What Do You Guys Think?

Was wondering if I could get some advice on my current situation. I’ve been on androgel for about 6-7 years now. In the beginning, something just told me to ask doc about T levels, got the test & came back real low (don’t remember original level). I have a new doc now who increased the dose (4 pumps a day), but referred me to an endo. First endo appt is coming up, but I wanted to run this stuff by you guys first. The level of knowledge here is incredible, so thanks in advance.

age:32
height: 6’3
weight: 270 (high teens bf, I imagine)
Body hair/facial hair: never had a beard. Goatee only in past few years with androgel. Not very hairy otherwise
testes ache or hurt? ever? Sometimes, rarely there is a dull ache.
depression: no however I ran out of gel for like 10 days & felt like shit until I got my order in
libido : lower than usual
get cold easily? a change? All through life it seems. Nothing extreme like having to wear a coat indoors tho. Extremities freeze in the snow, cold rain, etc
dry skin, brittle nails? no
use iodized salt? No more than anyone else
eat much sea food? Maybe 2-3 times a month
exposure to chemicals? not much. Work in industrial type area sometimes & shoot a fair amount
ever used hair loss drugs? No, but if I could to grow a beard, that’d be great :slight_smile:
Rx and OTC drugs: androgel, multivitamin, protein & Pre-workout stuff
general energy levels: fairly decent. Only when I went off gel did I feel horrible
difficulty gaining muscle / recent muscle loss: muscle gain seems to be fairly decent, but nothing stellar. I’m a fairly strong guy, but I imagine that I could be stronger if my levels were right.
weight gain (difficulty losing weight): around belly & face. Need to drop some lbs
general diet: not the best. Never eat breakfast, portions have always been too large
concentration/focus/drive/memory: fluctuate, but not as good as they should be
confidence level/anxiety level: fairly good confidence, mild anxiety from time to time. High stress makes adrenal area hurt/throb. Never knew what this was before reading this board

chest size/gyno?/chest sensitivity: large, barrel-type chest. nipples have been kinda puffy whole life.
morning erections/ability to maintain erections : no more morning wood. Not as firm as teen/early 20s. Sad…
supplement history: creatine, protein, vitamins, C4 Pre-workout. Ephedra caffeine aspirin stack way back in the day. Never any AAS
headaches: almost never

Here is my current blood work:
WBC: 3.6 (since a teen its been low. No diseases)
RBC: 5.27
Hemoglobin: 16.5
Hematocrit: 46.4
Neutrophil: 28.4
Lymph: 61.7

Sodium: 139
Potassium: 4.9
Chloride: 104
CO2: 26
Urea Nitrogen: 10
Creatinine: .86
Protein: 8.3
Albumin: 4.2
Calcium: 9.6
Bilirubin: 1.6
ALP: 100
AST: 36
ALT: 33
Globulin: 4.1
Anion GAP: 9

PSA: .62 (doc says its from androgel)
Total Test: 201
%Free Test: 2.3
Free Test: 45.6
SHBG: 24

I know that’s a whole lot to look at, but any help you guys can provide would be great. I’m thinking the gel just doesn’t work anymore. I guess shots would be the way to go. Hopefully the endo agrees. Ideas?

Total T is def low…Free T look abysmal…can you go back and add in the ranges to make it easier for us to see where you are? You can use the EDIT button to add them in.

Also, you dont have quite enough tests to really get down to brass tacks…but this will be a jumping point

ditto VT… there is just not enough tests to work with… you really need to test for TSH, cortisol, E2, etc. etc. etc. per the blood test sticky. and good luck with the Endo. I have never seen a single success story that start with “I went to this endo and…”

was your FSH/LH low when they first tested you? did you get an MRI of your pituitary?

cold issues, low T while on Gels typically signal thyroid issues so even with no tests, it might be beneficial if you were to go read 18 Summaries of Things We Have Learned - Stop The Thyroid Madness.