Should I do Testosterone Replacement or not?

[Jfrankjr]

I have suffered with fatigue, aches all over my body, and virtually non-existent libido for the past 10 years. I am 41, 185 pounds, and 6 feet tall. Lab results come back normal. A sleep study was normal. Stress test normal. I consulted with an online doc and he said that even though my testosterone levels are normal in the 400 ( both in the morning and early afternoon) that my free test is low and he said the way they fix that is with TRT. I paid $***no price diacussion allowed**** for it and hcg but haven't taken yet because now I'm reading how this will shut down my hormones and I'll be required to take this stuff forever,which I really don't want to do. Can you guys look at my first lab results and let me Know what you think? Here are my levels taken early in the morning (they never gave me the afternoon readings but said the test was the same).

Estradiol 15.6 pg/ml
FSH 1.5 mIU/ml
Prolactin 7.5 ng/ml
T3 free 3.1pg/ml
T4 free 1.21ng/dl
testosterone free and weakly bound 424 ng/dl
testosterone% free and weakly bound 17.1%
Testosterone F+W bound 72.5 ng/dl
Thyroid AB 11 IU/dl
TSH 1.33 uIU/ml
B12 394 pg/ml
Vit D 38.3 ng/ml

 

[Milton]

you paid for a trt treatment? trt is for life. and you havent taken the hcg because you think it will shut you down?
please contact a real trt doc and do it right. your hurting yourself more and more each day by not taking proper action.

 

[Jfrankjr]

Milton, I haven't taken anything because I'm wondering if I actually need it or if this medical place is just trying to get a lifetime buyer of their TRT. They told me the hcg will prevent any shutdown, but after reading on this site that seems to not be true.

 

[Milton]

Milton, I haven't taken anything because I'm wondering if I actually need it or if this medical place is just trying to get a lifetime buyer of their TRT. They told me the hcg will prevent any shutdown, but after reading on this site that seems to not be true.

brother, where does it say in this site that hcg will not prevent shutdown? check your hw as hcg is specifically designed to keep your own testosterone levels in check and preventing you from shutting down.

 

[scorob777]

The testosterone injections will shut you down, 100% assuming dosage is high enough (i.e. more than about 70mg/wk). HCG will just keep your leydig cells from dying, by giving them an artificial LH signal to produce testosterone - this keeps your nuts from shrinking, and will make recovery easier if you decide to come off exogenous test.

With your levels I kind of doubt all the fatigue and aches are due to low test. I would look at diet and lifestyle. Are you working out regularly and effectively? Eating clean? Drinking or doing drugs? Getting older sucks, and makes everything harder, if you don't keep in shape you will get the fatigue and aches anyway, and your test levels will drop due to general poor fitness - a nasty cycle that feeds on itself.

Now the low libido would point to test issues. Getting your levels higher will reverse that situation.

Seems like you might be a good candidate to try some other things first, like clomid monotherapy and/or HCG. Those will boost your test, potentially by quite a bit, and will give you some good clues about whether test levels are your issue or not. Once you know that, and see how your body reacts to clomid & HCG, you will be able to get better advice and make a better decision.

 

[Slhardee]

https://www.steroidology.com/forum/testosterone-replacement-therapy/662394-basic-trt-overview.html

Read the sticky. Then read it again, and again, until it makes sense. It is your final decision, but I would NOT jump on TRT, until you first tried Clomid/Re-Start. You obviously have done some homework. TRT is not a magic treatment. At 400, I would attempt a restart first.

TRT Will definately shut down your natural production of Testosterone, just so you understand this.

 

[casanovaaa]

so did you try a clomid/restart or did you jump on trt?

 

[3J]

The testosterone injections will shut you down, 100% assuming dosage is high enough (i.e. more than about 70mg/wk). HCG will just keep your leydig cells from dying, by giving them an artificial LH signal to produce testosterone - this keeps your nuts from shrinking, and will make recovery easier if you decide to come off exogenous test.

With your levels I kind of doubt all the fatigue and aches are due to low test. I would look at diet and lifestyle. Are you working out regularly and effectively? Eating clean? Drinking or doing drugs? Getting older sucks, and makes everything harder, if you don't keep in shape you will get the fatigue and aches anyway, and your test levels will drop due to general poor fitness - a nasty cycle that feeds on itself.

Now the low libido would point to test issues. Getting your levels higher will reverse that situation.

Seems like you might be a good candidate to try some other things first, like clomid monotherapy and/or HCG. Those will boost your test, potentially by quite a bit, and will give you some good clues about whether test levels are your issue or not. Once you know that, and see how your body reacts to clomid & HCG, you will be able to get better advice and make a better decision.

my man, im liking you more and more by the day.

its nice to have another person here who knows what he is talking about.

i wonder if OP is getting the correct amount of nutrition, esp when it comes to saturated fats (a precursor to testosterone production)

 

[IMT]

Where you able to find a trt doc brother? how do you feel, sleeping well?