So I’m not posting this for me, but rather my father.
He’s always been a bigger guy than I, but ever since I came back from college being 20 pounds heavier, I’ve been giving him a run for his money. He’s started lifting, but complains that he stays sore for days. His nutrition is pretty good, not perfect, but pretty good. He also has a lot of gut that he has trouble losing. He sticks with compound movements, Bench and bent row mainly, but switches to machines when his joints can’t handle it. Squats give him the most problems since he was a basketball player in his youth, 2 time All-American.
I recommended TRT to him, and showed him some studies done on it. He’s game to do it, but can’t find any place that will help him out. Does anyone know any Endocrinologists in the Bay Area that would help? I really have no idea where to start looking for this considering I’ve never had to look for it before.
He’s 51, 6’6", 255. He’s not planning on having anymore kids, so I don’t think that infertility is going to be a problem.
How long has he been lifting and what’s the nature of the soreness? If it’s just DOMS, then I don’t know why you would turn to drugs right off the bat. If it’s tendons and he’s always doing heavy compounds, that might be related.
It sounds like he’s trying to compete with you and might be pushing it too hard. Perhaps he doesn’t need drugs at all, just a little patience.
Labs, labs. Without knowing where he stands hormonally, considering HRT is premature. There are several recent threads in this section which detail the appropriate sets of labs to get first.
When you know his total and free T’s, as well as thryroid, etc., then folks on T-Nation can assist in knowing whether or not HRT is right for him, and if it is not, what else can be suggested for him to get rid of the gut, increase his health, etc. Doc
What Dr. Powerclean said – he needs to get some labs done.
I just asked my general practitioner to test me. He did. That’s how I found out I had low testosterone.
Then he referred me to an endo. FWIW my GP treats several patients for low test, but he sent me to an endo because of some other stuff going on with me.
So your dad’s GP may end up treating him if he is low.
–
Maybe useful for your father to take and print out the ADAM test to take along to his visit:
The ADAM test (Androgen Deficiency in Aging Men) is a tool used to screen for symptoms of low testosterone in men over 40 years old.
It’s a simple first step toward finding out if your symptoms could be related to andropause. Answer the questions below to determine if you are a candidate for salivary bioavailable testosterone (SBA-T) measurement and a clinical consultation about testosterone treatment options.
Print the results and discuss them with your doctor and/or pharmacist.
Question
Have you experienced a decrease in your sex drive (libido)?
Do you lack energy?
Have you lost height?
Has your strength and/or endurance decreased?
Have you noticed yourself enjoying life less?
Are you frequently sad or irritable?
Are your erections less strong?
Have you noticed a recent deterioration in your athletic ability?
Do you find yourself falling asleep after dinner?
Has there been a recent deterioration in your work performance?