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Low Testosterone

VG SERE

VG SERE

Yellow Skull
Joined
May 28, 2020
Member Number
1621
Messages
204
Wanted to share my experience and hopefully get some pro tips...

First, my "symptoms" weren't anything I thought of, related to, or saw on any commercial having anything to do with low testosterone.

Second, this has changed my life for the positive in countless ways.

In my ignorance, I thought "low T", meant erectile or sexual dysfunction and it probably does at some level. I bet I was headed towards those issues eventually. I'm here to tell you, don't wait until you get there.

Try to keep it brief here, but about 30ish or so I started to struggle. I was still pretty fit and active, but I started to really feel it when I pushed hard. Sore for days, sometimes to the point of almost disabling me. I started having almost what I call a "brain fog", just a lack of clarity or focus sometimes. My general drive and motivation started to drop. One by one, I just kinda trailed off the things I was loving like hunting and competitive shooting, I started spending more time on the couch and less time with friends. I had almost ZERO patience when something went wrong. It was a very subtle shift over years, almost imperceptible. When I left the military(39 years old) it hit me pretty hard, I just wasn't me anymore. I'm 45 now and feel pretty damn awesome generally.


Start with blood work and find a decent primary care doctor who understands aging and "manopause". There is a heck of lot more involved than just your testosterone numbers. I had to change docs and actually one of the most helpful was a lady doc. (She was very hot, not germaine to the story...but hot Dr). My initial numbers were just over 300 which clinically isn't "Hypo gonadism" or whatever insurance calls it. I'm here to tell you numbers matter, but your quality of life is what really maters!

Started TRT, weekly injections. Do your own research, but what I found said ignore all outdated therapy recommendations and do weekly injections. That's glossing over a shitload of research I did and what I decided. If your doc isn't onboard, I'd ask if that's from personal research or are they following 20+ year old dogma (maybe in nicer terms?). The cutting edge knowledge is in all of these newer "anti aging" clinics and docs. How do think some of the richy rich folk and actors never seem to age and are still doing their own stunts at 60, while looking yoked. (Yes, a clean diet and shit ton of work too).

If some one jumps in and says "just lift, or lose weight", or...whatever. YES, but that is some backwards shit. My capacity to workout is 10x what it was pre TRT. I recover a 100x faster, I have more drive and focus, and I'm putting on muscle like I haven't in years. I hit the gym 3 days a week with a trainer, and I am stronger and move better now than 10 years ago. I've also lost weight and am still losing. Pre-TRT I was hitting the gym 3 days a week with a trainer and progress was SLOW, and I was always sore. It's NOT chicken and egg, you freaking need both. No chickens, no eggs, and the reverse! I actually eat shittier now,(I blame covid, lol) and I'm still losing weight and gaining strength.

My drive and motivation is also 100% better, that's huge. I feel like I'm cognitively sharper as well. I am far more zen, and actually have patience!

On the tech side weekly injections are pretty easy. I use a 22g or 24g to inject and some big honking mofo to draw. Do it. It makes a big difference in comfort.

Don't skip or forget! I am paying hell right now. (Hence me writing this). I missed a dose and then of course my script was out, had to schedule the doc, etc, and now I'm 30 days off and feeling like shit and my wife is asking me why I'm asshole. I've been so busy I didn't even put 2 and 2 together until this week.

I think it's a continual effort. I probably need to up my dosage a little. Side effects for me were minimal, but I'd be careful. It was sublte but after a few months of therapy I wanted to bang everything that had a pulse. At the peak I kinda felt like that teenager that does stupid shit to get laid. Luckily my wife is awesome. I could see that shit ending in divorce. Again, maybe explains some of the stupid shit you see guys do. II also had some night sweats, nothing crazy. Would just wake up hot af.

Wish I would have started this shit at 30, would be running against Harris/Talib in 2024, lol. ( side note, saw a study that showed a strong correlation between low T levels and severity of covid symptoms and outcomes)

Cheers

Vince
 
I echo pretty much all this. I inject myself weekly. I was 270 first test, then 240 second test pre TRT. Hover around 600-800 now. Upper limit should be 1000 or 1100 for a raging 20 year old.
I draw up with 21, inject with 23 ga 41 years old. BTW I've always had low T so this is like fucking steroids for me. Muscle is easier now than it was at 18.
 
