Tried to edit my original post and it keeps screaming “b is null” at me every time I hit the post button - whatever that means.
Well, after finding that there’s a t-replacement forum and reading a bit further here’s some additional information (based on suggestion in the sticky):
-age
At the start of my HRT just turned 48
-height
6’3"
-waist
by the tape - 39". However, I wear 36" waist jeans and they are really loose
-weight
At present, 209. This is down from 228 in mid-January
Currently losing weight through “proper” diet
I expect my ideal weigh for my frame is near 190
-describe body and facial hair
Average-to-slight frame. Mostly legs (36" inseam). Fairly lean legs, most fat currently around my mid-section. Facial hair is light, always has been.
-describe where you carry fat and how changed
I have been a “skinny fat guy” since my 20’s - arms and legs rather lean, fat in my belly and back.
The only change is that there has been more fat - I peaked at near 235.
-health conditions, symptoms [history]
In general, I am and have been quite robust.
Since ~42 I have noticed a decline in stamina and energy. In the last year or so I find that I have a daily “crash” at like 4:00 in the afternoon, sometimes actually dozing off. A 10 minute power-nap refreshes me, but then I cannot get to sleep at night (1:00am bed time was not unusual)
I’ve noticed increasing issues with memory and focus.
In the last couple years losing weight has become impossible (in my 20s/30s I could drop 20 pounds in a couple weeks)
My mood / emotional state has been in decline for the last few yeas as well. Slight to moderate depression, lack of motivation, general anxiety. But also some wild swings from happy to sad. I don’t seem to “deal” with life as I did in the past…
-Rx and OTC drugs, any hair loss drugs or prostate drugs ever
No drugs - OTC or otherwise.
Never any hairloss or prostate meds
Non-smoker, non-drinker.
-describe diet [some create substantial damage with starvation diets]
Currently following guidelines from http://percisionnutrition.com/
- 4 to 5 meals daily, eating slowly, stopping when sated
- fruits and vegetables with every meal
- no processed foods
- no added sugars (only what’s in the food)
- lean protein with every meal
- “smarter” carbs (beans rather than rice or potatoes) and then in limited helpings and mostly after exercise
- lots of water
- supplement with fish oil, BCAAs, multi-vitamin, zinc/ZMA, vitamin D3
Limited dairy (no milk, just yogurt and cottage cheese)
No rice, bread intake limited, and then things like spelt or Ezekiel…
-describe training [some ruin there hormones by over training]
Exercise 4x week: M-T/T-F - core training (typically 45 minutes to an hour with warm-up & stretching)
Wed: “active recovery” day - light work with emphasis on movement
Sat: HIIT - brief intervals (usually 6 to 10 minutes)
Occasionally throw in an extra 30-40 minutes on the treadmill here and there
-testes ache, ever, with a fever?
Now, 3 weeks into TRT they are aching a little (and are noticeably smaller) but nothing historical. I am sure you are likely to tell me that is not possible after 3 weeks, but I assure you it’s happening.
When I get febrile they definitely ache.
-how have morning wood and nocturnal erections changed
AM erections have been absent for sometime, and nocturnal erections have almost always been non-existent for me (I believe I may have had a lifetime of low-T).
As I have started to examine more about my “boner timeline” I’ve come to realize that I have not had what I would call a raging hard-on for the last decade or more.
My libido is intact, and I have orgasms fairly regularly, however my erections are not exactly the stuff of legend.
Sexual function is not a primary concern for me in looking to TRT/HRT - it’s the rest of it (the way I feel the rest of the day) that are the driving factors for me. A raging boner would be great - but only if I have the energy and good spirits to put it to use…
Sleep:
This has been an issue. I sleep very little (4 -5 hours / night). I believe this has much to do with my hormonal state.
A test has shown that my cortisol levels are far above normal in the afternoon.
I am working on improving my sleep habits, but it is a slow boat to turn.
My physician:
After asking my primary care physician in mid-2007 about the symptoms above I was told “Yeah - you’re getting older”. I stopped the conversation there.
After a couple years of debating, some time spent here, and continuing decline in my mojo I finally had some blood work done, and, seeing the results, ended up finding this place:
My physician seems rather on the ball. My first appointment was an hour face-to-face where we went over my labs and talked about hormones, the endocrine system, cortisol, exercise, diet, etc.
His advice was to start with the testosterone and then look at levels in 2 months and determine if other meds were required (specifically an AI and hCG). He talked about HGH, but that is difficult to dispense legally in Ohio and not likely to be in my regimen (at least via legitimate prescription)
When I pointed out my elevated estradiol in my prior labwork he noted it and said we’d keep an eye on it (the results in the labs he ordered was in the low range of “normal”)
-lab results with ranges
Here’s the results of the labs I had done on my own (April 4th)
http://ocnav.com/trt/labs%20005.png
http://ocnav.com/trt/labs%20006.png
This test shows my estradiol as elevated - it’s a different type of test than the one below…
Here’s the results of the labs ordered by my doc (April 25th)
My cortisol levels:
http://ocnav.com/trt/labs%20000.png
I’m taking phosphatidylserine mid-day to try and reduce that afternoon spike. Doc also says my afternoon workouts are really, really bad. Unfortunately my schedule really doesn’t let me do them any other time…
http://ocnav.com/trt/labs%20001.png
http://ocnav.com/trt/labs%20002.png
http://ocnav.com/trt/labs%20003.png
http://ocnav.com/trt/labs%20004.png
The doc has me taking .35ml of 200mg/ml testosterone cypionate twice a week, injected subQ. I inject Sunday evening and Thursday morning to try and stay on an “every 3.5 days” schedule.
I am 2 weeks into injections, and the changes I’ve noted so far are:
Good -
- I’m able to sleep a little longer in the AM (an extra hour)
Not so Good -
- my skin has become incredibly sebaceous again, particularly my face (joy)
- my libido has absolutely tanked
- my seminal volume is down by at least 50%
- my testicles have CLEARLY shrunk and occasionally (at bedtime) ache a little
…which frankly has me more than a little concerned…
