Peak_Power
New Member
lol I don't have any of those symptoms, quite the opposite, maybe I have naturally high testosterone, (just like Floyd Landis after four scotches and a bit of "trt"
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Testosterone Replacement Therapy
- Thread starter FireFighter
- Start date
tradnyx - what bgrand said is correct. If you are low normal it may do you some good. However don't forget that the test they put you on will suppress your natural test and replace it with whatever they give you. If they don't give you enough then it's a waste of time, you may end up worse off than before.
Low normal - gotta love that word. My doc explained it to me that the range is so wide that it's difficult to treat. They just give enough to get you somewhere between mid to high normal and have you feeling normal. If you suddenly look like coleman in 3 months - they will cut your dosage. My insurance company requires quartely testing the first year then just yearly testing.
On one scale normal is 200-800. On another, normal is 35-150 - quite a range there isn't it.
Good luck finding a doc willing to read the results favorably to help you. If you find one your life is going to change for the better. Remember how you felt when you were 18? You can feel that way for the rest of your life.
Low normal - gotta love that word. My doc explained it to me that the range is so wide that it's difficult to treat. They just give enough to get you somewhere between mid to high normal and have you feeling normal. If you suddenly look like coleman in 3 months - they will cut your dosage. My insurance company requires quartely testing the first year then just yearly testing.
On one scale normal is 200-800. On another, normal is 35-150 - quite a range there isn't it.
Good luck finding a doc willing to read the results favorably to help you. If you find one your life is going to change for the better. Remember how you felt when you were 18? You can feel that way for the rest of your life.
FireFighter
New Member
So what are the ages of the guys who have went and tried the TRT?
I asked my family doctor about a blood test for my T level. (I was in with my son for his physical) She said I'd have to make an appointment and we'd discuss my symptoms before she would order the test.
I asked my family doctor about a blood test for my T level. (I was in with my son for his physical) She said I'd have to make an appointment and we'd discuss my symptoms before she would order the test.
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(vagrant @ Aug. 25 2006,00:28)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">On one scale normal is 200-800. On another, normal is 35-150 - quite a range there isn't it.
Good luck finding a doc willing to read the results favorably to help you. If you find one your life is going to change for the better. </div>
There must be a third scale out there, because I heard of one going to 1000. Still no word on any favorable docs near Atlanta.
(vagrant @ Aug. 25 2006,00:28)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">On one scale normal is 200-800. On another, normal is 35-150 - quite a range there isn't it.
Good luck finding a doc willing to read the results favorably to help you. If you find one your life is going to change for the better. </div>
There must be a third scale out there, because I heard of one going to 1000. Still no word on any favorable docs near Atlanta.
FireFighter
New Member
bgrand or anyone else who has gone on the program.
What symptoms did you have that led you up to getting on the program?
What symptoms did you have that led you up to getting on the program?
Low libido, ED, no strength or muscle gains at the gym, got fatter even though I was working out 3-4 days a week, always tired, always cranky.
Sounds kind of like what overtraining would be, but even after time off, things didn't get better.
I went to several doctors. One said it was my imagination, another said I was depressed, another said I just needed viagra.
All were wrong.
Doctor #4 did blood tests. The blood tests proved the low testosterone for several months as well as low LH and low FSH (luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone are what the pituitary gland release to tell the balls to get busy, the pituitary was asleep at the wheel, apparently).
Hope that helps.
Sounds kind of like what overtraining would be, but even after time off, things didn't get better.
I went to several doctors. One said it was my imagination, another said I was depressed, another said I just needed viagra.
All were wrong.
Doctor #4 did blood tests. The blood tests proved the low testosterone for several months as well as low LH and low FSH (luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone are what the pituitary gland release to tell the balls to get busy, the pituitary was asleep at the wheel, apparently).
Hope that helps.
