43yr old male questions with ED

[burrben]

Hello. I'm new to the group. I read a good bit of the sticky information already and had a few questions.

I'm 43yr old white male. 6'1" 210lbs. Around 20% BF. Workout and play tennis about 5 times a week. Diet is Ok, not great, and my weakness is wine. Drink about 3 bottles a week. I try to eat only "real" food. Nothing processed like pasta or cake.

I've had ED for about 10years or more and Viagra has really saved my marriage. I've gone to the doctor and the urologist a few times and they always tell me the same thing, "just take a blue pill". They have examined my testes and didn't find anything wrong. But now that I'm getting older, I'm also starting to have the standard symptons. Gain in BF around the waist very easy, mood swings, low energy, weak erections even with viagra, sometimes feel a bit depressed, barely any sex drive.

About a year ago I had total testosterone tested and it came in at 710. They didn't test free test. I'd like to get another lab done.

I'd like to schedule a test with DiscountedLabs, and they have a $29 offer for Total and Free test. But before I do that, knowing my history is there anything else I should also include?
I feel like I may have high estrogen, but I don't know. I tend to lose muscle mass quickly. For example I could get up to 225 for squats, and if I stop for two weeks I lose almost all the strength and can barely do 135! Should I also get Prolactin?

I am on a budget, so I don't want to spend $250, if all I really need to get testing is Total and Free T.

Thanks for the advice in advance!
Burr

[kelkel]

Why not go to the doc and request a full physical, as long as insurance covers it? Explain your symptoms to him and copy the first set of BW suggested in the Finding A Doc sticky thread. Re alcohol in larger amounts, it can kill your sex drive. Step one is cutting way back on it and seeing how you do, imho. Others will chime in burrben.

Welcome to the forum!

[burrben]

I had a full physical under 1yr ago and I can't go again. Everything looked fine to him. All bloodwork normal. My chlorestorol was 164, and I had a psa of 1. Did the full prostate exam too and nothing enlarged.
As soon as you mention ED to a doc on my insurance they CODE it ED and then I have to battle the insurance company to pay for the visit.
I'm totally healthy other than the Low-T symptoms that I seem to have. Never get sick either.
Any suggestions on if I should just get the cheap $29 test for Free and Total Test, or if I should order something more comprehensive and post it?
I did contact Defy Medical, but they want around $400 up front. I don't mind paying that if I'm a candidate, but I'm trying to save a bit of money here by getting the initial bloodwork done on my own.

[kelkel]

Well, checking only test is better than nothing, but if something is suppressing your T production it doesn't help clue you in to what the actual problem is. That said, there's nothing wrong with starting there and then digging deeper if it's warranted.

[AR's King Silabolin]

Well, checking only test is better than nothing, but if something is suppressing your T production it doesn't help clue you in to what the actual problem is. That said, there's nothing wrong with starting there and then digging deeper if it's warranted.

Supressing test?...come again?....he was 42 with 710.

Its usually a clear connection beetween total and free test. But its not 100%. Better rule that one out, if other explanations are hard to fine.

Did u used to jerk of alot or have sex. Libido is like...use it or loose it. If u had a nonorgasm period for some months, it could degrade all of it.

Im 46 and jerk off at least two times a day if not sex and i never had sexual problemes, even on deca without DA or after cycle with test in the 100s.

We have separate bedrooms. It works for my parrents and us. We have been together for 14 years and are stil in love. Sleeping together is very overrated.
Like this u can jerk off all you want. Porn on cellphone if u need stimuli.

[Obs]

Supressing test?...come again?....he was 42 with 710.

Its usually a clear connection beetween total and free test. But its not 100%. Better rule that one out, if other explanations are hard to fine.

Did u used to jerk of alot or have sex. Libido is like...use it or loose it. If u had a nonorgasm period for some months, it could degrade all of it.

Im 46 and jerk off at least two times a day if not sex and i never had sexual problemes, even on deca without DA or after cycle with test in the 100s.

We have separate bedrooms. It works for my parrents and us. We have been together for 14 years and are stil in love. Sleeping together is very overrated.
Like this u can jerk off all you want. Porn on cellphone if u need stimuli.

I have got it every day once to twice a day, consecutively for two weeks. I dont think I will experiment with seperate bedrooms. She even let me check out the back door last night for the first time. This was uncharted territory...
It will never happen again though because apparently women hate that shit cause it hurts.

