Could low testosterone be your problem?

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Mikel7

I am telling my story here for all of you suffering from erection difficulties.
Back in 2004 I started experiencing a loss of morning erections. It was an emotional
rollercoaster for myself because sex was at the top of my list and I was suffering.  So after
several Dr visits and labwork I was prescribed pumps, cockrings and Viagra
which then cost $70.00 for a 100 mg pill.  

I tried this treatment for about 4 months which barely worked and then noticed I was loosing
my motivation for life and loosing a lot of my strength and muscle mass. My libido vanished
and I felt like I was 100 years old.

I then had one intelligent Dr who said we need to check your testosterone levels. And they were well below 100.  So then my journey began and long story short I am primarily shut down and have been on  100%  testosterone replacement.  My erections are back and also strength, motivation and even my hypertension is gone.  So what I learned form all of this is that our free unbound Testosterone is what plays a big role in our erections. It also plays a role in every other bodily function including our strength and muscle mass. I know that as men age our T levels also decline. If you are having erection problems I would suggest you ask your Dr for some hormone testing to rule that one out.  :)  MikeL7
Lump 4/2020, age 62 , Dr Levine 6-26-20, Dors Curve 11/2020, Peyronies
Vit E400mg, COQ10, Heat Therapy, Penimaster, Pentox, Cialis, Restorex
SNHL 7/2020 - Stopped all Meds because ototoxicity  Heat/traction/VED are working. CPPS Diagnosis - Stable :)

Gerald12345

I just hijack this older thread. Today my T score came in. Had a level of 3.3 ng/ml in December which is already considered low and can cause problems in many men. My uro said it was still ok. So went to an endocrinologist last week to double check as I felt like crap with many low T symptoms. Shocking news: it is now as low as 1.6 ng/ml. I am not overweight, practice sport, and eat/drink healthy. What should I do, directly ask for TRT?  
Peyronie's onset in 11/2021. Age 39
Two plaques under the glans. Minimal pain, only congenital curvature.
Tadalafil 2.5 - 5 mg per day + TRT

Hawk

I have to assume you went to an endocrinologist to get tested, diagnosed, and treated.  What did he say during your follow-up after the test results?  If he is a good doctor, you should not have to ask for what you think will work.  Discuss the results and the symptoms, and ask what he can do to help correct the problem.
Prostatectomy 2004, radiation 2009, currently 70 yrs old
After pills, injections, VED - Dr Eid, Titan 22cm implant 8/7/18
Hawk - Updated 10/27/18 - Peyronies Society Forums

Gerald12345

You are right Hawk. The problem is that the uros I went to did not really care. Basically they were like, come back if you have a severe curve so we can do shockwave and write you some more bills. So I have lost quite some trust in doctors.

The endocrinologist was the first one who did seem to care. Still I had to talk her into testing my T levels again. Well, the discussion of the test results will be on Friday. I hope she can help me in some way.
Peyronie's onset in 11/2021. Age 39
Two plaques under the glans. Minimal pain, only congenital curvature.
Tadalafil 2.5 - 5 mg per day + TRT

Mikel7

A knowledgeable endocrinologist who specializes in hormone replacement for men knows that each individual is a subjective patient.  That means they don't just look at numbers - which most of them do and don't have a clue. They asses you as the patient exactly how you feel. Some will even give you the ADAM questionnaire -->https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2834355/ . This can be helpful if they know what they are doing.  I will tell you that your levels are way too low and you are probably symptomatic.  It needs investigating as to why?

Full testosterone replacement isn't for the faint of heart. It is usually for life and you need a good Dr who knows how to test you and what kind of dosages and protocols will work in your situation. There are tons of different ways to delivery the testosterone.  You may only need a slight boost to your system with either clomid or HCG. I know from experience and 18 years of messing with this stuff and a good DR.

I will say that if you are not satisfied with your Dr please get another one. Also keep a good record of all of your lab work.  Beware of online TRT clinics as they are a cookie cutter type of approach and usually start patients on 200mg per week and is way too much for normal hormone replacement.  

