TOPIC: Testosterone replacement therapy

Hey guys, thought I would post about what I\'m going through and get some feedback.
I\'m 42 y/o, healthy, good diet, work out, no diseases (, diabetes, hypertension, etc.). I noticed about last September that I was having trouble maintaining an erection. It wouldn\'t get completely hard to begin with, but would seem to go away mid-stream, so to speak. I figured it was part of life & aging. I also had a list of other things bothering me, like fatigue, night sweats, hot flashes, muscle loss, and depression.
I saw my doctor, who ordered a testosterone test. I was at 349. Average for my age is like 679. But my doctor wouldn\'t do anything about it because I\'m on the \"NORMAL\" scale.
So, after 6 months of trying everything I could to boost my testosterone naturally yet still feeling shitty, I contacted a HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) specialist nearby. I called and spoke to a nurse. I was concerned that because insurance won\'t pay for it, that I\'d lay out all this money and be told that they can\'t treat me because I\'m \"normal.\" This nurse said, \"The doctor doesn\'t treat a number, she treats your symptoms.\" Just what I wanted to hear.
So I have taken new labs, 24 hour urine collection, and am awaiting the results in order to schedule my appointment. If, as I suspect, I am prescribed testosterone, she said it would be prescribed that day.
So, I am definitely going ahead with it. I\'m tired of being tired. My libido is shit. My erections are shit. Everything I\'ve read, indicates this is exactly what\'s wrong with me. It\'s really disheartening to go through this at 42. I actually had all 11 of the low T symptoms on her list. And no, I\'m not a hypochondriac.
I guess I\'m just looking for anyone in a similar situation that has tried TRT. I do not like taking any kind of meds. But I\'ve been having to take Cialis or Viagra everytime since January. So either way, I\'m going to have to take something.
Pros and cons? Anybody?

Hey Jog- what\'s wrong with the Tonkat!? I take it every day!! Love it! I cycle it every 3 or 4 weeks.. take a week off. But shoot me a link or fill me in on how it can be dangerous. Thanks!

Carvedilol and Losartan Potassium. Both have low co pays and I have experienced no side effects.

Pls, which medication are you now using for pressure?

I have been on TRT for about 5 years. My natural levels were in the low 200\'s in my late 40\'s. I have also been on HCG to reduce testicular Atrophy with good results. Everyone is different, but I only take 1/2 cc of testosterone weekly to maintain levels in the 600-800 range. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE. I fill my prescription at Costco for about $70.00 twice a year including the needles.

I too had Erection difficulties even on TRT. It turned out to be a problem with a blood pressure medication that resolved itself literally in days after my doctor changed my medication.

I\'ve been on 200mg Test Cyp for the last 10+ years. Testicular Atrophy is a temporary condition. Less fertility, also temporary. I have 7 children, ages 22,20,17,15,9,4,3 months. Number one side effect for healthy adult males is generally thickening of blood. Donate once per quarter, alleviates that issue. I administer 200mg/wk IM self injection. After insurance, costs me about $17 for a 10ml vial. Without insurance cost is typically $85 - $130 - 10ml. UG lab prices are typically $40 - $65 - 10ml Cyp.

IM injections is the only way to go in MHO. Patches and gel sucked for me and are far more pricey. Besides....nut Atrophy makes your wang look bigger! It\'s all relative brother!

T make you feel great no doubt about that and if you take ED meds that counterbalances the increase in blood pressure.

The thing with Clomid is that it is meant for women and usage in men is \"Off label\", so your insurance might not cover it (assuming you use insurance)

Thanks all for the responses.
I figure it will run me about $300 a month, give or take. A small price to pay if it delivers everything I\'ve read.
I was tested for about 50 different hormones, including Free Testosterone, Cortisol, and Estradiol to name a few. Still awaiting results.
I am the type to research things to death, and as such, I\'m leaning towards the testosterone pellets. They are more expensive, but I am fortunate enough to be able to afford them. And studies show they get your level up fast, and slowly drop over 4 months or so. It\'s a lot more gradual of a drop than injectables. Plus, I\'m gone from home frequently in the summer (due to work), and can\'t always be around to get weekly shots.
I will ask about HCG, as I really don\'t like the idea of my Balls shrinking either.
As I said in my original post, I\'m tired of feeling this way.

