Bloodworks3
New member
Ok so a little background on me.
5'10" 205lbs 36 yrs old (decent physical shape & I work out 3-4 times a week with minimal/slow results)
never did steroids
had to have both my hips replaced last year cuz of some crazy blood problem called Avascular Necrosis but I think my low T thing probably started around 15 years ago.
Was diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) cuz of lack of focus and energy but not the hyperactive kind which fits nicely into an undiagnosed Low T by the way and erectile dysfunction / low libido about 15 years ago and have been taking Adderall and the occasional Viagra.
About a month ago I am reading some stuff online about erectile/libido stuff (cuz new Girlfriend is expecting sex daily and Viagra's expensive) and I come across low T stuff. I ask my doc to run some blood work and the results are I have 240 which I discover is below normal range of what is even considered low. Now I'm wondering if maybe all these symptoms are cuz of low T.
So the doc puts me on the shots ( 3 weeks ago) and I haven't felt any improvement. I self administer them. So I find this forum and start to try to decipher the jargon and acronyms. Here's what I've learned (please help me if I am mistaken about anything)
Testosterone shots which cost about $10 a cc which is the typical starting dosage and come in a vial of 10 shots). This amount should be half a cc and should be taken every 5 to 7 days because they fade pretty quick instead of a full cc every 2 weeks which is what doctors generally prescribe. The shots cause my body to stop producing it's own testosterone so if I wait longer than 5-7 days I go without any testosterone and I get an emotional crash (which I've already experienced). There is something called HCG (which I haven't gotten yet) that is supposed to let my body start manufacturing it's own Testosterone again and has some erectile and mood benefits (not sure what the weekly cost on this is going to be... anyone know about what). I've read about people taking other stuff as well but I'm not sure why... something to do with estrogen maybe.
Many doctors seem to think low levels of testosterone improvement are acceptable but many men like myself would like to have higher levels (within the range of normal) and additional medications that relieve side effects and help produce better results (within a safe legal range) and they reach out to the "Sponsors" on websites like these that are experts. The sponsors need copies of your medical records and blood work (or they can arrange to have you get tested) and have medical staff prescribe (i'm assuming they are using prescribing RN's or something) testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) (testosterone replacement therapy) which includes a few different products to ensure you get a safe but much higher level of testosterone (with no mood swings) to gain the most benefits. The costs are about the same to slightly lower than paying from a pharmacy directly out of pocket. (I don't know if they can accept any kinds of insurance.... probably not) but this should allow them to have more leeway in prescribing appropriate meds.
Some people don't respond well to certain types of medications and may need to switch. Results can take over a month to notice (or so I have read).
I was wondering what the average out of pocket costs per month are for typical meds (testosterone and what ever else is typically recommended) and how often plus how much the lab work costs so I can average my yearly costs for this.
How important is me getting tested for estrogen levels and should I ask for any other blood work? My insurance is ending next month and I want to get the tests in before that.
Is low T going to be considered a pre-existing condition when I switch insurance carriers in about 4 months?
Did I miss anything?
5'10" 205lbs 36 yrs old (decent physical shape & I work out 3-4 times a week with minimal/slow results)
never did steroids
had to have both my hips replaced last year cuz of some crazy blood problem called Avascular Necrosis but I think my low T thing probably started around 15 years ago.
Was diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) cuz of lack of focus and energy but not the hyperactive kind which fits nicely into an undiagnosed Low T by the way and erectile dysfunction / low libido about 15 years ago and have been taking Adderall and the occasional Viagra.
About a month ago I am reading some stuff online about erectile/libido stuff (cuz new Girlfriend is expecting sex daily and Viagra's expensive) and I come across low T stuff. I ask my doc to run some blood work and the results are I have 240 which I discover is below normal range of what is even considered low. Now I'm wondering if maybe all these symptoms are cuz of low T.
So the doc puts me on the shots ( 3 weeks ago) and I haven't felt any improvement. I self administer them. So I find this forum and start to try to decipher the jargon and acronyms. Here's what I've learned (please help me if I am mistaken about anything)
Testosterone shots which cost about $10 a cc which is the typical starting dosage and come in a vial of 10 shots). This amount should be half a cc and should be taken every 5 to 7 days because they fade pretty quick instead of a full cc every 2 weeks which is what doctors generally prescribe. The shots cause my body to stop producing it's own testosterone so if I wait longer than 5-7 days I go without any testosterone and I get an emotional crash (which I've already experienced). There is something called HCG (which I haven't gotten yet) that is supposed to let my body start manufacturing it's own Testosterone again and has some erectile and mood benefits (not sure what the weekly cost on this is going to be... anyone know about what). I've read about people taking other stuff as well but I'm not sure why... something to do with estrogen maybe.
Many doctors seem to think low levels of testosterone improvement are acceptable but many men like myself would like to have higher levels (within the range of normal) and additional medications that relieve side effects and help produce better results (within a safe legal range) and they reach out to the "Sponsors" on websites like these that are experts. The sponsors need copies of your medical records and blood work (or they can arrange to have you get tested) and have medical staff prescribe (i'm assuming they are using prescribing RN's or something) testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) (testosterone replacement therapy) which includes a few different products to ensure you get a safe but much higher level of testosterone (with no mood swings) to gain the most benefits. The costs are about the same to slightly lower than paying from a pharmacy directly out of pocket. (I don't know if they can accept any kinds of insurance.... probably not) but this should allow them to have more leeway in prescribing appropriate meds.
Some people don't respond well to certain types of medications and may need to switch. Results can take over a month to notice (or so I have read).
I was wondering what the average out of pocket costs per month are for typical meds (testosterone and what ever else is typically recommended) and how often plus how much the lab work costs so I can average my yearly costs for this.
How important is me getting tested for estrogen levels and should I ask for any other blood work? My insurance is ending next month and I want to get the tests in before that.
Is low T going to be considered a pre-existing condition when I switch insurance carriers in about 4 months?
Did I miss anything?
@ Chip
