Hormonal Treatment Drugs

Zoladex, Prostap, Decapepty, Lupron, Eligard, Firmagon   Can anyone inform me or can anyone tell me where to find data related to the period it usually takes to recover to normal testosterone levels, once withdrawal from above drugs?   LHRH agonists and/or GnRH antagonists drugs are applied for different effectiveness periods of 1,2,3,4,6 and 12 months. However, after drugs injection (or implants), testosterone returns to normal levels much later than the period of effectiveness of the drug. Some guys reported periods of 7 months since the injection of a 3-month Lupron shot but others have reported periods of 10 months since the injection of a 3-month Eligard shot . Nevertheless both drugs are made of the same leuprolide acetate protein. Is there any correlation between the effectiveness period and the time to recover of testosterone?   Appreciate any post on the matter. Baptista

Hi Baptista,
I don't know how I missed your question. My experience was very similar to the other poster. I was on for 28 months. My last shot was May of 2009 and it was a 4 month depot. So in September of that year we measured my T levels and it was at 21. But then again we measured in January and my T levels had climbed to 128. Still well below normal but it was still climbing. In May of 2010 my T level was 230. At this point I started feeling more "normal" and my libido was returning. Over summer last year my hair on arms and legs had darkened back up and my hot flashes were gone.

When we had my last test in October 2010 my T levels were at 265...Still below normal so my oncologist and I did a look at my history. It turned out that before I was ever treated for my PCa my T level was 218. This means that I was suffering from hygonadism when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Probably the reason I was in the office for some Cialis before treatment.


Feeling good today more than a year after stopping HT. We considered adding testosterone by as my doctor said, it's risky business because I am a late stage pT3B guy. We decided to let things fly naturally.

I hope this helps...

Tony

During my regiment of Lupron, my T hovered between 20 - 34, depending on whether I received the 3 month or 4 month injections. Not suprised because the 4 month dose does not last for a full 4 month period. My last 4 month shot was 3/06, in 7/06, T was 34, 11/06, T was 269, 3/07, T was 386 and has remained close to that number to date. My severe hot flushes started to reduce in intensity about 6 months after my last treatment and my energy level improved. Most all of the noticeable effects were gone 9 months after the treatment was stopped. I doubt my T level will ever increase from its present level of 375 because of my age (73) but I'm glad to have it back. It looks like I will be doing it all over again before long because of the increasing PSA. What a trip this has been.....................

When discussing different treatments and therapies, my U-doc mentioned that after taking lupron or its clones for over 2 years, the effect of the drug can become more or less permanent...In a fairly large portion of men, the "T" levels simply never come back. Most men hoping for a quick recovery when HT is stopped are sadly disappointed...

Also, that lump of wax they inject into you, the 'time release" mechanism, takes a long time to be absorbed completely...This also slows down the comeback...

I asked my radiation oncologist today why Urologists insist on being the ones to administer HT drugs instead of referring patients to medical oncologists..His answer was instantaneous and very telling in more ways than one. "They don't want to give up the money.."

Thanks F8,

I am still gathering info on the matter for later posting my findings.

I am investigating in forums in other languages (Japanese, spanish and french) but cannot get what I really want.  

I have had one, three month injection of Zoladex.  No serious SE as of yet. Readying for my second in two weeks.  Anxious to receive report on recent blood test for PSA and T levels.  My doctor and I will be making some decisions then.

In a previous post I had mentioned that my base T level was 25 (19 -66 considered average levels by my Dr.).  How is this translated to the numbers posted on this site. ie: 240  - 800 is the normal range?

Yes, since June 2010, there is an new methodology for measuring testosterone regarding units ng/dl or ng/ml into nmol/L (1 nmol/L is approximately 29 ng/dl). Normal T (8.4 to 28.7 nmol/L)
In radiation therapy Gys are also now referred in Centigreys (1 Rad = 0.01 Grey or 1 centigrey).

Bill:

That puts me at the top range of normal, yet my dr. stated 25 was at the lower range of normal.  Thanks for the table as it does confirm your translation.  Then, from what I read on this forum,  HT is looking for a chemical castration level of less than 20.  In what units is this interpreted?  A little confused .

Skate