How long does Degarelix Injection stay in your system?
Last updated September 7, 2026.
**Degarelix leaves the body slowly: it has an average terminal half-life of about 53 days after a subcutaneous injection, so most people take roughly 8 to 9 months to clear it fully after the last dose.** The injection forms a small gel depot under the skin of your abdomen that keeps releasing drug for weeks, which is why the tail is so long compared with a pill. How long you were treated, your dose, and reduced kidney or liver function can stretch or shorten that window. Clearance and effect are two different clocks: testosterone stays suppressed the whole time depot levels remain high, and many men need several months after the final injection before testosterone climbs back toward baseline. Your care team tracks this with testosterone and PSA blood tests rather than by measuring the drug itself. Keep injection dates in one place so you and your clinician can line up lab results with your last dose.
What to do
- Track your dose dates: Write down every injection date so lab results can be read against your last dose.
- Watch the effect, not the drug: Testosterone and PSA blood tests show whether treatment is still working better than any drug level test.
- Expect a slow recovery: Hot flashes, low energy, and low libido can persist for months after the final injection while testosterone returns.
- Flag organ problems: Tell your clinician about kidney or liver disease, since clearance can take longer than the usual estimate.
- Do not stop on your own: Skipping a scheduled dose lets testosterone rise again, so talk to your oncologist before pausing.
- Report warning signs: Chest pain, fainting, an irregular heartbeat, or a hot swollen injection site needs same-day medical care.
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