I had the same issue with my doctor and it irritates me that they are not more proactive on this issue. I was 33 and my level was in the mid 300\'s and the doctor wouldn\'t do anything for it. Finally after a few years it finally dropped into 240 range and was put on some TRT. I have to say it\'s changed my life. I didn\'t realize how much of a role it played on a man\'s mental and physical health. I would go weeks/months without erections, not even in the morning. I gained a lot of weight, I was tired all the time, had pretty bad depression, ended up with a CPAP machine. It felt like the circle of death. People would tell me to go to the gym, but they didn\'t understand I didn\'t have the energy. Since starting TRT a little over a year ago, I\'ve dropped 85 lbs, I have energy, depression is managed easier, I have ambition for life. Not to mention I wake up with morning wood which still seems foreign because I went so long with ED. They did start me on Androgel and it improved my numbers to around 550, and I recently started injection theropy to try and get my levels up even more. Also, make sure they look at your Free Testosterone number too. Good luck, hope it changes your life.

Hi Smokdu123

I thought I would chime in because I have been on TRT for about 3 years. I\'m new here. This is actually my first post.Testosterone replacement is the single best thing I have ever done for my personal wellbeing.

First a little background. I\'m 58. I\'ve never had any sexual problems. I\'m fact I tell the doctors my problem has always been keeping it down.

My problem was my brain. TBH, my whole life I was always the smartest guy in the room. I have a high IQ and I work in a relatively high profile industry. I\'m in a position where I am in charge with almost dictatorial control over what goes on. It\'s a great gig.

But as I aged I could feel my mind slowing down. I just wasn\'t as sharp as I used to be. And I began to suffer from real depression. So you get an accurate picture, I\'m financially independent. I have great kids and I love my wife. I am considered one of the leading guys in my field. So what\'s there to be depressed about? Nothing. But I was, and I suffered from thoughts.

I knew it had to chemical.

Eventually I saw a doctor that tested my testosterone. I was in the low normal range but I had high Sex Hormone Binding Globulin. SHBG is like a sponge for testosterone. It sucks up the T and makes it unavailable. The result was I had low free testosterone.

I started on Androgel. It was revolutionary. Within days I could feel the fog lifting from my head. My mood improved dramatically. My sex drive went through the roof. My wife told me to never go off the treatment because, \"You haven\'t been funny in years.\"

Jump to the present

I now go here:
www.agelessmenshealth.com

They are extremely experienced and knowledgable.

(For the record I am not affiliated with them in any way and I\'m not in the medical field. I\'m just a patient.)

The regime is a once a week injection. The testosterone levels you experience are little roller coastery but not bad. They try to keep your levels below 1100 at the peak and above 700 at the trough.

In addition I receive an injection of HCG. It stimulates your testicles and keeps them from shrinking. Because otherwise, your balls will shrink to about half their normal size. That happened to me when I was on the gel only. I bothered me. I had nuts like a 10 year old. This injection is optional.

The 3rd medication is anastrozole. It controls the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Too much estrogen and you start growing breasts. No bueno.

The benefits of the treatment for me are hard to overstate. It\'s completely revolutionary for my life. My brain is fast. I\'m happy. I have energy. Muscle tone has improved. My sex drive is actually bit of a problem because it\'s so strong. My dick hangs lower and erections are steel. Nighttime erections are so hard it actually wakes me up some nights.

I pay $210 a month. My insurance would have paid but it would have more actually more expensive than the cash price. Recently the clinic was forced to change providers for the HCG. The price went up. It\'s now an additional $10 a week. I\'m paying $250 a month total. This includes regular blood tests to monitor levels.

