Low Testosterone

arjt · February 8, 2007, 12:56am

I was going to start a new thread but am a newbie and do not know how so here goes. A few months back at 44 years old I noticed I was sluggish in the AM and felt my ‘up and attem’ had gone off and left me. I went to the urologist who did my vasectomy and he did a lab test and found my testosterone was very low~100.

He injected me w/ 100mg of depo-testosterone in the lower back and checked me in a month w/o any
change. He upped the dose to 200 mg because I am large (6’ 5" 280lbs 18% BF) and now my sluggishness was gone-I feel great! The problem is that when I asked him after being on the dose for 3 months when I can reduce and eventually stop the injections he said, “never”. I gave him a ‘huh?’ look and he said 99% of the men he sees that go off the stuff get back on it.

I do not take meds never have and do not wish to be addicted to anything other than my family, exercise and eating healthy foods. I tried the prohormones to help me with my lifting a few years back and it just gave me heart palpitations.

BTW-I cannot tell if it has helped me with my lifting because I always seem to make small gains and supplement w/ creatine, caffeine, glutamine, BCAA’s, protein, etc. but my hair has decided to fall out at a faster rate than ever before. Any help here w/ getting off the juice?

fedorov · February 8, 2007, 4:17am

Thanks KSman…it will take me a while to digest all the info…all the acronyms blow my mind.

Insurance pays most-I pay 25 bucks for 30 days of 5 grams of androgel.
I gotta say-fron all I see here on the site I am feeling a bit pessimistic.

sharetrader · February 8, 2007, 5:21am

[quote]arjt wrote:
… Any help here w/ getting off the juice? [/quote]

You can try so-called natural test boosters such as tribulus (Biotest’s Alpha Male would be fine), but don’t expect them to replicate the effect you get from a test shot.

BTW, it would probably help if you were able to reduce bodyfat a little, say to below 15%. If you are fatter, that tends to promote aromatization of test to estrogen.

Of course, this is something of vicious circle. As you get older, your test declines, you become less energetic, you exercise less and cell replacement slows down, hence unless you are very strict with diet you tend to put on bodyfat. This in turn promotes estrogen aromatization, which in turn makes you less energetic … You get the picture.

You said you do weight training. It might be a good idea to add some High Intensity Interval Training. Sprinting uphill, sled dragging, Tabata squats would all be good choices.

happydog48 · February 8, 2007, 4:16pm

I have to say this doesn’t make any sense to me at all. Prohomones are ok, but actual hormones aren’t? Your body isn’t making enough testosterone for you to feel good, so the question is what are you going to do about it? Taking the meds you need to be healthy isn’t being “addicted” in my book, but it’s your life and your body.

Also, don’t forget that there is a difference between use and abuse. Doing a gram a week of testosterone to bulk up is juicing. Taking 250mg a week to maintain normal levels isn’t. Just because I have a beer twice a week at my local bar doesn’t mean I’m an alcoholic.

e_loo · February 14, 2007, 4:34pm

Sorry to be blunt, but this is crazy talk.

Your testicles are not working. You need to take this medication.

“healthy foods” and your “family” are not going to raise your testosterone to a normal level.

without a normal level of testosterone, your quality of life will not be good. testosterone is not just “muscles” and “erections” – it is mental clarity, positive attitude, and a joy for living.

If you have any other organ failure, you would take the medication. Please take your medication.

KSman · February 14, 2007, 7:27pm

[quote]happydog48 wrote:
Taking 250mg a week to maintain normal levels isn’t. [/quote]

250mg/wk of test is juicing. For most, 100mg/wk of test eth or cyp will take them well into high normal range.

KSman · February 14, 2007, 7:35pm

[quote]arjt wrote:

I do not take meds never have and do not wish to be addicted to anything other than [/quote]

meds=drugs and testosterone is not a drug, it is what your body used to make for you. You are addicted to T because you feel like crap now that it has gone. Be accepting of replacement of your lost T.

You need to start self injecting and inject once a week at home. Many feel much better injecting twice a week. You can inject in your upper leg with tiny #29 insulin needles. That makes the whole affair much more comfortable. You could do transdermals, but they are very costly if you do not have insurance. Transdermals do not work for all. Injections do as the delivery is 100% effective.

