testosterone after the operation, and if they do, where does it go?

Adrian

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 20:49

Yes it's chemical castration.  HT stops your body producing testosterone.  I started HT Jan 2020 and was on it three years.  Had my last implant Jan 2023 which "ran out" end of April.  Had my first post-HT blood test Nov and my testosterone was "undetectable".  There's been no physical signs of it returning since so I've been without T for four years now and it sucks big time.  If I knew then what I know now I would have questioned the need to be on HT for three years.

 

EDIT: I should point out that my reply concerns the effect of Zoladex (goserelin).  There are other treatments such as Bicalutamide which work by blocking testosterone receptors rather than stopping T production. 

Edited by member 21 Jan 2024 at 20:54  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 13:16
Yeh you produce as much as before. Testosterone is like the life-blood for a male. It helps with physique and strength and memory and libido , joint function etc. It may drop a bit due to lack of sex. You only lose it when cancer becomes advanced and you need HT to reduce it drastically.
User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 14:11

Oh how I long to have my testosterone back🤞

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 19:42

Yes testicles produce testosterone and it goes into the blood stream. A prostatectomy doesn't change testosterone production or where it goes.

Dave

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 12:47

Testicles, I believe, produce testosterone, and prostate cancer grows on testosterone.  

When I had my prostatectomy my seminal vesicles were removed. My question is, do testicles still produce testosterone after the operation, and if they do, where does it go?

Adrian

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 22:20

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
So are you guys that are having RT with HT, being temporarily chemically castrated. Does HT destroy/nullify all your testosterone?

Oh yes, definitely and in answer to Derek, it took me about a year to get testosterone back and a couple of other people here have had about the same recovery time.

Speaking of balls, Adrian, they shrink dramatically with HT and I'd been wondering if they had to get back to "normal" size for testosterone production to ramp up but I can report that while mine are considerably smaller than they were before, they still seem able to produce a reasonable amount of testosterone [18 very special testosterone measuring type units]

Jules

Edited by member 21 Jan 2024 at 22:22  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 00:15

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I know it's probably a stupid question, but can you have RT without HT?

 

yes my husband is. 

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 11:21

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
I can't answer that one as I haven't had an erection for four years, and due to the libido killing effect of Zoladex I haven't had the desire to have one either!

Hi Stephen,

 Slightly off thread, I've just read your bio. I can't believe how similar our results and time scales are. Our rate of disease progression whilst on AS are also very similar.

As stated I elected surgery rather than RT/HT. When they did histology on the removed prostate the Gleason score had risen from 8(4+4) to 9(4+5) the staging was T3a with perineural invasion. 

I was told that the rise in Gleason score could have been due to me being put on Bical for two months prior to the op, but I don't really understand that.

Adrian

 

Edited by member 22 Jan 2024 at 11:25  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 11:48

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Had RT and HT. My erections came back around two months after the final HT shot and are as good as they were before treatment.

Hi Dave.

You must be very happy with your recovery. As for your lack of ejaculate I found that over years  pre op my ejaculate was getting thicker and thicker, like lumpy snot. Then it got to the stage when orgasming there was no ejaculate at all? I never went to the doctors about it and there was very little info on the Internet but what there was suggested it was caused by prostate disorders. If your prostate is still functioning OK, I suppose you could get other prostate conditions that may effect ejaculate?

As I said early I think my initial question should have been, do you still produce as much sperm after a prostatectomy,  rather than testosterone. I was wondering, if sperm cannot be released in ejaculate, where the hell does it go or does the body just stop producing it. I had this awful vision of my balls filling up like coconuts. 

Edited by member 22 Jan 2024 at 11:54  | Reason: Not specified

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User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 13:16
Yeh you produce as much as before. Testosterone is like the life-blood for a male. It helps with physique and strength and memory and libido , joint function etc. It may drop a bit due to lack of sex. You only lose it when cancer becomes advanced and you need HT to reduce it drastically.
User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 14:11

Oh how I long to have my testosterone back🤞

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 19:42

Yes testicles produce testosterone and it goes into the blood stream. A prostatectomy doesn't change testosterone production or where it goes.

Dave

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 20:42

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Yes testicles produce testosterone and it goes into the blood stream.

Thanks for the replies lads, I think I might be having a senior moment and confusing testosterone with sperm production.  😳 

  So are you guys  that are having RT with HT, being temporarily chemically castrated. Does HT destroy/nullify all your testosterone?

 

Edited by member 22 Jan 2024 at 00:34  | Reason: Additional text

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 20:49

Yes it's chemical castration.  HT stops your body producing testosterone.  I started HT Jan 2020 and was on it three years.  Had my last implant Jan 2023 which "ran out" end of April.  Had my first post-HT blood test Nov and my testosterone was "undetectable".  There's been no physical signs of it returning since so I've been without T for four years now and it sucks big time.  If I knew then what I know now I would have questioned the need to be on HT for three years.

 

EDIT: I should point out that my reply concerns the effect of Zoladex (goserelin).  There are other treatments such as Bicalutamide which work by blocking testosterone receptors rather than stopping T production. 

Edited by member 21 Jan 2024 at 20:54  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 22:20

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
So are you guys that are having RT with HT, being temporarily chemically castrated. Does HT destroy/nullify all your testosterone?

Oh yes, definitely and in answer to Derek, it took me about a year to get testosterone back and a couple of other people here have had about the same recovery time.

