Thanks for reposting this. I just wanted to make sure you'd get views and responses more fitting to your thread than the other.
So, first and foremost; what does your orthopedic surgeon plan to do for your back? The first goal would be to get you off that poison they call medicine. I TOTALLY understand the need for them as I was on opiates for over two years myself, but they are very destructive to your body, and are likely the reason for your low testosterone.
I've met two doctors in the last six years that are aware of the connection with primary hypogonadal hypogonadism as they have the ability to destroy the leydig cells in your testes. What I do find puzzling is that a test booster did anything for you - was this perhaps a SERM like clomid?
I would NOT cycle until you are actually able to do so without potentially harming your body further, as you will feel a greater drive to push in the gym, which could degrade your discs further.
It sounds like your urologist has already started you on TRT, so if you truly wanted to determine whether or not you're primary (testicular issue) or secondary (often pituitary problem), you would have to come off the shots for a month to 6 weeks and get a test done for your pituitary hormones. I did this one time to verify as I had a doctor do the same thing before any real testing was done.
It's not pleasant, but I had to confirm my suspicions. If you just want to be "fixed" however, it's not necessary. Just continue with the shots, and push to be taught how to do them, so you can do them yourself at home. Back office visits with a copay (or a flat-out charge) is stupid, and unnecessary.
I would also make sure that you haven't started seeing issues with insulin resistance, as that's one of the first things long-term hypogonadism will lead to. I don't know how long you have had this going on, but I developed diabetes within a year and a half. A thyroid panel is the next on that list, as your metabolism will likely have started to slow down. Fixing the testosterone problem did help mine, but I am still borderline hypothroidic after being on TRT for six years.
I'm not sure what No.17 is doing in a doctor's office as it's a blend of herbal crap that will only drain your wallet. Even if by some miracle a company actually figured out how to stimulate test production with a pill other than a SERM - that shot of cypionate overrides ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING that you can put in your body as your negative feedback loop has now been engaged. Once that happens, your body tells your brain that it no longer needs androgens - and your pituitary gland ceases all production of leutinizing hormone - which is the hormone responsible for natural production in the testes.
If it is indeed a doctor pushing that junk, he should have his license revoked. That's just irresponsible medicine, and making a profit off of someone's misfortune.
I hope this wall of text is helpful, and please feel free to ask any questions you feel I missed, or you now discover. There are lots of us guys with hypogonadism here in this community, so you're certainly not alone.
My .02c
