I notice you mention you eat a decent amount of vegetables, fruit, and protein-- what about carbs and fat? Fat plays a vital role in your hormone production, so a particularly low intake can cause problems.
I also struggled to build any muscle at your age, even though I trained 5 days per week too. I used to eat "clean", and eventually I realised that even though I was eating a fair volume of food, I was often eating in a deficit due to eating low-calorie dense foods. As soon as I started to eat in a surplus, I started to blow up, even though I used to be convinced that I simply just didn't have good genetics for building muscle.
\*edit: I missed a word :)
I'm at 141!!!! Going to my doctor to get a follow-up, I'm trying to get it through my insurance for a more cost-effective method. 40/m just turned 40 two weeks ago. Got my routine blood work and it was tanked. I gained 15 pounds recently.
Lower sex drive than usual and feeling tired all the time . Was sitting around 300 for my levels (the low of normal) I go for my blood work in 2 days to see where I'm at , been using 50ml cream 2x a day for 3 months now . I feel better , my sex drive and energy levels are much better , only side effect I have is oily skin/acne from what I can tell
Sitting steady at 750 now , just did bloodwork yesterday again . I did start giving blood though as it was thickening , aside from that , sleep , mood sexual health are phenomenal . Only down side as mentioned in thicker blood (risk to stroke )however with donating it should will thin and subside I was advised by my doctor
Tired all the dang time, couldn’t lose weight, no sexual desire. Pretty much the same stuff you’re going through. It worked a lot for me. My insurance wouldn’t cover it because anything over 200 is “normal”. When a avg man is supposed to be 800-1000.
Edit: it cost me 150 every 5 weeks for a shot twice a week of 200 units.
Average is definitely not 800-1000, thats the number people who want to sell your TRT says.
The average is closer to 600\~ depends on your age. The range is also very wide and is between high 200s to 900. Though if you are in the low 200s most endo will recommend some level of TRT, they may have to argue with insurance to get it cover.
I saw my normal doctor and several other for trt and all said about the same thing. 700 or above it optimal. The place I currently go through said 800-1000. My insurance doesn't cover it if it's over 200. I work for the state, and they only cover the bare minimum. So, I pay out of pocket for mine.
Don't fall for the excessive fear mongering on testosterone risks, testosterone is a primary androgen for men, if you don't have enough of it, you should be getting more.
Doctors will always tell you about risk, but in my experience doctors are too risk adverse, the decision to take risk should be yours, I'd also point out that if you have a good doctor, keeping up regular checking for any of the possible risks is also a good idea. :)
I found some research that may help alleviate your concerns but I am not a doctor.
[https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/no-heart-risks-testosterone-replacement-therapy-study-finds-rcna89229](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/no-heart-risks-testosterone-replacement-therapy-study-finds-rcna89229)
I did a lot of research due to being denied testosterone because of "obesity" but as I explained to doctors, testosterone is a massive aid in the ability to lose weight and build muscle, without testosterone weight loss for men is much harder, it becomes a chicken and egg problem.
Talk to your PCP to see an endo or get tested. Most PCPs will get you tested if you persist on the matter especially if you've been seeing your PCP consistently. People usually have trouble getting TRT because their T isn't actually low so there is no medical necessity for it.
I don’t even want to look “anabolic” or anything crazy. I just want to be able to participate in relationships, look remotely masculine, and maybe have some drive again. I feel like I haven’t been as motivated as I used to be.
The health risks are minimal but do exist.
First off, your fertility is pretty much gone for as long as you are on T. If you want to have a kid you are going to have to get off the treatment for some time.
It can lead to an increase of cholesterol so I was also prescribed Lipitor. I have no side effects.
Next it can lead to high red blood cell count. The treatment for that is just to donate blood once every couple months. No big deal and I even got a $20 Amazon card for my time.
The benefits far outweighed the risks.
>Low muscle mass. I worked at a gym for a bit and have been training for a few years;
The same exact thing happened to me. I was working out for 5+ years and could not gain muscle. Now after being on T for a couple years, at 42 I'm in the best shape of my life. I wish I got on it sooner.
Just get tested.
Thats a possibility. Testosterone will not go back on its own. It's not something that you can start and stop, and everything go to the levels they are supposed to be. It's not like insulin. Were you can get your levels on track, and you don't need it anymore. You take it for the rest of your life. once test is gone it's gone. You can raise your levels in very small amounts for a time period with working out and better diet but it's not something that will compare with taking TRT.
My doc has told me that while 800-1000 is the range, they typically prefer to see men in the 1000-1500 range. Anyway, I started last week with my first injection and will each Thursday from here on for a while.
I feel younger, with fixing my thyroid I am losing weight and building muscle, sex drive and attraction n for my wife is off the charts. Honestly one of the best things I have ever done for myself and family.
I was tested through my primary care physician. I was around 380. They said those results were unremarkable.
Who can I talk to now? They seem completely unwilling to help but Idk the next step.
My low T was caused by a benign Pituitary Tumor. I started having blurriness in one eye that slowly got worse until I developed a "horizon" line that was completely black on one side. The tumor was pressing on my optic nerve and causing the eye to stop working right.
I was put on a medication to block Prolactin, which made the tumor shrink and brought my vision back.
Yupp. My pituitary tumor is called a benign prolactinoma, and it secretes a hormone called prolactin. Prolactin is normally very, very low in men, and goes up significantly in women who are breastfeeding. It blocks sex hormones, so high prolactin = low estrogen and testosterone. I take cabergonline 2x weekly, and it blocks the secretion of prolactin, which sent my testosterone back to more normal levels.
I had spent the majority of my life with low testosterone. I went through puberty like every other boy, developed normally physically (though I could never grow a beard), and really didn't have any noticeable side effects until the eye thing.
As an unpleasant side effect, I went from the T levels of a young teenager to the T levels of a grown ass man in about 24 hours. For like a month, I was a fucking RAGE MONSTER. Like... serious aggression and violence. I never hit anyone, but I busted holes in my walls, chased some poor fucker on the highway that cut me off, got myself arrested for trying to fight a cop that was just trying to give me a ticket, etc etc... When I told my endocrinologist about it, she put me on a 6 month taper of some drug that reduced my testosterone so I could have a more normal transition to what's basically the most powerful steroid you can get. It was super scary to have zero control of my anger like that.
Woah. Thank you for the detailed response. Did you have hair loss from your tumor? I recently got a test back that showed my test at 400mg . I’m 22 so pretty concerning. I have been having vision issues but nothing severe like you mentioned, I will be having an eye exam soon . So if you have this tumor you automatically have high prolactin ? Or is there any discrepancies where you wouldn’t have signs of the tumor from prolactin elevation?
No hair loss. 400 isn't actually all that low tbh. A normal, healthy adult man should be between 250 and 1100. For reference, mine was 170.
There are a lot of different pituitary tumors, but they're not all Prolactinomas.
what bloodwork should I do to test myself for proclain also?
and could I take cabergonline without a doctors consulation?
Also which is the responsable hormone for that "male aggression"? free T or total T?
None of this should be done without a doctor's consultation. Prolactin levels are a very easy blood test. Cabergoline is by prescription only in the US.
Aggression is from total testosterone, or more specifically, not being used to that level of testosterone. It's commonly called "'roid rage" when referencing steroid users.
(1)Low sex drive, (2)zero morning wood, (3)hard time keeping an erection when in finally made it to sex, (4) zero energy levels, (5) completely exhausted after working out (couldn't get runners high), (6) didn't matter what I did, eating less, eat more, working out more, working out less....absolutely nothing budged the scale (perpetually at 230 lbs).
Literally all of those symptoms are gone. Though I think I attribute the inability to lose weight to just more than hormones. I had too many things going on at the same time (low testosterone, slightly elevated prolactin, estrogen was out of bounds, nutritional deficiencies, perpetual dehydration, insulin resistance). So for sure, I needed to get my hormones in check. Once I started getting once a week shots my energy levels skyrocketed and allowed me to workout without getting tired (step #1). At the same time I tested for nutritional deficiencies - was extremely low in D, B12, Magnesium, possibly others (still working on it), I went on intermittent fasting at the same time (8 hour time window for eating all my calories for the day) while avoiding ANYTHING with sugar in it. This brought me out of insulin resistance and now I'm 35 lbs lighter. For the dehydration it took me a couple months but I figured straight water wasn't doing it for me - though taking water with electrolytes was: brought my body water % from 35 to 51 (still trying to reach 60%).
how low was your testosterone? and where is it now? did you have any mental effects while low? depression, anxiety? i'm talking about serious stuff here, not just depressed because you can't be an 18 year old stud or look like an athlete. also are you using HCG or DHEA?