I need to get back to the Dr. For this. I just turned 49, and started my treatments at 44 and within a month could tell a big difference.
unfortunately, I lost insurance coverage and had to stop going, but now that I have coverage again, I REALLY need to start back up. Its been a couple of years since I stopped treatment.
I let my wife do my injection, she seemed to take pleasure in stabbing me in the ass with a needle...lol
 
Injection site? I've been performing weekly injections (more or less - usually 8 - 10 days because I'm a forgetful MF) for about 8 years or so. Before that, I tried the daily gel application. That sucked big time. Last blood draw the level was 435, but that was about t weeks out from a shot.

The doc said my wife should inject in the high buttocks, but I read on line that the outer thigh is also an acceptable location. Doc doesn't like that location for some reason, but it is convenient for me and seems to work well. 18G needle to draw, 25g needle to inject...
 
I need to get tested. Feel ok for 36 but I did a lot of steroids in my 20's and never did any bloodwork to check for endocrine recovery. I was at one point benching 315 at a bodyweight of 175lbs.
 
I had almost ZERO patience when something went wrong.
Click to expand...

Well damnit, looks like I'm low t also :flipoff2:

Seriously though, good on posting here. Most people are scared to talk about shit like this. Myself, I've wondered about myself sometimes. I can have a really hard time getting motivated to do certain things. Seems to be getting worse with age (33 last week) not sure if it's normal or not.
 
I've had a feeling that I'm low as well. If all goes well I'll be back to work with good insurance soon so I can get a full work up and figure shit out
 
It works and it works well! They can now offer "pellets" vs a shot weekly / biweekly.
 
Hmmm interesting topic, I turn forty-five this month and for the last six years or so I have experienced the issues you are bringing up. I hit the gym four times a week eat a healthy diet and I can't lose weight and cannot gain any muscle as I did in my early thirties. I have just started noticing the last year or so it takes a lot to get me motivated to do things I used to really enjoy doing. I see my regular doctor every six months for a check-up and he never mentioned this as a possibility, looks like I need a new doctor or push him to look at this. Than for posting this kind of eye-opening.
 
How was your sleep before therapy?

My breathing and sleep is absolute shit, and Im sure its draining my T levels. Had two surguries, breathing is still shit, so is sleep. When my nose is clear and I can breathe, my sleep is better, and I feel twice the man the next morning.

TRT interests me, but I need to get this breathing issue resolved. Sometimes I think its my karma payback for pissing off do many of you fucks back in the day. :flipoff2:

OP, good post, thans for sharing.
 
These "it fixed my life" threads bore the fuck out of me.

I want the "I got the sex drive I had when I was 16, wife wouldn't put out, so I killed her, when her dad asked where she was, I fucked him too, and now I'm in prison" stories.
 
Hmp. My wife started talking to me about T shots earlier this year. My issues are all the above. That and major nerve pain from the lower spine to my calves due to a couple bulged discs (one previously herniated). Docs have told me all my blood specs are good and a couple gave me the eye roll when I explained some problems. I haven't felt right in the last few years and hit 37 this year. Something to ponder.
 
I went and got tested a couple years ago. I had the same issues you guys are experiencing. My level was 280. Doc started me on the shots every two weeks. I went back in a month and my level was 1,180.

I took the shots for a few more weeks, then squirrelled and have not gone back for any follow up's. I need to go back, cause my energy is gone and my give damn is dead.
 
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VG SERE said:
I had almost ZERO patience when something went wrong.
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huh
wonder if this is why a huge number of older guys I run into have bitch fit toddler tantrums when shit doesn't go their way the first time
 
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Hmm, maybe time to see the doc about this. It would explain the lack of energy and the fact that if I workout on the regular i'm sore constantly.

Y'all see a specific doc or just your GP?
 
I have severely low testosterone. I've had a dozen blood tests and always come back in the 120 - 130s. I'm 34 years old. I figured it out on my own by piecing together the symptoms. Same issues as you had - Excess weight, no muscle, no endurance, very slow to recover from exertion, low sex drive, foggy brain, zero motivation and totally burnt out after a 9hr work day. My mental state has not been good for a long time. I don't have any friends or work on projects because I just don't have the energy for it after work and it takes me all weekend to recover enough to face the next week.

I am not currently taking any kind of treatment for it because my wife and I are not done having kids. HRT has a significant impact on fertility and I'm not willing to mess around with that. I've had my fertility tested and it came back normal despite my testosterone issues. We've had a lot of problems with fertility as it is, our first one took nearly a year to conceive and we've had a couple of miscarriages while trying for the second.

