Hey @KSman. How do my bloods look based on the ones I have done. Is my prolactin high? and how about LH/FSH?
That’s probably the source of your problem.
Depression robs you of motivation, and can screw up your libido. Mirtazapine can have sexual side effects so it could be a contributory factor.
It might be worth checking your SHBG levels or free testosterone. I doubt it’d be a problem, as your total is at at upper end of the range.
Low free T can be a contributory factor in depression or antidepressant induced loss of libido. But you’d need a SHBG of over 100 nmol/L for it to be an issue, which is a very long way out of range!
If you’re training naturally, and you’re lean (which your waist size suggests), then you might be pushing the upper limits of what muscle you can build. You’re probably not going to see huge gains in the gym at this stage.
Everything I seem to be experiencing sounds like the “shut down” after people have taken anabolics but I have never done that in my life. One thing I have noticed recently too, is that my testicles have shrunken slightly. Is it possible that I could get shut down even without ever taking hormones. Would it be worth doing a pct type regime to see if that could help me or would that be more harmful than good? Thank you
I’m not a doctor, but from what I’ve read over the years if it were me I would first come off the antidepressants or change to a different one and reassess to determine whether they are doing more harm than good. You should also get a full thyroid panel immediately, and probably free T level as well. Although your TSH and Total T look very good, they are not the entire story. But again, based on what I see I’d look to the depression and corresponding meds as a likely source of your issues. Best of luck.
Your mid-range prolactin does not appear to be a concern.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Mirtazapine+libido
Published side effects do not seem to refer to libido, but there is a lot of evidence on the web.
Hi @KSman I have now been off the mirtazapine for 3 months and I am not taking any other medications. I have not really noticed a difference or increase in my libido. I can get some stimulation from touch but other than that I don’t really get the urge. I went to see an endo last week and he checked my bloods again but unfortunately on the NHS in the UK they only seem to test certain things.
Results were similar to the last but one thing that seems to keep coming up is that my LH/FSH are classed as “Normal Range” but seem quite low. I also notice that my sperm volume has reduced greatly and my body hair growth seems slowed and a little thinner.
Could lower LH/FSH cause libido problems?
Serum Testosterone - 26.7 nmol/l (770ng/dl) Ref Range (8.7 - 29 nmol/L)
FSH - 2.9 U/L Ref Rg ( 1-10 u/l)
LH - 3.0 U/L Ref Rg ( 1-9 u/l)
Serum Prolactin - 235 mu/L. Ref rg ( 50 - 425 mu/L)
TSH - 1.34 mu/L - Ref Rg (0.40 - 5.00)
Thank you.