Stats:
bf: ~15%
weight: 80kg (176lbs)
height: 174cm (5'8")
age: 25
Lads,
I first thought I had low testosterone back in late 2013 and went to the Doctor about it. I was still in the military at the time and the old boy of a Doc had a hard time believing a bloke my age (22ish) was having trouble shagging his girlfriend etc etc and generally feeling like a sack of shit.
Time passed until late last year when I hired a new trainer and he convinced me to get my blood work done because I was having trouble with recovery, strength, fat loss and libido; i'd also become more anxious which was non-existent during my time in the military. I knew in the back of my head the results weren't going to be pretty because a 25 year old lad should still be ripe with morning erections instead of making excuses of why he can't have a shag (fucking miserable prick!).
The results came back and they are as follows:
Total Test 11.9 nmol/L (11.0 - 32.0)
Free test 248 pmol/L (90 - 580)
DHEAS 7.5 umol/L (2.4 - 12.0)
TSH 1.55 mIU/L (0.40 - 4.0)
Typical blood panel with nothing out of the ordinary - white blood cells were down but i was getting over a common cold.
The original GP who ordered these tests sent me on my way but I consulted with my trainer and he sent back to a GP and now i've been referred to an endocrinologist as a result. After my doing my own research into the topic and realising I have the T levels of a 70 year old was, to the say least, quite depressing.
I certainly haven't always been like this. When I was 18 it was pretty easy for me to go 7 nights a week with my girlfriend, sometimes twice a night. I know that's typical 18 year old behaviour but I didn't think i'd experience such a decline so quickly...
In the interest of disclaiming absolutely everything, which I only remembered after I saw my GP, I stupidly cycled steroids for approx 5 weeks during my time in the military; twice with no PCT, and the third time with a lacklustre PCT that lasted a fortnight.
First cycle was (hard to remember): sus250, 500mg p/week back in 2010
Second cycle was: prop + deca (can't remember dosages, pinned 3 x a week) back in 2012
Third cycle: prop + tren a (pinned 3 a week) + pct of nolva and clomid back in early 2013
When I see the endocrinologist i'll be telling him everything. I'm not after TRT, and in fact I don't think my levels are low enough to qualify (you have to be <6 nmol/L for total test). The thought of pinning myself for the rest of my life isn't good; conversely, the thought of having low testosterone levels is even worse considering I still remember what it was like when I felt I had higher T levels. Further, I didn't get any bloodwork done pre-steroid cycles so therefore I don't have a baseline to go off unfortunately.
The reason I write all of this is to pick the brains of the knowledgeable folks on the likeliest course of action my endo will take. I want to go in fully prepared so I can have all of the right questions to ask and understand the possible courses of action. I tried to search for similar people in my positions, but it was all within 1 year of steroid use. I havent touched the gear in 3-4 years. I anticipate being put on nolvadex or something similar, but I really don't know. My trainer reckons his clients have taken nolvadex and it has raised test levels naturally to a point where they remain elevated when they come off nolva.
Bottom line is I shouldn't have cycled without having any clue, but the deed is done and i'm seeking to rectify it with knowledge before I see my endo.
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Originally Posted by m_s
