Anybody with low T?

[Texas Proud]

Just curious if anybody has/had low T?


Went to the doc and was told my T level was really low... so today got my first shot...


I am wondering what to expect going forward and what happened to you. Doc said they will test in a month and see if the level of the shots need to be adjusted... I also read about pellet implants... she is going to ask the insurance company to see if they will approve...


She is saying that this is not something I have to do forever, but maybe 4 months so I am wondering if you could stop after that or not...

 

[Just_Steve]

I have a 2 friends who do T replacement and one got fat and a little more aggressive then his usual self. Second one started working out and became buff and a little more aggressive then his usual self.

So I guess you should exercise and keep yourself in check.

 

[MRG]

I've supplemented T for 6-8 years. A most amazing experience.

When I was diagnosed I was obese, stressed, depressed and had the sex drive of a snail. I used Androgel gel, my docs nurse had warned me it wasn't just about my sex drive. A few months later I felt normal again. I was still working so much of my stress stayed. My life significantly improved from TRT.

Fast forward, I've retired, lost weight, started exercising and move out of the area. As I come off androgel depression, anxiety, and stress are my new friends.

My shiny new PCP said I didn't have low T! My blood was fine! I was seriously depressed, I'd lost control of my weight. I was eating 2000 calories daily and now I'm eating 1500 and I'd put on 20 pounds. I didn't ever want sex again, the thought of sex was strange.

I finally complained again and eventually got to a urologist. Using the same bloodwork he says "you have low T". There's several different markers and my PCP won't consider anything except total T. Well according to the urologist if you don't have any free T it can't bond to SHBG and you can't use it.

What's different this time is I'm exercising and jogging. I generally go 6 days a week to the gym. After 4 months I'm seeing gains at the gym. Happier, I'm not depressed. My weight is dropping and I'm back eating 2000 calories a day. Sex is pretty awesome and the need for medical "helpers" is zero![emoji12]

I'm not sure about stopping TRT. My understanding is you keep doing it if you want the benefits.

ETA: Never done injections. There's a couple of subs on Reddit(r/lowt r/testestorone)

 

[Texas Proud]

Thanks for the replies so far... and if you are not comfortable putting it out in the forum I will read a PM...


I do go to the gym, but eat way too much candy even with diabetes.... so do not lose weight... but doc did say this should help...

 

[UtahSkier]

I have been on TRT for 6+ years and am doing well. I am willing to discuss all aspects of my protocol and experience.

First of all, most DRs are clueless and your DR appears to be among them. You will have to study and become your own expert for managing your hormones and your treatment. Then you have to find a DR that will support you.

Hands down, the best online site for TRT is on t-nation.com.

If you are Low T, then most likely you are low thyroid as well. T-nation has good info about addressing thyroid before starting TRT. Also, there is a logic that you should not start TRT until your BodyFat is below some threshold (18 or 20%).
Too much Body fat can really make it difficult to manage estrogen.

Lastly, pellets and creams are poor delivery options. I self inject and that is the best option.

 

[Bir48die]

I'm sure I have low T so I use the big V

 

[Car-Guy]

No, as the submarine commander said, it's running hot, straight and normal.

 

[SumDay]

DH had low T and went to a compounding pharmacy who created a topical hormone cream based on his bloodwork and other test results. He's been on it for a couple of years. It helps immensely and he's not having the side effects from the other things the doctor tried.

 

[eytonxav]

Hands down, the best online site for TRT is on t-nation.com.

+1

Several years ago, I experienced low T, probably due to diabetes and being overweight and out of shape. I went on testim and began to workout in the gym and gained a significant amount of muscle and strength through heavy resistance training, T level was up in 750 - 800 range. Then my insurance no longer covered testim and I was put on androgen. That was not nearly as effective and my levels were down in the 400-500 range. Fast forward to a few years ago, I had 10 day hospital stay due to pancreatitis and while there my left arm developed a blockage from IV feeding and I was advised to discontinue T treatments after being discharged. My levels remained very low after that for some time, but after a period of time and loosing weight they returned to the low side of normal and I have no plans to resume treatment. Low T definitely seems to me to be very much correlated with belly fat. From the research I've done, I also believe the injections, once fine tuned to what your body needs, is probably the most effective way to go, although I never actually tried injections due to insurance.