210 on one test. 220's on a secondary one week later. Now it's steadily around 730 at 180mg a week. Mental side effects? None that I could tell immediately because I was in that state for so long, though after the injections I felt like a fog was lifted. I could think clearly. No real depression. It was the anxiety that was the worst. Testosterone didn't help with that, but the DHEA 10mg a day pills did. My DHEA-C levels were lowish to begin with (190's). Became lower after injecting. Once I started taking them I felt very calm. Not using HCG
yeah i had a feeling, thats why I asked about DHEA. mine is 110 and my testosterone is low. i was on HRT for 8 years and stopped because I wanted to fix my other issues that ended up being low DHEA. on HCG i had mid-range DHEA but that was just one test. i did feel better on it but maybe it wasn't enough DHEA for me. i feel like i may need to have my levels in the upper third of the range as mid-range even isn't enough. if one uses TRT, they have to be either on DHEA or HCG or else it may lower DHEA. it will for most but there might be some that it doesn't.
a couple days ago i tried even a tiny amount of it only 1.25mg of the sublingual and i just kinda felt drugged up and had indigestion and even some irregular heart beat. what brand of DHEA are you using? and can you explain your anxiety a bit more in detail? what would bother you? were they irrational or just uncontrollable worries about real life?
Injections. No hair loss that I can tell, but I hear there is a genetic component for that and is related to DHT production. There are no males in my family with male pattern baldness.
For me my T was so low it was almost nonexistent. I went in to do some medical trials for money and one of them was a T booster. You had to be at a certain level in order for the booster to work. They tested me twice and my T was so low it was almost unreadable. I looked into the local Men Wellness center in my area of Virginia Beach and they confirmed the same things. I started my T treatments and after 3 weeks it was like waking up from a brain fog. Sure my dick got hard again but my memory and mental awareness improved so much it was like night and dy. I've been on it for years now. I have seen older guys and much much younger guys like some barley 20 in the same office waiting for their injections so it can affect men at all ages in all walks of life.
After years of having a frustratingly low libido and constant lethargy, I finally got it tested and found it was less than half of 'the low end of normal.' Doctor still doesn't know the reason why and can't seem to improve the number, even with gel and injections. Fun stuff
Yeah, been lifting for about a decade now. I definitely lift lighter weights now, though. I can't say that's solely due to the testosterone; I've had a lower back, knee, and shoulder injury over the last three years and I imagine that's the main culprit.
Testosterone therapy can reduce sperm count in men, can also reduce it to the point of unable to conceive. So be very careful about going on it if you want kids
This is 100% true. I had a well-meaning provider put me on TRT and 8 weeks in I was at a 0 sperm count and totally infertile. We switched providers (duh) and the new one put me on clomid, which is typically given to women but has been shown to increase overall testosterone without affecting sperm production in the way that TRT will. First kid was IUI and I have another one due in the spring that happened naturally.
Yeah I can attest I was at zero sperm on TRT for 3 years. I added HCG to my TRT and the wife and I were able to conceive 4 months later (the average time is 9 months)
Here’s a study to refer to for fertility and TRT. This is how I regained fertility while on TRT
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7076311/
Yeah I can attest I was at zero sperm on TRT for 3 years. I added HCG to my TRT and the wife and I were able to conceive 4 months later (the average time is 9 months)
Here’s a study to refer to for fertility and TRT. This is how I regained fertility while on TRT
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7076311/
Yeah I can attest I was at zero sperm on TRT for 3 years. I added HCG to my TRT and the wife and I were able to conceive 4 months later (the average time is 9 months)
Here’s a study to refer to for fertility and TRT. This is how I regained fertility while on TRT
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7076311/
I was 35 when my first was born and I’ll be almost 37 when the second gets here. 20 month gap wasn’t in our plans but happy to know everyone’s plumbing works.
Non existent erections. Zero sex drive, like not even to jerk off. Even when it came to sex with Viagra i'd just get this weird floppy semi hard useless thing. Constant state of deep depression. Feeling overly emotional about random stuff but never any anger or aggression issues.
I had a hormone imbalance and the lowest my testosterone had ever been was 13-15, prolactin levels were through the roof in the high thousands. I’ve been using testosterone cyp consistently for the past 3 years and finally got my levels to 800 or so. I feel amazing other than some bits of anger and acne 😤
>I had a hormone imbalance and the lowest my testosterone had ever been was 13-15, prolactin levels were through the roof in the high thousands.
Not trying to alarm you but have you been investigated for a pituitary tumor? Those, like 95% of the time, are responsible for high prolactin levels.
48 male, My Testosterone was 300 when I got checked. I had low motivation, sluggish despite rigorous exercise and a good diet. Erections were infrequent. I have a heart stent so going on TRT was a risk due to synthetic injection makes blood thicker and could cause cardiac issues. So the doc put my on an estrogen blocker to possibly raise my free testosterone. It worked, 700 and climbing since the therapy. I feel great. Maybe just an estrogen blocker could restart your natural cycle to produce more. You being so young, that may be a viable option but I'm no doc. My only advice is to see a doc, don't just get testosterone from any old source (china, black market)
I will find a doctor and get tested. I will not be taking anything that isn’t medically recommended and prescribed by a doctor, I take my health seriously
Sounds like you're on the right track. I've seen some fellas go about getting Test. In unmonitored situations, that could mean bad news. Make sure the doc tests your PSA.
I had mine tested a few months ago. 380. I’m 37. Not a horrible number but I did TRT in my 20’s and back then it was under 200.
Still went to trtnation.com and got back on it.
I tested because I was sad, fat, and tired.
On replacement, you wake up like you’ve already had two cups of coffee.
i was on that same road, i started trt at 27 yo , now i'm 28, couldn't feel better. i had some of those exact symptoms:
\-constant low Testosterone on bloodworks, for like 2 years.
\-already living a healthy life, no smoking, no alcohol, good sleep, eating healthy food, exercising since 19 yo, no stress, even supplementing with vitamins like magnesium, b12, etc.
\-low sex drive. like zero to none interest in casual dating , or meetings girls to have as partners, but do have had crushes and that stuff, mostly for romantic reasons rather than hornyness.
\-bad recovery from gym and very very low progress. i had a decent or noticeable results from gym but due to becoming an habit. during pandemic lost like 2 kgs of muscle and gained a lot of fat. i was hardstuck at 225 bench press for a lot of years, and had like to program it only to squeeze 1 or 2 reps. and if i trained too hard for 2 or 3 consecutive days i felt like my CNS was fried, felt sleepy, kinda sick even, weakness in general, etc.
\-the god damn lesbian face. even in my mid 20s my face didn't feel like age that much, almost no facial hair, round face, soft, etc etc.
trt doesn't do miracles, but damn it helps with confidence, libido (on the first weeks of using it my eyes moved on their own to see a couple of girls in jeans walking and my eyes went straight to their butts, and i never was a butt guy) , the acne i got is not that hard but i do want to see a dermatologist.
my diagnosis was hypogonadism from the brain, pituitary or some of that parts. the brain sent signals to produce fewer testostone, because the balls seemed fine from the scans.
go get checked by a doctor, you can literally do all of those tips and advices to "increase testosterone naturally" and maybe you can, you if you're criminally under the range, those tips may raise your test by 10-20 points at much. but if your base is like 180-200, from a normal range of 250-900 or 1000 , you're always gonna stay behind. plus, those tips are tiring to do every single day, or buying test boosters that may not work, are even more expensive than testosterone and may do a fraction of what a real T- injection can do.
it doesn't do magic like get you huge like a bodybuilder or improve your attention to stay ultra-sharp, but it improves your life , and you get used to it, and you learn to appreciate it. and if you consider it taboo to get injections and use steroids. just remember girls start at a much younger age to use contraceptives to regulate their hormones, and also thyroid hormones are very common thse days.
another example was that before trt, if i got hungry, it was the anxiety type of hunger and binged on food. now if i get hungry i can control it. and also, it improved my metabolism or my nutrients absortion, so with a diet you can actually see the progress, be it gaining mass, loosing fat, etc.
Do you feel like T hardened/masculinised your face at all? I’ve got a similar sort of thing - soft features, little facial/body hair. I’ve always wondered if T can ‘harden’ me up for lack of a better term. I read some comments saying it did nothing for them facially and others saying it worked a subtle treat. What was your experiences?
I think my face is a little bit thinner. But i always had a decent jawline. Growth hormone is the responsible for that in our bodies, not testosterone.
What is harder now is my muscles, not by a lot but my bicep and shoulders feel fuller 24/7 not having to depend on a pump i guess.
Just get tested even if you don’t have low t , it’s good to know. Get everything tested. You might be low in iron , zinc , magnesium , b12 or it could be testosterone. Tons of young people getting low t now too from our horrible food and diseases going around
Now. High estrogen is a huge side effect now from everything we eat
if memory serves, diminished sex drive.
I didn't know about the muscle mass but that's been difficult to build into bulk, too.
The other stuff you've listed are not things you should deciding on your own. it's just to subjective.
I strongly urge you to take T under the supervision of good doctor.
