My story of low test

[Jda1977]

33yo male. Suffering from depression, anxiety, no sex drive, ED, fatigue, and general low self worth. Saw my family md on 8/24. She did a ton of labs to see if any glaring issues. Test results for testosterone:

8/24 total testosterone 205 (250-1100ng/dl)
Free testosterone 50.2 (35.0-155.0 pg/dl)
% free testosterone 2.45% (1.5-2.2)

She got results and referred me to endocrinologist. Endo said no referral needed "lose weight and levels come up and free test levels are okay."
Time of appt weight was 223lbs. Was disappointed but my md was adamant that this was a good reason. I didn't understand how my free being okay was good when my total was so low, it's a free portion of my total and the rest is carrier bound but I am still limited by my total?

Follow up my md is out on pregnancy leave. See another md. This md thought it time to recheck as I was now at 198lbs. He thought if it low again that I surely needed to be seen.

12/6 total testosterone 247 (250-1100ng/dl)
Free testosterone 70.1 (35.0-155.0 pg/dl)

He calls me and says that for a 33yo that this was a problem and surely effecting my quality of life that he will resubmit to endo referral. 1week later and office calls again. The endo called and said "no need to be seen, free is good." I told MA that I was upset that free maybe okay but total was way low for my age. Even if I freed up all my bound test my theoretical total would still not be much above my total as it's my frickin TOTAL. She said she understood and would resubmit my request for another endo but the md who say me was off till after new years. So I call a HRT sent my labs and just need my physical to be done before they tx. Are they all legit. Found them as a sponsor on another board. Don't think i can post their name? Also my insurance allows me to see any md, a family member was getting test shots through a md that's in town, his free test was in the 350s and the family md treated him, I called and have a appt on the 4th. I don't understand the endos reluctance to even see me. Are they right so my free is okay = I'm okay even though my total is low. My labs were drawn at 630 am hate to see them later in the day. The rep from the HRT seems cool, are they legit? Pharmacy usually used by them usually legit. Also he asked if I had any ideas on a tx plan I wanted to talk about. Any input on what I need to start out modestly. Thanks for reading sorry for any typos or grammar as I typed this out on my phone.

[zaggahamma]

welcome bro...

no they are not right/alright...

go with this hrt clinic...i've never heard any that are NOT legit...are u speaking with one in south florida? thats where most are based and hear only good things...you will be treated well as a person and as a patient and will kiss your crummy life good bye...



oh, yeh or the md your family member is using...you can prolly easily get an rx from that doc with your numbers and more importantly symptoms

good luck bro

[Jda1977]

Thank you for responding.

The rep I believe is in michigan per his call back number. He is supper nice but can't really find anything on the company outside of the board they sponsor on different board. I cant pm yet and don't want to violate any rules here as I like the community from all my researching

[Termin8r27]

Same age as me man and a similar story starting out. I found out I had low T and was seeing an Endo as well. They did want to treat me, but only some low dose patches and of course not willing to work to control my Estrogen (mine was high and would most certainly skyrocket when on HRT). Bottom line is all Endo's and normal MD's are going to operate under strict guidelines by the FDA, AMA and their pharma reps.
I was tested twice and my total Test was 137 and 180. My free was about %2.2 both times I believe.

I went on to an HRT clinic based in South Florida from a referral and can't explain in words how bad I now realize I was before HRT and how great I'm doing now!

[Jda1977]

Hmm I wonder if I should locate this s.Florida clinic I see it everywhere. Can someone point me in that direction and maybe I can compare it with the one I'm currently looking into, just add @gmail.com for my email addy after my user name. Termin8r27 you have me excited. It would be nice to maybe get off these antidepressants and enjoy life like I remember in days past. What would you estimate a moderate treatment plan. Averages per month from a clinic. I have a price list from the one clinic and does not look to bad. Don't know if I can or should post it.

