Over the past 5-6 weeks i’ve been suffering with a very low sex drive and weak/difficult to maintain erections. I had a blood test last week which showed that free testosterone was 30 (Unsure of units but the doctor said it was high). Cholesterol was slightly elevated and thyroid was normal according to the doctor (Sorry, don’t have the value).
age: 26
-height: 6’2"
-waist: 30"
-weight: 205 lbs
-describe body and facial hair: facial hair is average, bit patchy in places. Very hairy arms & legs. Moderately hairy on chest & stomach.
-describe where you carry fat and how changed: Not much bodyfat, about 10% and been that way my whole life. I don’t seem to store it anywhere in particular.
-health conditions, symptoms [history]: Healthy overall but suffer from acid refulx quite frequently, probably 4-5 times a week.
-Rx and OTC drugs: No Rx or OTC drugs. Cocaine & MDMA use maybe 3-4 times per year. Binge drinking approx 1-2 times per month. Taking fish oil,creatine vitamin D,C and ZMA at night.
-Diet: Eggs & toast for breakfast, lunch is meat, veg & potatoes, dinner is meat, veg & potatoes, Beef/chicken Sandwich or snack before bed. Protein shake in milk after training. Eat a crazy amount of sweets/chocolate which I have cut back on drastically over the last week. Will see if this helps. I also really like salt & add a ton of it to nearly everything I eat.
-Training: Lift 5-6 days a week doing mostly snatch, squat, deadlift, chin up, press, good mornings. Squat usually every day. Make quick progress in strength & gain mass easily.
-testes ache, ever, with a fever? No
-how have morning wood and nocturnal erections changed - morning wood has disappeared, sometimes I wake with maybe a 40% erection.
Also I should add that I’m quite an anxious person prone to sudden bouts of depression/low mood.
I cant figure out what is causing this loss of sex drive and soft erections, especially considering my testosterone results. Any help is much appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
I believe the range was 9-30 ng/dL for free testosterone.
In the past 4-5 weeks I haven’t watched much porn due to the low sex drive, but in the past, yes I have watched porn quite frequently.
But how would this have an impact on morning erections?
If you’ve been regularly watching porn, it’s likely that your low libido and lack of erections is a result of that. Abstain for 90 days and see how you’re feeling.
If you’ve been regularly watching porn, it’s likely that your low libido and lack of erections is a result of that. Abstain for 90 days and see how you’re feeling. [/quote]
Very interesting, I didn’t know that. I’m going to look into this & try it out.
I didn’t even consider low dopamine. It’s certainly possible that it’s low, i’ve zero motivation at work & generally hate the world LOL!
Thanks for all suggestions.
If you’ve been regularly watching porn, it’s likely that your low libido and lack of erections is a result of that. Abstain for 90 days and see how you’re feeling. [/quote]
Very interesting, I didn’t know that. I’m going to look into this & try it out.
I didn’t even consider low dopamine. It’s certainly possible that it’s low, i’ve zero motivation at work & generally hate the world LOL!
Thanks for all suggestions.[/quote]
[quote]B A S T A R D wrote:
Also I should add that I’m quite an anxious person prone to sudden bouts of depression/low mood.
I cant figure out what is causing this loss of sex drive and soft erections, especially considering my testosterone results. Any help is much appreciated.
[/quote]
Loss of libido is a symptom of depression. That’s something you might want to get checked out. Taking an antidepressant can also worsen the problem, but in some cases can improve things.
The problem with depression is that there’s a tendency to go straight onto an antidepressant, normally an SSRI like Setraline. These are cheap, and reasonably effective, but the side effects can be problematic, and it can take time to dial in the right drug at the right dose to manage your symptoms.
Starting an antidepressant can be rough. I felt worse for the first few weeks than I was before I began treatment.
Coming off an antidepressant can be rough. I was taking a relatively low dose of Setraline, but decided (in consultation with my doctor) that it wasn’t really being helpful. So I tapered for a few weeks, and stopped about ten days ago. For most of that time I’ve had head-aches, dizziness, and other flu-like symptoms.
If depression and anxiety are ruining your life then it might be worth investigating, but it’s really a call you need to make with a professional, rather than an anonymous contributor on a forum.
[quote]B A S T A R D wrote:
Also I should add that I’m quite an anxious person prone to sudden bouts of depression/low mood.
I cant figure out what is causing this loss of sex drive and soft erections, especially considering my testosterone results. Any help is much appreciated.
[/quote]
Loss of libido is a symptom of depression. That’s something you might want to get checked out. Taking an antidepressant can also worsen the problem, but in some cases can improve things.
The problem with depression is that there’s a tendency to go straight onto an antidepressant, normally an SSRI like Setraline. These are cheap, and reasonably effective, but the side effects can be problematic, and it can take time to dial in the right drug at the right dose to manage your symptoms.
Starting an antidepressant can be rough. I felt worse for the first few weeks than I was before I began treatment.
Coming off an antidepressant can be rough. I was taking a relatively low dose of Setraline, but decided (in consultation with my doctor) that it wasn’t really being helpful. So I tapered for a few weeks, and stopped about ten days ago. For most of that time I’ve had head-aches, dizziness, and other flu-like symptoms.
If depression and anxiety are ruining your life then it might be worth investigating, but it’s really a call you need to make with a professional, rather than an anonymous contributor on a forum. :)[/quote]
Thanks for the reply.
I’ve been depressed on & off for about 4 years but it’s gotten particularly bad in the last 6 months. My libido has been fine through these episodes up until about 5 weeks ago. Now it’s like someone has turned a switch off. No desire, can’t maintain an erection, no morning wood, don’t know WTF is going on.
How was your libido/erections on anti depressants?
I am afraid that if you were on TRT you would be seeking more instead of getting balanced.[/quote]
Yes the salt is iodized, I apply a pinch to most of my meals. I also have an iodine supplement that I have not used in years, maybe worth using again if my temps are low?
Ok I am going to monitor my morning temperatures over the next week & report back.
I’m also going to get more labs done. is it worth testing for e2 ? As I see you don’t have it listed in your post.
Thanks for the reply.
I am afraid that if you were on TRT you would be seeking more instead of getting balanced.[/quote]
Yes the salt is iodized, I apply a pinch to most of my meals. I also have an iodine supplement that I have not used in years, maybe worth using again if my temps are low?
Ok I am going to monitor my morning temperatures over the next week & report back.
I’m also going to get more labs done. is it worth testing for e2 ? As I see you don’t have it listed in your post.
Thanks for the reply.[/quote]