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(quadancer @ Aug. 26 2006,10:15)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Still no word on any favorable docs near Atlanta.</div>
Check these guys out. Maybe they can help.
http://www.renewman.com/Home/AboutUs/tabid/772/Default.aspx
(quadancer @ Aug. 26 2006,10:15)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Still no word on any favorable docs near Atlanta.</div>
Check these guys out. Maybe they can help.
http://www.renewman.com/Home/AboutUs/tabid/772/Default.aspx
Thanx V - I filled out the questionnaire and expect to hear from them soon. They have a list of docs over the country that do HRT and are acknowledgable about it, so I expect to be assigned one. Hope I can afford it. I know the test is cheap, once you get over the initial exams and all that. I'm so tired of being tired; tried EVERYTHING but this.
You do not need a dr script to get bloodwork done. Do a google search. There are labs all over that will do it. Insurance may not pay though.
www.healthcheckusa.com is one lab
www.healthcheckusa.com is one lab
I HAD the bloodwork done. But these docs don't know much about HRT and if you're even in the lowest normal range, consider you to be okay. Mid to low normal is andropause. Here's an excerpt from the website that says it better:
We manage your hormones to the upper end of the "normal" lab ranges. Laboratory ranges are determined by testing both sick and healthy men. To produce a change in how you feel, your levels should be managed to the upper end or "healthy" end of the lab tested range. To illustrate: if you were to go to a doctor that is not familiar with hormone therapy he might tell you that "your total testosterone of 300ng/dl is in the normal range of 240 - 1100ng/dl" and that "you are fine". What he should have said is "you are at the lower end of the range, you are suffering the effects of andropause aging. We need to raise your levels to over 700ng/dl so you can be and feel healthy again".
Or if you want to see the whole page:
http://www.renewman.com/HormonesMenTheFacts/tabid/766/Default.aspx
I assume that because it's relatively "new", not many docs are studied up on it. Remember how everyone felt about chiropractors?
We manage your hormones to the upper end of the "normal" lab ranges. Laboratory ranges are determined by testing both sick and healthy men. To produce a change in how you feel, your levels should be managed to the upper end or "healthy" end of the lab tested range. To illustrate: if you were to go to a doctor that is not familiar with hormone therapy he might tell you that "your total testosterone of 300ng/dl is in the normal range of 240 - 1100ng/dl" and that "you are fine". What he should have said is "you are at the lower end of the range, you are suffering the effects of andropause aging. We need to raise your levels to over 700ng/dl so you can be and feel healthy again".
Or if you want to see the whole page:
http://www.renewman.com/HormonesMenTheFacts/tabid/766/Default.aspx
I assume that because it's relatively "new", not many docs are studied up on it. Remember how everyone felt about chiropractors?
Anti-Aging type clinics are more liberal in the way they read lab results. Some private docs are too.
The benefit of going to a clinic is that there is other blood work to be checked too. An executive profile or general health profile will tell you about many other things too. Some of the labs will indicate certain nutritional deficits, others will tell you about your thyroid, pancreas, liver function...all the unsuspected stuff that can make you feel bad.
There's more to it than just getting on some test and feeling better. My insurance finally came through and paid for the testosterone level testing ($150.00 for each of the multiple tests), but the GHP ($25.00) they refused...go figure.
I found out that a big root of my problem was my body fat was simply too low. I had been calculating my food intake on what I thought my lbm was and had been overcalculating my BF%. Big whoopsie there. Turned out I was eating over 1000 calories a day too little - I had thought 3500 was enough. Combine that with a swiss cheese brain, Damaged CNS, attacks on the pituitary gland from my CNS dysfunction - I was fouled up.
Actual lab work and medical testing to find the root of our problems is a good thing.
The benefit of going to a clinic is that there is other blood work to be checked too. An executive profile or general health profile will tell you about many other things too. Some of the labs will indicate certain nutritional deficits, others will tell you about your thyroid, pancreas, liver function...all the unsuspected stuff that can make you feel bad.
