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09-20-2012, 07:30 AM #1New Member
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Doctor says i'm too young for TRT
So basically, after seeing a urologist for months for low test. i was told that i needed TRT, but then the doctor changed his mind and said that i'm too young for TRT since i am 25 years old. The main reason is because my T levels are around the middle- low range at about 450ng ( my side effects from low t are non-existent libido and poor muscle masss). Maybe in the future i will be put on TRT, but right now he doesnt want me to start messing with hormones. He also said to maybe try taking a supplement and seeing if that helps me. So i was wondering what you guys on here would recommend for a testosterone booster that is effective. I was thinking about taking that new USP test powder supplement. Would that be any good?
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09-20-2012, 08:27 AM #2HRT
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For an otherwise healthy 25 year old male to have Testosterone levels in the 450ng range is not right. To put it in perspective, most men peak at the age of 28; so in theory, you haven't even peaked yet.
So, what is causing the low levels? Has you Physician done a complete and thorough blood work and analysis to determine why your levels are so low at your age?
There are many reasons why you are suppressed and you need to know why.
If you had blood work done can you post here complete with ranges?
Also, read the stickies at the top of the forum and learn...see the blood work you need to make a proper assessment of your case.
Also, for what it's worth, supplements don't work...if they did we'd all be on them and not TRT. I have a post in here somewhere on how to raise Testosterone levels naturally. Look for that as well.
gdLast edited by steroid.com 1; 09-20-2012 at 08:34 AM.
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09-20-2012, 11:29 AM #3
My perspective is a little different than GDevine. I feel TRT is something to be avoided. Not embraced. Your T levels are not terrible. They are more than twice what mine were when i went on. You are 25, and I agree with your doctor.
I believe TRT really should be thought of as something to consider when you get older and your t levels really begin to decline and it causes problems in your life. Or it should be considered when your younger AND your T levels are very low and this is causing problems in your life.
Your T levels are "In Range" and therefore TRT is very premature for you
Taking testosterone to "fine tune" your hormone levels at your age is a bad idea.
Why don't you spend some time and explain why YOU think you need exogeneous testosterone, and maybe we can come up with some ideas.
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09-20-2012, 12:13 PM #4
I wouldn’t wish TRT on anyone under 35. However, OP states both his libido & muscle mass are already affected. A Total T level of 450 might be fine for one person, but not for someone else. It's very individual and only he can honestly answer this. The next question should be whether the OP has ever cycled AS or Prohormones in the past as a possible explanation for his present levels? As GD mentions, a full battery of BW is needed to determine what exactly is happening. Having been here awhile, I wouldn’t be surprised if his Urologist hasn’t performed all the necessary tests. Only the OP can answer this...
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09-20-2012, 12:49 PM #5
^^Agree. Full blood work is the key. Something very well may be holding his levels back that could be easily corrected. Thyroid, cortisol, who knows without BW? Someone his age should have a strong libido so something is amiss. I'd rather see you find and correct the problem instead of band aid it with TRT.
As we all know here, most doc's do not know TRT or thyroid issues for that matter. It may just be a matter of finding the right doc to straighten the op out and get him firing on all cylinders. Agree with GD that supps are a waste of time. Don't even look at pro-hormones. Only thing I'd consider is vit D to boost your free T.
kelLast edited by kelkel; 09-21-2012 at 12:48 PM.
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09-20-2012, 12:58 PM #6
there can be many explanations for these symptoms. It seems unlikely that with his T score that the problem is low T.
This may not describe OP, but simple inactivity could be one reason. Diet another.
We do not have enough information at this point, but I get a little concerned when a 25 year old with "in range" test scores is considering TRT.
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09-20-2012, 01:15 PM #7HRT
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We all agree, he needs a complete and thorough BW done as per kel's sticky.
All other discussion at this pooint here is just speculation.
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09-20-2012, 01:15 PM #8
True, no offense to OP, but he could be totally out of shape with a horrible diet which would explain a lot. However, I wouldnt consider 450 being necessarily "in-range" across everyone in the population. Especially since 450 isnt even at the half-way point on the scale. Only full Blood Work panels will yield a complete picture to base treatment on...