That said, I never had any libido impacts before T or after being on T, nor did I undergo any personality change. When you go on T treatment, your body will stop producing T naturally, and when you stop T treatments, be prepared that it might take quite a while for that natural mechanism to start working again.

 

[eytonxav]

Another source of good information on T therapy can be found on Will Brink's BrinkZone. Here is a link to one such article, but there are many others:
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) in Testosterone Deficient men – effects on fat loss, waist reduction and metabolic syndrome components

 

[Texas Proud]

Another source of good information on T therapy can be found on Will Brink's BrinkZone. Here is a link to one such article, but there are many others:
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) in Testosterone Deficient men – effects on fat loss, waist reduction and metabolic syndrome components

Thanks for this article... still need to finish it, but the opening paragraphs describe me... so if the T therapy can help out with all these problems I will be happy...


I will have to read up on the best way to get it.. this one had it where you did not need to have a shot each week... so that is something I would be interested in...

 

[mountainsoft]

Several years ago I went through a spell where my libido just tanked. Unfortunately, when my wife was probably experiencing her peak drive, mine was nowhere to be found. With much embarrassment I asked my doctor about it and she had me get my testosterone checked. I was at the low end of normal, but not low enough for her to recommend therapy.

After a couple months with zero drive I tried a couple of natural supplements. I don't recall what they were now, but they did absolutely nothing. Waste of money.

Anyway, my drive eventually came back on it's own as mysteriously as it was gone. No changes in diet, weight, or life circumstances. Everything has been normal since then, so I don't know what caused those slow months.

Of course, once my drive came back, my wife's libido declined as she reached menopause. Figures...

 

[tomc5179]

52yo and have been on shots for a year. Started out on one shot per month. I didn't notice anything for a couple months and then energy and general feeling of well being started slowly improving. Blood test at 6 months showed I was still low T so doctor adjusted dose and changed to one shot every two weeks.

This is the best thing I have ever done, medically. Energy and "happiness" have greatly improved from a year ago and I can't say I've seen any negatives from it other than it costs me about $90 a month now (which I happily will continue paying). I'm interested now to see what my next blood test will show - I've heard once you start with injections, you have to keep going as the body quits making it naturally.

I exercise usually every day, have lost significant weight, and generally just a lot happier. For me, it was a slow and gradual improvement which built over time. I highly recommend it! YMMV.

 

[MRG]

This is the best thing I have ever done, medically. Energy and "happiness" have greatly improved from a year ago and I can't say I've seen any negatives from it other than it costs me about $90 a month now (which I happily will continue paying). I'm interested now to see what my next blood test will show - I've heard once you start with injections, you have to keep going as the body quits making it naturally.

+1

My insurance did cover my gel until a couple years ago. Insurance companies have learned new tricks for denial of claims. I don't think a eunuch could pass their tests today.

My understanding is you need to keep supplementing when you start. I heard a discussion between two guys at the gym, both with MDs after their names, both agreed.

 

[tmm99]

I'm female but I find this thread quite interesting. Interesting that the happiness level can be closely linked to the level of testosterone. We talk about happiness being something we can create by finding what we want to do, or we talk about going to counseling, or whatever. I'm sure those things are valid too, but all I'm saying is we are all bio-chemical beings, for sure, and it looks like it's probably worth checking testosterone levels.

 

[HadEnuff]

I tried it about 10 years ago, in my mid 50s...It was a PITA, because nobody local was knowledgeable, and I had to travel for blood work and check ups.

I started with a gel, but the bloodworm indicated no change, so I wound up with injections I had to give myself.
I felt it was making me somewhat irritable. Also the more I read the more I got concerned about increasing my chances for prostate cancer. It probably made me want sex more often, and frankly, that wasn't going to increase our marital compatibility (just the opposite actually), so I decided the cons outweighed the pros.
I've never been overweight, and have always been active and fit for my age, so I didn't have any real symptoms I was trying to address. Not sure what I was trying to address. I guess it was more of an experiment.

10 years later I am definitely experiencing symptoms of BPH, with elevated PSA which is being monitored. I don't think it's a result of my brief experimentation with testosterone supplementation, but I think I made the right move, for me, by dropping it.

One thing I've always wondered about is when they say a 55 year old male has low T, is that based upon some value for what they think "normal" is for a 55 year old, or based upon what is normal for a much younger male?

