Hi guys new here and wanted to share my story so far with trt.
so go back to 2011 and I’m 28 years , things started going downhill for me from there, possibly even a year or so before that but 2011 was when I realised something wasn’t right and decided to see a doctor about it.
basically symptoms were low sex drive, very tired all the time, generally feeling like crap, no focus or drive etc.
I had always been an active person an kept fit and had found it was getting harder to exercise and keep the weight off
so this begins the journey with the doctor ordering a complete blood panel and upon receiving the results nothing abnormal was found, was told I was probably depressed and try to do things that make me happy.
I knew I wasn’t depressed and that there had to be a reason I felt like crap so I started researching my symptoms and all seemed to lead me back to low testosterone , something I knew very little about .
so I went back to the doctor armed with some info on low t and asked if he could order the blood tests needed to see if it could potentially be the problem, he flat out refused and told me again that I was depressed and it was all in my head.
3 weeks later talking with my sister about the way I was feeling I told her about the doctor declining the blood test and her being a nurse in a private clinic she made a phonecall to one of the doctors and had all the paperwork for the test ready for pickup within the hour, off I went to the pathology clinic and had the blood taken.
2 days later I got the results
test - 10 ng/ml or .347 nmo/L
lh 1.8
fsh 2.4
I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad as I had no one directing me so I researched the results and found for my age it was sufficiently low
back to doctor with the results who looked at them and said you are normal nothing to see here.
not happy with his opinion I found another doctors surgery and basically told the story all over again and supplied the blood test to him which he agreed was low for may age but still within normal limits, he referred me to an endocrinologist and 3 months later I finally got in to see him
basically the endo ordered complete blood panel and hormones regarding test etc , I don’t know the name of them all and he kept those results.
I remember him saying the testosterone was 11ng/dl this time round and lh was 2.4 and fsh was 3.2, he also said my hgh was slightly elevated above the reference range and he wanted to do an mri of my pituitary which I had done 3 weks later. all came back ok.
the next and last appointment I had with him he basically told me in his opinion im low but still within normal ranges and to get on with my life and stop worrying about it.
2 years went by feeling like shit and knowing something wasn’t right and feeling hopeless no one wanted to help. as a family we decided to move back interstate to where we originally lived and I made an appointment with the local dr as I felt worse.
I explained everything all over again and this time round the doctor was happy to order the tests
test was 7.8 ng/dl
lh 1.8
fsh 2
in the appointment the doctor told me it was just outside the normal range for low , the labs reference was 8-32 and he was not worried about it, at this point id had enough of people not being worried about it and let the tosser have it, not physically just a few stern words. he told me nothing was wrong with that result and not to come back to see him again.
so pissed off and over it all I thought stuff it ill just keep pushing this until someone listens and after 2 more doctors and no one wanting to help I finally found someone who was wiling to listen and do some more testing
basically he ordered more bloods which came back at
test 5.6ng/dl
lh 2.1
fsh 1.8
at that stage he also ordered complete blood panel and everthing else was good there as well as complete thyroid panel which also came back good.
so then the words came out of his mouth " I think you need trt" and I was shitting myself because I hate needles but excited it may help me.
basically he wrote me a script for reardron 4ml/1000mg and the chemist was in the same building so I grabbed it and due to it not being covered under the pbs here in Australia (needed 2 blood tests for T under 6ng/dl to qualify) it cost me $140 bucks OUCH.
went straight back to the doc and he injected me , told me to come back in 6 weeks and get the second shot. fast forward to 3 weeks after first shot and things started improving for me. libido, energy , confidence all coming back how they used to be.
had my second shot at 6 weeks and things were going great, got a new job in a management position and life felt good again. 8 weeks after the booster shot I went in and had my third shot this was January 2015. went in to the docs a few weeks later with headaches and pressure, took my blood pressure and it was 185/95. my blood pressure was a little on the high side before trt at about 135/80 to 140/90.
I asked if the trt coulbe causing this and he said it was impossible. I went home and researched high blood pressure and trt and learnt they can go hand in hand due to rbc count, haematocrit, excess E2 causing water retention etc etc.
went back to the doc and he said he didn’t think any of those things would be an issue and that’s when I realised he really did not know much about trt at all.
I tried to give blood but my pressure was too high and even tried to get a script for a therapeutic phlebotomy but no doctor would even help but they were happy to prescribe me blood pressure meds. I ended up on coversyl 5 mg a day to help lower it back down to 140/90.
the doctor treating me for the trt basically told me he was going to stop as he was worried about the blood pressure and wanted to send me back to an endo.
I was lucky and got the appointment 2 weeks later and to my disgust I was told at my appointment the endo I was going to see was ill and I would be seeing a female endo.
she made me strip, lay on a doctors bed, squeezed my balls so hard it frigging hurt, asked me if I took steroids for muscle gain (never in my life) and then told me get the blood pressure in check , everything was fine and normal and I was just likely depressed. I told her how could she relate to how I felt sporting a vagina and I wanted to see a male endo. she told me to leave. I got the results of her session from the doctor who gave me the trt and she stated everything seemed normal and that I was more than likely trying to obtain the script for testosterone for illicit means, stupid CU$T !
the doctor said he did not agree with her findings and wanted me to come off trt to see if my blood pressure normalised , which it did after around 6 months. I went through hell about 4 months after my last shot which I now realise I was shut down, reardron stays in your system for a long time.
so fast forward to October 2015 I felt like shit , back to how I was before so back to the doctor that gave me trt before and more blood tests
test 5.8
lh 1.7
fsh 2.3
told me to take a script for reardron again and this time due to a second reading under 6ng/dl it would be covered under the pbs but not to use it until I knew a confirmed date for a second endo appointment refereed to by him, once I had a date he said time the shot 8 weeks before to coincide with appointment and do not get the 6 week booster shot , I asked why would I do that and his reply was " so you’re bottomed out for the appointment and blood tests will look favourable for you"
so December 2015 I got the reply letter from the endo saying my appointment is set for march the 4th so last Friday I took the script in and grabbed the vial and had the shot. I cant believe it has been this difficult to get to this point and im still worried that I will get told nothings wrong again.
sorry for the long post guys but I really needed to get this off my chest to people that understand.
by the way I am
33 years old
6ft2
105kg
no idea on bf%
I have learnt a lot along the way and will be doing things a lot differently this time around, I have come to realise if you don’t research these things for yourself youre putting your life and trust into someone elses hands that may not know exactly what they are doing.
so many other tests that’s hould have been done that weren’t, I wish I knew then what I know now
