I am currently 51 years old and have worked out moderately to heavy with weights since 17. 5’10" at 198 lbs. Have tested low for testosterone in 4 blood test dating back to when I was 45. Over the last couple of years I have had a loss of libido and zest for life. Not really depression as I am normally a very happy guy. Feel like taking a nap when I get home instead of jumping outside in the yard like normal, things like that.
Did not get all of the tests done that I should have as I had not read the stickies on this forum until recently. Some test results are: T3 uptake high at 40. T4 was normal at 5.2. TSH was 2.1 . HDL Cholesterol low at 35 and triglycerides high at 278. Globulin low at 2.0 and Albumin/Globulin ratio low at2.2. Testosterone low at 238. FSH at 5.0 and LH at 2.5. Prolactin was 8.8. I now know that I needed to test for E2 and possibly DHEA but did not know it then. Doc (GP) put me on 7.5 gram androgel about 12 days ago but I am not feeling any different from it. Will get E2 checked next week but was wondering what you guys thought from what little I have given you. I eat healthy(protein and lots of vegs) work out 3 day per week on weights and practice a little yoga and other stretching the other days.
Am happily married with a wife and 3 grown kids. Don’t smoke and drink a little beer about 2 nights per week. Am I expecting results from the androgel too soon? Does anyone see anything that would point to any other underlying problems? Doctor is family friend that is not too knowledeble in this field but to my advantage he is willing to look seriously at my problems and suggestions.
without Cortisol tests, full Thyroid tests, or other blood tests there is no way to know if Androgel is going to do anything for you.
Your T is low, but your LH/FSH are low (but still within range - I think?)
Your TSH is high (anything over 1 is high. some say that 1 is too high) which means you probably have a problem with your free T3 or Reverse T3.
I would stop the Androgel and wait two weeks and then test for as many things as I could per the blood test sticky.
If you fix your Thyroid, Cortisol, Vitamin D (which is probably low), etc. then you may not even need HRT.
Docs are too quick in just slapping a patch or gel on and sending the patients home rather than looking for other underlying causes.
Have you read the stickies and scanned through the other threads here? there is a wealth of information.
Thank you for your replies. I will get the recommended tests this next time. From your reply, PureChance, I am reading that you think I may have a thyroid problem but where did you get Corisol? Not questioning your opinion, just trying to educate myself. Do the results from the readings I listed indicate a coritsol problem? KSman, I know you cant be exact but how long can I stay on the gel before I am hooked from now on? Also, my blood test also says:
Free T4 index 2.1 range 1.4-3.8
T4 total 5.2 range 4.5-12.5
TSH, 3rd Generation 2.1 range 0.40 - 4.5
These were not considered out of range so I didn’t list them earlier to shorten the post.
Again, thanks for your help!
all of your systems are linked together and all impact each other in some form or fashion (adrenal, hormonal, thyroid, brain chemistry, gut absorbtion/nutrition, etc. etc. etc.)
from all of the forums I have read:
people with Testosterone/Hormone issues seem to have a higher probability of having Thyroid issues.
(case in point - Your T is low, and your TSH is high.)
people with Thyroid issues seem to have a higher probability of having Cortisol issues.
(doesn’t hurt to have your Cortisol checked out to confirm or refute that possibility.)
People who fix their Thyroid and/or Cortisol CAN (but not always) see improvements to their natural T production - which means that some people on HRT are just fixing the symptom and not the root cause.
check out stopthethyroidmadness website for more Thyroid/Cortisol links and data on necessary tests, why free t4 and free T3 are critical, why TSH is basically useless, and why Reverse T3 is a problem.
Ideal TSH is 0.5 to 1.0. The 0.5 to 5.0 range is completely wrong and useless - worse it misleads too many doctors who don’t know any better.
In Range only means that 95% of the population fits into that range (including the unhealthy ones). The lab test ranges never show you the IDEAL range.
Not only does the ‘body’ need proper T, E, cortisol, thyroid, DHEA [etc] levels to work properly, so do all of the organs that produce those hormones, as well as the organs that produce control hormones such as the hypothalamus. Yes, the ‘system’ is like a house of cards. In many cases, you cannot fix just one thing. And perhaps one thing that needs to be fixed that is not corrected can lead to other hormone system failures.