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[HadEnuff]

I'm female but I find this thread quite interesting. Interesting that the happiness level can be closely linked to the level of testosterone. We talk about happiness being something we can create by finding what we want to do, or we talk about going to counseling, or whatever. I'm sure those things are valid too, but all I'm saying is we are all bio-chemical beings, for sure, and it looks like it's probably worth checking testosterone levels.

another really peculiar thing about my experience:

when I did the gel, DW and I were very careful not to make skin to skin contact until the active time was done, and I'd showered up. As I said, it didn't have any effect on my T level. Much later, months later, after I'd given up on the gel, and was doing the injections, DW's endocrinologist noted HER testosterone levels where elevated and asked if I were doing any T therapy. Her Dr. was convinced that somehow, my gel, while directly applied to my skin and of no effect to my T level, somehow after being carefully washed off, raised DW's levels.

I don't think so, but it was weird.

 

[Chuckanut]

Male hormone levels can vary radically during the day.

A 55 year old male waking up after a good night's sleep and with no particular issues to stress him might have a significantly higher level, than a 30 years old male who has had a bad day at work and then fought awful rush-hour traffic to get home to screaming kids and a angry wife.

 

[tomc5179]

I'm female but I find this thread quite interesting. Interesting that the happiness level can be closely linked to the level of testosterone. We talk about happiness being something we can create by finding what we want to do, or we talk about going to counseling, or whatever. I'm sure those things are valid too, but all I'm saying is we are all bio-chemical beings, for sure, and it looks like it's probably worth checking testosterone levels.

I should clarify what I mentioned earlier - my opinion is that the t therapy probably didn't increase my "happiness", rather, I think it increased my feeling of "well being / satisfaction with self" which in turn made me feel like I wanted to invest more time into exercise and eating right which just compounded / increased the benefits of the T therapy.

To the OP; You mentioned you have a sweet tooth - I also used to have one in a big way. I'd read a couple of articles that mentioned sugar may be a culprit in driving T levels down. Nevertheless, you really owe it to yourself to try and cut down or eliminate sugar from your diet as much as you can. I no longer have any cravings for it and avoid it like the poison it can be. Your diet is an investment whose ROI cannot be measured, but it pays HUGE dividends healthwise as well as mentally / emotionally I believe.

My Doc told me before I started with the therapy that if I could move a couple items from my blood test in the right direction with diet & exercise, my body would automatically join in and move other items into proper specifications - he was right!

 

[Texas Proud]

I should clarify what I mentioned earlier - my opinion is that the t therapy probably didn't increase my "happiness", rather, I think it increased my feeling of "well being / satisfaction with self" which in turn made me feel like I wanted to invest more time into exercise and eating right which just compounded / increased the benefits of the T therapy.

To the OP; You mentioned you have a sweet tooth - I also used to have one in a big way. I'd read a couple of articles that mentioned sugar may be a culprit in driving T levels down. Nevertheless, you really owe it to yourself to try and cut down or eliminate sugar from your diet as much as you can. I no longer have any cravings for it and avoid it like the poison it can be. Your diet is an investment whose ROI cannot be measured, but it pays HUGE dividends healthwise as well as mentally / emotionally I believe.

My Doc told me before I started with the therapy that if I could move a couple items from my blood test in the right direction with diet & exercise, my body would automatically join in and move other items into proper specifications - he was right!

Thanks for the input... I have cut down on the sweets... I think it might be hard to eliminate them... but who knows for sure...


Heck, I have not even had my second shot yet...

 

[tomc5179]

Thanks for the input... I have cut down on the sweets... I think it might be hard to eliminate them... but who knows for sure...


Heck, I have not even had my second shot yet...

It's something you have to work at - took me two years to eliminate them with multiple relapses in between. However, each relapse got shorter and farther between. It got easier and easier as time went on. I'm certainly glad I invested the effort into it.

 

[Jerry1]

It's something you have to work at - took me two years to eliminate them with multiple relapses in between. However, each relapse got shorter and farther between. It got easier and easier as time went on. I'm certainly glad I invested the effort into it.

I think this is an important point. Like smoking, never stop trying to quit. Eventually, you will quit or at least be better off for trying. I try to stay away from grains, dairy and sugar. I’m by no means perfect in my effort, but my bloodwork has improved significantly.