Speaking of balls, Adrian, they shrink dramatically with HT and I'd been wondering if they had to get back to "normal" size for testosterone production to ramp up but I can report that while mine are considerably smaller than they were before, they still seem able to produce a reasonable amount of testosterone [18 very special testosterone measuring type units]

Jules

Edited by member 21 Jan 2024 at 22:22  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 21 Jan 2024 at 23:38

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Speaking of balls, Adrian, they shrink dramatically with HT 

I realised HT affected your libido but never appreciated the physical effects were so severe. I am quite well versed on prostatectomy side effects because that's the treatment option I chose, but I'm obviously quite ignorant about what you boys on RT and HT have to endure.

I know it's probably a stupid question, but can you have RT without HT?

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 00:15

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I know it's probably a stupid question, but can you have RT without HT?

 

yes my husband is. 

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 09:30

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Speaking of balls, Adrian, they shrink dramatically with HT

Hi Jules.

I know my prostatectomy dramatically shrunk my penis. 🙂

I fear recurrence and the possibility of having to have RT/HT treatment.

I suppose looking on the brightside, if I have to have salvage treatment and my balls shrink, at least they'll be in proportion to my c*ck. 👍

Whilst we speaking balls. Are blokes having RT/HT still able to ejaculate or does it depend on the extent of their treatment?

Adrian

 

Edited by member 22 Jan 2024 at 09:36  | Reason: Addition

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 10:14

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Whilst we speaking balls. Are blokes having RT/HT still able to ejaculate or does it depend on the extent of their treatment?

 

 

I can't answer that one as I haven't had an erection for four years, and due to the libido killing effect of Zoladex I haven't had the desire to have one either!

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 10:54

Adrian,

I have been on Prostap for 18 months and I can still orgasm but it’s a dry orgasm. I have zero libido but with the correct foreplay I can still get immense pleasure. I found my erogenous zones(except my penis) are still very sensitive and allows me to get an erection. I cant orgasm through penetrative sex at the moment because of this but have found a really good male masturbator which my wife is happy to use on me and gives me a strong orgasm.

Derek

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 11:06

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Speaking of balls, Adrian, they shrink dramatically with HT

Whilst we speaking balls. Are blokes having RT/HT still able to ejaculate or does it depend on the extent of their treatment?

Adrian

Had RT and HT. My erections came back around two months after the final HT shot and are as good as they were before treatment. I'm able to orgasm - which includes the pumping sensation that would normally occur at ejaculation - it generally feels the same as it always did but nothing comes out, although I have noticed what looks like some pre-cum afterwards.

I do get a bit of a burning sensation at orgasm. Presumably I'm still making some semen so I've wondered if that's because it's unable to spurt out in the way it always used to. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 11:21

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
I can't answer that one as I haven't had an erection for four years, and due to the libido killing effect of Zoladex I haven't had the desire to have one either!

Hi Stephen,

 Slightly off thread, I've just read your bio. I can't believe how similar our results and time scales are. Our rate of disease progression whilst on AS are also very similar.

As stated I elected surgery rather than RT/HT. When they did histology on the removed prostate the Gleason score had risen from 8(4+4) to 9(4+5) the staging was T3a with perineural invasion. 

I was told that the rise in Gleason score could have been due to me being put on Bical for two months prior to the op, but I don't really understand that.

Adrian

 

Edited by member 22 Jan 2024 at 11:25  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 22 Jan 2024 at 11:48

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Had RT and HT. My erections came back around two months after the final HT shot and are as good as they were before treatment.

Hi Dave.

You must be very happy with your recovery. As for your lack of ejaculate I found that over years  pre op my ejaculate was getting thicker and thicker, like lumpy snot. Then it got to the stage when orgasming there was no ejaculate at all? I never went to the doctors about it and there was very little info on the Internet but what there was suggested it was caused by prostate disorders. If your prostate is still functioning OK, I suppose you could get other prostate conditions that may effect ejaculate?

As I said early I think my initial question should have been, do you still produce as much sperm after a prostatectomy,  rather than testosterone. I was wondering, if sperm cannot be released in ejaculate, where the hell does it go or does the body just stop producing it. I had this awful vision of my balls filling up like coconuts. 

Edited by member 22 Jan 2024 at 11:54  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 24 Jan 2024 at 01:09

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
You must be very happy with your recovery. As for your lack of ejaculate I found that over years pre op my ejaculate was getting thicker and thicker, like lumpy snot. Then

I wonder if this is a "thing"

Over the last few years till my RP, I have noted that my semen was getting thick, no matter how much water I drink.

User
Posted 24 Jan 2024 at 08:39

I just HAD to ask my wife yesterday to check and see if my balls had shrunk…no ulterior motive honestly, remember I’m on  Prostap.😉

‘Yes!’ she said and when she saw how disappointed I looked she quirped ‘Well you DID ask’

Sometimes you just have to laugh🤣🤣🤣🤣

Derek

Edited by member 24 Jan 2024 at 08:40  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 24 Jan 2024 at 10:14

😁

It could have been worse. She could have said,  "What balls? There aren't any."

User
Posted 24 Jan 2024 at 10:54

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
I wonder if this is a "thing"

Over the last few years till my RP, I have noted that my semen was getting thick, no matter how much water I drink.

Hello mate.

Mine was certainly not like the 'milking parlour" you see on porn films. I think they must use stunt sp*nk. 😁

 

 
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