Now, silabolin... when we told you that you needed to cut we didn't mean for you to take it to the extreme. Damn! How much t3 did you eat?

[AR's King Silabolin]

I have got it every day once to twice a day, consecutively for two weeks. I dont think I will experiment with seperate bedrooms. She even let me check out the back door last night for the first time. This was uncharted territory...
It will never happen again though because apparently women hate that shit cause it hurts.

Now, silabolin... when we told you that you needed to cut we didn't mean for you to take it to the extreme. Damn! How much t3 did you eat?

Hehe....alot but finally the Vets do respect my guns

[Youthful55guy]

About a year ago I had total testosterone tested and it came in at 710. They didn't test free test. I'd like to get another lab done.

I am on a budget, so I don't want to spend $250, if all I really need to get testing is Total and Free T.

High total testosterone + ED makes me strongly suspect high SHBG. I had a very similar experience. ED started in my late 30's, got progressively worse in my 40's and 50's. Took Cialis, but it was expensive and insurance didn't cover it. That was before I knew enough to buy the generic stuff overseas. Had my Total T tested in my mid 50's and came back around 610 ng/dL. From the surface it was good and the doc would not prescribe TRT. Went to a low T clinic and they tested for SHBG and Free T and found the source of my problem. My SHBG was very high (ranges from 55 to 77 pg/mL). My Free T was a pathetic 7.1 pg/mL (low end of range was 7.2).

SHBG protects T from metabolism in the liver, so when SHBG goes up, so does Total T. However, Free T goes down and since SHBG bound T does not pass through the blood-brain barrier, it doesn't get into the brain where you need it for normal sexual function (or cognitive function for that matter).

So, long answer to your question, YES by all means have your Free T and SHBG tested.

[Chicagotarsier]

High total testosterone + ED makes me strongly suspect high SHBG. I had a very similar experience. ED started in my late 30's, got progressively worse in my 40's and 50's. Took Cialis, but it was expensive and insurance didn't cover it. That was before I knew enough to buy the generic stuff overseas. Had my Total T tested in my mid 50's and came back around 610 ng/dL. From the surface it was good and the doc would not prescribe TRT. Went to a low T clinic and they tested for SHBG and Free T and found the source of my problem. My SHBG was very high (ranges from 55 to 77 pg/mL). My Free T was a pathetic 7.1 pg/mL (low end of range was 7.2).

SHBG protects T from metabolism in the liver, so when SHBG goes up, so does Total T. However, Free T goes down and since SHBG bound T does not pass through the blood-brain barrier, it doesn't get into the brain where you need it for normal sexual function (or cognitive function for that matter).

So, long answer to your question, YES by all means have your Free T and SHBG tested.

Wasting your money in my opinion. If you do not do the whole panel for hormones you are stabbing in the dark. I can think of four things off the top of my head that could be the ED issue lynchpin.

Add Prolactin and Estrogen MINIMUM to the above.

As a FYI an infection in the body can also change how the feedback loops work. When I tested back years ago I was 68 total test...but my estrogen was out of band high. Impossible...nope. A reoccurring kidney infection due to a kidney stone turned out to be the issue. EVERY medication either worked at a fraction of the strength it should have or not at all. A mystery until a MRI at a weird angle and subsiquent ultrsound found the thing.

My point is you have an issue. If it was just a test issue your shots would correct that issue. You have more than one issue and you are going to have to look for it. Sorry for the cost but in the longrun money well spent

[burrben]

I got my result back for T.

Total : 551 ng/DL
Free : 9.1 pg/DL

I could continue to get the other panels tested as well. Do these results put me out of the TRT therapy area?

[charger69]

I got my result back for T. Total : 551 ng/DL Free : 9.1 pg/DL I could continue to get the other panels tested as well. Do these results put me out of the TRT therapy area?

Can you provide the lab ranges for the tests?

[burrben]

Can you provide the lab ranges for the tests?

My total : 551. Total Range is 348 - 1197
My Free : 9.5 Free Range is 6.8 - 21.5

[ScotchGuard02]

My total : 551. Total Range is 348 - 1197
My Free : 9.5 Free Range is 6.8 - 21.5

I like to run my Total at closer to 900 to 1000 and my free at 18 to 19. Yes, you are "normal" but IMO your T needs to be a lot higher to feel the benefits of T-Power.