First off, I want to thank the contributors to this site. I have learned more in the past few months than i ever could have imagined. I am still learning and to be honest, its alot to take in and absorb when you’re frustrated, exhausted, and at both your emotional and mental limits. My story…
November 2009 I was a fat bastard. Marriage and its comforts and securities made me stop taking pride in myself and not be in the best physical shape since i was not “on the hunt” anymore. My best friend asked me to be in his wedding in August of 2010 and that become my motivation to better myself. I had roughly 9 months to loose my fatness and get in shape. About this time i had a friend who just went through and successfully completed Ranger school. When he went in, he weighed about 45lbs heavier than when he came out. So i asked him how he lost all his weight. His basic statement was move as much shit as long and hard as your body can go on minimal calories. That became my new workout plan which i guess upon reading on here, is probably why i am here to begin with. I lost 65lbs in roughly 8 months and honestly i looked damn good. But starving yourself and not getting the correct nutrients seemed to fry my joints(which were already shot to begin with) and screw up my metabolism. I honestly had no idea what i was doing to myself.
Fast forward to May 2012. I was able to keep my weight off and maintain with 5-6lbs of 2010. I had no symptoms of low t and was fucking life in the ass. Then my son was born. With all that associated with a new born, i gained back about 20lbs which brings me to May 2014. My son was now two years old and sleeping through the night. But why in the world was i so tired all the time. I basically woke up, went to work, came home, ate dinner, played with the kid, and was in bed by 830 completely exhausted. I felt something was not right so i went to the doctor and told her what was going on. She pulled blood and tested me for low t. Before i continue, i will admit right now that i had no clue what was going on. I had not studied up on what was being prescribed.
These are my numbers.
Test Total- 498 (292-1052)
Free T4- 1.13 (.5-4.7)
Free T3- 3.4 (2.3-4.2)
Free Test- 7.8 (4.8-25)
DHEA Sulfate- 398 (240-549)
TSH- 2.3 (.5-4.7)
Upon receiving those numbers, she prescribed 100mg Test-c every 10 days, 30mg armour thyroid ED, 50mg DHEA SR ED. Come back in 8 weeks. I asked no questions and walked out.
8 weeks came and went and i went back. I told her i noticed no difference in quality of life, sex drive, energy, ect. She told me to up to 200mg/1x per week and see how it was going in another month or so. I decided that if i was going to start injecting myself with drugs and basically need a dedicated calender and pill organizer for all the stuff i was now taking, i figured it was time to read up and get educated. About that time, i started to notice an uncomfortable feeling in my nuts. They started aching and becoming cold. I figured this was not good so i called her up and asked her what this could be. I was just getting into the data that testosterone can and will effect fertility and since me and the wife were about to try for a second kid, i wanted to make sure this is not a side effect. She told me it was not and not to worry. I also asked about using an AI and she said its not recommended for men and she will not prescribe one. Ok, so i continued to study and basically “made endocrinology a hobby.” I found a walk in lab in Lubbock, Texas and asked if i could do my blood work plus a sperm test to verify nothing was wrong.
Early July numbers
Test Total- 1164 (208-1100)
Free Test- 242 (35-155)
T3 Free- 3.9 (2.3-4.2)
Estrodial- 50
Sperm Test- Sample was almost to small to test. 0 sperm found in sample provided.
At this point, i felt like a god. I was working out again, fucking the wife until she walked bowlegged, and was able to stay up voluntarily past 8:30 for the first time in several years. Then the sperm test came back and it confirmed my fears. I called the doctor and she was in disbelief of the test. She said the only thing i can do i refer you to a urologist. I made an appointment with the so called “best one in the area” but it was going to be late August before i can see him. I also called one of my friends who has dealt with AAS since high school and asked him what to do. I also asked another website for guidance and both replied with the clomid restart. 75mg ED for 2 weeks and then 50mg EOD. I did this protocol for 6 weeks and was retested. 1mg anastrozle split into 1/2mg doses per week.
Late August numbers
Test Total- 911 (200-1100)
Test Free- 138.3 (35-155)
Estrodial- 39
Sperm test- I handed the sample cup to the lab tech and she blushed. She said it was the largest sample she had ever seen. I maxed out all the categories on the test ran on the sample.
These numbers may look good but in reality, i felt like i was in living hell. I have suffered from depression all my life and i have been down pretty low but i was able to will myself out of it and i usually was able to. This was different. I was all ready to divorce the wife, was convinced she was having an affair, and was just short of wanting to blow my head off. Upon reading, clomid can cause depression like symptoms. I stopped this and started looking for other options. Also, the wife was still not pregnant. I took some time off from everything while i tried to reevaluate what i can do and was at my mental and emotional breaking point. Then the appointment came with the urologist. I waited over 2 hours in the lobby to see him. Waited over an hour in the room for a 7 minute conversation saying i should have never been on testosterone to being with, my numbers should have never gotten over 600 while on testosterone to be safe due to risk of heart attack and stroke. (insert doctors are idiots and have god complexes sticky here)
My only other options was hcg. After talking to my friend and the other members of the website i received advice from, 1000iu hcg 3x per week until the wife was pregnant. I started the hcg in mid September and took blood in October. I was long longer able to use the Lubbock walk in lab since i was back in East Texas. There is not a walk in lab within 100 miles so i used privatemblabs so i was unable to do a sperm test as they do not offer it. I had to do the woman’s hormone panel. I feel that this may be the incorrect test as the test for the testosterone is the serum and not the free and total.
Late October numbers
Test Serum- 204 (348-1197)
LH- 7 (1.7- 8.6)
FSH 4.6 (1.5-12.4)
Estrodial- 16.2
I was back to feeling like crap again but without the depression. The wife became pregnant early November so i found it was time to start my testosterone again so i could improve my quality of life again. I started at 100mg test-c 1x per week along with 500iu hcg 2x per week to help ward of testicle atrophy. I continued the 1mg anstrozle divided into 1/2mg doses per week.
December 30 numbers
Test Serum- 601 (348-1197)
LH- <.2 (1.7-8.6)
FSH- 0.7 (1.5-12.4)
Estradial- 16.4
While i do not feel god like, i feel “ok” Its still hard to stay up past 9ish and find the energy to do much around the house. What is confusing me is why the LH and FSH are low since i have been taking the hcg. So any advice is welcome.
I do apologize that this is so long. I hoped to get as much information stated so there was no delay in conversation trying to obtain the basic information needed.