I'm fairly sure I've always had low testosterone, right since I was a teenager. My brother and father are both fit, active and highly motivated people. I've always been overweight with no muscle and no endurance. I have always had to put monumental effort into getting myself up and out the door every morning for work.

I'm hoping that our second kid is a boy so we can call it quits and I can start HRT. I think it is going to make a massive difference in my quality of life.
 
Are there any natural ways to boost low testosterone?
 
TRT = Cancer ?

And dont just say no unless you hace totally researched it.

Family members have died from hormone replacement therapy so its something I've wondered about.

Nature does not give anything without side effects.
 
PAE said:
TRT = Cancer ?

And dont just say no unless you hace totally researched it.

Family members have died from hormone replacement therapy so its something I've wondered about.

Nature does not give anything without side effects.
Click to expand...

Da fawk are you saying?

In engrish pwease?
 
I thought that TRT can cause blood clots. Any truth to this? How common, likely?
 
There are plenty of side effects. Some people go right off the deep end and essentially roid rage each time they get their injections then crash as they wear off. The swinging levels of their hormones can drive a person mad and cause serious mental health issues to the point that guys will commit suicide over it. The HRT also can cause your blood to thicken due to increase iron retention and increase the risk of heart attack and blood clots as a result. Iron content of your blood has to be monitored closely. Your nads more or less stop producing other sex hormones when your testosterone is increased artificially as it breaks the natural feedback loops that regulate your hormones, atrophy and loss of sexual potency is common but is often reversible if you stop taking HRT. There are other issues long term like cancer risks that can arise as well.

I personally am worried about taking HRT via injection. I'd rather start gentle and slow with a cream. Put it on when I get to work in the morning so it isn't still on my skin when I get home to my wife / daughter in the evening and risk messing with their hormone levels. The little pouches are new tech in the US, but when I last checked are not available in Canada yet. I also have a horrible needle phobia, and the idea of getting stuck with multiple needles weekly for the rest of my life is not my idea of a good time.

As mentioned above, check with multiple doctors. Some have pretty much no knowledge on the subject and can really lead you astray. I saw about a dozen doctors and spent hours reading up on things myself and ultimately decided not to seek treatment until after we are done having kids.
 
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So again I will ask... is there a natural way to boost ones testosterone?
:confused:
 
I was down just above 200. I had some form of most of the major problems associated with Low T. I began taking the pellets implanted under the skin last March. The first round brought my levels up into the 400's. The last round was a few extra pellets. It help more. I am about to go in fo bloodwork from the last round to see where I am. I did the pellets because I don't have to inject all the time, and it actually worked out to be cheaper than the injections in the long run.

I feel alot better now than then, and with a little more dose adjustment I expect it to get better.
 
I’ve considered it. I’ve got buddies on “TRT” Some go through a doctor, (term used loosely here) and some have resorted to other means. For a lot of dudes TRT = never ending cruise cycle between blasting more than maintaining natural testosterone levels.

My two cents is make sure you actually have hypogonadism causing your low T before shutting down your boys for life and make sure to get regular blood work done. Find a doctor that knows what they are doing. You can really fuck yourself up and there are plenty of T clinics that will take your money and help you do it.

It’s a big commitment and usually for life. If you’re just doing it as a short cut or because your T is on the low side possibly from any number of reasons, (injury, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, shitty diet) I think it is a big mistake. That initial buzz the OP describes is real but is temporary as your body gets accustomed.

mean while get ready for:

nuts the size of BB’s. HCG can help maintain testicular health but they are still gonna shrink

elevated hematocrit levels...aka thick blood. Lots of blood donations. Only by doctors orders of course otherwise the donation centers will tell you to pound sand.

high blood pressure

shitty cholesterol numbers


dependent on your supply wherever that comes from if for some reason you loose it you will be in a world of shit. I personally would not want to be stuck on TRT right now and be forced to stop because civil war2.0 kicks off and turn into a little girl as my body struggles to make its own test again. That’s if it even will.
 
Ive taken many natural things but they never worked, my next and last attempt will be whats called "traditional Chinese Medicine".

Had some Chinese or Tibetan products that worked but they arent made or at the least imported any longer.

With FDA if something works FDA wants to license it and control it.


flecker said:
So again I will ask... is there a natural way to boost ones testosterone?
:confused:
Click to expand...
 
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