I can say that if you are not primarily shut down then you need to find out why your body is not producing sufficient T for you. It is always best for your body to produce T naturally.  Hormone replacement for some men just does not work right according to their own body chemistry.  
Lump 4/2020, age 62 , Dr Levine 6-26-20, Dors Curve 11/2020, Peyronies
Vit E400mg, COQ10, Heat Therapy, Penimaster, Pentox, Cialis, Restorex
SNHL 7/2020 - Stopped all Meds because ototoxicity  Heat/traction/VED are working. CPPS Diagnosis - Stable :)

Gerald12345

Thanks for your advice Mikel, very appreciated. I'm not keen to get on TRT. If some HCG shots can get me back on track, this would be great. I just know that I cannot continue with the situation as it is now. It seems like a vicious circle. Every day I feel more crappy, get less sleep and produce less testosterone. I basically need a short term solution but of course I also need to know what's behind all this.
Peyronie's onset in 11/2021. Age 39
Two plaques under the glans. Minimal pain, only congenital curvature.
Tadalafil 2.5 - 5 mg per day + TRT

Hawk

I am not real knowledgeable about TRT, but I have family members on TRT and have administered the injections and read about it. Being a prostate cancer survivor, I have learned a lot about deprivation therapy (although I have never been on that either).  I know T is produced in both the testicles and a small amount by the adrenal glands. My total GUESS is that the pituitary gland regulates production.  My question, like Mike, is what is causing you to have such low T?  What types of things would stop the production of T by a man in his 30s?

I suspect there are things worse than low T that can cause low T so be sure you get an answer to "WHY?".  In otherwise healthy men, high body fat can be a factor in low T.  Weight training of large muscles groups (squats, deadlifts, etc.) will raise T.

Again, as Mike said, find out what is going on and how to address it.  Do not stop until you get a thorough answer.
Prostatectomy 2004, radiation 2009, currently 70 yrs old
After pills, injections, VED - Dr Eid, Titan 22cm implant 8/7/18
Hawk - Updated 10/27/18 - Peyronies Society Forums

Gerald12345

A little update from my side. I was able to talk with the endocrinologist about the blood levels. She diagnosed me with secondary hypogonadism. Prolactin was in a normal range that's why I guess an MRI was not needed. She put me on testosterone gel for now which I have been creaming onto my shoulders for about two weeks. I have to say that I feel a good bit better. My mood has improved, doing sport is a lot easier and libido is back. Nocturnal erections got a boost as well so that I will lower Tadalafil down to 2.5 mg every day. Will have another check of my blood in 2 weeks to see what changed. @ Mikel: may I ask about your TRT protocol?
Peyronie's onset in 11/2021. Age 39
Two plaques under the glans. Minimal pain, only congenital curvature.
Tadalafil 2.5 - 5 mg per day + TRT

Mikel7

It is awesome that you got started on TRT.  I can say that creams/gels do have some place in TRT.  The upside is that in the beginning they can be wonderful and produce levels mid range (400 -500) and you will feel fine. The downside is that over time the skin can only absorb so much and your levels will drop.  You cannot apply the gels to your scrotum because of the alcohol . I was in the clinical trials of Androgel and my levels could only get up to 358.  That was applying to the inside of my forearm/chest and inner thighs. I was not aware of then about the compounded testosterone cream.

Those were my early days of TRT and I was later put on a stronger compounded testosterone cream of 200mg per ml in a versa base.  -->https://www.empowerpharmacy.com/drugs/testosterone-cream . This cream is usually applied too your scrotum up to 2 times a day to produce good levels.  Your skin there has more 5α -reductase activity in the skin so the testosterone is converted in to DHT at a higher rate providing you with optimal levels.  Now keep in mind that everyone is different with there own skin and how it absorbs.  I eventually had to go back to IM/sub Q injections. Many men also feel much better on injections compared to the creams/gels.

Now IM injections should at the very least start at 1 time per week.  Endo's follow the protocol of 100mg of testosterone cypionate per week and see how the patient feels and their levels. This can put you on a roller coaster ride because as the shot is absorbed your levels rise and then fall.  This peaking will make  you feel great but then there is the downswing and you can feel terrible until your next injection.  To offset this Dr's have come up with lower dosing with more frequency. Monday and Thursday or even Monday Wednesday and Friday.  There are even more radical dosing frequencies that some have adopted.