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09-20-2012, 01:22 PM #9Associate Member
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Having "low muscle mass" isn't exactly a sign of low T. One of my friends who weighs 140 lbs and is 5' 11" had his T checked after I got mine done. His T was 3x as much as mine. I've watched the kid struggle benching 90 lbs. Having low T might affect your recovery while trying to build muscle but it's not like every skinny guy out there automatically has low T.
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09-20-2012, 02:35 PM #10
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I'm right with you on this.
Those T levels are far from abysmal, and I think MOST people can expect to bring that level up naturally with good nutrition and lifestyle and a few key supplements, namely vitamin D.
And this is coming from someone only a few years older and levels less than half of yours. I really think I will try coming off TRT in the next year.
I say try to maximize what you can THEN use TRT as a last resort... given your age and apparent general HPTA health.
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09-20-2012, 07:02 PM #12HRT
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He needs blood work.
My Total was the same as his at 50!
He has symptoms.
He may be hypogonadal for a lot of reasons many which can be corrected without TRT...only blood work will tell the truth.
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09-20-2012, 07:12 PM #13
OP there are MANY things that affect T. Low calories will reduce T. Low Thyroid can do it. Not enough Vitamin D. High Cortisol. Too much exercise. Poor diet. Too much fat. There are tons of variables so don't go by the total # and think it's permanent. Agree with the guys, get more bloodwork and take it slow. TRT is a last resort brother. Especially at your age.
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09-20-2012, 07:40 PM #14New Member
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I don't have my lab work on hand at the moment,I'm going to see if my doctor can send me a copy in the mail or something.
As for the reason of my low test, I think it has to do with having variococeles. I was recently diagnosed with that and i read that that is a common cause of low T in men. I also had a MRI of my head that ruled out any possible pituitary tumor, so that is the only thing that i can think of. I've never done any steroid cycles before, however i did take a testosterone boosting product from gaspari nutrition when i was 21. I didn't do much for me so i stopped taking it 2 weeks in. I didn't have any libido problems after stopping it and felt great for years. I started having really low libido around march of this year.
I've been reading up a lot online about testosterone, and i have been trying to raise my testosterone naturally (Gdevine i read the post you made about naturally raising test and i do most of that). I live a healthy lifestyle ( gym 3-4 times a week, heavy compound movements like deadlifts, squats, bench presses) , i don't drink, i don't smoke and i try to eat relatively healthy. I even try to eat foods that are supposed to help with testosterone production ( such as beef, broccoli, healthy fats etc) but with little to no results.
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"trying" to eat "relatively" healthy and "trying" to eat foods that are supposed to be good for you sounds incredible weak to me. If I had to guess, I would say you don't follow a diet, you don't know how much healthy stuff you ate last week, or the week before or 2 months ago. It just seems like you're thinking about things, but not really doing them. Not that I'm trying to belittle you, but I'm trying to understand what you're going through.
Also, going to the gym 3-4 times per week is only one part of a "healthy lifestyle"... do you spend time in nature?
How much sunlight did you get yesterday?
How much sun do you get on average?
How often do you raise your heartrate such as you would experience riding a bike or jogging?
Do you purposely avoid heavily processed sugar?
These questions will help you better determine in your own mind how your level of health might be. Remember, you want to compare yourself to what our bodies are designed to do and NOT what the average American/first world country person does.
Unfortunately, you sound a lot like me a while ago. Sure, I did NO bad things like alcohol or smoking... but wellness is more about what you do do compared to what you don't do. I wasn't doing the things I needed to do. So really, I had only half the puzzle and the results sucked.
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09-21-2012, 09:23 AM #16
^^Well said. As usual HRT!
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09-21-2012, 10:11 AM #17HRT
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"As for the reason of my low test, I think it has to do with having variococeles. I was recently diagnosed with that and i read that that is a common cause of low T in men."
Okay... well this says a lot and might have been a piece of information you'd want to include in your original post.
Variococeles effect some 15% to 20% of all men so it's pretty common. Without question it effects fertility and can impede Testosterone production as well.
You need to find a Doctor who is experienced in microsurgical varicocelectomy and see if this would be a proper treatment for you.
