I think my symptoms really started to become noticeable about 2.5yrs ago. I went through a 2 or 3 month period where I was constantly dripping sweat from my arm pits. I could be shivering with sweat running down my sides. Since then I have seriously struggled to improve in the gym. I got my DL to around 550 and haven’t made any progress in over a year. My libido has tanked, morning erections are rare, and erections in general are much less common. I maintain a pretty clean diet, low on carbs and no sugars, just good meats and veggies mostly. I haven’t smoked in years and quit dipping about a year ago so no nicotine intake. I rarely drink anymore maybe once a month.
I need to drop around 30lbs but any weight loss even eating clean and tracking everything plus 4 days a week of heavy lifting is a serious struggle. I can check off the large majority of low T symptoms really which is why I’m looking into it. I know many doctors would say 394 total T is within range, but I have to say that’s way too low to be 30 especially already eating well and lifting weights. I imagine it would be a good bit lower if I ate shit food and sat on my ass all day!
I’m working on the sticky threads now, but any tips or comments are appreciated!
These reference range unfortunately don’t consider age, 384 is at a level of an 80 year old man. President Trump scores 450 at 72 years old.
Endocrinologist go based off the endocrine society recommendations which consider 300 ng/dL as the cut off point to be considered for TRT even as studies show levels below 500 ng/dL to be where most men start to feel the first signs of symptoms of low testosterone.
You may need to go private because your insurance company will follow the endocrine society recommendations of two testing below 300 ng/dL. The average testosterone levels in men in your age group is 600-700 ng/dL.
Your doctor ran in incorrect testing for estrogen, he used the Roche ECLIA methodology which is for females, men require the Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry method for men. You are missing a lot of necessary testing, no SHBG, free testosterone, prolactin, LH, FSH and CBC results.
When SHBG is elevated total testosterone is of less value do to the fact that the majority of testosterone is in a bound state, in this case free testosterone is of more value because it is the free potion of testosterone circulating in the blood that makes all the magic happen.
The majority of endocrinologist are TRT ignorant and have no knowledge, no training and are blindly following endocrine society recommendations which are outdated by decades. So doctors have nowhere to turn to in an attempt to figure all of this out. The lack of training and knowledge leads to suffering if a doctor is unable to properly read you blood biomarkers.
There are few doctors who understand how to do TRT well, and unfortunately most are outside insurance networks. The medical community still views TRT very negatively and most doctors refuse to even prescribe it, regulation is tight and ignorant doctors will chose inaction when their own knowledge is limited.
There are a lot of members here who are with Defy Medical who staffs expert hormone doctors who have been doing TRT for more than two decades, a telemedicine clinic which mails all my medicine to me and labs are done at Labcorp.
As noted, you need additional blood tests. Get thyroid checked too. IGF-1. Your CBC and CMP are fine. LH/FSH as well. Your E2 is fine and I would not start with an aromatase inhibitor, instead wait and see how you respond to testosterone.
With your total test level, you will not get insurance coverage for TRT. Hopefully, you can find someone nearby to help you, but whatever you do, do not go longer than seven days between injections.
I’ve ordered the large male hormone panel plus shbg from privatemdlabs. I’ve got a doc that my fiance(er nurse) works with who says he’ll treat me with current labs. We’ll see how an appointment goes with him. I believe he is on test himself so hopefully he will be knowledgeable, or at least open to, current treatments and dosages.
To start off I’d like to take 50mg test twice a week as that seems to be a good initial dose to see my reaction and adjust from. I’d like to use hCG as well… 250iu twice a week or maybe more spread out? I’ve already had 2 kids but my fiance hasn’t had a child yet so I’d prefer to keep that door open. And I just don’t want them to atrophy period! As for the arimidex I agree I don’t think I would need much, but I do want it on hand in case I have high E signs or it shows in my 6wk blood work. Would 0.25mg in conjunction with my shots be a good starting point?
Sounds reasonable. It’d be great if your doctor is a TRT patient, as presumably he would know more about it than the average PCP. Maybe up the hCG a little if injecting twice a week, 350IU, or 250IU three times a week.
If you do want to start with an AI, lower is better, so yeah, 0.25mg in fine.
I got my second lab results in. These showed a better test level although still a good bit under average for my age. It’s much better than the 394 on my first panel, but I still have many of the low t symptoms regardless of the number. Should I be looking at something else besides trt?
I wouldn’t mess with my hormones if I had those labs. Your results are dead nuts where they should be. I’ve been on TRT for a couple years starting in my mid thirties and living by the needle sucks.
I am a 35 year old guy, I lift heavy 6 days a week… total test is 193 and the Dr. still will not give me TRT. the Doctor decided to take her sweet time testing and retesting in 6 month intervals. its been going on like this for almost 2 years. I just fired my doctor becuase I cannot live like this anymore. I would sell my nuts to get up to 400! But as they say…it should be based on symptoms and not just lab results.
I don’t even have insurance at the moment haha just self paying for this. I wanted to see what kind of numbers I have before going to a doc I know who will treat me if I need it.
I’ve narrowed down my problems to two different scenarios either my hypothalamus is not producing Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone or my pituitary gland isn’t able to accept gnrh and produce luteinizing hormone, those are the only two possibilities. I believe I damaged my hpta from several tbi and I have the adenoma to prove it. I’ve been given the run around for 14 months now, suffering every day.
