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T recovery time after Lupron 3month vs. 6month injection

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Posted 4/16/2018 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
I was going reply in this thread: /www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3975025, but I decided to start a new topic instead.

This may be a bit early to be asking, but is the testosterone recovery time the same for 3 month and 6 month Lupron injections (after the 3 or 6 months have passed) or is it different for 3 vs. 6?

I've been getting 6 month injections since Nov. 2016 and am scheduled to get one more (supposed to be the last one) in late May.

Kent
Posted 4/16/2018 10:44 PM (GMT 0)
Since you will have been on Lupron for almost 2 years, that's what will determine how quickly you will recover, not the duration of shot. Since you are pushing 60 and have been on ADT for 2 years, you can expect a fairly slow recovery...Six months to a year maybe...That's a critical time period. If your PSA starts moving up along with your testosterone there can be a lot of stress involved. But since you still have a prostate gland you can expect that..It may take 2 more years to reach nadir, the sweet spot where PSA stabilizes at some low number and testosterone continues to recover...
Posted 4/17/2018 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
Kent,
I think recovery can vary a lot depending on the person. I was on Eligard 3mo. shots for 2 years following my radiation treatment. It has been almost 3 years since my last since my last shot in May of 2015, my T is only up to 35. So my recovery is very slow. Both my MO and RO are not too concerned as long as my QOL is ok with me. They both indicate not wanting me to use T supplement until at least 5 yrs. out. My PSA is undetectable, so that's the good thing. It seems all these treatments are a crap shoot for recovery and SEs.
Best to you and everyone else.
Carl
Posted 4/17/2018 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
Fairwind & Carl,

Thanks for the replies, I guess I'll just have to wait and see how my T recovery goes. Do you think maybe by this time next year I might be seeing it to start to come back?

Offtopic: Today's the 1 year anniversary of my last IMRT treatment. Maybe it's because of the ongoing side effects of ADT but I'm still reluctant/hesitant to call myself "cured". Also there was the comment made by my RO when I asked about recurrence when we met after my last treatment, he said he thought I had a 50/50 chance of recurring, I could consider myself cured if I make it to 10-12 years without anything.

Kent
Posted 4/18/2018 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
T recovery after ADT seems to be extremely variable. At age 58, my 3 year tour finished up around March 2016.

My baseline T was 404 ng/dl. During ADT2, it varied but stayed below 10-15 ng/dl. After the ADT2 "released" in March 2016 (was on "4 month" Lupron shots), this happened:

2 months: 132 ng/ml
5 months: 290 ("normal")
9 months: 350
12 months: 544 (!)
18 months: 709 (!!)

I'm was quite pleased with this. Oddly, I still get a couple hot flashes a day, one or two at night. Struggling to lose the weight I gained, too.

Here's a link to a 2014 thread here on Healingwell on this topic:
Time interval for recovery of testosterone after Lupron therapy

[Edit: added detailed T recovery pattern]
Posted 4/18/2018 3:27 AM (GMT 0)

Redwing57 said...
...Struggling to lose the weight I gained, too. ...


I feel fatter/flabbier but so far I'm only 4 or 5 pounds heavier than when I started. A couple times my weight has even gone below my starting weight, but then I congratulate myself and celebrate and gain it all back (and then some).

Kent
Posted 4/18/2018 10:52 AM (GMT 0)
According to my urologist, these drugs are at maximum sustained strength for the period stated. After that they are metabolized with approximately a 6 month half life, but it depends on the man. For some men , as little as a 10% strength can suppress T.

He told me not to expect much recovery for about 18 months after the effective period of the last injection. For me he was spot on. It does not matter which duration you finish your course of injections. I know another on this board that was back in the normal range after just 6 months and some are still T suppressed after 3 years.

So, as with all things, YMMV.
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