You don't need TRT right now; you need to get your Variococeles diagnosed correctly and get the proper treatment to reverse your disorder.
Next time I would suggest putting all of your health and medical history in a Original Post, a bunch of guys spent time on this tread only to find out later about your condition which clearly points to the cause.
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09-21-2012, 03:54 PM #18New Member
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Ahhh, sorry, i forgot to include the part about varriococelle. I am really happy that all of you that posted in this thread has taken your time out to give me advice, I really appreciate that.
I mentioned about getting that surgery done to correct it but my urologist advised against it saying surgery can be dangerous and that there isn't enough proof that getting that done will fix my testosterone. He did say that if it effects my fertility that i would need to get that fixed. ( Though i did read several studies saying that testosterone is lowerd by variocelles.)
I'm considering trying to go to another urologist and see what he thinks i should do, and if he thinks i should get that variococelle surgery.
HRTstudent - I got about 15 minutes in the sun the other day. I read about how the sun can raise test levels by it's natural source of vitamin D. However I don't spend a lot of time out in the sun. Maybe more outdoor activities well help me out in raising test.
Other than going to the gym about 4 times a week, i used to live a very sedentary lifestyle of sitting down all day ( i'm a student). Recently i've taken up a janitorial work in the meantime to for a little extra cash and physical activity to see if that would help my test a bit. I try to be a bit more active now. But i probably still can improve a bit on that aspect. Maybe in addition to my gym sessions i might add a jog outside in the morning sometimes in the sun to see if that helps me out a bit.
Most of my sugar comes from milk, and the other sugars in my diet comes from cane sugar and natural honey. My diet can probably be improved a little bit. A few times a week i do eat out ( at like chipotle) but other than the high sodium content, i can't really see how that is really that bad for me.
Now i know all these testosterone supplements out on the market aren't going to raise my test levels to TRT levels. But is there any kind of proven herbs or supplements that any of you would reccomend for a bit of a testosterone boost? By the way, i am getting my last bloodwork results mailed to me and i will post them as soon as i get them.
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09-21-2012, 04:03 PM #19Junior Member
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that was a very poor reply, what are you, the trt police. The OP is getting the medical tests and blood work required, living a decent lifestyle, and all everyone does here is point out all the things he's probably doing wrong. Give the kid a break, sounds like he's doing everything right
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09-21-2012, 06:30 PM #20
I beg to differ. It was not a poor reply. It was a relevent reply. If some part of it hits home and opens the op's eyes to something that he can improve upon then it is worthwhile. The op came here looking for advice and opened the door beyond just Test Boosters to a possible medical issue. Some very respected and educated members then gave opinions on the issue. The op is free to take or dismiss their recommendations, as you are.
You're brand new here jwwws. Stick around a bit and you will realize that 99% of the members here mean well and have good and nobel intentions. As in life, everyone does not always agree and that's ok! You'll like it here.
kel
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09-21-2012, 07:34 PM #21HRT
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Dave - You need to find a Physician who can perform specifically a microsurgical varicocelectomy.
It is minimally invasive and highly successful in correcting your disorder.
Do a Google search on it and learn...you need this corrected and in return it will correct you!
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09-21-2012, 07:35 PM #22HRT
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"that was a very poor reply, what are you, the trt police."
Be nice...
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09-21-2012, 08:03 PM #23Junior Member
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it's just that I thought some of the replies were kind of harsh. most kids his age would have just ordered some t online and went to town. he's going through the medical system (correctly), and I thought his concerns were being dismissed
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09-22-2012, 12:34 AM #24HRT
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dave900, I would stay away from every "test boosting" product out there. Sure, they sound sexy as hell and there is a wealth of studies out there to, well, basically fool the average joe into thinking that their supplement is the answer. But the reality is is that those products will probably make you more desperate and certainly will not help you in your journey for long term wellness.
Testosterone is not necessarily the only pharmaceutical route to improving your T levels of course. When/if you and your physician decide that is best for you there are options such as aromatase inhibitors, clomid/tamoxifen , HCG , and even others. But really, stay away from test boosting products.
