Hi guys.
I’ll try to be as concise as possible here. It is quite a long story though!
Aged 18, in 2003, I first presented to my then GP with low libido, decreasing erection quality, absence of spontaneous/morning erections, brain fog. Blood tests were run. I was told everything was normal and that it was likely psychologically driven. I accepted this.
I made infrequent trips to professionals in the next 10 years, including two separate trips to a consultant urologist. Every time I received the same answer.
In early 2013, I had a full blood panel done for an unrelated problem. The results revealed a testosterone level of 9.8 nmol/L. I was referred to an endo, who recommended beginning a course of 50mg Androgel. Before seeing the endo, I requested my bloods from '03 from the local hospital records. My testosterone level was ~12nmol/L at the time. “Normal” apparently.
The 50mg Androgel did nothing for me.
We increased to 100mg Androgel.
Bloods in June revealed no statistically significant increase in testosterone. My subclinical hypothyroid status was worsened however. TSH was up to 4.21. Prolactin was in the 400s. Estradiol had doubled to 140 (still within the “normal” range for men, but just about). I had also started to develop gyno, so we stopped.
The decision was taken to try to get the TSH down to 1.0 to see if that would have the desired effect. I was started on 25mg of thyroxine. This pushed my TSH WAY UP!
The latest bloods (while on a dose of 100mg of thyroxine and no TRT) showed that TSH was still stubbornly high at 3.95, even though my T4 level was now 19.6, on the high side of normal. Prolactin was at 261. Testosterone was at 10.5. FSH was at 3.1. LH was at 3.5, despite the obviously low testosterone number. As a related aside, my testicles have yet to return to anywhere close to their pre-TRT size, over 6 months on from the cessation of treatment.
I’ve now been on 150mg of thyroxine for 5 weeks but have not experienced any change in symptoms. I’m sure the next blood tests will bear this out.
My questions are: Is bringing the TSH down likely to work with regard to testosterone? Why didn’t the Testogel work? Was it an absorption issue? An aromatization issue? Am I likely to have more success with test cypionate injections?
Any help you can give me would be appreciated guys. This has ruined my youth. The diagnosis last year seemed like a new beginning but it has not materialised.
Thanks in advance.