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Posted 9/14/2009 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry, but I don't have my medical stats with me, so briefly: 2 years ago PSA- over 11, DaVinci, post op PSA has been <.05 for two years.

Due to low testosterone levels, my urologist prescribed me testosterone gel. We're going to look at PSA levels in 3 months instead of 6 months. I'm not really worried about it fueling cancer, but the side effects.

Doctor said it grows hair in some people. If that's on my head, great. But has anyone had it grow more body hair. I'm not for that, got more than I want already. Also, I'm sure that my penis length is shorter than it was pre-surgery. Will this have a positive effect on that?

Posted 9/14/2009 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
Sparky.....that gel may give you the "spark" you've been missing  cool

Good luck!

Posted 9/14/2009 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome, sparky to the forum. I don't know much about testosterone in any form, so can't answer. The shortened penis question I can asddress. Sadly, lots of guys here have experienced that. There's not a lot of evidence here from us, but I did have success in lengthening some little amount and stopping any further loss by using a penis pump regularly. I seriously doubt that testosterone would lengthen a penis, as we live our adult life with it and we surely don't keep growing a penis... smilewinkgrin

I don't know about more body hair growth either. Your urologist should have covered all your questions and concerns, so if you care really concerned, call him back and ask. In the meantime, we have a few guys here who do take T supplement, so they may happen by this thread.
Posted 9/14/2009 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
When I asked my doctor about the length, I told him it seemed to me that if you take some length out of the tube inside the penis, that the penis would naturally be a little shorter. Also, I was having a little pain(minor)during an erection that I could only describe as something being stretched to the limit inside. He told me that as I lose weight I would see more length. I'm 60 pounds overweight. I understand that priniciple, the only thing is, I was this heavy prior to surgery and had a little more length. So, I'm sure it's not just weight related.
Posted 9/14/2009 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Sparky,

The question on penis length is a common issue with many of us. My surgeon said, that they move the bladder toward the urethra, because the bladder loses one wall of support when the prostate is removed. So he said its the weight of the bladder that tends to pull in your penis, not that it has been shortened, and he was talking about when your penis is in the flacid state.

After I recovered fully, and was having errections on my own, the length errected is fully pre-surgery size, but when totally flacid, it is like is trying to hide inside my body. Doesn't bother me, doesn't both my wife. When it needs to work, it works fine as before.

David in SC
Posted 9/14/2009 7:42 PM (GMT 0)
I saw a speaker this weekend address the testosterone level question:

Dr Snuffy Myers said pretty much that T levels are not a lone cristical factor in prostate cancer. Men commonly have T levels from 300 to above 600, have radical prostatectomy, and never have relapse with the T levels left unaffected. So he said that it is important to try to scheive normal levels of testosterone even if by synthetics to improve quality of life. Patrick Walsh writes that he also believes that androgen deprivation does not attack androgen independent cells which are more likely to lead to mortality than those that respond to ADT.

Moral of the story? If you have low T levels, you need to see if you can safely suppliment it after prostate cancer. Careful monitoring will probably be wise. But so would addressing the T level issue...

Tony
Posted 9/15/2009 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
The doc on Opera said you can an inch with the loss of every thirty-five pounds.
Posted 9/16/2009 3:59 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Sparky,

A couple of us here have had lots of experience with low testosterone levels and gels and shots to take care of it. I have had shots for about 15 years and after surgery my uro took me off them. (He said taking T shots after PCa is like pouring gas on a fire.) However, my current uro has me on shots for the past 2+ years and my PSA levels have always been undetectable. I am currently on annual testing.

Low testosterone caused me deep depression and I decided that quality of life was important enough to overweigh any possible bad effects. Its a decision we all have to make at some point when we fight cancer.

There are several threads here on HW that descuss testosterone therapy in detail. So good luck and stay with us...

Jim
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