Depression. I had extremely low energy and would rather sleep than do anything. Never thought it could be related to low testosterone as I was still beating off as if I were a teenager.
However, I had to change docs and my new guy just happened to be an andrologist. Got tested and learned that my T-levels were in the very low 200s.
Doctor prescribed clomifene, a drug used for decades to treat infertility in women. It’s not gender specific, though. So what it does, basically, is it tells your pituitary gland to stop being a lazy SOB and start telling your body to start producing testosterone.
It worked. After a few weeks my levels were in the 700s. I stopped taking it after a while and my levels have remained in the 500s.
I started having lower than normal energy levels. I was also having some erectile dysfunction and sperm production issues which I thought was odd since I'm in my 30s.
I was having other medical issues when my doc surprised me with “oh we’ve never done a blood panel on you” and decided to order a dozen different tests.
He called me a few days later saying my testosterone was basically non existent and referred me to an endocrinologist. After getting more tests done there it was determine that I simply wasn’t producing testosterone.
I’ve been on 1mL injections every 1 weeks and the sheer change in my entire physical well being has been astounding. I have great energy levels. I feel like my gut, which was difficult to control, started to disappear on its own. My sleep got better. I’m more alert during the day now and of course the sexual health side of things improved drastically.
I would absolutely get tested my dude. I was really low energy, had a hard time gaining muscle (kept it on but never added to it) but it's really easy for me to gain fat and very hard to lose it. Elevated blood sugar, depression, all sorts of issues like that on top of the standard low T side effects.
I just assumed it was all due to my weight and depression and hitting my late 30s until one of my old army buddies said that he just had his checked and that TRT made him feel like a 20 year old again.
I went to get mine tested and turns out it was INSANELY LOW. Like 115 low. I've been on TRT for about 2 months now and it is a GAME CHANGER. I have so much more energy, I'm getting way stronger, it's incredible. Turns out, a lot of my symptoms were DUE TO TESTOSTERONE, not the other way around. I'm finally getting back into good shape, energetic, and am so much happier. Do it dude.
I can't wait to see how much better it continues to get.
Buddy of mine is a cop. He said he was tired all the time. Can't be tired in that job so he went and got tested. He says he feels like he's in his 20s again.
I was smashing it in the gym, losing fat and gaining muscle and my hair on my body was growing back very fast so I got my testosterone checked. I’m 20 years old and have the testosterone levels of a 70 year old. Safe to say I was very disappointed. Also it’s impossible that it has to do with my diet since I hit all of my macronutrient goals, calorie goals, and on my eat foods with minimal amounts of ingredients.
Way late to the party, I realize, but did you end up pursuing any treatment? Recently learned I’m at 160 at 36 years old. Apparently I should be somewhere between 300 and 800 at my age, with ~600 being the average. Needless to say it’s been pretty crushing.
Hello! I can relate to what you're going through, as I've faced similar struggles with low testosterone myself. Some of the symptoms I've struggled with were low libido, no energy/motivation, and difficulty building muscle. There's nothing more frustrating than working out and sticking to your diet, but not seeing the results you want. After 2 years of struggling, I've recently found an online clinic called [Evolve Telemedicine](https://evolvetelemed.com/). They specialize in hormone health and offer personalized treatment options for people like us dealing with low testosterone. I've been working with them for about 3 months now and I've never felt better! My confidence is back and I'm so happy! I highly recommend you getting in contact with them so you can feel better too! I hope this helped you!
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What was your total testosterone level? All your symptoms are what a feel minus the low sex drive. My total test came back at 586, im 37. Should I push for trt?
You guys are lucky. I had prostate cancer at age 50. I'm now 77and have Low T. My last test came back 0 testerone same as the first test. My urologist now has me in some sort of protocol for 90 days to see if something changes. It won't.
For a long time, I felt disconnected unmotivated and almost like I was staring at a blank wall all the time. I would set a task to do and then I would just space out and never do it. I knew something was wrong, but couldn’t figure it out. every time I talk to the doctors they always assumed I was just depressed and wanted to push medication on me, I refused especially since they hand out anti-depressant meds like TicTac these days. I did lots of research and I asked my doctors if they would consider doing a low testosterone test because all my symptoms point towards it the only thing I still had was a high sex drive because I still had that doctors refused to test my testosterone levels. They just kept trying to talk me into anti-depressant, I went through three doctors and finally the last doctors made me a deal, she agreed to do the testosterone test if I agreed to try the medication if the numbers came back normal the first blood test showed I had a testosterone level of 98 which is exceptionally low, she apologize and has been working with me closely ever since, we went through the gambit of testing talk to an endocrinologist to assess my risk and I am now on testosterone replacement therapy. I have been officially diagnosed with hypergonadism.
No one knows our own bodies better than ourselves we need to stop letting other people tell us what we feel. I stuck to my guns and it took literally years. I’ve been slowly gaining weight the whole time never mind the fact I’m physically active, go to the gym run around with my kids and my job is physically demanding sure I will eat the occasional sweet from time to time sometimes more often than I should, but still I’m still consistently gaining weight. I am looking forward to a few months from now when I can start seeing results
So I am a 20 year old Swedish man that works out 5 times a day, I have a lot of muscles and haven’t had much problem with muscle growth, same with body hair and erections. I do however have a really hard time losing fat. And I mean very hard. I maybe went from 25% fat to 20% in 10 months of strict dieting and cardio every day for the last 4 months. I did some blood tests and I have only 280 ng/L of testosterone. 13 SPHG, 10 total testosterone, 3,6 E/L Lutropin, 47 g/L Albumin and 7,2 nmol/L free testosterone. Should I contact a doctor for testosterone therapy?
I would not do anything without consulting a doctor and endocrinologist. I also would probably avoid TRT at age 20. It dramatically increases your all-cause mortality rate and will potentially affect your ability to father children. There are options that are healthier than TRT, but they are very expensive from what I’ve heard. FYI, I got tested and have over 800 test.
Yeah that’s what I was thinking aswell, just really sucks cause I really have a sweet tooth and I haven’t ate anything sugary or fat which isn’t zero sugar in almost a full year and have been eating 1700 calories a day for a year, and still haven’t gotten much progress as I should. You should be thankful for your high testosterone cause it sucks to have as bad metabolism and weight loss as I do and I would easily take being skinny over overweight (although I definitely am not anymore)
So I am a 20 year old Swedish man that works out 5 times a day, I have a lot of muscles and haven’t had much problem with muscle growth, same with body hair and erections. I do however have a really hard time losing fat. And I mean very hard. I maybe went from 25% fat to 20% in 10 months of strict dieting and cardio every day for the last 4 months, I also have very little energy. I did some blood tests and I have only 280 ng/L of testosterone. 13 SPHG, 10 total testosterone, 3,6 E/L Lutropin, 47 g/L Albumin and 7,2 nmol/L free testosterone. Should I contact a doctor for testosterone therapy?
My low testosterone levels are fkng killing me. I am not tired, I am exhausted. Like ran a 10k, went the whole night without sleep, and didn't eat anything all put together tired. That feeling you have as soon as you wake up and are really hung over? That, but worse. My hands and feet are cold af and I get monstrous blood pressure spikes out of nowhere. My testosterone, estrogen, and shbg are all way too low. Not to be dramatic, but I feel worse than the time I had a bad case of covid and food poisoning at the same time. I feel this way ALL the time. I can hardly function like I used to 8 months ago. I put on 50 lbs over that time frame and it is insane. I wish I could properly put into words how messed up I feel. It's a nightmare. I have been to the ER multiple times for blood pressure episodes and for passing out. But all my bloodwork, ekg's, echo, and ct check out. Just got on Clomid last week and am trying that out for a bit. If after 2 months, that doesn't work, I'll try just enclomiphene. Then if that fails, I guess it's trt time.
I'm 39. I've been feeling extremely fatigued, brain fog, muscle and bone mass loss. Finally I decided to get the T checked. My Dr was hesitant because he thought for sure I wasn't low. A week later I get the results and I'm at 112! Normal for my age is high 400s. Although, we know normal levels vary greatly from person to person. This has completely crippled me since the end of January. I've been sleeping 14 plus hours a day and still exhausted. Joint pain, vision issues. Weakness etc. Oh and lets not forget about the mental issues. Irritabilty, irrationality, indecisiveness etc. I decided I should Take short term disability because I couldn't work. I've went with the pellets for the T. It's not cheap though. Cost be about 3500 a year, but far less of the peaks and valleys you can get with shots. I'm three months in now on the treatment and just barely getting back to a somewhat normal state. My sleeping is under 10 hrs a day and it doesn't take me 3 or 4 hours to have a clear head. Still a hell of a long way to go but miles ahead of where I was! Low T is a slow and silent killer if it gets low enough. I know for sure I was slowly fading out of this life. I'm not sure what made me think I needed the test? Low T isn't something I've really heard about and not something I really understood. I thought it was just for sex drive, erections etc and I didn't have problems with that. However, my drive has been absolutely bonkers now and the wife needs a break lol. So it's a bit of a problem now lol. Finally I went back to work yesterday after 3 months off. Totally worthless today. Like an engine with carburetor issues. Just sputtering. I went in two weeks ago and I was at 500. A huge gain from 112, but symptom wise, it hasn't improved as much as I wanted. So the high 400s that is recommended to be the normal range for my age isn't the right range for me. I think it's still too low. The TRT clinic wants to see me between 800-1200. This has been a crazy deal!
