Hi @Morbus please keep us posted on how you’re doing , im almost in the same situ. Just doing a lifestyle change to see if i can change anything naturally before trying (and commiting to trt) the testo gel. Been prescribed sachets , is that the same as you?
I have tried changing my lifestyle, so been bk in the gym a few months, but think i overdid it, so have needed a wk break and will get back to it next week. Ive had constant aching arms n legs but as been advised, this may be to do with pushing it too hard (back at gym a few months, 1st time in 7 years) and not low testosterone related.
Will get a blood test in a month to see if anything has changed, if not then ill need testogel initially too, im not too keen on needles either lol but think test undecanoate is the option after the gel… which im not too keen on due to 1 inj x 3 month, are you in the UK? If so, it may be same for you too if you wish to go onto it
I think the difference is my lh fsh was 6 so nothing really wrong there, just test is low - 9.6 first, then 10.9 on second test). I have a beer belly i just cant get rid of and not really fat anywhere else. I’m 42 yrs old though so a little older than you and do have sleep issues sometimes, hw would you describe your sleep issues? .
Can i ask, how do you feel on the gel and how are you applying it?
Yes i cant wait for the oral version to come out so will avoid needles, definitely if like @systemlord says not affecting liver too much, then its a win win…
Yeah, I will, so far not doing so much better in any means. The first 2-3 days perhaps was the best. I guess it was the added T together with my own natural T that made a boost. I guess this shutted down as soon as I wasnt producing any naturally? Last week now has been hard really. I sleep worse, worse libido, also been feeling very anxious. Actually had to leave work this friday because of an panic attack. First time in 10 years Ive had to leave work because of that (Ive allways had anxiety to some degree, but never like this)
Im using “Testovan” it comes in a bottle with a pump on it. Theres a cover over that bottle. With a flat head that acts as an applicator. So I pump the gel directly on the applicator, and apply it on my skin allmost like a roll-on deodorant.
No, but not so far from, just across the ocean, - Norway. But its the same here with the T undecanoate, big doses with months appart.
I have no issues really. I fall in sleep easy, and I sleep 6-7 ish hours in the weekdays, 8-9 h in the weekends. But I have sleep appnea though, but that isnt really anything that I was aware of. (it makes you stop breathing while sleeping, as your muscles in the throat relaxes and you suffocate on your own tounge muscles)
Sleep Appnea, untreated, will be deadly. It wears out your heart. Raises blood pressure, and many nasty things. I dont know how long I`ve had it before I discovered it and got treatment. My BP is allways in the 140-150 over 85-95 range. TRT also can raise BP, so im not sure if this is a good mix for me. (I guess some of this worrying is adding to my anxiety levels at the moment)
Im sorry to hear this mate, hopefully it will get better, are you thinking about going on to the test undecanoate? I know its months apart and will be ups and downs but im guessing its better than what you’re experiencing? I already suffer from anxiety and it does my head in too, i was thinking this may be due to the lack of T.
Ah i see, i’ve been given a gel but in sachets, however like i said im trying to do a lifestyle change, are you in the gym currently? Where are you rolling the gel on if you don’t mind me asking? Is it on the shoulders or?
Oh at least you have been getting enough sleep, yes ive heard about sleep apnea, do you snore when sleeping at all? Yes i’ve heard TRT can raise BP, but the only other option is to live how we are and this can cause us major issues in the long term? So i think were sort of stuck?
Im finding that whatever i do, this belly won’t go, so im guessing thats due to the low T? How’s yours? Have you found anything thats effective in helping get rid of it at all?
