22 and Low Testosterone :( Help

**New Low** · 09-16-2011, 10:28 AM

Hi everyone I am new to this forum, I found while researching on the internet. I went to my doctor yesterday and he said that my testosterone in my blood work came back low, it’s at 252.5, I didn’t expect this, I’m 22 I know it’s supposed to go down after puberty but damn! Basically I’m just looking for some info you know, I’m a little freaked out. Ideally I wouldn’t like to use any creams, my doctor prescribed AndroGel but my insurance only covers Testim so I’m going to have to get him to change it. Anyway is it at all possible to bring my testosterone up naturally without the creams? Exercising, changing my diet, whatever I’m willing to do it all. Also is it possible that it was a mistake, I was thinking about asking him to redo the blood work what do you think? Any advice would be appreciated thank you.

**warchild** · 09-16-2011, 11:09 AM

hcg or clomid

**NOSUPERMODEL** · 09-16-2011, 11:40 AM

Tribulus Testris is a supplement that will help some. It won't raise drastically though.

**Shol'va** · 09-16-2011, 02:54 PM

Personally at 22 I'd ask for a blood work redo. I mean it's your life and if you go down the TRT road you damn well want to make sure it is the correct approach to what is wrong. So yes I'd ask for one more test. If it comes back low still then I'd look for an Endo to follow up and see what is failing in your endocrine system, thyroid, pituitary gland, non cancerous pituitary tumor, etc. Once he and you know where the problem really lies, then you and he can decide what is best for you to get your test levels up to where they should be for your age. And if there is no other way than TRT then you can deal with it then and if you feel like the cream works for you then that is fine for you. It's your life It is just so crazy that the docs are so willing to put men on creams costing so much more than the shots. I still think they are getting kick backs from the pharmaceutical companies for pushing the crap. IMO

**steroid.com 1** · 09-16-2011, 06:18 PM

What Shol'va said and ten times over.

Nice response man.

**VMAAG** · 09-16-2011, 07:17 PM

Definitely test your FSH and LH along with Prolactin - you want to be sure there are no issues with your pituitary. And a redo would be in order of your Free and Total T just to be sure there was not an error. Honestly 252 is the level of someone in the 60's or 70's. You should be 800 and above. Are you experiencing symptoms?

**Bonaparte** · 09-16-2011, 07:36 PM

Make sure to get your retest done first thing in the morning. Make sure to eat well (plenty of fats) that week and get some sleep.

**New Low** · 09-16-2011, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by Shol'va

Personally at 22 I'd ask for a blood work redo. I mean it's your life and if you go down the TRT road you damn well want to make sure it is the correct approach to what is wrong. So yes I'd ask for one more test. If it comes back low still then I'd look for an Endo to follow up and see what is failing in your endocrine system, thyroid, pituitary gland, non cancerous pituitary tumor, etc. Once he and you know where the problem really lies, then you and he can decide what is best for you to get your test levels up to where they should be for your age. And if there is no other way than TRT then you can deal with it then and if you feel like the cream works for you then that is fine for you. It's your life It is just so crazy that the docs are so willing to put men on creams costing so much more than the shots. I still think they are getting kick backs from the pharmaceutical companies for pushing the crap. IMO

Wow! Thank you so much for such a great response, I will definately ask for a redo now. I've been talking with my wife, she's a little scared as well, I never expected this. Are the shots really that much cheaper? With my insurance Testim would be $30 but I really don't want to use it, it freaks me out about how careful my wife would have to be about touching me, it just deppresses me you know. I'll try finding an Endo after the retest.

Originally Posted by VMAAG

Definitely test your FSH and LH along with Prolactin - you want to be sure there are no issues with your pituitary. And a redo would be in order of your Free and Total T just to be sure there was not an error. Honestly 252 is the level of someone in the 60's or 70's. You should be 800 and above. Are you experiencing symptoms?