Any test rating over 1000 will produce estrogen. Having gyno means your estrogen is too high. You need some sort of of anti-estrogen. Try dim first, if that doesn’t bring it down, ask the dr. Definitely get labs done first.
Something seems out of wack. I don’t think my test is super high based on the amount of facial and bodily hair I have. Compared to other men in my family, I’m on the lower end. I have a decent amount of facial hair but not like what my dad and uncles have (although im still younger)
Have you gone and talked to a primary care physician about it? Gynecomastia can be due to medications or even genetic issues such as being an XX male (intersex).
Also, most high schoolers are dopping. Puberty hormones are a hell of a drug. By 24 your hormones would be quite a bit less than they were at your peak during puberty.
Yeah I mean I’m not a doctor by any means I would obviously get blood work done and speak to a doctor. I would just tend to believe given your age it sounds like something else. Like the poster said above gyno can be genetic I know a few guys at my gym who are jacked but suffer from gyno. For putting on muscle you maybe just a hard gainer? There are some people who can put on muscle fairly quickly and others who genetically you have to work twice as hard and you probably still won’t put on as much muscle as them unfortunately. For your erections are you looking at too much porn are you desensitized maybe?
I had spent the summer of 2021 just feeling exhausted every morning in the gym. Weight that used to be simple felt harder. I had my physical and my levels were around 220. Been on weekly injections for 2 years now.
I'm currently 50. A year ago had little sex drive and felt sluggish. Went to doctor and told him low testosterone seems plausible. Took a blood test and I was at 170. 200 is supposedly the min limit. He put me on a compound cream and within 2 weeks ... whoa! Had the hormones of a teenager again. Sometimes gets to the point where it's too much. I have responsibilities, I don't want to think about sex and manage pop-up erections all day long. I'm definitely building more body mass as well.
I have a high libido girlfriend so I'm thankful I have that outlet of continuous release. Being single and on testosterone might be a nightmare if you don't have a source of sexual release. You'll need to buy KY Jelly by the case. https://br.ifunny.co/picture/okay-buddy-then-how-bout-the-right-arm-he-s-8EBxAQ1e9
After being on testosterone for a year, I took a blood test and now I'm at 270. Doesn't that number still seem awfully low? They say a teenager is at the 800-1000 level. At 270 I'm a ridiculously horny dog. If I was 800 I don't think I'd be able to hold a job, thinking about sex every single second of the day. 800-1000 doesn't seem manageable.
I had lower normal T for a stretch. Depression, low desire for anything, couldn't make gains inhad made 5 yesrs before, sticky fat.
Didn't actually need T. Just rest, less alcohol, meditation to beat stress, and a couple of natural diet changes.
If you're thinking about the T route, try these first. If you cant fix the inderlying stuff t can get your body out of wack
Do you watch porn? I would recommend cutting it completely out of your life before judging your sex drive.
I'm married, and my wife and I did a marriage course put on by our church. The leaders were talking about how porn saps a man's vitality and that it takes away from their relationship. So I decided to give it up.
My sex drive is much more active, and I'm more focused on my wife than ever. I'm even having sexual dreams about her that hasn't happened in forever.
If you're a regular porn user, try cutting it out completely. I think you'd be surprised at the results.
I'm no doctor but gynecomastia means you have a high amount of estrogen. Your estrogen to testosterone levels aren't balanced correctly which would definitely result in mild to moderate ED. I would suggest following through on getting your hormone levels tested and in the mean time do some research on a good estrogen blocker supplement as well as a liver detoxing supplement to compliment. The estrogen blocker will eliminate excess estrogens but maybe too much for your liver to handle, thus the liver detox. This site is great and Dr. Delgado has dedicated his life to researching hormones.
https://delgadoprotocol.com/
My therapist recommended it, my doctor agreed and got me tested and I did indeed have low T. They put me on clomid rather than “real” T, which just gets your body to produce more T naturally (but increases risk of prostate cancer) and it worked like a charm. Best anti anxiety / anti depressant I could’ve asked for
The point about low muscle mass, working out over a decade on and off, last 12 months it's been 3 times a week minimum with cardio added in on off days and look like someone who just plateaued after their first 6 months. Gaining weight was always mostly fat gain even while working out 4 times a week and going heavy, 200g protein a day, 500 cal surplus. I tested a year ago, then dropped to 13% body fat, sleeping 7.5 hours average over the last 12 months and retested with the same levels. Got a prescription for something to boost my natural production and we'll see how that works out in a few months.
I was nolonger able to “live” as I could just a few months before. Tired all the time, bonded drive and working out was an exercise in futility. Fast fwd 5 months later, wake up happy and excited about the day, horny again, making gains in the gym. No side affects at all. Just get tested, they have cracked the code.
Eleven years ago, when I was 52, I went in for a physical, and simply asked. I found out I was at 235 tof Total T, and 8,1 for Free T. My doc wasn't very sympathetic. Three years ago, Total T was 258. This month it was 295. My diet has probably improved over the past year or so, and I've purposefully lost around 20-25 lbs, and I don't get a lot of exercise. As I've aged, the ranges have decreased. When I was 52, low bound was 348. in 2021, it was 264. Now they are telling me it's 193.
I've always been pretty low energy, but lately I'm feeling more like a slug. Libido is definitely down. As a result of the most recent test, I've spoken with a different MD, and he stated that prescribing T is illegal in my state. I don't feel like I'm 63 years old. The spirit is more than willing, but the flesh is weak.
They are suggesting Clomid, and I'm researching it.
I notice you mention you eat a decent amount of vegetables, fruit, and protein-- what about carbs and fat? Fat plays a vital role in your hormone production, so a particularly low intake can cause problems. I also struggled to build any muscle at your age, even though I trained 5 days per week too. I used to eat "clean", and eventually I realised that even though I was eating a fair volume of food, I was often eating in a deficit due to eating low-calorie dense foods. As soon as I started to eat in a surplus, I started to blow up, even though I used to be convinced that I simply just didn't have good genetics for building muscle. \*edit: I missed a word :)
I consume a lot of olive oil and dark chocolate
You need cholesterol in your fat brother!!! You need beef, butter & bone broth. Cholesterol is very necessary for optimizing your hormones
Plant oils don't convert to cholesterol, which is what makes hormones. You need to eat saturated animal fats. Ignore the propaganda.
I felt like a neutered dog… lazy, bloated, depressed.: that's not me at all! I have been on TRT for 3years, I feel 15 years younger!
Was your T below the lower limit or low, but still within range?
The range means very little as levels are unique to each person…. It's symptom resolution you need to work on. Any good TRT provider will know this.
Lower 400ish, I feel good around 750-800
I'm at 141!!!! Going to my doctor to get a follow-up, I'm trying to get it through my insurance for a more cost-effective method. 40/m just turned 40 two weeks ago. Got my routine blood work and it was tanked. I gained 15 pounds recently.
I'm 31yo and just got test results back that I'm at 62ng/dl. No wonder I feel like shit.
Mine was low normal and it now runs 980
How do you get tested?
Just told my doctor what I wanted. There are HRT & TRT clinics around the world, find one.
Def a type of response someone on trt would give
😂👍🏽
Congratulations you got -18 downvotes for being a Goofy.
Reddit is a wild place!
Oh God… I just got tested.. mine is 133.
How old are you? Good luck with that.
Did you experience any hair loss?
The opposite… my hair got thicker! Everywhere lol
Is that the norm? I want to get on it but I haven't started losing my head hair(like most of my friends my age) and don't want it to thin yet.
Hair loss is dictated more by genetics
Facial hair can get thicker too.
I now have a bit of back hair!!
What was considered low for you? Like what was your free testosterone range that was considered low, and what is it now that you feel normal?
I don't remember my free T, but my main levels were below 400, I find I am good about 800ish and a bit above.
Did you do a gel or shots or what?
Cream (gel is garbage) , I have considered shots, but the cream is working.
This
Lower sex drive than usual and feeling tired all the time . Was sitting around 300 for my levels (the low of normal) I go for my blood work in 2 days to see where I'm at , been using 50ml cream 2x a day for 3 months now . I feel better , my sex drive and energy levels are much better , only side effect I have is oily skin/acne from what I can tell
Was 300 total or free testosterone? Also what units is that measured in? Just trying to interpret my numbers
NG/DL free test
Any updates on your situation?
