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 suicidal 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.