The flip side to this is, then, to do things that will improve your testosterone. The easiest one is vitamin D. Pretty much 9/10 guys on this forum were low on vitamin D. There is a huge thread about it. I would stop by walmart tomorrow and pick up the 5,000 IU gels and take one a day with breakfast. Very safe and, low and behold, it actually can optimize your testosterone.
Another thing is avoiding estrogens in the modern world. Since starting TRT and basically being more stringent about what I consume, I stopped drinking from plastic. Its a huge source of estrogens. And I can't say that it was the cause of my problems, or your problems or anyones. But what I can say is that if I keep making these small, smart decisions, that ultimately they will pay off for my better health and well being.
Oh boy, there is a lot to read about here but I'm sure some threads here could basically help you out in optimizing your nutrition and natural testosterone.
We only point out what someone does wrong to help them
I would be in a much worse place if everyone lied to me and said I was doing great with my health and nutrition when I wasn't
And for what its worth, dave900 is doing things quite well so far and taking a good approach. Now, the people who self medicate with underground testosterone and no blood work... well, I will save my grief for them! lol
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listen to the guys dave they are a treasure trove of info.
im 40 and have a t level around 370- best you can do is take Vitamin D, Zinc and magnesium aspartate( try to find a product called ZMA or break down the minerals and make your own),get bloodtested for SHBG, even with low test- if you can lower your SHBG you will have more usable/free testosterone . i take stinging nettle root tablets and Vita D - both the vitamin d and stinging nettle root are supposed to lower SHBG.
and +1 on the surgery- its your future life and your health - take it seriously and make the tough call to fix whats wrong so you can enjoy it.
best of luck champ.
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09-25-2012, 08:47 AM #27
thumbs up on the janitorial work!! lol!! (i supervise a staff at a college here in n.c.& run my own cleaning comp.) i hate this kids numbers are down at his age; i say look for a 2nd opinion it never hurts. that way another full blood test is done and i think you can draw to a conclusion easier. the supplements may not help but the zma can also help out your sleep a lot so i dont think it will hurt anything.
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09-25-2012, 09:37 PM #28
Too much emphasis on total T
Simon is correct. Could be high SHBG levels. Total T may be missing the real story. You need full blood work.
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10-03-2012, 06:09 AM #29New Member
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I'm still awaiting my latest bloodwork to come in the mail. In the meantime I've been taking about 5,000iu of vitamin D per day. I'm thinking about trying out stinging nettle as well, do you guys think its worth trying ? Is there a noticeable increase in libido while taking stinging nettle? Any side effects? I'm a little cautious about herbal supplements since I took yohimbe and had really bad side effects from
It ( rapid heart beat, etc). It was scary
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10-03-2012, 07:18 AM #30HRT
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Yohimbine acts as an Alpha Blocker and can have a positive influence on erection quality; however, the neg sides of this supplement can be brutal. Many men, not a few, have sever anxiety and other nervous disorders when taking Yohimbine...trust me, I was one of them.
I wouldn't touch that shit with a 10 foot pole ever again.
Do your research on Stinging Nettle Root; there are positive and negative benefits. I know this, my TRT Doc does not like it and does not recommend it for men.
Google is your friend...
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10-03-2012, 01:20 PM #31New Member
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Lol. Oh yeah man, that yohimbe was really brutal to me. It scared the hell out of me. I did a good amount of research on stinging nettle, but I haven't seen many anecdotal stories about it raising libido a lot. I was just wondering if any if you guys on here had experience and would reccomend it.
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10-03-2012, 01:28 PM #32HRT
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If you want to influence libido; go here and have at it: http://www.ergo-log.com/sex.html
BTW, this is a great blog with more information then a man would know what to do with LOL!
Also, if you have a Doc that will prescribe Cabergoline (Dostinex) at .25mg twice a week this may very well go to increase libido...it's a very good Dopamine agonist.
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10-17-2012, 07:37 PM #33New Member
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Just got my latest bloodwork in the mail.
Total Testosterone : 472.4ng/dl
Free Testosterone: 2.1L Pg ML range is from 9.3-26.6
Prolactin 9.7 ng/ml
That's all the results that were ordered by my doctor when he ran a blood test for me. I've been taking vitamin D in the meantime in hopes to increase free Test. Right now i'm just waiting for my next appointment with my new Urologist this november, apparently he's supposed to be the best in the city according to an internert search, so hopefully i get on the right path to fixing this soon.