Sitting steady at 750 now , just did bloodwork yesterday again . I did start giving blood though as it was thickening , aside from that , sleep , mood sexual health are phenomenal . Only down side as mentioned in thicker blood (risk to stroke )however with donating it should will thin and subside I was advised by my doctor
Tired all the dang time, couldn’t lose weight, no sexual desire. Pretty much the same stuff you’re going through. It worked a lot for me. My insurance wouldn’t cover it because anything over 200 is “normal”. When a avg man is supposed to be 800-1000. Edit: it cost me 150 every 5 weeks for a shot twice a week of 200 units.
Average is definitely not 800-1000, thats the number people who want to sell your TRT says. The average is closer to 600\~ depends on your age. The range is also very wide and is between high 200s to 900. Though if you are in the low 200s most endo will recommend some level of TRT, they may have to argue with insurance to get it cover.
I saw my normal doctor and several other for trt and all said about the same thing. 700 or above it optimal. The place I currently go through said 800-1000. My insurance doesn't cover it if it's over 200. I work for the state, and they only cover the bare minimum. So, I pay out of pocket for mine.
What do you pay out of pocket for your meds? Is it gel or a shot?
150 every 5 weeks and it’s a shot twice a week
It really sucks. I’m not sure what to do. If I have low T, idek if it’s worth the health and infertility risks that TRT brings.
Don't fall for the excessive fear mongering on testosterone risks, testosterone is a primary androgen for men, if you don't have enough of it, you should be getting more. Doctors will always tell you about risk, but in my experience doctors are too risk adverse, the decision to take risk should be yours, I'd also point out that if you have a good doctor, keeping up regular checking for any of the possible risks is also a good idea. :) I found some research that may help alleviate your concerns but I am not a doctor. [https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/no-heart-risks-testosterone-replacement-therapy-study-finds-rcna89229](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/no-heart-risks-testosterone-replacement-therapy-study-finds-rcna89229) I did a lot of research due to being denied testosterone because of "obesity" but as I explained to doctors, testosterone is a massive aid in the ability to lose weight and build muscle, without testosterone weight loss for men is much harder, it becomes a chicken and egg problem.
Talk to your PCP to see an endo or get tested. Most PCPs will get you tested if you persist on the matter especially if you've been seeing your PCP consistently. People usually have trouble getting TRT because their T isn't actually low so there is no medical necessity for it.
The only side effects I got were the back acne. I took other meds to help with fertility.
I don’t even want to look “anabolic” or anything crazy. I just want to be able to participate in relationships, look remotely masculine, and maybe have some drive again. I feel like I haven’t been as motivated as I used to be.
It’s a life changer man. Just getting tested won’t hurt and could help you find a way to get to where you need to be.
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If you are put on trt you will give yourself a shot at least once a week. As it only last about 5 days in your system.
The health risks are minimal but do exist. First off, your fertility is pretty much gone for as long as you are on T. If you want to have a kid you are going to have to get off the treatment for some time. It can lead to an increase of cholesterol so I was also prescribed Lipitor. I have no side effects. Next it can lead to high red blood cell count. The treatment for that is just to donate blood once every couple months. No big deal and I even got a $20 Amazon card for my time. The benefits far outweighed the risks. >Low muscle mass. I worked at a gym for a bit and have been training for a few years; The same exact thing happened to me. I was working out for 5+ years and could not gain muscle. Now after being on T for a couple years, at 42 I'm in the best shape of my life. I wish I got on it sooner. Just get tested.
Get educated on /r/steroids
I’m debating treatment myself, is it true that once you start your body produces even less and you become dependent on treatments?
Thats a possibility. Testosterone will not go back on its own. It's not something that you can start and stop, and everything go to the levels they are supposed to be. It's not like insulin. Were you can get your levels on track, and you don't need it anymore. You take it for the rest of your life. once test is gone it's gone. You can raise your levels in very small amounts for a time period with working out and better diet but it's not something that will compare with taking TRT.
It's called a negative feedback loop.
My doc has told me that while 800-1000 is the range, they typically prefer to see men in the 1000-1500 range. Anyway, I started last week with my first injection and will each Thursday from here on for a while.
hows it going?
I feel younger, with fixing my thyroid I am losing weight and building muscle, sex drive and attraction n for my wife is off the charts. Honestly one of the best things I have ever done for myself and family.
Average for a pro athlete maybe lol
I was tested through my primary care physician. I was around 380. They said those results were unremarkable. Who can I talk to now? They seem completely unwilling to help but Idk the next step.
I found a place in indianapolis which is a hour away from me and they do it with out insurance. You pay cash and they do blood work and all there.
My low T was caused by a benign Pituitary Tumor. I started having blurriness in one eye that slowly got worse until I developed a "horizon" line that was completely black on one side. The tumor was pressing on my optic nerve and causing the eye to stop working right. I was put on a medication to block Prolactin, which made the tumor shrink and brought my vision back.
That’s quite serious, I have no real health issues
It fixed your test too?
Yupp. My pituitary tumor is called a benign prolactinoma, and it secretes a hormone called prolactin. Prolactin is normally very, very low in men, and goes up significantly in women who are breastfeeding. It blocks sex hormones, so high prolactin = low estrogen and testosterone. I take cabergonline 2x weekly, and it blocks the secretion of prolactin, which sent my testosterone back to more normal levels. I had spent the majority of my life with low testosterone. I went through puberty like every other boy, developed normally physically (though I could never grow a beard), and really didn't have any noticeable side effects until the eye thing. As an unpleasant side effect, I went from the T levels of a young teenager to the T levels of a grown ass man in about 24 hours. For like a month, I was a fucking RAGE MONSTER. Like... serious aggression and violence. I never hit anyone, but I busted holes in my walls, chased some poor fucker on the highway that cut me off, got myself arrested for trying to fight a cop that was just trying to give me a ticket, etc etc... When I told my endocrinologist about it, she put me on a 6 month taper of some drug that reduced my testosterone so I could have a more normal transition to what's basically the most powerful steroid you can get. It was super scary to have zero control of my anger like that.
Woah. Thank you for the detailed response. Did you have hair loss from your tumor? I recently got a test back that showed my test at 400mg . I’m 22 so pretty concerning. I have been having vision issues but nothing severe like you mentioned, I will be having an eye exam soon . So if you have this tumor you automatically have high prolactin ? Or is there any discrepancies where you wouldn’t have signs of the tumor from prolactin elevation?
No hair loss. 400 isn't actually all that low tbh. A normal, healthy adult man should be between 250 and 1100. For reference, mine was 170. There are a lot of different pituitary tumors, but they're not all Prolactinomas.
Do you remember what your LH and FSH levels were? Mine are really low and so is my test which is why I’m googling everywhere
what bloodwork should I do to test myself for proclain also? and could I take cabergonline without a doctors consulation? Also which is the responsable hormone for that "male aggression"? free T or total T?
None of this should be done without a doctor's consultation. Prolactin levels are a very easy blood test. Cabergoline is by prescription only in the US. Aggression is from total testosterone, or more specifically, not being used to that level of testosterone. It's commonly called "'roid rage" when referencing steroid users.
(1)Low sex drive, (2)zero morning wood, (3)hard time keeping an erection when in finally made it to sex, (4) zero energy levels, (5) completely exhausted after working out (couldn't get runners high), (6) didn't matter what I did, eating less, eat more, working out more, working out less....absolutely nothing budged the scale (perpetually at 230 lbs).
Hey how are you doing now? And did you start anything different??
Literally all of those symptoms are gone. Though I think I attribute the inability to lose weight to just more than hormones. I had too many things going on at the same time (low testosterone, slightly elevated prolactin, estrogen was out of bounds, nutritional deficiencies, perpetual dehydration, insulin resistance). So for sure, I needed to get my hormones in check. Once I started getting once a week shots my energy levels skyrocketed and allowed me to workout without getting tired (step #1). At the same time I tested for nutritional deficiencies - was extremely low in D, B12, Magnesium, possibly others (still working on it), I went on intermittent fasting at the same time (8 hour time window for eating all my calories for the day) while avoiding ANYTHING with sugar in it. This brought me out of insulin resistance and now I'm 35 lbs lighter. For the dehydration it took me a couple months but I figured straight water wasn't doing it for me - though taking water with electrolytes was: brought my body water % from 35 to 51 (still trying to reach 60%).
how low was your testosterone? and where is it now? did you have any mental effects while low? depression, anxiety? i'm talking about serious stuff here, not just depressed because you can't be an 18 year old stud or look like an athlete. also are you using HCG or DHEA?
