Wanted to see what everyone thinks about the concept of doing TRT even if one already had mid range natural numbers. Do the benefits of high T levels outweigh the potential risks of exogenous T administration?
Are you symptomatic? If not the TRT won’t do much for you. Unless of course you mean midrange to be 400s which could very well be low.
I’m at 600 total, but lower on the bioavailable scale. 4.6 with range being 2.5-10. have tested as low as 1.9 there. Symtoms are no morning wood, weaker erections, low libido, social anxiety, depression, fatigue.
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Have you put up your full lab report anywhere?
SHGB: 35.3nmol/l (13.5-71.0)
Bioavailable testosterone: 4.62nmol/l (2.5-10)
Testosterone total: 20.46nmol/l (8-32)
TSH: 1.9 mIU/L (.35-4.3) - this one I find weird because my original TSH from 3 months ago was .96 how could it have doubled so quick?
Those are the most relevant ones I have
How is your vitamin D, sleep, stress? Do you snore?
I have been told I snore a bit, so getting a sleep study done. Just started taking 5000iu vitamin D daily yesterday. Stress is fairly low. Gonna be ramping up the cardio as my BMI is 29 and I could stand to lose 20lbs. Also looking over my bloodwork I’m seeing that my hemoglobin is at 140g/l with range being 140-180. Thinking I might try supplementing some iron? What do you think?
Also my MCHC came back low at 314 with range being 315-350. This could be aided with iron supplements right?
Then you have low testosterone if the free portion is low, so your levels are not normal. You are expect to show benefit on TRT with Free T levels at the top of the ranges.
You will need Total T levels 1000> to have sufficient Free T levels. TRT provides only benefits, symptoms arise from poorly chosen protocols.
All of your systems are classic low testosterone symptoms.
The things I’m worried about are fertility, plus I need to make sure I can’t possibly get symtom relief naturally. Been supplementing a few different things and gonna see if that helps at all. I think with enough hard work on my cardio/strength training I can lose 20lbs and get my bf% down to 18-20. If that doesn’t boost my levels up enough for symtom relief then I’m self prescribing. Do you know anything about CBC blood panels? Anything to say about my results above?
Your RBC is very low, you may have iron deficiency, you need an iron panel and ferritin tested. My RBC is 5.2 and my Total T is 97-119 ng/dL, Free T 7.7 (6.8-21.5) which should give you an idea of how bad things really are.
Your Free T levels are way low, there is no coming out of this situation without intervention, TRT is needed.
Let’s say I have iron deficiency, would solving that increase T or alleviate any symtoms? And why aren’t you on TRT?
Two and a 1/2 years ago I was prescribed TRT and had an iron deficiency, but doctors said nothing. TRT used up what little iron I had left until my tank ran dry and things got serious.
I decided to stop TRT for awhile to get my iron stores up, along the way I found a vitamin C, potassium and vitamin D deficiency.
I inject 7-10mg daily when on TRT.
Hopefully you can get back on soon. I’m gonna get my iron checked, think if I’m deficient and get it solved could that raise T or alleviate symtoms?
If iron deficient, your testosterone is already a problem, you will never produce enough naturally.
There are not many natural men walking around with Total T of 1000>.
So low T can cause iron deficiency but not the other way around?
Sleep apnea can cause low T but fixing it with a cpap likely won’t bring you up enough to be good. Though if you have sleep apnea using a cpap can be life changing as far as energy and mental functions go.
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This is a tricky question, low testosterone decreases metabolic rates, you gain fat around the midsection. Poor sleep can disrupt sleeping patterns and if you’re not sleeping, hormones are not recuperating.
The problem is poor sleep causes low testosterone and low testosterone causes poor sleep, you raising your natural levels is similar to trying to whack a mole. The problem is I’m sure none of the doctors you have access to have much knowledge at all in sex hormones, most doctors are operating in the dark in the hormone world.
The urologists don’t usually do hormone therapies, the majority of endocrinologists are more into thyroid and diabetes and not sex hormones, TRT seems to be an area where they struggle or have little knowledge.
The medical world is all about patented prescription drugs, not hormones. The doctors that seem to know their stuff are mostly private in anti-aging and sports medicine. You’re going to have to play these natural method games with your doctors before they prescribe TRT, I know you’re not wanting to wait this long.
Then when you get TRT they will probably make things worse with their protocols that are usually ass backwards and large infrequent injections.
I think you just need to find a private clinic that specializes in hormones.
I’ve been denied treatment from multiple docs. It really looks like I’m stuck with the natural option or go black market. I’m fine with that honestly but it is a bit scary thinking I’d have to source it for the rest of my life, or eventually go cold turkey shutdown and beg docs for a script. I’ll do whatever I need to though. One of the most annoying symtoms for me is the ED/ weak erections and libido. I’m not just gonna live like that. Really skeptical that the natural attempt will do anything at all, I’ve essentially doubled my numbers from out of range to lowest 30% of range and barely feel any different. I need my erections and libido back. If I gotta self prescribe to get them back I’ll do just that. Getting impatient too as it’s been 4 months now that I’ve been single, being in a 7yr relationship that was supposed to be marriage kinda distracted me from the symtoms but now that I’m single I should be out banging hotties. Gotta do what I gotta do, praying that I’ll find resolution to this, I swear if I go TRT and still can’t get my erections/libido…