For those who still have a bad response you can go to EOD or daily dosing with a very minute amount.  This protocol has been adopted for individuals who have a low SHGB level and need the more frequent low dosing schedule. I am on the everyday schedule and inject 14mg a day shallow IM and rotate each injection site. I use a small insulin syringe and it doesn't hurt at all.  I feel normal and sleep well. My levels are around 780 and my free T is mid range. My blood pressure has also come down to normal levels.  Nighttime erections are great and muscle/strength preservation is normal.

There is one thing you are probably not aware of and that is the possibility that you will get an abundance of red blood cell production.  This is called secondary erythrocytosis and basically it is your blood getting a little thicker. This is remedied by donating blood about every 3 or 4 months. Some guys do not have to do this , I am one that has to.

I hope you have a Dr that is knowledgeable about the many facets and tests with testosterone therapy.  I  must say that your doctor should give you 6 weeks or more before full testing is initiated. It takes your body a while to adjust to the medication. I had one of the top Dr's of hormone therapy that developed most of the protocols.  I was fortunate to have him but it took about 5 other Dr's practicing on me to see how I would feel. Each one knew a little about it and did help me but they were lacking in the knowledge of lab testing and looked too much at numbers rather than subjective feelings of their patient.

I hope for the best for you and feel free to ask any other questions. I can also guide you to the forum that I am a part of.  Here is a book that you should read to educate yourself -->https://www.excelmale.com/best-testosterone-book-free-for-download-beyond-testosterone/ . It is a free download . Mikel7 :)



Lump 4/2020, age 62 , Dr Levine 6-26-20, Dors Curve 11/2020, Peyronies
Vit E400mg, COQ10, Heat Therapy, Penimaster, Pentox, Cialis, Restorex
SNHL 7/2020 - Stopped all Meds because ototoxicity  Heat/traction/VED are working. CPPS Diagnosis - Stable :)

Gerald12345

Wow Mikel, thanks a lot for such a detailed reply!! Yes, it is very complicated once you start reading about hormones and TRT. I think it will take some time for me to get dialed in. It seems a lot men switch to injections after some time with gels. Here in Germany nebido seems very popular. It is injected every 10 -12 weeks. From what I've read it leads to peaks and lows, some don't seem to care about that and are happy, others freak out. An interval of 8 weeks is also possible if the doctor gives an okay to it. I think I will give the gel a try and see how it will work. Will give updates.
Peyronie's onset in 11/2021. Age 39
Two plaques under the glans. Minimal pain, only congenital curvature.
Tadalafil 2.5 - 5 mg per day + TRT

Gerald12345

Just wanted to give a quick update. With the gel I was indeed not able to get stable T levels. I was still below2ng/ml. That is why I switched to injections. I am currently injecting 70 mg testosterone enanthate every fourth day. After 10 weeks I went to the endocrinologist and had blood taken. A day before the next injection my total T was at 6.37 ng/ml. Free T at 23.4 pg/ml. Estradiol was quite high at 51 pg/ml. Shbg very low at 11.9 nmol/l. Hematocrit a bit high at 52. The Endocrinologist said the values look quite good but we would check again in 3 months due to the values that were out of range.

I do feel quite good at the moment. Before the next blood work I consider giving blood to see how this will change hematocrit and I might also try to inject every third day to see whether I can bring down estradiol. Any other thoughts?
Peyronie's onset in 11/2021. Age 39
Two plaques under the glans. Minimal pain, only congenital curvature.
Tadalafil 2.5 - 5 mg per day + TRT

Mikel7

Your levels look good for just starting on this journey.  Yes estradiol (E2) is a little high but may come down in time. As your body adjusts to the medication your strength and muscle tone/mass will improve.  This should bring down some of your fat levels also.  Our fat cells are what contain aromatase which is what converts testosterone into E2. As we loose fat our E2 will come down.