There's more to it than just getting on some test and feeling better. My insurance finally came through and paid for the testosterone level testing ($150.00 for each of the multiple tests), but the GHP ($25.00) they refused...go figure.
I found out that a big root of my problem was my body fat was simply too low. I had been calculating my food intake on what I thought my lbm was and had been overcalculating my BF%. Big whoopsie there. Turned out I was eating over 1000 calories a day too little - I had thought 3500 was enough. Combine that with a swiss cheese brain, Damaged CNS, attacks on the pituitary gland from my CNS dysfunction - I was fouled up.
Actual lab work and medical testing to find the root of our problems is a good thing.
ALL of that is good news to me, actually. I've been fighting moods, fatigue, easy fat gains, low hypertrophy, slow healing and a host of junk for years. Had the blood work done, had tried various homeopathic remedies, had two checkups, and got no answers. With BB'ing and my diet, I should be superman, but I'm more like Droopy Dog. I almost fit the list of symptoms for chronic fatigue syndrome, but not quite. I almost completely fit the list for Andropause. I don't care what the problem is, if they can find out for sure and FIX it! I"m so tired of dragging myself into my gym and forcing workouts, feeling WASTED after five or six hours of work in a day (but having to do 8 or 10) and barely seeing results.
And I do HOPE they are 'liberal' in reading lab results! A little help wouldn't hurt, eh? I've chosen not to go to the 'darkside' for the usual reasons.
And I do HOPE they are 'liberal' in reading lab results! A little help wouldn't hurt, eh? I've chosen not to go to the 'darkside' for the usual reasons.
quadancer, one other thing to get checked too from your description is to have a glucose tolerance test done.
Those symptoms can also go along with early DMII.
If that is the case - and your insulin sensitivity is diminished, it's pretty easy to fix with just diet - but don't look for massive mass gains while fixing it.
Took me a year of strict carb control to get mine working right again. But I did manage to stay off of diabetes meds by doing it.
Gasp, shock, watch my carbs...not words a bodybuilder wants to hear. But sometimes has to be done in favor of total health.
Those symptoms can also go along with early DMII.
If that is the case - and your insulin sensitivity is diminished, it's pretty easy to fix with just diet - but don't look for massive mass gains while fixing it.
Took me a year of strict carb control to get mine working right again. But I did manage to stay off of diabetes meds by doing it.
Gasp, shock, watch my carbs...not words a bodybuilder wants to hear. But sometimes has to be done in favor of total health.
I finally found a clinic willing to give me a break...the one here in Atlanta is WAY expensive, and same with two others. They are a bit more lax in Fla. and seem to be willing to work with a poor carpenter more. But the others DID keep calling! (it is a business, after all...)
I may be good to go...my prostrate screen from the VA was normal and they fixed my heart. Wanna be young again!
I may be good to go...my prostrate screen from the VA was normal and they fixed my heart. Wanna be young again!
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(vagrant @ Aug. 25 2006,00:28)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">On one scale normal is 200-800. On another, normal is 35-150 - quite a range there isn't it.</div>
Hey Vagrant hows it going I have ventured over to the HST side just going to have to forget my ego or wear a mask when i work out in the early stages.
That second range is non existant for total test prob free levels though dont know the units unless you meant 350 -1500 which is high but possible. Different labs have different tests and will have different ranges typicall y the upper end is between 8-1200. I make sure mine are not below 800 anyway.
(vagrant @ Aug. 25 2006,00:28)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">On one scale normal is 200-800. On another, normal is 35-150 - quite a range there isn't it.</div>
Hey Vagrant hows it going I have ventured over to the HST side just going to have to forget my ego or wear a mask when i work out in the early stages.
That second range is non existant for total test prob free levels though dont know the units unless you meant 350 -1500 which is high but possible. Different labs have different tests and will have different ranges typicall y the upper end is between 8-1200. I make sure mine are not below 800 anyway.