First off, I apologize I’ve not posted an intro and background so I realize you don’t have a lot of detail to go off to reply. But I’ve been on Clomid (25mg/day) for one month. My testosterone level right before starting was 74. My testosterone has been extremely low (<200 and at some points <100) for the last five or more years but due to some other health issues, it wasn’t addressed until recently. I just had my t-level checked after 30 days on Clomid and got the results today and was shocked. It’s now 863. My endo gave me absolutely no clue what to expect. I never would have thought it could increase 1100% within 30 days. Doesn’t that seem like an extreme increase in just a short time? Is that bad?
So what exactly does this tell me? Just that my testes are alive and kicking and can do their job??
Unfortunately I feel just as bad physically, if not worse than before I started Clomid (MAJOR fatigue & no energy, no libido or sex drive, no erections, varying degrees of brain fog). And there’s been several days of absolute hell mentally and emotionally. I’ve never felt so down and on edge … it was actually scary (not exaggerating). I know I can’t stay on Clomid any longer.
So knowing Clomid worked with raising the testosterone level so well, but feeling no effects of this increase, what would be a logically step from here? I have a feeling I’ll have to make suggestions myself to the endo.
I have noticed my testes have increased in size slightly over the last month, but still not back to where they used to be. My penis is definitely much smaller than it was and if I’m able to work up an erection, it’s no where near the size and firmness that it was before and I can’t maintain it more than a minute or two. Will this change? I guess I never realized a penis could shrink. Does low-t over extended amount of time with no erections affect the health of the penis at all?
And last question, again related to having low-t for so long, does it have any affect on the prostate? I’ve found it odd that I was seeing a urologist at first for the low-t and then switched over to an endocrinologist and neither checked my prostate (not even PSA blood test). Trust me, I don’t enjoy having it done, but shouldn’t that be something they would check before prescribing anything? And going long periods of time with no release of semen, does that negatively affect the prostate?
Sorry if I wandered too far off topic but this certainly seems to be the most informative forum I’ve found and who better to understand and know the answers than other guys that are going through or have gone through a similar situation.
I’m working on my intro/background and will post soon. I have an unusual health history so it’s taking a bit of time to get it all together without it being a novel.
Responses to any questions I posed are greatly appreciated. I’m hoping a few of my questions are general enough that they can be answered without knowing all my info.
Thanks. Keep an eye out for a post from me on my personal detail in the coming days. If it helps, my current age is 43. I was around 38 or 39 when low-t first discovered.
You need to get your Estradiol (E2) checked. If you increase T without controlling E2 you can experience emotional sides like you describe. Arimidex will help prevent conversion of T into E2.
reposting this:
Endos and urolgists seem to be mostly unable to do TRT properly.
Try rockcreekwellness, they are near you.
There are two good docs there.
They look at many health issues and do not have T-tunnel vision.
Read these stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman
-
advice for new guys -
things that damage your hormones -
protocol for injections -
finding a TRT doc
Post labs with ranges:
TT
FT
E2
LH/FSH
prolactin if <35
PSA if >40
CBC
hematocrit
AST/ALT
fasting glucose
fasting cholesterol
TSH
Please read those stickies!
- Many [some] guys feel horrible on Clomid. Ask to switch to Nolvadex which does not have that side effect.
- The dose may be too high, driving a lot of T–>E2 inside the testes.
- Test LH/FSH, these may be high causing above E2 problem.
- Probably then need a smaller dose, suggest 10mg Nolvadex.
- These items are all in the stickies.
Your DHT has been low and DHT is now increasing. DHT is critical for development and maintenance male sex organs. You need DHT and high T levels that should lead to strong nocturnal erections that stretch out the tissues of the penis. Taking low dose Cialis/tadalafil every day would help this.
I suggested a better TRT doc.
Please post off of the lab results with ranges.