Keep us posted mate, and hope you feel better soon, as the T starts to increase hopefully you will feel better
I mean… I think you’d struggle to feel normal without TRT
It’s not as complicated as everyone makes it out to be. For some the gel works, for others it doesn’t. If you’re using testogel, going by the pharmacokinetics/studies (from what I remember… it’s been a while) you’ll likely end up requiring 2-3 pumps per day… maybe even four pumps per day to be optimized (similar to 100mg test/wk, perhaps more if you apply it to areas it isn’t meant to be applied too lol). But I also started out on a low dose like that
Yea… well your natural T production was shit… so…
you can try clomiphene if it’s an option. Many countries don’t offer this, and it doesn’t remove the causative pathology mediating your low T to begin with. Some people just have low T. Endocrine disrupting chemicals, bad genetics, high dose opiate medications etc can mediate lower testosterone. Diet may play somewhat of a role, but I fail to believe a bad diet is going to make the difference between a S-T of 7-11 and 25 etc.
No, im happy with the gel for now. Im applying it on shoulders yes, But now as my dose was raised to 2 pumps, its kind of to much gel for my small shoulders, so i go around the neck and upper arms.
I see some apply it on the belly, and even your scrotum. But that was specificly advised against on the instructions that came with the gel.
Yes, before treatment i snored so my neigbours heard if the bedroom windows was up. It was first after my ex moved out, and when a new girl came into my life a bit later she told me I had to get this checked as she could hear me stop breathing for long periods of time.
No, that is a never-ending struggle. I am not at the gym, (5 kids, no time) but i play some soccer with friends during the summer, and ice-hockey in the winters. I can loose 6-7 kg pretty easy in a few weeks every time i try “dieting”, but thats just making my arms, face, legs even thinner. The belly is still there, rock solid. Ive had it since my late 20`s. Mine isnt even symetric, my right part is a few inches bigger than the left side, allways been worried that i had a tumor growing there or something.
Ive read that too, that Low T cause anxiety/depressions. But it can be the other way around aswell, anxiety/depression can cause low T. So its hard to say what is the primary cause. Ive been on ssri meds for many years also, which again is not good for T production.
Yeah, ive studied a bit the last weeks, and found out as much myself also. my LH/FSH is low, so the HPA is not working right.
-So TRT is treating the symptoms, not the cause. Clomid is available when i search the approved list of medical supplies, but I havent asked my Doc about it.
Is clomid therapy something that I could benefit more from than TRT?
Im not taking any drugs or opiate related stuff. Even quitted the ssri some months ago, so now im only taking the T gel, 5mg Taldafil (EOD), and the occational Betablocker for relaxing my nervousnes. (I also take some vitamin D, and fish oil/Omega 3 supplements)
Well, aside from the first week, were i felt really good. Nothing has changed to the better in how I feel, in my opinion. Ive changed my diet, and I lost 9 kg (20 ish lbs) over the last months. But the strange thing is that this is not visible. My belly and man boobs are still the same. My legs and arms has allways been thin, so I dont think i can have lost any weight there. Perhaps its just fluids that has dropped.
Ive been on TRT for 8 weeks now. Had the dose doubled after 4 weeks.
My anxiety attacks has been a real issue. I was on ssri on/off for the last 10 years. Stepped it down last year, and has been completely off for about 6-7 months now. BUT, for the last 10 years Ive allways had some benzos with me, and Ive taken 2-3 a year. Now the last 3 weeks ive taken 4 benzos allready because of immobilizing anxiety.
It can offcourse be unrelated to TRT, but nothing else has changed in my life, so I think its a safe bet to pin this to the TRT.
As I have consumed alot of TRT information during my vacation, I see that Gel is not much used. In my country (Norway) its the only option, beside the “Nebido” which is a 1000mg injection of testosterone undecanoate, you get one shot every 10-12 weeks. Knowing that the half-life is much less than that I dont think I will put myself into such protocol, where you are crashed for the last weeks.
, im almost in the same situ. Just doing a lifestyle change to see if i can change anything naturally before trying (and commiting to trt) the testo gel. Been prescribed sachets , is that the same as you?
but think test undecanoate is the option after the gel… which im not too keen on due to 1 inj x 3 month, are you in the UK? If so, it may be same for you too if you wish to go onto it 