60's and 70's really?

oh no, now I'm worried... No symptoms really which is what got me confused, other than sweating when I sleep and a lack of energy SOMETIMES no other symptoms really. I've been under a lot of stress I just thought it was that, not this

Originally Posted by Bonaparte

Make sure to get your retest done first thing in the morning. Make sure to eat well (plenty of fats) that week and get some sleep.

Great! Please give me some examples, what kind of things should I eat?

**kelkel** · 09-17-2011, 06:30 AM

Shol'va is on the money. Do not just jump on the TRT bandwagon. Find out what the root cause is, research it and make an informed decision. And get a 2nd / 3rd opinion if you must. You are in charge of your health and your doctor/s should be there to help. TRT is usually for life! You need to post your bloodwork.

Welcome btw!

**New Low** · 09-17-2011, 10:07 AM

Definitely, I keep hoping this is all some massive mistake you know, should I post all of my bloodwork? I can scan it. Or just the Testosterone stuff?

Thanks for the welcome

**ottomaddox** · 09-17-2011, 10:48 AM

Are you on any prescription drugs?

**Shol'va** · 09-17-2011, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by New Low

Definitely, I keep hoping this is all some massive mistake you know, should I post all of my bloodwork? I can scan it. Or just the Testosterone stuff?

Thanks for the welcome

Yes, scan and post the whole B/W, just cover your personal info like name, address, social, doctor involved. someone here will be able to decipher it all. I'm very curious myself as to where your TSH level comes in at and some of the others as well such as CHEM 12(CMP), Testosterone Free, if it was done, CBC W/O Diff and a few others. I'm also curious if he ordered a Free and Total PSA just to cover all bases.

**New Low** · 09-17-2011, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by ottomaddox

Are you on any prescription drugs?

Not anymore but I was on Prozac for about 1 year and a half, I hope that didn't do this to me.

Originally Posted by Shol'va

Yes, scan and post the whole B/W, just cover your personal info like name, address, social, doctor involved. someone here will be able to decipher it all. I'm very curious myself as to where your TSH level comes in at and some of the others as well such as CHEM 12(CMP), Testosterone Free, if it was done, CBC W/O Diff and a few others. I'm also curious if he ordered a Free and Total PSA just to cover all bases.

Ok, I'm not too sure how to post a picture but I'll try, thanks for your help

**New Low** · 09-21-2011, 11:40 AM

Hopefully someone can provide some insight please

**Shol'va** · 09-21-2011, 01:12 PM

Sorry new low I honestly thought that by now someone would have chimed in to help you out since you posted your B/W.
I was thinking that if your insurance will cover it, then ask your doc to also do an MRI of your head, along with another set of blood work, to rule out non cancerous pituitary tumor. At least he will know you are serious about getting to the bottom of your LOW-T issue. Believe me that is definitely way too low for someone your age. In my opinion, remember I'm not a Doctor here but, you should be above 600 on total testosterone at your age. Also I noticed that your total cholesterol was normal good but your triglycerides were way high. So something is out of kilter.

**steroid.com 1** · 09-21-2011, 03:21 PM

I don't see FSH, LH, LHRH or SHBG...these are vital to understand your situation.

E2 is fine so you're not converting.

You're not producing and that can be either because you are Primary or Secondary Hypogonadism. LH and FSH would help us with that.

At your age I'd take a guess at Secondary but need the panels here to see that...

**layeazy** · 09-21-2011, 03:29 PM

wow what wrong 22 and low testosterone ...

Are you actually suffering all the simptoms of low testosterone ?

You might think its cool now to be jabbing steroids in but it soon gets old especially at 22.

We need to see your FSH LH SHBG however the last thing you want is to be on trt.

HCG clomid is proven to work you wanna do that plus get active and use your free testosterone.....