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10-17-2012, 08:07 PM #34
Agreed. I tend to think that I'm one of the few exceptions to the rule. After some pretty debilitating depression, I had my test checked by my PCP at age 31. It came back at 273. He assured me that it was within what he would consider normal and that, "If you were under 250 we might look into something, but you're not so it's fine." I trusted him (hey, he was my doc! why wouldn't I?!?!) but eventually found out that he was full of it.
I did everything I could to naturally raise it, but when I retested at age 33 (6 months ago today, actually) I was at 190ng/dl - that's within the normal range for a female. My new TRT focused doc called it "Castration Level" and recommended that I start TRT that very same day.
I said all of that to say this - at your age, I would do everything possible to find a cause for your lower test levels before thinking about TRT. TRT must be considered like a tattoo - once you get it, it's yours for life. The only difference is that with TRT, there's no laser removal option available. In other words, TRT should be thought of as the "nuclear option" for low test, IMHO - only exercised when all other options are exhausted.
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10-18-2012, 07:22 AM #35New Member
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So did you ever figure out what the cause of your problem was?
For me, i'm pretty sure it's varioceles thats causing me the problem, if not that, then i dont know what it could possibly be. It could be a vitamin D deficiency, i started taking 5kiu of vitamin D for the past 3 weeks so far, I probably need to give it more time.
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10-18-2012, 03:17 PM #36Associate Member
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450 ng/dl is not necessarily a bad level. People function at different levels and I can assure you that there are healthy males who are naturally doing very well around 500 ng/dl with great libido.
Is low libido and low muscle mass your only symptoms?
You really need to think this over and turn as many stones as you can before jumping to any conclusions. I spent three years trying a lot of stuff before eventually succumbing to TRT and the results have been disappointing to me.
As you may discover, there are many people on this site who did not get any improvement in symptoms after TRT, especially with regards to libido. I have noticed NOTHING after doubling my testosterone levels .
Do you eat healthy? Do you work out properly (i.e., not excessively and with proper cycling)? Do you sleep enough? Low stress? What about vitamin status? Other nutrients? Are you depressed?
TRT is fine IF you need, but really find out if need it first. It`s not something you would want if you don`t need it. Trust me.
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11-02-2012, 09:41 AM #37New Member
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UPDATE, just went to see a new urologist yesterday, he's supposed to be one of the best in philadelphia. He claims that varioceles isn't behind my problem and he thinks it's a thyroid issue. He ordered that i get a new blood test that tests SHBG and a few other things. If it turns out to be a thyroid problem, he said that there is some medication, surgery, or TRT that i can do to correct my problem. So far i'm excited to get some kind of treatment towards my problem. However, i still believe varioceles could be a possible cause of my problem, and i have no ruled out the idea of getting surgery to correct it in the future.
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11-16-2012, 07:26 AM #38New Member
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UPDATE: Latest Bloodwork
Test Name In Range Reference Range
Albumin 4.8 3.6-5.1g/dl
TSH w/reflex to ft4 0.75 0.40-4.50 mIU/L
SHBG 29 10-50nmol/L
Prolactin 7.8 2.0-18.0ng/ml
estradiol 19 < OR = 39pg/ml
Testosterone total 490 250-1100ng/dl
Free Testosterone 92.1 35.0-155.0pg/ml
hey guys, this is my latest blood work. my doctor says that i'm fine and i need to see a sex therapist to treat my libido issues. My new urologist also said that he wouldn't recommend varioceles surgery because he thinks it won't increase testosterone that much. My main goal is just i want to fix my libido to be the way i used to be when i was in my early 20's.
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11-16-2012, 07:40 AM #39
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11-16-2012, 08:00 AM #40New Member
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hmmm, i'm not really stressed from work or home. I believe i do sleep enough, and i eat pretty well. I just want to get to the bottom of my problem and fix it. I was pretty opposed to see a sex therapist, but now i'm considering it. Did anything look a little off with my bloodwork? Should my testosterone be higher for a 25 year old?
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