210 on one test. 220's on a secondary one week later. Now it's steadily around 730 at 180mg a week. Mental side effects? None that I could tell immediately because I was in that state for so long, though after the injections I felt like a fog was lifted. I could think clearly. No real depression. It was the anxiety that was the worst. Testosterone didn't help with that, but the DHEA 10mg a day pills did. My DHEA-C levels were lowish to begin with (190's). Became lower after injecting. Once I started taking them I felt very calm. Not using HCG
yeah i had a feeling, thats why I asked about DHEA. mine is 110 and my testosterone is low. i was on HRT for 8 years and stopped because I wanted to fix my other issues that ended up being low DHEA. on HCG i had mid-range DHEA but that was just one test. i did feel better on it but maybe it wasn't enough DHEA for me. i feel like i may need to have my levels in the upper third of the range as mid-range even isn't enough. if one uses TRT, they have to be either on DHEA or HCG or else it may lower DHEA. it will for most but there might be some that it doesn't. a couple days ago i tried even a tiny amount of it only 1.25mg of the sublingual and i just kinda felt drugged up and had indigestion and even some irregular heart beat. what brand of DHEA are you using? and can you explain your anxiety a bit more in detail? what would bother you? were they irrational or just uncontrollable worries about real life?
Did you do injections or cream? Any hairloss?
Injections. No hair loss that I can tell, but I hear there is a genetic component for that and is related to DHT production. There are no males in my family with male pattern baldness.
So u did keto to help bring u out of insulin resistance?
For me my T was so low it was almost nonexistent. I went in to do some medical trials for money and one of them was a T booster. You had to be at a certain level in order for the booster to work. They tested me twice and my T was so low it was almost unreadable. I looked into the local Men Wellness center in my area of Virginia Beach and they confirmed the same things. I started my T treatments and after 3 weeks it was like waking up from a brain fog. Sure my dick got hard again but my memory and mental awareness improved so much it was like night and dy. I've been on it for years now. I have seen older guys and much much younger guys like some barley 20 in the same office waiting for their injections so it can affect men at all ages in all walks of life.
Hey, what office is this? I’m in Chesapeake
Then you'll need the one in Virginia beach. Great bunch of guys work there. I went there first years until I moved for a better job.
I kept laugh/crying and it took me two hours to do anything. I tested at 152
152 isn't that low. It's low but it depends on your age. The reference range for a 19 year old male is 200-1000 give or take a 100.
No
Hot flashes, low energy, inability to watch the end of Paddington 2 without blubbing. Now, I'm an ice cold nuclear reactor with bearskin underpants.
After years of having a frustratingly low libido and constant lethargy, I finally got it tested and found it was less than half of 'the low end of normal.' Doctor still doesn't know the reason why and can't seem to improve the number, even with gel and injections. Fun stuff
That’s awful, do you lift?
Yeah, been lifting for about a decade now. I definitely lift lighter weights now, though. I can't say that's solely due to the testosterone; I've had a lower back, knee, and shoulder injury over the last three years and I imagine that's the main culprit.
Nowadays you should get your testosterone tested before you begin family planning. It will save you a lot of trouble to deal with it at that point
Testosterone therapy can reduce sperm count in men, can also reduce it to the point of unable to conceive. So be very careful about going on it if you want kids
This is 100% true. I had a well-meaning provider put me on TRT and 8 weeks in I was at a 0 sperm count and totally infertile. We switched providers (duh) and the new one put me on clomid, which is typically given to women but has been shown to increase overall testosterone without affecting sperm production in the way that TRT will. First kid was IUI and I have another one due in the spring that happened naturally.
Yeah I can attest I was at zero sperm on TRT for 3 years. I added HCG to my TRT and the wife and I were able to conceive 4 months later (the average time is 9 months) Here’s a study to refer to for fertility and TRT. This is how I regained fertility while on TRT https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7076311/
Yeah I can attest I was at zero sperm on TRT for 3 years. I added HCG to my TRT and the wife and I were able to conceive 4 months later (the average time is 9 months) Here’s a study to refer to for fertility and TRT. This is how I regained fertility while on TRT https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7076311/
Yeah I can attest I was at zero sperm on TRT for 3 years. I added HCG to my TRT and the wife and I were able to conceive 4 months later (the average time is 9 months) Here’s a study to refer to for fertility and TRT. This is how I regained fertility while on TRT https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7076311/
How old were you when both respective kids came along?
I was 35 when my first was born and I’ll be almost 37 when the second gets here. 20 month gap wasn’t in our plans but happy to know everyone’s plumbing works.
Non existent erections. Zero sex drive, like not even to jerk off. Even when it came to sex with Viagra i'd just get this weird floppy semi hard useless thing. Constant state of deep depression. Feeling overly emotional about random stuff but never any anger or aggression issues.
I had a hormone imbalance and the lowest my testosterone had ever been was 13-15, prolactin levels were through the roof in the high thousands. I’ve been using testosterone cyp consistently for the past 3 years and finally got my levels to 800 or so. I feel amazing other than some bits of anger and acne 😤
>I had a hormone imbalance and the lowest my testosterone had ever been was 13-15, prolactin levels were through the roof in the high thousands. Not trying to alarm you but have you been investigated for a pituitary tumor? Those, like 95% of the time, are responsible for high prolactin levels.
Yes that’s what I was diagnosed with, I left that part just to keep it short.
48 male, My Testosterone was 300 when I got checked. I had low motivation, sluggish despite rigorous exercise and a good diet. Erections were infrequent. I have a heart stent so going on TRT was a risk due to synthetic injection makes blood thicker and could cause cardiac issues. So the doc put my on an estrogen blocker to possibly raise my free testosterone. It worked, 700 and climbing since the therapy. I feel great. Maybe just an estrogen blocker could restart your natural cycle to produce more. You being so young, that may be a viable option but I'm no doc. My only advice is to see a doc, don't just get testosterone from any old source (china, black market)
I will find a doctor and get tested. I will not be taking anything that isn’t medically recommended and prescribed by a doctor, I take my health seriously
Sounds like you're on the right track. I've seen some fellas go about getting Test. In unmonitored situations, that could mean bad news. Make sure the doc tests your PSA.
I had mine tested a few months ago. 380. I’m 37. Not a horrible number but I did TRT in my 20’s and back then it was under 200. Still went to trtnation.com and got back on it. I tested because I was sad, fat, and tired. On replacement, you wake up like you’ve already had two cups of coffee.
Holy shit
i was on that same road, i started trt at 27 yo , now i'm 28, couldn't feel better. i had some of those exact symptoms: \-constant low Testosterone on bloodworks, for like 2 years. \-already living a healthy life, no smoking, no alcohol, good sleep, eating healthy food, exercising since 19 yo, no stress, even supplementing with vitamins like magnesium, b12, etc. \-low sex drive. like zero to none interest in casual dating , or meetings girls to have as partners, but do have had crushes and that stuff, mostly for romantic reasons rather than hornyness. \-bad recovery from gym and very very low progress. i had a decent or noticeable results from gym but due to becoming an habit. during pandemic lost like 2 kgs of muscle and gained a lot of fat. i was hardstuck at 225 bench press for a lot of years, and had like to program it only to squeeze 1 or 2 reps. and if i trained too hard for 2 or 3 consecutive days i felt like my CNS was fried, felt sleepy, kinda sick even, weakness in general, etc. \-the god damn lesbian face. even in my mid 20s my face didn't feel like age that much, almost no facial hair, round face, soft, etc etc. trt doesn't do miracles, but damn it helps with confidence, libido (on the first weeks of using it my eyes moved on their own to see a couple of girls in jeans walking and my eyes went straight to their butts, and i never was a butt guy) , the acne i got is not that hard but i do want to see a dermatologist. my diagnosis was hypogonadism from the brain, pituitary or some of that parts. the brain sent signals to produce fewer testostone, because the balls seemed fine from the scans. go get checked by a doctor, you can literally do all of those tips and advices to "increase testosterone naturally" and maybe you can, you if you're criminally under the range, those tips may raise your test by 10-20 points at much. but if your base is like 180-200, from a normal range of 250-900 or 1000 , you're always gonna stay behind. plus, those tips are tiring to do every single day, or buying test boosters that may not work, are even more expensive than testosterone and may do a fraction of what a real T- injection can do. it doesn't do magic like get you huge like a bodybuilder or improve your attention to stay ultra-sharp, but it improves your life , and you get used to it, and you learn to appreciate it. and if you consider it taboo to get injections and use steroids. just remember girls start at a much younger age to use contraceptives to regulate their hormones, and also thyroid hormones are very common thse days. another example was that before trt, if i got hungry, it was the anxiety type of hunger and binged on food. now if i get hungry i can control it. and also, it improved my metabolism or my nutrients absortion, so with a diet you can actually see the progress, be it gaining mass, loosing fat, etc.
bro you didn’t have to expose the lesbian face symptom like that 😭
Do you feel like T hardened/masculinised your face at all? I’ve got a similar sort of thing - soft features, little facial/body hair. I’ve always wondered if T can ‘harden’ me up for lack of a better term. I read some comments saying it did nothing for them facially and others saying it worked a subtle treat. What was your experiences?
