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Low testosterone problems

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User
Posted 02 Oct 2025 at 07:58

I had 20 fractions of radiotherapy ending in November 2024 and 12 months of Prostap 3 with the last injection in April 2025. When I had my second follow up consultation with my urologist last week he told me that the results of my blood tests were:Testosterone >0.09 and PSA >0.1

He said that the testosterone may not recover to a normal level for another 12 to 18 months.

I am worried because I have just been diagnosed as pre diabetic and I have read on the internet that low testosterone can lead to heart problems, etc... I already have a persistent atrial flutter and had a cardiac pacemaker fitted in 2023. 

Can someone please advise and reassure me.

Many thanks,

Bigel

User
Posted 02 Oct 2025 at 11:16

Hello Bigel,

Are you figures "less than"? I.e. less than 0.9 Testo and less than 0.1? I think your arrows maybe the wrong way round

I'm on ADT for another year or so, but at my last telephone review I asked how long it would take to recover. I was told similar 12-18 months. He did suggest doing resistance training/exercise which can help speed recovery.

Were you on Prostap just for 12months? How long your on ADT can/will affect recovery time too (I'm on for 24months) so you're in a good place from that point of view

all the best

John

User
Posted 02 Oct 2025 at 11:25

Thanks for your reply John. Yes the figures were less than. I just copied and pasted the results from the consultant's letter. He obviously made a mistake.

User
Posted 03 Oct 2025 at 01:12

Bigel, you're well within the period of time it can take for testosterone to recover and there's a risk that if you were to try for hormone replacement therapy it could suppress your ability to generate testosterone naturally. There's always a chance that your testosterone won't come back naturally but it's probably a good plan to wait to see if that happens.

Low testosterone can lead to higher blood pressure and increased cholesterol. There's medications for these problems so if your GP isn't monitoring these it's definitely something to keep an eye on. HT and higher blood pressure can raise the chances of diabetes.

Since you've finished HT things should be improving, even if you haven't got testosterone back yet. While you're waiting to see if your testosterone comes back naturally you could consider the various drugs that can be prescribed for the side effects of low T. Eating well and exercising are hugely valuable things to work on.

Jules

User
Posted 03 Oct 2025 at 07:16

Hi Jules,

Thank you very much for your advice and reassurance.

Bigel

User
Posted 03 Oct 2025 at 23:44

Bigel, I was about your age when I went through THE TREATMENT and I'm now 78, so we have/had a similar pathway. I feared I'd been a bit heavy handed with my suggestions but I only found out after the event that the side effects can be important. Actually, I think I avoided thinking about them during treatment because it was quite enough dealing with HT! 

I suffered slight ostopaenia, a rise in cholesterol and slightly higher blood pressure. I'm now on a low dose of statins and I take calcium pills. The good news is, that having got to the point where my testosterone has returned I've had improvements in bone density, lower cholesterol and my blood pressure has fallen. The pills made a contribution but so did the return of testosterone. 

Your oncologist might actually be quietly pleased for the period of time that testosterone stays away because it's an extension of the HT treatment in effect. If, after a year and a half, your psa is still fine but testosterone hasn't returned [which is frequently the case] it could be worth asking for hormone replacement therapy. There's pros and cons for it but the side effects of lack of testosterone are significant too, so it's a question of where you want the balance to be.

Jules

 

User
Posted 05 Oct 2025 at 11:30

Hi Jules,

 

Thanks again for your advice and information.

In July 2024 I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer 

Gleason 4+3=7 CA Prostate T3a N0M0.

Therefore my prostate was not removed and I started on the Prostap 3 right away and then Radiotherapy on my 77th birthday in October. After having a DEXA bone scan in July 2024, it showed that I have ostopaenia so I was put on calcium/vitamin D chewable tablets. So we do have similarities. 

I recently had full blood count, etc... tests because of the anticoagulant medication that I take for my persistent atrial flutter. All results were OK, including cholesterol, except for the HbA1c level which was 6% and therefore on the borderline of pre-diabetes. I put on about 10 kg during the past 12 months which doesn't help so I'm trying to lose weight by eating smaller portions and exercise. I follow a healthy Mediterranean diet as I'm of Italian origin, but I sometimes become too greedy. I walk at least 6,000 steps a day, sometimes more. My partner recently purchased an old Rosemary Conley 5 day Fat Burner DVD so I've been doing some of those exercises. She was one of Rosemary Conley's instructors back in the day!

I've made an appointment with my cardiologist, who implanted my pacemaker in September 2023, as I haven't seen him since then. Usually I have a yearly check up with an echocardiogram. Unfortunately, I didn't have one last year because of the prostate cancer.

That's enough about me. I'm really happy that I've been able to converse with you, a fellow prostate cancer patient.

I sincerely hope you are progressing well in your recovery.

 

Kindest regards,

 

Bigel

 
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