Hey everyone,
Freshly created account but long time troll of this great website and blog. I was hoping to receive some advice on where to go about my current testosterone issue.
I am 21 years old and have suspected that I have testosterone issues for some time now. My symptoms include but are not limited to, low energy, low libido, mental fog, difficult time building muscle, very rare morning erections, long recovery time between workouts, lack of aggression, etc.
About six months ago, I had a varicocelectomy to fix a stage three varicocele in my left testicle which has unknowingly plagued me since about the age of 16. The surgery has been successful in alleviating the veins, but seperate issues have arised. Since about two years before my surgery I complained of symptoms of low testosterone, but could not pin point the issue, that is, until my varicocele (which I believe to be the culprit) was discovered.
A week before the surgery, I went and got bloodwork done to check for testosterone levels. My results provided 6/21/13 via LABCORP is as follows:
Testosterone, Serum - 515 ng/dL
Free Testosterone (Direct) - 14.2 pg/mL
Now for a 20 year old, I considered those numbers to be low, and my doctors as well as myself believed the varicocele to be the culprit.
However, after the surgery I believe my issues with testosterone began to get worse, so I returned to my urologist who performed the surgery and he had more blood work done. My blood work as of 11/27 via LABCORP is as follows:
Testosterone, Serum - 639 ng/dL
Free Testosterone (Direct) - 8.8 pg/mL (Low)
LabCorps reference intervals are 348-1197 for Testosterone Serum and 9.3-26.5 for Free Testosterone - although you guys are probably well aware already.
Now, after receiving the results, my urologist called me telling me that my free testosterone was low and suggested Androgel cream or the underarm, and he also mentioned pellets which I presume he was referring to Testopel.
Now, I’m not sure where to begin here as far as what information I’m looking for from you guys. I’ve searched the internet far and wide for instances similar to mine and so far have yielded next to no results, hence my reason for this post.
I understand testosterone is an complex topic and I’m very concerned to be faced with problems such as mine at such a young age. I really want to reestablish my testosterone levels and sure as shit do not want to go anywhere near any type of HRT or any of that so early in life. Any suggestions, feedback, warnings or anything are greatly appreciated.