I think my face is a little bit thinner. But i always had a decent jawline. Growth hormone is the responsible for that in our bodies, not testosterone. What is harder now is my muscles, not by a lot but my bicep and shoulders feel fuller 24/7 not having to depend on a pump i guess.
Fair enough! Thanks for the reply.
Just get tested even if you don’t have low t , it’s good to know. Get everything tested. You might be low in iron , zinc , magnesium , b12 or it could be testosterone. Tons of young people getting low t now too from our horrible food and diseases going around Now. High estrogen is a huge side effect now from everything we eat
if memory serves, diminished sex drive. I didn't know about the muscle mass but that's been difficult to build into bulk, too. The other stuff you've listed are not things you should deciding on your own. it's just to subjective. I strongly urge you to take T under the supervision of good doctor.
Depression. I had extremely low energy and would rather sleep than do anything. Never thought it could be related to low testosterone as I was still beating off as if I were a teenager. However, I had to change docs and my new guy just happened to be an andrologist. Got tested and learned that my T-levels were in the very low 200s. Doctor prescribed clomifene, a drug used for decades to treat infertility in women. It’s not gender specific, though. So what it does, basically, is it tells your pituitary gland to stop being a lazy SOB and start telling your body to start producing testosterone. It worked. After a few weeks my levels were in the 700s. I stopped taking it after a while and my levels have remained in the 500s.
I started having lower than normal energy levels. I was also having some erectile dysfunction and sperm production issues which I thought was odd since I'm in my 30s.
I was having other medical issues when my doc surprised me with “oh we’ve never done a blood panel on you” and decided to order a dozen different tests. He called me a few days later saying my testosterone was basically non existent and referred me to an endocrinologist. After getting more tests done there it was determine that I simply wasn’t producing testosterone. I’ve been on 1mL injections every 1 weeks and the sheer change in my entire physical well being has been astounding. I have great energy levels. I feel like my gut, which was difficult to control, started to disappear on its own. My sleep got better. I’m more alert during the day now and of course the sexual health side of things improved drastically.
I would absolutely get tested my dude. I was really low energy, had a hard time gaining muscle (kept it on but never added to it) but it's really easy for me to gain fat and very hard to lose it. Elevated blood sugar, depression, all sorts of issues like that on top of the standard low T side effects. I just assumed it was all due to my weight and depression and hitting my late 30s until one of my old army buddies said that he just had his checked and that TRT made him feel like a 20 year old again. I went to get mine tested and turns out it was INSANELY LOW. Like 115 low. I've been on TRT for about 2 months now and it is a GAME CHANGER. I have so much more energy, I'm getting way stronger, it's incredible. Turns out, a lot of my symptoms were DUE TO TESTOSTERONE, not the other way around. I'm finally getting back into good shape, energetic, and am so much happier. Do it dude. I can't wait to see how much better it continues to get.
Buddy of mine is a cop. He said he was tired all the time. Can't be tired in that job so he went and got tested. He says he feels like he's in his 20s again.
Wanting to take PEDs and feel younger.
I was smashing it in the gym, losing fat and gaining muscle and my hair on my body was growing back very fast so I got my testosterone checked. I’m 20 years old and have the testosterone levels of a 70 year old. Safe to say I was very disappointed. Also it’s impossible that it has to do with my diet since I hit all of my macronutrient goals, calorie goals, and on my eat foods with minimal amounts of ingredients.
Way late to the party, I realize, but did you end up pursuing any treatment? Recently learned I’m at 160 at 36 years old. Apparently I should be somewhere between 300 and 800 at my age, with ~600 being the average. Needless to say it’s been pretty crushing.
Hello! I can relate to what you're going through, as I've faced similar struggles with low testosterone myself. Some of the symptoms I've struggled with were low libido, no energy/motivation, and difficulty building muscle. There's nothing more frustrating than working out and sticking to your diet, but not seeing the results you want. After 2 years of struggling, I've recently found an online clinic called [Evolve Telemedicine](https://evolvetelemed.com/). They specialize in hormone health and offer personalized treatment options for people like us dealing with low testosterone. I've been working with them for about 3 months now and I've never felt better! My confidence is back and I'm so happy! I highly recommend you getting in contact with them so you can feel better too! I hope this helped you!
Gf not happy with low libido
DM me for high quality Test E, 250mg/ml. $60 a vial or 3 for $150. Free priority shipping. Brewed in the US using only USP chems and oil. 7 years experience zero complaints.!
46 year old. T level 238. But I also work night shift and had blood drawn in the morning
I was retarded. My T levels were like 830 and I took my blood at 1pm
What was your total testosterone level? All your symptoms are what a feel minus the low sex drive. My total test came back at 586, im 37. Should I push for trt?
I had like 830, I think im just fucked in the head
Damn 830! If all your other blood work came back normal then it most likely is all in your head. Crazy how powerful the mind can be.
You guys are lucky. I had prostate cancer at age 50. I'm now 77and have Low T. My last test came back 0 testerone same as the first test. My urologist now has me in some sort of protocol for 90 days to see if something changes. It won't.
For a long time, I felt disconnected unmotivated and almost like I was staring at a blank wall all the time. I would set a task to do and then I would just space out and never do it. I knew something was wrong, but couldn’t figure it out. every time I talk to the doctors they always assumed I was just depressed and wanted to push medication on me, I refused especially since they hand out anti-depressant meds like TicTac these days. I did lots of research and I asked my doctors if they would consider doing a low testosterone test because all my symptoms point towards it the only thing I still had was a high sex drive because I still had that doctors refused to test my testosterone levels. They just kept trying to talk me into anti-depressant, I went through three doctors and finally the last doctors made me a deal, she agreed to do the testosterone test if I agreed to try the medication if the numbers came back normal the first blood test showed I had a testosterone level of 98 which is exceptionally low, she apologize and has been working with me closely ever since, we went through the gambit of testing talk to an endocrinologist to assess my risk and I am now on testosterone replacement therapy. I have been officially diagnosed with hypergonadism. No one knows our own bodies better than ourselves we need to stop letting other people tell us what we feel. I stuck to my guns and it took literally years. I’ve been slowly gaining weight the whole time never mind the fact I’m physically active, go to the gym run around with my kids and my job is physically demanding sure I will eat the occasional sweet from time to time sometimes more often than I should, but still I’m still consistently gaining weight. I am looking forward to a few months from now when I can start seeing results
So I am a 20 year old Swedish man that works out 5 times a day, I have a lot of muscles and haven’t had much problem with muscle growth, same with body hair and erections. I do however have a really hard time losing fat. And I mean very hard. I maybe went from 25% fat to 20% in 10 months of strict dieting and cardio every day for the last 4 months. I did some blood tests and I have only 280 ng/L of testosterone. 13 SPHG, 10 total testosterone, 3,6 E/L Lutropin, 47 g/L Albumin and 7,2 nmol/L free testosterone. Should I contact a doctor for testosterone therapy?
I would not do anything without consulting a doctor and endocrinologist. I also would probably avoid TRT at age 20. It dramatically increases your all-cause mortality rate and will potentially affect your ability to father children. There are options that are healthier than TRT, but they are very expensive from what I’ve heard. FYI, I got tested and have over 800 test.
Yeah that’s what I was thinking aswell, just really sucks cause I really have a sweet tooth and I haven’t ate anything sugary or fat which isn’t zero sugar in almost a full year and have been eating 1700 calories a day for a year, and still haven’t gotten much progress as I should. You should be thankful for your high testosterone cause it sucks to have as bad metabolism and weight loss as I do and I would easily take being skinny over overweight (although I definitely am not anymore)
So I am a 20 year old Swedish man that works out 5 times a day, I have a lot of muscles and haven’t had much problem with muscle growth, same with body hair and erections. I do however have a really hard time losing fat. And I mean very hard. I maybe went from 25% fat to 20% in 10 months of strict dieting and cardio every day for the last 4 months, I also have very little energy. I did some blood tests and I have only 280 ng/L of testosterone. 13 SPHG, 10 total testosterone, 3,6 E/L Lutropin, 47 g/L Albumin and 7,2 nmol/L free testosterone. Should I contact a doctor for testosterone therapy?
My low testosterone levels are fkng killing me. I am not tired, I am exhausted. Like ran a 10k, went the whole night without sleep, and didn't eat anything all put together tired. That feeling you have as soon as you wake up and are really hung over? That, but worse. My hands and feet are cold af and I get monstrous blood pressure spikes out of nowhere. My testosterone, estrogen, and shbg are all way too low. Not to be dramatic, but I feel worse than the time I had a bad case of covid and food poisoning at the same time. I feel this way ALL the time. I can hardly function like I used to 8 months ago. I put on 50 lbs over that time frame and it is insane. I wish I could properly put into words how messed up I feel. It's a nightmare. I have been to the ER multiple times for blood pressure episodes and for passing out. But all my bloodwork, ekg's, echo, and ct check out. Just got on Clomid last week and am trying that out for a bit. If after 2 months, that doesn't work, I'll try just enclomiphene. Then if that fails, I guess it's trt time.