[MuscleScience]

They thing that these docs fail to see when they look at free T and Percent Free, is that of course its going to be normal. The problem with that is that the test is not being delivered to the tissues in high amounts. Its free because there is low overall levels of T in the system. So all the tissues are fighting for what little T is available. They really should be smarter than that, you would think.

[bass]

same here, this is why i am talking to HRT clinics now, because my doc and endo won't do anything about it! i am still shopping and comparing prices at this point, i have to make sure i can afford this since its going to be a life time commitment! I'll keep you posted on my findings!

[Vettester]

Agree with others ... Find a clinic that has the know-how to treat this properly. It's a cop out for an endo to just say the free test is fine, so you should be OK. Of course the free test % is usually going to be OK. However, if I can use the analogy of a well, it makes a huge difference if you have 10 gallons of total water or 1 gallon to work with. If you can only access 2% to 3% of it on a regular basis, then the guy with 1 gallon total is going to be a hell of lot thirstier than the guy who has 10 gallons, even though they both have the same percentage available.

[Jda1977]

Thanks for everyone replying. Being in Sacramento, Ca I could more easily get a doctor to write a script for pot do to my diagnosis of anxiety without a verifiable lab to support it then get a doctor to write a script for testosterone which is supported with blood tests as a need...WTF I just hope the HRT is a) not cost prohibitive , b) effective. I need to get my life on track and enjoy it as each day I just depressingly lay around with no zest is one less day I have...

[JohnnyVegas]

Welcome!

Good luck with the doctor search. Finding a knowledgeable doc seems to be the hardest step. I don't fault doctors for not being experts in this stuff, but I realized early that it is best to just find one that is.

[zaggahamma]

Welcome!

Good luck with the doctor search. Finding a knowledgeable doc seems to be the hardest step. I don't fault doctors for not being experts in this stuff, but I realized early that it is best to just find one that is.

i agree with part of this and agree especially with your positive attitude with just finding a good one...

...but where i disagree is IF THEY BOOK AN APPOINTMENT knowing its for hormonal issues AND CASH OUR CHECK...they THEY SHOULD BE AN EXPERT...or at least not a dumbass

[Termin8r27]

Hmm I wonder if I should locate this s.Florida clinic I see it everywhere. Can someone point me in that direction and maybe I can compare it with the one I'm currently looking into, just add @gmail.com for my email addy after my user name. Termin8r27 you have me excited. It would be nice to maybe get off these antidepressants and enjoy life like I remember in days past. What would you estimate a moderate treatment plan. Averages per month from a clinic. I have a price list from the one clinic and does not look to bad. Don't know if I can or should post it.

Yeah, we can't post specific prices, but generally a good clinic should not be charging you more than $400 for 10 weeks of coverage, depending on all your dosages. In that coverage it could/should include Test/HCG/Arimidex and associated pins and accessories. So that's about $40 per week max. You can shop around and find better deals, but just try to find the right clinic that works for you within your price range.

This cost doesn't include any bloodwork or other associated fees. Some charge for Dr's visits or consultations and some people's insurance covers out of network Dr's bloodwork orders (mine does) so those things can affect your overall cost as well. I can tell you that at mine I only pay for the med's, there are no fee's or other costs of any kind.

I will also say again that I really had no idea how bad off I was until I got myself right by getting on TRT. I would do it again in a heartbeat and even pay more $ if I had to.

[APIs]

I could more easily get a doctor to write a script for pot do to my diagnosis of anxiety without a verifiable lab to support it then get a doctor to write a script for testosterone

Wow isnt this ironic. Actually sickening if you think about it. OP, just stick with it & take the time to find the right doctor. If you have insurance, find out what they will cover before going the clinic route. You've come this far so you're on the right path! Well being is right around the corner ;-)

[zaggahamma]

Wow isnt this ironic. Actually sickening if you think about it. OP, just stick with it & take the time to find the right doctor. If you have insurance, find out what they will cover before going the clinic route. You've come this far so you're on the right path! Well being is right around the corner ;-)

very few ppl i've ever heard collect from their insurance for clinics