Diabetics are addicted to insulin and so are you. Without that hormone you die.

Change your mindset on this issue. We are here to help you.

MichaelOH · February 14, 2007, 11:00pm

[quote]arjt wrote:
Any help here w/ getting off the juice? [/quote]

I am confused. If you want off the juice then just stop. Surely you are asking something else? Perhaps “how does one get off the juice while maintaining the bene’s?”

You could try 2 products that may or may not work for you: Alpha Male is reputed to be a testosterone secretagogue and some here have said it works for them; Super Miraforte works differently by inhibiting aromatization and by competing with Test for SHBG receptors and some say it works for them. Both are natural products (as is Test and HCG BTW). You might try them one at a time for a couple months and assess their value to you. Other than that you just live with low Test, as do most.

BTW may i ask how you use Glutamine? Ever had any problem with it cuasing insomnia?

KNB · February 16, 2007, 7:02am

[quote]e-loo wrote:
arjt wrote:I do not take meds never have and do not wish to be addicted to anything other than my family, exercise and eating healthy foods. I tried the prohormones to help me with my lifting a few years back and it just gave me heart palpitations.

Sorry to be blunt, but this is crazy talk.

Your testicles are not working. You need to take this medication.

“healthy foods” and your “family” are not going to raise your testosterone to a normal level.

without a normal level of testosterone, your quality of life will not be good. testosterone is not just “muscles” and “erections” – it is mental clarity, positive attitude, and a joy for living.

If you have any other organ failure, you would take the medication. Please take your medication.[/quote]

*I am 47 and had no energy, no sex drive, no nothing… and following a back injury my pain med use shut down my test and thyroid. I tried the buccol, and hated it besides it didn’t help my numbers.

I am now on 135mb/day of Armour putting me on the inside edge of high normal, and 125mg/week of depo-test brought my numbers to 512ng/dl with a free T % of 1.4 . I have no PSA issues or estrogen conversion either.

My doctor (she) said I could go to 200mg/wk but legally she cannot allow me to go any higher than 700ng/dl. As far denying your need for test inj. if you want to lose your libido, and your memory, and your mental health, as well as BEGGING for bone loss get off as soon as possible. Actually don’t. Your doctor is right, you will be on test the rest of your life. I am looking forward to aging gracefully now, I was not before.

I am upping my dosage to 170mg/wk of depo-test tomorrow, I will let you know how I feel in ten days…
KNB

V_R · February 16, 2007, 5:03pm

[quote]KNB wrote:
e-loo wrote:
arjt wrote:I do not take meds never have and do not wish to be addicted to anything other than my family, exercise and eating healthy foods. I tried the prohormones to help me with my lifting a few years back and it just gave me heart palpitations.

Sorry to be blunt, but this is crazy talk.

Your testicles are not working. You need to take this medication.

“healthy foods” and your “family” are not going to raise your testosterone to a normal level.

without a normal level of testosterone, your quality of life will not be good. testosterone is not just “muscles” and “erections” – it is mental clarity, positive attitude, and a joy for living.

If you have any other organ failure, you would take the medication. Please take your medication.

*I am 47 and had no energy, no sex drive, no nothing… and following a back injury my pain med use shut down my test and thyroid. I tried the buccol, and hated it besides it didn’t help my numbers.

I am now on 135mb/day of Armour putting me on the inside edge of high normal, and 125mg/week of depo-test brought my numbers to 512ng/dl with a free T % of 1.4 . I have no PSA issues or estrogen conversion either.

My doctor (she) said I could go to 200mg/wk but legally she cannot allow me to go any higher than 700ng/dl. As far denying your need for test inj. if you want to lose your libido, and your memory, and your mental health, as well as BEGGING for bone loss get off as soon as possible. Actually don’t. Your doctor is right, you will be on test the rest of your life. I am looking forward to aging gracefully now, I was not before.

I am upping my dosage to 170mg/wk of depo-test tomorrow, I will let you know how I feel in ten days…
KNB
[/quote]

what country do you live in? There are no “legality” issues in allowing one to go over 700ng(which, BTW, isn’t even that high to begine with).

One can safely go up to 1200ng with no “legality” issues here in america.

KNB · July 23, 2007, 2:10am