Hi all, this is my first post in this forum but I have been lurking in forums that discuss TRT. What brings me here is that I am frustrated with my current TRT regimen and my doctor. First off, I have no interest in bodybuilding. I am a hypogonadic male who wants to improve his quality of life and up his libido. I am very interested in finding a good and reliable TRT doctor that takes insurance and knows what he is doing.
Some background first:
Age 33 y/o
Height 5’11
Weight 172
Slender frame (think cyclist)
Lots of body/facial hair (think Mediterranean)
Body fat 15-20%, mostly around the belly
Health conditions: hypogonadic symptoms manifesting via ED (can get erection but not maintain it), lack of morning wood, sagging libido, low energy levels, difficulty in concentrating on tasks, etc… sometimes the ED and low libido gets bad enough that it causes problems in my marriage.
Diet: Pretty normal, trying to eat healthy and get enough protein through chicken, fish, and meats. Eat lots of fruit, but few veggies. Keep junk food to a minimum.
Exercise: Road cycling is my primary sport, although I hit the gym to do some strength training, stretching, or muscle toning. No bodybuilding.
My Story:
I was diagnosed with hypogonadism in late 2010 when I went to an urologist for ED/libido issues. The urologist checked my testosterone, and it turned out to be low: 307 in a range of 300-1000 ng/ml. The urologist said “although it is within the normal range, I feel it is too low for your AGE, so I will put you on TRT.” Put me on the Testim 1% gel that came in tubes (50 mg in 5 g tubes).
At that point, I was happy to have a solution and I religiously used Testim daily, and it brought my T levels up into the 500+ range (after an initial peak of 728 three weeks into it). My libido was better, ED was very minimal. Started to get morning wood back, not every day, but rather 3x a week, more or less. My right testicle shrunk somewhat, but my left testicle’s size stayed the same, if not gotten a bit larger. Asked my doc about that, and he was surprised that my left nut didn’t shrink, and didn’t know what to say about that.
However, the more time I went by, the more learned about TRT and I didn’t realize that it was for life. I thought it was a temporary solution and I wish that the urologist further investigated into WHY my T levels was low in the first place. I also learned that it might be better to run HCG and AI while on TRT, both of which I am NOT currently running.
I was on Testim for almost two years, and then my insurance (damn insurance!!!) changed their drug list and started denying Testim. I refused to pay $400/mo, so I stopped taking Testim for a month. Then I went to the doctor with my concerns about a) insurance, b) fertility, so he prescribed me tamoxifen to try to “restart” my HPTA system. He did a full battery of tests after having been off T for a month and here are the labs:
LABS AFTER BEING OFF TRT FOR 1 MONTH, BEFORE TAKING TAXOMIFEN (aka Nolvadex):
FT 7.33 ng/dl (no ranges given?)
TT 334 ng/dl (300 - 1000)
E2 5 ng/dl (0.5 - 5.0)
DHT 199 pg/ml (106.0 - 719.0)
LH 2 mIU/ml (6.0 - 19.0)
FSH 3 mIU/ml (4.0 - 10.0)
DHEA-S 2369 ng/ml (1419 - 3867)
SHBG 27 nmol/L (10 - 55)
Hemoglobin 14.7 g/dl (13.0 - 17.0)
Hematocrit 42.8 % (37.0 - 49.0)
IGF-1 169 ng/ml (109-307)
Prolactin 14.2 ng/ml (3.0 - 30.0)
Cholesterol 190 mg/dl (<200)
Triglycerides 72 mg/dl (<150)
HDL 59 mg/dl (>39)
LDL 117 mg/dl (<100)
LDL/HDL Ratio 1.98 (<3.55)
That was 5 months ago. Then I took taxomifen for 2 months, and my nuts returned to normal size and hardness. But the ED/low libido black cloud came back, and now I’m on Androgel. But I don’t think it is working as effectively as Testim has worked for me. My right testicle is a bit smaller again, but not as small as before when on Testim. I don’t think my skin is absorbing Androgel like it’s supposed to.
I’m a little frustrated with my current urologist as I don’t think he knows everything about TRT (no HCG or AI?!?!) and his office doesn’t communicate with my insurance well, resulting in denied claims or Rx delays at the pharmacy. He also drops the ball on the labs a lot.
I have an appointment with him tomorrow, and I’m thinking I’m going to give him one more chance while I ask about AI and HCG and more detailed lab tests.
But if I’m not satisfied with how it goes, is there a Houston-based TRT doctor who knows what he’s doing and also takes insurance? I have Blue Cross.
What about TRT clinics? Like the Low T Center that just started in 2010 and opened a new facility literally 2 minutes from my home. Link: http://www.lowtcenter.com/ Are there others like this?