25 Year old Male on TRT

[likwidsolutions]

Hi all, my name is Ryan, and like the topic title says, I am 25 years old and just recently started my TRT. This is my first topic on this site, but from what I've read it seems like a great community for this kind of talk. Just to warn you this a long post, if you can bear with me.

Anyways, so the past year or so I've felt like crap: unbearable anxiety, no libido, increasing difficulty with erections, lack of motivation or caring. I also had a seriously blunted emotion and mood. All of these symptoms started about 2.5-3 years ago when my mother died, and I decided to quit my drug habit (I was using copious amounts of Oxycodone and Xanax and other opiates and benzos). It was a nightmare. I literally was not able to be around people, or enjoy normal activities that I liked, etc. all for over 2 years, getting slightly better with time. For a long time I thought a lot of my pain was because of my addiction to benzos (withdrawal symptoms can last for years if taken for a long time), which it was, for a while, but after some time I realized that I had to look somewhere else. In the past 6 months I've felt better, but still not 100%. They put me on antidepressants but they never helped. They gave me buspar for my anxiety, which actually did help tremendously. However, there was still something off, and the more I read about Low T, I was positive I had found my culprit, so I had my bloodwork done and low and behold.

Sorry for the long intro but I felt like it might be relevant info considering I am 25 and I shouldn't really be experiencing low T problems in the first place. My Doctor says that my Low T levels are most likely due to my past drug use, but I'm not too sure about that; it sounds reasonable enough, but I've never seen anything about causing low T and I've researched opiates/benzos for so long because when you are withdrawing it helps to alleviate fears by knowing what you are in for. Anyways, so I went to the doctor's and they prescribed me T. It's been nearly 4 weeks since, and I can feel a definite improvement in mood. My anxiety is all but gone, I feel like my emotions may starting to come back, because I am starting to enjoy music again, so hey! I was prescribed 200mg EOW, but after reading so much online about TRT I decided to do 200mg/week, then I changed that to 100mg twice/week. I am still experiencing ups and down though, but from what I've read it can take up to 2-3 months for the T to build up enough in the bloodstream to have a stable level, so I am willing to give it some time.

My main interests/concerns is about the long term effects of long-term usage of T, and what I can do to further help myself in this area (hcg, aromatose inhibitors, etc). I know using T alone for a long time is a bad idea as it will result in major shrinkage, but if I were to add the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) to my regimen, would that shrinkage factor no longer be an issue, and does the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) have any long term side effects? I don't know if I will be on TRT for a while or if my body just needs a kickstart, but I'm trying to be prepared if I do have to have TRT my entire life. Also, what should one expect when starting Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)?

I am going to make an appt with my Dr this week after I go in for another blood workup. This time I am going to get my E2 tested. I have gained so much weight in the past 6 months and have not been able to lose any of it, and I am hoping this is the culprit, because if it is, then the aromatose inhibitors should take care of that. I also get terrible hot flashes which I have learned can be caused by high E. As for the aromatose inhibitors, are there any major side effects from something like anastrozole besides possibly blocking too much E? I don't have a prescription for this but I do have access to it, so that's why I am asking about this particular one.

Anyways sorry for the long post, but I kinda felt like I needed to spill my life story for a bit lol.

 

[D_228]

Despite such a condition being atypical for someone of such as young age, I can assure you you're not alone. I am 26 and have all of the same symptoms you've listed (and then some). There is a such thing as opiate induced secondary hypogonadism which sounds like a likely culprit to your situation. Like you, I also have such as history, along with a history of recreational steroid cycles (albeit not what some would consider 'heavy') that have likely played a part in the presentation of such symptoms. In the past I have reverted back to self-medicating with exogenous testosterone for not only physical cosmetic enhancement but also the physiological benefits that come along with such supplementation. During the cycles I have experienced a complete cessation of literally every related symptom, further reiterating my suspected natural testosterone deficiency. I have decided recently to try to take the legal route and try to acquire exogenous testosterone through a physician. My blood work will be drawn next Friday. Hopefully, like you, I'll begin treatment soon and begin enjoying being back to 'normal' without the risk of any legal ramifications in the event I were ever caught.

As far as the topic of your post in concerned, I have not run Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) long term (only for up to 5 weeks as a part of PCT following each testosterone cycle) but it's my understanding that there can be issues with running Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) long term, especially in terms of attempting to return to normal endogenous testosterone production as it inhibits natural LH secretion. It will however help with the shrinkage issue. When you go on TRT it's generally considered a lifetime commitment (although not always the case). This isn't necessarily a "bad" thing for you though, as the effects of chronically low testosterone levels can lead to a host of negative physical and physiological issues within the body (as you've already experienced first-hand).

High estrogen levels bring with it water retention and facilitate potential fat gain (in some individuals more than others) so it's no surprise that you've gained weight (along with the even less surprising weight gain due to increased testosterone levels). Getting your blood estrogen levels checked and adjusted to the proper levels through your doctor is definitely a step in the right direction. I am not aware of any notable side effects from an aromatase enzyme inhibitor like anastrozole aside from the negative effects of estrogen levels becoming too low. After all, they have been around for quite some time and are primarily prescribed to women with cancer for years on end without issue.

Good luck with getting things situated! Hope I was able to help in one way or another. If not, you are in the right place as there are many experienced people here on these Forums.

 

[Megatron28]

Opiate abuse can cause hypogonadism.

Did you discuss trying to do a "restart" of your HPTA with your doctor? In other words, fire up your body again by doing a post cycle therapy (pct). I would have wanted to consider trying that to see if natural Test production could be restored before jumping into T injections for the rest of my life if I was 25.

 

[Daniel_IMT_Staff]

First course of action should be to get a diagnosis and possible treatment options before starting TRT.

If all else fails, get the best quality of life with TRT overseen by a physician.

 

[likwidsolutions]

I really appreciate the responses, sorry it took so long for me to get back to it, I just thought you like . Does anyone know if this "opiate induced hypogonadism" is permanent or temporary?If I can expect it to get better over time, then I am more than happy to just follow the Drs instructions. On the other hand, I've experienced life without T for a while and know how terrible it can be, and don't want to go back to that after just finding something that seems to give relief.

I went to try and get a blood test done for my F&TT and E2 but I didn't realize that a doctor's order was necessary to get bloodwork done, which seems kind of dumb. What does it matter who orders it? It's nice to know if everything is working a-okay. Anways, sorry for the little rant but I don't have health insurance so if this requires me to go back to the Drs just to get the bloodwork order, then the lab, then back to the Drs, that's like 300-400 dollars right there, not including prescriptions. My GP understands this so he usually writes long prescriptions so I don't have to come back regularly or hands me as many samples as he can, stuff like that. But it's obvious he's not too familiar with the ins-and-outs of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), so I am planning on going to an Endocrinologist soon. I found one in my town, and according to the reviews on google it seems like they are pretty good. I just hope it's not much more expensive than visiting my GP. Well at least I know what is wrong with me, before I was walking blindly just trying to treat symptoms rather than go for the cause.

Again I want to thank you for your responses.

 

[Megatron28]

Use Private MD - Buy Lab Tests Online. Do a search on this forum for more information. It will cost you a lot less and you can choose the labs you want. Check out the TRT stickies too. There is info on this in there.