The only side effect I experience is pretty serious muscle tightness. Especially in my middle back. It\'s bad. I\'m constantly stretching and getting it worked on. The benefits of the testosterone far outweigh the problem though.

And I guess you could call this a side effect - I think about my dick - a lot. It\'s probably the reason I\'m on this forum. Ha.

TRT is not really optional for me. I\'m going to be on it for the rest of my life because without it I\'m slow, cranky, and kinda like an old man. You know, that Get Off My Lawn guy.

I advise everyone I know to get tested and go on TRT. There are a few options for treatment, including a generic gel that\'s used once a day. On my insurance the co-pay for that was $15. I hated it because it\'s goopy and sticky and I need to use a lot. Androgel is much better but a $70 co-pay per month for me.

I hope this helps.

Camp has a good point-- The body generates test and has a natural balance. When you add artificial test, the body thinks it doesn\'t need to produce any more. Thus, your nuts may shrink. If you are on HRT for life, it is what it is.. you could do HGH and Clomid to \"restart\" the testes- however you are not a 22 year old guy coming off a steroid cycle. If you are on Test replacement for life, it is what it is- and your nuts will shut down.
I in fact had a fertility test and I was very very low on sperm count. So it did effect my fertility. I *think* this may be on a case by case basis though as I had a friend on 3,000MG a week and he got his wife pregnant (and its confirmed his).

Thanks Sexbeast.. I am not a doctor. I am not even pro-steroids in most cases. I talk about one kid a month away from taking them at my gym when they ask me about them. I made some very bad decisions in my youth. Smok in my opinion could benefit though if he is careful. I am always honest with my doctors.

brock is correct in many in many ways, i\'m going to give u a web address u can call and do an over the phone consult with this clinic. they r very good and offer a variety of therapies and can answer a lot of questions. i myself use them and we have clients we send them. be forthright with your docs, due multiple blood workups a year.
we r dynamic beings, thus we change in seconds, minutes, hours, daily, weekly and so on so u need to be on it. there r a lot of docs that do HRT but few who r very good at it. my wife and i also belong to the A4M, a great resource...
www.a4m.com




innovativemen.com

T therapy also shrinks your Balls and affect fertility.

You have hit my field of expertise my friend. I took a steroid cycle in my 20\'s and never came back naturally. I\'ve been on T for 15 years.. a measurement in the 300\'s is like a grade of D on an exam. I\'ve had mine up to 5,000 with frantic phone calls from my doctor. You really want it around 600-800, but your T patches or cream rubs are VERY weak and will probably just get you up to 400. That may be enough for you though. Every person is different.
What is this T replacement costing you? Those clinics are expensive and dont take insurance right?
Honestly- way cheaper.. go to your gym, find the biggest most vascular guy and buy like 10 bottles off him.

Pro\'s less body fat. You burn way more calories at rest. Huge lift in sex drive. More youthful in general. I have the body of a 25 yr old. Face.. not so much..

Cons- I sweat a LOT, my prostate swells (they say test doesn\'t increase prostate size- I think its from going way up and way down and estrogen fluctuation), you will need it for life-- so you have to stock up.. I buy 20-30 bottles at a time. Play with different compounds- HGH too. It gets addictive. Blood pressure needs to be watched. Cholesterol too. I do blood workups at least 2x a year.

Make sure when you get your T checked, you check estrogen too. You may be too high - the ratio of T and Estrogen starts to get wonky usually in mens 50\'s thats why by 60 most men look like little old ladies. You want a full hormone work up.

TRT has been the best thing I ever did. I suffered from all the signs of manopause and now I feel like I\'m 30. You have to weight train and exercise to enjoy the benefits. The testosterone on it\'s own will not do it. The testosterone only allows an older man to feel better and recover faster. The true benefit comes from weight lifting and other strenuous exercise. It will change your life with one shot a week.