Endocrinologist?

I just recently saw an Endocrinologist. Most of my blood work came back normal, my cholesterol was a little high. My test count according to her was 260, then she made the off hand comment that people can function as low as 160. Thats great they can function, but I want to do more that just have a heart beat and breathe. They now want to send me for a sleep study?? Just wondering what hoops some of you have had to jump through??

None - I don’t jump through hoops. This doctor doesn’t own your body, doesn’t own your health, and doesn’t own the right to decide anything except what she’s going to do. She is the one that needs to jump through your hoops if she wants to keep you as a patient. Talk to her, tell her how you feel and what sort of treatment you expect to get.

If she doesn’t respond in a way that you’re comfortable with, thank her for her time and go elsewhere.

It also helps to have your guns loaded when you talk to her. Is she right? Are you functioning normally? Can you “present” with the symptoms of low test? Your blood results are just a number.

If you’re just curious about how you would feel at higher levels, then very few doctors are going to help you. The Life Extension Foundation has a list of doctors you might try.

With the wealth of information available on the internet, you can know as much or more than she does about testosterone if you study up. The Society for Endocrinology publishes it’s protocols. Being able to talk knowledgeably about the subject with her will get you better responses and will probably help you feel less like you need to jump through anyone’s hoops.

She’s also bound by the law. Have you read the Anabolic Steroids Control Act? Did you know that she can be prosecuted as a drug dealer if she isn’t careful?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m on your side, but your side is a tough one to defend and you need lots of ammo. My test came in at low normal and my doctor told me “no way” when I asked about TRT. My functioning was “OK.” But I was simply curious how I would feel at higher levels so I read everything I could find and devised my own treatment plan and I self medicate.

I’m now around 850 and “OK” went to “Great!” Unfortunately, the law and public perception make it very difficult for older men to feel great. We’re supposed to be satisfied with OK. If you’re not, I doubt that jumping through hoops is going to make you feel better.

[quote]lanchefan1 wrote:
I just recently saw an Endocrinologist. Most of my blood work came back normal, my cholesterol was a little high. My test count according to her was 260, then she made the off hand comment that people can function as low as 160. Thats great they can function, but I want to do more that just have a heart beat and breathe. They now want to send me for a sleep study?? Just wondering what hoops some of you have had to jump through??[/quote]

I’m thinking that maybe you should tell us why you decided to go to the endocrinologist.

Go some where else. And don’t androgel or testim ask for injections. That gel stuff is a pain in a$$.

My doc is an internal med doc and he has been treating my hypogonadism for years.

But just like happy said. No your stuff when you talk to your doc about Low T

Happy,

Thanks for the response. I did quite a bit of research and had spoken with my primary care doc. I was going through the list naming all of the right items. My primary care doc thought I was depressed and wanted to throw a pill at me (he’s a pill factory so that didn’t surprise me). I sought out the endo based on the research I had done, I knw something was up but my primary doc REFUSED to do any blood work (so I’m not seeing him any longer). The endo’s idea behind the sleep study is due to some sinus surger I had years ago, she wants to see if I have sleep apnea. i got her to admit my T levels were low, now I will keep bringing up the same info and symptoms related to low T.

I know age shouldn’t matter if your t is low, but if you are a younger guy and look like you lift, you might have a problem.

Happydog said it all and gave you some sound advice.

All I want to add is that since you have invested time with her, try to at least get some Androgel for your time. Injectibles will probably be out of the question if her answer to low t is a sleep test.

My advice would be to see her again, explain that you want Androgel, since that will at least get you started, and if she doesn’t want to go that route, get a copy of your bw and don’t waste anymore time there.

I don’t get nasty with MDs, but I do try to get my point across. They like to think they walk on water. Maybe firmly pointing out that you want to treat your t issues now and not a month from now after sleep tests will snap her out of it. Tell her you aren’t there to waste your time.

[quote]speedswing wrote:
Go some where else. And don’t androgel or testim ask for injections. That gel stuff is a pain in a$$.

My doc is an internal med doc and he has been treating my hypogonadism for years.

But just like happy said. No your stuff when you talk to your doc about Low T[/quote]

My family MD put me on Androgel and I was on a year and when I told him I wanted to inject he sent me to an anti-aging guy who had a big practice in Jersey City as he said he would get flagged. This guy started me at 400mg/wk and sold gh. It was like hitting the lottery. He died last Wed probably due to the stress of the Feds coming down on him. He was 45 and had prior heart issues.