**New Low** · 09-21-2011, 10:48 PM

That is all my bloodwork, I'll see if I can my ask my doc for more like the stuff gdevine mentioned.

layeazy, no i don't think it's cool, i don't think any of this is cool i just wish nothing was wrong, believe me, that last thing I want to is to be jabbing myself with steroids .

It seems like everyone agrees that the last thing I should be on is trt, why would my doctor recommend it immediately?

I'll do some research on the HCG and clomid layeazy thanks.

Right now I'm trying to find an endo to talk to, maybe they can make some sense of all this, do you think seeing an endo is a good idea?

**JD250** · 09-21-2011, 11:41 PM

I think finding out your FSH and LH levels are your top priority right now, nothing else matters except to find out WHY, stop trying to guess at what MIGHT be happening or what MIGHT happen if you need TRT.........it's only a GUESS without the blood work. Dont worry about going on TRT until you have the facts, your doctor may be a good doctor but he may not know everything about TRT and hormones, YOU are in charge of your health and you're doing just fine so far , keep learning and asking questions and you'll likely figure this out, good luck man, post those FSH and LH levels when you get them tested.

**steroid.com 1** · 09-22-2011, 06:05 AM

This is what you need:
• Total Testosterone
• Bioavailable Testosterone (AKA “Free and Loosely Bound”)
• Free Testosterone (if Bioavailable T is unavailable)
• SHBG
• DHT
• Estradiol (specify “sensitive” assay for males)
• LH
• FSH
• LHRH
• Prolactin
• Cortisol
• Thyroid Panel

**New Low** · 09-30-2011, 06:26 PM

I just really want to thank all of you, you've all been so helpful, I'm still learning about all this. I was wondering, I've been reading that working out lifting weights and stuff helps build testosterone so I've been doing that and actually really enjoying it and by doing that I started learning about protein shakes, how a lot of people that lift weights use them, are there any that assist in the production of testosterone, like something that stimulates the production?

**Shol'va** · 09-30-2011, 06:35 PM

[QUOTE=layeazy;5755647]wow what wrong 22 and low testosterone ...

Are you actually suffering all the simptoms of low testosterone ?

You might think its cool now to be jabbing steroids in but it soon gets old especially at 22.

Oh it isn't all that bad just do the math. Say weekly shots at 22 and you live to be 90 so carry the one divide by.7***, invert the multiplier and that comes to approximately 816 self administered shots. of course this figure doubles if you go the twice weekly route. So you'll need 1632 needles. Happy injecting!

**gixxerboy1** · 09-30-2011, 07:15 PM

def the next step before taking anything would be to see an endo and get some more test?
Are you over weight? Do you know you bf%

**devildog1967** · 10-01-2011, 03:09 AM

Whats your diet like ? as too much junk food and beer even soda E.C.T will lower your test levels and raise your Es. Eat clean then things might look up.. Just a thought buddy.

**New Low** · 10-04-2011, 11:15 PM

Originally Posted by gixxerboy1

def the next step before taking anything would be to see an endo and get some more test?
Are you over weight? Do you know you bf%

Yeah I'm looking to find an endo to do more tests, and a nutritionist as well to maybe help with my diet and some natural supplements. No, I'm not overweight, I think I'm pretty average but no I don't know my bf%

Originally Posted by devildog1967

Whats your diet like ? as too much junk food and beer even soda E.C.T will lower your test levels and raise your Es. Eat clean then things might look up.. Just a thought buddy.

I'm afraid my diet may be the problem, but my doctor said it wasn't which dissappointed me because my diet I can change. I've been a vegetarian for 7 years and now I'm afraid something I decided when I was 16 may have screwed me over for life. My doctor said that it wasn't my diet though, he said he has patients who are vegetarians with levels more than double mine so I don't know. I don't drink much, hardly ever, soda occasionally, maybe I'll try and cut back.

Does anyone know of any protein shakes that might stimulate testosterone production?

On a side note I would like to thank everyone here you guys have been REALLY supportive.