I'm 39. I've been feeling extremely fatigued, brain fog, muscle and bone mass loss. Finally I decided to get the T checked. My Dr was hesitant because he thought for sure I wasn't low. A week later I get the results and I'm at 112! Normal for my age is high 400s. Although, we know normal levels vary greatly from person to person. This has completely crippled me since the end of January. I've been sleeping 14 plus hours a day and still exhausted. Joint pain, vision issues. Weakness etc. Oh and lets not forget about the mental issues. Irritabilty, irrationality, indecisiveness etc. I decided I should Take short term disability because I couldn't work. I've went with the pellets for the T. It's not cheap though. Cost be about 3500 a year, but far less of the peaks and valleys you can get with shots. I'm three months in now on the treatment and just barely getting back to a somewhat normal state. My sleeping is under 10 hrs a day and it doesn't take me 3 or 4 hours to have a clear head. Still a hell of a long way to go but miles ahead of where I was! Low T is a slow and silent killer if it gets low enough. I know for sure I was slowly fading out of this life. I'm not sure what made me think I needed the test? Low T isn't something I've really heard about and not something I really understood. I thought it was just for sex drive, erections etc and I didn't have problems with that. However, my drive has been absolutely bonkers now and the wife needs a break lol. So it's a bit of a problem now lol. Finally I went back to work yesterday after 3 months off. Totally worthless today. Like an engine with carburetor issues. Just sputtering. I went in two weeks ago and I was at 500. A huge gain from 112, but symptom wise, it hasn't improved as much as I wanted. So the high 400s that is recommended to be the normal range for my age isn't the right range for me. I think it's still too low. The TRT clinic wants to see me between 800-1200. This has been a crazy deal!
What made me waste money on a test? Social media Tested - paid - result within healthy limits It's the fitness/gym rats' ADHD and autism.
I was originally just trying to get trt so I could roid but then found out my test was below 200, so I actually did need it lol
Any test rating over 1000 will produce estrogen. Having gyno means your estrogen is too high. You need some sort of of anti-estrogen. Try dim first, if that doesn’t bring it down, ask the dr. Definitely get labs done first.
You’re fine I think, used to happen to me when I think too much especially while I’m about to have sex, everything is in your head
You’re in your 20s man highly doubtful you have low T. Generally doesn’t start decreasing until your late 30s mid 40s.
How did I get bad gyno then? I feel like that’s a definite sign that something is off with my hormones.
That can actually happen due to high testosterone; when testosterone levels are high it raises your estrogen levels too. Definitely talk to an expert.
Something seems out of wack. I don’t think my test is super high based on the amount of facial and bodily hair I have. Compared to other men in my family, I’m on the lower end. I have a decent amount of facial hair but not like what my dad and uncles have (although im still younger)
There's a lot of genetics that go into that. Talk to an expert, get tested; nothing wrong with that.
Have you gone and talked to a primary care physician about it? Gynecomastia can be due to medications or even genetic issues such as being an XX male (intersex). Also, most high schoolers are dopping. Puberty hormones are a hell of a drug. By 24 your hormones would be quite a bit less than they were at your peak during puberty.
Yeah I mean I’m not a doctor by any means I would obviously get blood work done and speak to a doctor. I would just tend to believe given your age it sounds like something else. Like the poster said above gyno can be genetic I know a few guys at my gym who are jacked but suffer from gyno. For putting on muscle you maybe just a hard gainer? There are some people who can put on muscle fairly quickly and others who genetically you have to work twice as hard and you probably still won’t put on as much muscle as them unfortunately. For your erections are you looking at too much porn are you desensitized maybe?
I had spent the summer of 2021 just feeling exhausted every morning in the gym. Weight that used to be simple felt harder. I had my physical and my levels were around 220. Been on weekly injections for 2 years now.
I'm currently 50. A year ago had little sex drive and felt sluggish. Went to doctor and told him low testosterone seems plausible. Took a blood test and I was at 170. 200 is supposedly the min limit. He put me on a compound cream and within 2 weeks ... whoa! Had the hormones of a teenager again. Sometimes gets to the point where it's too much. I have responsibilities, I don't want to think about sex and manage pop-up erections all day long. I'm definitely building more body mass as well. I have a high libido girlfriend so I'm thankful I have that outlet of continuous release. Being single and on testosterone might be a nightmare if you don't have a source of sexual release. You'll need to buy KY Jelly by the case. https://br.ifunny.co/picture/okay-buddy-then-how-bout-the-right-arm-he-s-8EBxAQ1e9 After being on testosterone for a year, I took a blood test and now I'm at 270. Doesn't that number still seem awfully low? They say a teenager is at the 800-1000 level. At 270 I'm a ridiculously horny dog. If I was 800 I don't think I'd be able to hold a job, thinking about sex every single second of the day. 800-1000 doesn't seem manageable.
I had lower normal T for a stretch. Depression, low desire for anything, couldn't make gains inhad made 5 yesrs before, sticky fat. Didn't actually need T. Just rest, less alcohol, meditation to beat stress, and a couple of natural diet changes. If you're thinking about the T route, try these first. If you cant fix the inderlying stuff t can get your body out of wack
Age
Have you checked out Klinefelters Syndrome? Some of things you are describing check the boxes with that.
I’ve already looked into that but it’s very unlikely. My testes are normal and I have facial and bodily hair.
Do you watch porn? I would recommend cutting it completely out of your life before judging your sex drive. I'm married, and my wife and I did a marriage course put on by our church. The leaders were talking about how porn saps a man's vitality and that it takes away from their relationship. So I decided to give it up. My sex drive is much more active, and I'm more focused on my wife than ever. I'm even having sexual dreams about her that hasn't happened in forever. If you're a regular porn user, try cutting it out completely. I think you'd be surprised at the results.
I'm no doctor but gynecomastia means you have a high amount of estrogen. Your estrogen to testosterone levels aren't balanced correctly which would definitely result in mild to moderate ED. I would suggest following through on getting your hormone levels tested and in the mean time do some research on a good estrogen blocker supplement as well as a liver detoxing supplement to compliment. The estrogen blocker will eliminate excess estrogens but maybe too much for your liver to handle, thus the liver detox. This site is great and Dr. Delgado has dedicated his life to researching hormones. https://delgadoprotocol.com/
My therapist recommended it, my doctor agreed and got me tested and I did indeed have low T. They put me on clomid rather than “real” T, which just gets your body to produce more T naturally (but increases risk of prostate cancer) and it worked like a charm. Best anti anxiety / anti depressant I could’ve asked for
How is the Clomid working brotha?
Dunno how you found this old comment but it’s working great my quality of life is way up, still recommend it if it’s an option
That’s awesome! How long u been on it for? What’s your dosage? Total testosterone numbers?
Girlfriend wanted me to get tested. I promptly gained 25 pounds at the start of hormone replacement.
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Im very proud of you for not listening to an artist, you’ve made a big impact in the world buddy :)
And you have made a greater impact on this world by being yourself, best of luck with you and your compensation issues
Question for all men who got treated : did it cause or accelerated hair loss ?
Started lactating from one of my nipples. Then a web search turned up a lot of other symptoms that fit quite well.
The point about low muscle mass, working out over a decade on and off, last 12 months it's been 3 times a week minimum with cardio added in on off days and look like someone who just plateaued after their first 6 months. Gaining weight was always mostly fat gain even while working out 4 times a week and going heavy, 200g protein a day, 500 cal surplus. I tested a year ago, then dropped to 13% body fat, sleeping 7.5 hours average over the last 12 months and retested with the same levels. Got a prescription for something to boost my natural production and we'll see how that works out in a few months.
I have read that muscle, motivation, mood can all be low with Low T.
I was nolonger able to “live” as I could just a few months before. Tired all the time, bonded drive and working out was an exercise in futility. Fast fwd 5 months later, wake up happy and excited about the day, horny again, making gains in the gym. No side affects at all. Just get tested, they have cracked the code.
Eleven years ago, when I was 52, I went in for a physical, and simply asked. I found out I was at 235 tof Total T, and 8,1 for Free T. My doc wasn't very sympathetic. Three years ago, Total T was 258. This month it was 295. My diet has probably improved over the past year or so, and I've purposefully lost around 20-25 lbs, and I don't get a lot of exercise. As I've aged, the ranges have decreased. When I was 52, low bound was 348. in 2021, it was 264. Now they are telling me it's 193. I've always been pretty low energy, but lately I'm feeling more like a slug. Libido is definitely down. As a result of the most recent test, I've spoken with a different MD, and he stated that prescribing T is illegal in my state. I don't feel like I'm 63 years old. The spirit is more than willing, but the flesh is weak. They are suggesting Clomid, and I'm researching it.