I am now in the market for an endo. 2 others wouldn’t give me injections and I’m in my 50s and had t level of 170 prior to Androgel. So it’s back to the endo BS.

I have enough t to last for 10 to 12mo. Now I have to go through the hassle of getting pins.

I just think they are all paranoid and covering their asses. [/quote]

happydog says it best…know you stuff, then realize that your are the customer to the doctor, not the other way around. Dr Shippen said “Doctors are generally down on what they are not up on”. If they are not educated in HRT, it may be hard to get…good luck. It took me a year,first I got test cream…did not work…then test gel…nothing…then injections…changed my life…it will be worth it once your dailed in…

HeavyE

My doc said basically the same things. “Yeah, it’s low but it’s low normal. You’re fine.” Well, I didn’t feel fine. If it’s ok to be low normal why not be mid or even high normal? I switched docs and he felt the same way. A doctor can’t tell you how you feel.

Next time before you see a doctor, have the ADAM questionnaire symptoms memorized and casually start to list them off. If the doctor still ignores you, find a new doctor. I got lucky, my doctor was a hormone specialist and I was seeing her for something else. She ordered my blood work and changed my life. Thank G-d for good doctors.

[quote]heavyequipment wrote:
happydog says it best…know you stuff, then realize that your are the customer to the doctor, not the other way around. Dr Shippen said “Doctors are generally down on what they are not up on”. If they are not educated in HRT, it may be hard to get…good luck. It took me a year,first I got test cream…did not work…then test gel…nothing…then injections…changed my life…it will be worth it once your dailed in…

HeavyE

[/quote]

Thanks for that quote from Dr. Shippen. That says it all.

I am so fed up with MDs and their BS. If your levels are low, and the bw shows that, call the MD on it. Ask him/her if they are against HRT and if that is the case, tell them not to waste your time. If you had high LDL they give you a statin. No questions asked. Their glad to bill you insurance for a new diagnosis. And the list goes on. But TRT and you have to be 100 below bottom line before they consider. Not all but most.

Just a rant but I had to go to the hospital for a pre-op stress test at 7am yesterday. The cardiologist showed up at 8:15. Traffic. In talking to the nurse she told me it was status quo.

First off if I didn’t need this test for my operation on the 23rd, I would have left. And second, if he wasn’t going to be reading my test, I would have given him a piece of my mind for the little guy.

Screw them. They can stick their elitist attitude up their ass. Don’t you just love when you walk into an MDs office and there are 5-10 people ahead? And if you are late, they cancel you, bill you for the missed appointment, and tell you to come back another time. But no problem waiting an hour plus to see them.

Sorry again for the rant and short story.

[quote]KNB wrote:
Next time before you see a doctor, have the ADAM questionnaire symptoms memorized and casually start to list them off. If the doctor still ignores you, find a new doctor. I got lucky, my doctor was a hormone specialist and I was seeing her for something else. She ordered my blood work and changed my life. Thank G-d for good doctors.[/quote]

Good advice KNB

My family MD put me on Androgel no problem. When I wanted injections he sent me to a popular so called endo. As I’ve said before he was an anti-aging MD. He had a heart attack and died on the 8th. Now I will be back in the market and going through this crap again.

[/quote]

My T levels were on the low normal side,300. Not so low as to be noticeable on paper. Thanks to having a Internal MD that knows how to put 2 and 2 together. High iron levels in blood work. Needed a specific test. HDL and LDL ratio out of sync. Some depression and aggressiveness. Easily fatigued. Excess adipose tissue, loss of lean mass. Everything pointed to hypogonadism.

Now instead of treating 3-5 different problems with different meds I am on HRT. Man do I feel better. Finding a MD that is close to the patients age and is willing to listen to his patients and actually use critical thinking skills to diagnose the core problem is a must. I work in healthcare and I see alot of the elitist BS. Some MDs use anecdotal and personal opinion to treat patients instead of good research and diagnosing skills

What happened to the whole cholesterol thing?

My dads was 267 and he just had surgery three months ago most people would have died on. SEVEN BY PASSESS

Mine was 19?(some thing) told me I was well on my way to a heart attack or stroke.

I put that shit in check man. Down to that 160 area and the doc said that was great. It was not all that hard.

I just wonder dude man I’d keep that in check.