This site has been really useful so far, thanks everyone for sharing and contributing. I thought I'd present my current position to try and get some addt'l perspectives.
I'm 30yrs old. I've essentially had an incredibly low libido most of my life and significant energy problems. I've gotten a lot done in my life, but I've always been tired, and it's gotten progressively worse with time: peaking about 3 years ago in grad school, when I hit a point where I was so lethargic I could accomplish almost nothing.
I began religiously following a very careful exercise, sleep, and nutrition plan which made a HUGE difference. (I don't drink, smoke, etc. either.) Saved my life, at least metaphorically speaking. I don't feel like a sedentary 60 year old anymore. I do still have major energy problems (and low libido). I usually have to crawl under a desk to sleep once or twice to get through a day and my ability to recover (never high) has gotten even worse -- making exercise much, much harder on my body.
I talked to my doctor about the issues and got some bloodwork done.
My Total Test is not high, but not ridiculously low (535). However, my more relevant %free testosterone (dialysis measure) is very low (1.6, lab range of 1.5-3.2), testosterone free is 86 (lab range of 52-280).
SHBG is 50 (20-60), and unfortuantely the doc didn't do a test for estrogen, FST, etc
These numbers are low on their own, but ridiculously low for my age and lifestyle. More importantly my symptoms are strongly consistent with hypogonadism. (I also have a strongly elevated CPK count indicating, in this case, major skeletal muscle breakdown/inflammation: so the soreness isn't in my head. :/ )
I tried to have a discussion with my doc about my levels, accounting for lifestyle, and the fact that andropause is much more variable in onset and correlation with straight numbers (I'm nearly finished with my doctorate in neuroscience myself; not medical, but I'm familiar with the literature.)
My doctor flat out said he doesn't support HRT, even in elderly patients. And that my lack of excess body fat (again, careful attention to diet) suggests that I'm fine.
Not sure what the next steps to take are. Going to call Maximus Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and discuss the issue with one of their consultants (I assume they're not in on a sunday), but wanted to get some thoughts from the community as well.
If I stop exercising I crash. I become an almost non-functioning adult (it's happened a couple times, and I don't let it happen anymore!). Without the regular exercise and careful attention to diet (not calorie restriction mind you) I'm sure my test levels would fall into severely low range (they're barely acceptable for a much older, more sedentary individual now). I feel like my trying madly to tread water so as not to go under and as a result the lifeguard (doctor) refuses to throw me a life preserver because I;m not completely drowning...
Sorry for the long post, and thanks to anyone in advance.
I'm 30yrs old. I've essentially had an incredibly low libido most of my life and significant energy problems. I've gotten a lot done in my life, but I've always been tired, and it's gotten progressively worse with time: peaking about 3 years ago in grad school, when I hit a point where I was so lethargic I could accomplish almost nothing.
I began religiously following a very careful exercise, sleep, and nutrition plan which made a HUGE difference. (I don't drink, smoke, etc. either.) Saved my life, at least metaphorically speaking. I don't feel like a sedentary 60 year old anymore. I do still have major energy problems (and low libido). I usually have to crawl under a desk to sleep once or twice to get through a day and my ability to recover (never high) has gotten even worse -- making exercise much, much harder on my body.
I talked to my doctor about the issues and got some bloodwork done.
My Total Test is not high, but not ridiculously low (535). However, my more relevant %free testosterone (dialysis measure) is very low (1.6, lab range of 1.5-3.2), testosterone free is 86 (lab range of 52-280).
SHBG is 50 (20-60), and unfortuantely the doc didn't do a test for estrogen, FST, etc
These numbers are low on their own, but ridiculously low for my age and lifestyle. More importantly my symptoms are strongly consistent with hypogonadism. (I also have a strongly elevated CPK count indicating, in this case, major skeletal muscle breakdown/inflammation: so the soreness isn't in my head. :/ )
I tried to have a discussion with my doc about my levels, accounting for lifestyle, and the fact that andropause is much more variable in onset and correlation with straight numbers (I'm nearly finished with my doctorate in neuroscience myself; not medical, but I'm familiar with the literature.)
My doctor flat out said he doesn't support HRT, even in elderly patients. And that my lack of excess body fat (again, careful attention to diet) suggests that I'm fine.
Not sure what the next steps to take are. Going to call Maximus Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and discuss the issue with one of their consultants (I assume they're not in on a sunday), but wanted to get some thoughts from the community as well.
If I stop exercising I crash. I become an almost non-functioning adult (it's happened a couple times, and I don't let it happen anymore!). Without the regular exercise and careful attention to diet (not calorie restriction mind you) I'm sure my test levels would fall into severely low range (they're barely acceptable for a much older, more sedentary individual now). I feel like my trying madly to tread water so as not to go under and as a result the lifeguard (doctor) refuses to throw me a life preserver because I;m not completely drowning...
Sorry for the long post, and thanks to anyone in advance.
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