I am using testosterone cypionate around 98 mg a week. I do small daily injections of 14 mg and rotate hips/delts using a 29 guage 1/2 syringe. It is a shallow intramuscular injection which keeps my levels very stable. I also donate blood when my hematocrit is around 55. This helps my blood viscosity and benefits another individual.  I would suggest that you incorporate an exercise type of mindset which will help you in the long run and you may gain some muscle definition too.  Good luck!
Lump 4/2020, age 62 , Dr Levine 6-26-20, Dors Curve 11/2020, Peyronies
Vit E400mg, COQ10, Heat Therapy, Penimaster, Pentox, Cialis, Restorex
SNHL 7/2020 - Stopped all Meds because ototoxicity  Heat/traction/VED are working. CPPS Diagnosis - Stable :)

Gerald12345

Reusing this threat due to an urgent question. Nothing new regarding Peyronie from my side. I did stop TRT in April as my hematocrit was quite high and I forgot to take T with me when I went onto a vacation. The thing is. Me and my wife used TRT as a birth control and it worked well while I was on it. However, sperm production must have kicked in quickly after I stopped TRT as I made my wife pregnant  ::)

Restarted TRT in the meantime. She is very early in her pregnancy and we have not made a decision on whether we are gonna have the child. My fear is that I may have had some Frankenstein sperms i.e. they were still influenced by TRT. In the end the child could end up disabled. This is one of my worries. I have not found any articles on this topic. Maybe soneone of you knows a bit more?!
Peyronie's onset in 11/2021. Age 39
Two plaques under the glans. Minimal pain, only congenital curvature.
Tadalafil 2.5 - 5 mg per day + TRT

nevertheless

I talked to a few doctor/pharmacist friends about this and they had zero concerns and said there is no correlation between being in trt and any birth defects. I wouldn't use that as a primary concern.  
Early 30s. Downward curve for as long as I can remember. Peyronies from injury as teen. Started restorex/cialis June 30, 2023, seeing fantastic results.

Hawk

This is out of my field, but I doubt that any medical person would have suggested using TRT as a reliable birth control.  Deciding to rely on it was probably not a good idea.  Rather than the Internet, I would rely on good medical support to determine the likelihood of any birth defect.  My guess is that it is VERY low.
Prostatectomy 2004, radiation 2009, currently 70 yrs old
After pills, injections, VED - Dr Eid, Titan 22cm implant 8/7/18
Hawk - Updated 10/27/18 - Peyronies Society Forums

Mikel7

As to what Hawk has stated I fully agree. TRT alone is not a good prophylactic for birth control. Tests have been done and it was shown that a man's sperm count was greatly diminished on TRT. Pregnancies though were not entirely eliminated in all cases. Also if you are experiencing high hematocrit either your dosage is too high or you just need more time for your body adjusting to the medication.
Lump 4/2020, age 62 , Dr Levine 6-26-20, Dors Curve 11/2020, Peyronies
Vit E400mg, COQ10, Heat Therapy, Penimaster, Pentox, Cialis, Restorex
SNHL 7/2020 - Stopped all Meds because ototoxicity  Heat/traction/VED are working. CPPS Diagnosis - Stable :)

Gerald12345

Thanks for the feedback. Thing is, while on TRT for a year, it worked perfectly fine as a contraceptive. The pregnancy only came after being off for 4 months. I mean it was pretty stupid to not look for any other form of birth control but that is just how it went. Will definetly do a sperm test now that I am back on TRT and consider a vasectomy.
Peyronie's onset in 11/2021. Age 39
Two plaques under the glans. Minimal pain, only congenital curvature.
Tadalafil 2.5 - 5 mg per day + TRT

RexRG

Quote from: Gerald12345 on August 22, 2023, 12:04:04 PM...and consider a vasectomy.
Just my experience with a vasectomy; my father and brother-in-law said they had no issues and even had sex the same night. But my luck wasn't so good. I had to soak in the tub every day/night for the swelling and pain. My office was upstairs in my house and it was quite difficult getting up and down the steps for a week. The worst part though is I found that orgasms diminished in intensity a small amount - and to this day, 35 years later. Not by much, but I wouldn't have had the vasectomy if I'd known that was going to happen. Just my two cents.

Gerald12345

Yes, I have heard. Vasectomy can be a gamble. For most people it is working but a significant number of men have permanent problems. Will have to really think this through!
Peyronie's onset in 11/2021. Age 39
Two plaques under the glans. Minimal pain, only congenital curvature.
Tadalafil 2.5 - 5 mg per day + TRT