Hello all, my testosterone levels were on the low side of normal back in 2010. I beleive they were 330. I started TRT and felt good for a week or so. Then I felt almost like before…depressed…weak feeling. I know there’s more to just supplementing T, but I never had the money to buy anything else. And my doc didn’t know squat so he just gave me a script for compounded T cream.
Last year the dose was doubled to 200 mg/ml. My T levels went up to around 800 or so. 500 up from my 300 to 330 I had before even starting testosterone therapy. Well, I lost my job 8 months ago. I had refills that I kept getting. Then I ran out of my cream two weeks ago.
I’ve felt like total crap since. I’m out of breath from doing the slightest effort. My depression is awful. My doc won’t refill my script until I pay to see him for labs. But I can’t afford the money for the labs. ($500.00) I begged him for one more refill until I get a job. To at least give me a fighting chance. He said no.
My question is…how many weeks or months will it take for my T levels to go back to near where they were before I started TRT? I’m dizzy. I have trouble standing and walking for any amount of time. I’m sleeping ALOT, and feeling hopeless as hell. But I would rather feel weak and tired like before I started TRT than how I feel now.
Is there anything anyone can suggest? I can’t afford labs and TRT. I can’t get a merciful refill from my doc. If I could get at least that I can pay the 76 bucks I used to pay for the cream itself. A friend bought me some natural test booster, but that isn’t doing much of anything.
Any advice out there? I’m desperate because I have a job offer coming up. But how will my employer react when he sees me looking half-dead and breathing heavily?
I forgot to post these. I forgot that I had started TRT in 2009!!!
3/2/2009 (FIRST HORMONE TEST) NO TRT YET
T TOTAL = 339: 250-1100
T FREE = 65.1: 46.0-224.0
T BIOAVAIL = 147.9: 110-575.0
FSH = 2.1: 1.6-8.0
LH = 2.3: 1.5-9.3
12/4/2009 (SECOND HORMONE TEST USING T GEL ON AND OFF)
Vitamin D3 = 31: NOT ESTABLISHED
Vitamin D2 = <4: NOT ESTABLISHED
TSH, 3rd Generation = 0.75: .40-4.50
T4, Free 0.8: 0.8-1.8
T3, Free = 321: 230-420
DHT = 17L: 25-75
T Total = 78: 250-1100 (78 Because I had run out of my cream 3 days before)
T Free = 17.3: 46.0-224.0
T BIOAVAIL = 35.6: 110.0-575.0
Estradiol = 20: 13-54
My last labs had my T Total at 800. That was done about 8 months ago. I’m 39 now, and started TRT at 33.
IME the first couple of weeks off are rough but then it starts getting better. But if you feel your depression is getting the best of you, go to the ER.
Labs should not be anything like $500. Will your doctor accept labs you bring in, for example performed by Labcorp? Or does he prescribe only when he is the one collecting money for labs?
It’s possible to restore levels within days of restarting treatment when treatment is by injection. With creams I don’t know for a fact but would certainly expect promptness. (It is a fact that full delivery is achieved within less than a day.)
That said, biological effect of long term low testosterone isn’t immediately reversed with restoration of normal level. I’d expect you to feel significantly better within a couple of weeks though, perhaps more promptly, where low T was the cause.
Check your oral body temperatures when you first wake up and also mid-afternoon and post here.
Please don’t make me ask three times.
“dose was doubled to 200 mg/ml” is a concentration, not a dose. Provide total mg’s and how you apply.
Poor absorption of transdermal T is a symptom of low thyroid function, so we need to look at that.
I’m unemployed still. It’s been since my last post that I had t-cream. I’m still very fatigued and weak. For example, 6 pushups makes my arms and chest burn from fatigue. I can’t do one more than that without dropping.
Just doing simple things makes my muscles feel as if the lactic acid is high. Almost as if I had done reps to failure. I’m out of breath a lot.
I had some natural thyroid around. I took some and felt a little better.
What would you suggest? See if the thyroid med helps? What kind of exercises should I do to try to get the stamina up? I did test on the low side of thyroid years ago even before the t-cream. I also have no access to a gym or exercise equipment.
I’ve read your posts in here, and if anyone can help me I believe you can.
Forgot to add this…I’ve NEVER had normal body temp. It’s always been 97.9. Around that. This is at anytime throughout the day. Docs have never even batted an eye about this.
Ha! Just remembered…one time in the summer I locked myself with windows up in my car. I was still freezing after 20 minutes when even a dog would’ve died! Lol!
If you haven’t been using iodized salt pretty substantially, and your diet hasn’t been quite heavy on iodine-rich foods (most are not) then iodine deficiency is the typical result. