Problem w/Hormones & Libido for Long Time

Pharma TRT
1

Hello guys, It will be a longer post but I will try to cut it as much as possible and make it easy to read.
Some things about me first - I’m 30y old. I go to the gym since I was 16 quite regularly and I’m quite a gym freak, it’s more than a hobby to me. I’m in a great shape, I train 5-6 times a week quite hard and recover really fast. My diet is really good (I can write it here if you wish to check) - Protein intake is high as well as good fats (nuts, yolks, olive oil, omega 3 as the main sources), I’m rotating carbs. I was never on steroids, my water intake is high, I don’t drink and smoke and I live quite healthy.
As I said, physically I feel and look really good - My workouts are really strong, I don’t feel fatigued or anything.

The problem I have and is bothering me for several months now is the erectile dysfunction I’m facing. I feel desperate because girlfriend left me because of it - I was never ashamed so much in my lifetime. And it is not the first time I’m facing as well - I had the same issue with my previous girlfriend - erections were not very good, and it took me ages to finish and get a boner (sorry for my language, English is not my native language so I probably sound a bit rude). I’m trying to fix the issue but I just can’t find an answer and I’m really getting depressed lately, this is killing me like nothing before and it’s been several months now. I have changed many doctors (2 urologists, 3 endocrinologists) and they could not help me - All I do are blood tests over and over again, but they offer no solution.

Urologist, they say my penis is fine and testicles are fine. They offer me cialis or viagra as solution. I tried it with my (now ex girlfriend) but neither worked for me. The last endocrinologist I have been to told me “It’s probably a job for the psychotherapist”.

My hormone levels, however, are not good. I asked him about it and he told me that ‘It probably comes out of my head’. I did 2 ultrasounds of my thyroid and everything is fine there. I will show you now my latest results (I’m showing you only elevated and interesting parameters, my blood tests and other results are good) :

TSH - 5,17 (0.27 - 4.20)
Estradiol - 55 ( 20 - 53)
Prolactin - 540 (86-320)
Testosterone - 4.83 (2,49-8,36)
Free Testosterone - 17 (7-22.70)
SHBG - 22.52 ( 18.3 - 54)
Free T4 - 14.32 (12-22)
Cortisol - 432 (133 - 537)

As you can see my testosterone level is quite low and it was even 0.1 under the border after first test. These are repeated results after I really worked on it to back it to normal (I took more fats, 75mg of zinc, heavy dosages of ashwagandha and ginseng, 3-4000mg vitamine D etc) and even now, my testosterone level is quite low with all the supplements and increased fats.
The main problem I have is my libido and erections. Sometimes I do have morning erections (2 days in a row for example, then 3. day nothing). I rarely masturbate and don’t feel an urge to masturbate at all. But when I do it, It really takes me a lot of time and I can never reach full erection… I feel no urge to have sex at all to be honest. I loved my girlfriend so much and still hope I can be with her if I fix myself - we knew each other for quite some time before we started a relationshipIur opinion and answer your questions - What my results and symptoms suggest, why my hormones are unbalanced?
One doctor (not a specialist) who goes to my gym told me to try with this therapy:
t3 + clomide + some medicine for prolactine (forgot the name) for my problem but as I said he is not a specialist.

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I didn’t read the whole post but tsh/prolactin are what I’d be focused on first. Increased tsh comes from increased TRH and increased TRH also increases prolactin. Increased prolactin is linked to all kinds of sexual issues. That needs to be addressed regardless of a further need for increased testosterone (which you may or may not need)

You need to get free T and SHBG tested as well. Total T doesn’t tell us much.

If you google “tsh prolactin delayed ejaculation” you will find some studies on this that seem to fit your situation.

I’d start with a plain t4 supplement and see what happens since that’s the easiest.

3

Damn dude your thyroid is broken, your pituitary gland is screaming at your thyroid and your thyroid isn’t getting the message. You need a proper thyroid make up consisting of fT3, rT3 and antibody testing. High rT3 can be a reason for elevated TSH. Hypothyroidism is connected to the prolactin increase.

I wonder are these actual doctors your seeing because they are incompetent. The estrogen test was the wrong one, I can tell by the ranges. Your endo is incompetent!

Your testosterone appears to look fine, you don’t need TRT.

4

Thank you for your answer.
I posted my lab results in the first post, I forgot to include free testosterone. my results for free testo are good. Here they are again :

TSH - 5,17 (0.27 - 4.20)
Estradiol - 55 ( 20 - 53)
Prolactin - 540 (86-320)
Testosterone - 4.83 (2,49-8,36)
Free testosterone - 17 (7-22.70)
> SHBG - 22.52 ( 18.3 - 54)
Free T4 - 14.32 (12-22)
Cortisol - 432 (133 - 537)

5

You have a thyroid issue. Forget about testosterone for now.

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Do you have FSH and LH results? Was there any T3 testing?

This would concern me the most. Need to run down the cause of this.

This may be reasonable, but I’d get more info prior to proceeding. Cabergoline is what he was likely recommending.

7

Excuse moi for shitting up your thread, but my question seems be relevant to the topic.

Can hypothyroidism cause overaromatisation and problems with clearing E2? I remember reading that hypohyroidism can cause SHGB to drop to drastic levels, which in turn could create problems with E2.

8

Yes it can, fT3 drives metabolism including the clearance rates of estrogen via the liver, fT3 also increase metabolism and burns fat off your body which is where aromatisation takes place.

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Thanks man. Makes a lot of sense. I imagine TSH, FT3 and FT4 wouldn’t be sufficient to determine if there is an actual issue with thyroid. In my country rT3 is expensive as fck.

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I know, that’s why you have to fight with doctors because it seems doctors are more concerned with cost then their own patients.

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I know I’m screwed I spent fortune on doctors to fix myself, almost out of money, and they really seem incompetent to help. They offer literally no solution. I look healthy and they praise my looks when they see me and chit-chat with me telling me it’s all in my head or because of stress (it’s true Iv been under a lot of stress in the last year or so but no way it can cause such a shipwreck of my hormones).
And btw, I didn’t want TRT, this thread was in rehab and health forum I think but admin moved it here :slight_smile:

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FSH - 6.9 (0.7-11.1)
LH - 3.9 (0.8-7.6)
I did 2 ultrasound of my thyroid with 2 different endocrinologists and thyroid looks normal without any changes on it. I’m not sure what T3 test is, I will do this test as well if you suggest.

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Free T3 and reverse T3.

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This is what doctors say when they don’t know what’s wrong with you, it’s a copout and are not very knowledgeable within their own chosen area of medicine.

Stress can ruin your hormones and they are just inadequate and not able to figure it out.

2 Likes
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Ok I will do it in the next few days. It is done with the regular blood test I guess, should I check something else while I’m at it?
Also, I have one question about the stack I got recommended (t3 + clomide + bromocriptine (that’s the name)) - Are there any side effects on using it? Guy told me t3 is only the regulator for example and I wont need using it as a therapy all my life. As for clomide, he told me it might suppress my natural testosterone production but not necessarily.
I also plan to go heavy on ginseng + ashwagandha, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, DAA, b complex, fish oil, vitamin c.
So the question would be, If I manage to reset and back my hormones to normal once, can I drop the medicine stack that helped me or I will be forced to use it my entire life?

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Man, I live in a third world country, you wouldn’t believe the doctors here.
I was on a high protein diet when I started all of this, guy scared the hell out of me telling me my kidneys are broken because my UREA was a little bit elevated.
So I did ultrasound of my kidneys and other tests and everything was fine. Then he spent ages me explaining how high protein diet will ruin me and it’s probably the main cause (along with overtraining as I look unhealthy muscular to him) of my erectile dysfunction. And he is one of the better and most expensive urologists in my city.

17

Always potential side effects. But you’re going to have to try something, something is wrong, and, you’re allowed to have more than one thing wrong. Without knowing free T3 and reverse T3 status, I couldn’t say whether I’d address thyroid or pituitary first, but Clomid would be last. Unless T3 levels are great, can’t imagine they would be, I’d lean towards starting with both thyroid and bromocriptine.

I don’t recall you getting a pituitary dedicated MRI? If no, probably should look into that.

3 Likes
18

Fully agree with @highpull .

Get an MRI before going on any dopamine agonist.

Subclinical hypothyroidism it is and an experimental treatment with thyroid hormones makes absolutely sense.

2 Likes
19

Alright boys, thank you very much for your help.
I will do T3, reverse T3 and pituitary MRI and then back to you before I proceed with any medicine.

20

Hey boys it’s me again. I wanted to tag both of you (highpull and johann77) for this post but I’m not sure how to do it.
So I’m still in que for that MRI test, looks like my insurance does not cover it and it’s quite expensive here so I will wait a few more days before I (probably) pay it with my own money.
Meanwhile, I have done t3 test and repeated some hormone tests and results are:

T3 (total T3) - 1.3 (1.3-2.6)
FT3 (free T3) - 3.58 (2.76-6,45)
TSH - 4.450 (0.400 - 4.000)
Testosterone - 11.30 (5.54 - 25.20)
Prolactin - 598 (53-360)

So, comparing with older tests, my TSH improved a little bit (still over the top), testosterone is similar, but prolactin is still very high, maybe even worse.

Now, what my T3 results show, I’m on the edge with (total T3 )and within normal range with (free T3)?
As I said, still waiting for this MRI, does it make any sense to start with T3 hormone and bromocriptine therapy or wait for pituitary MRI?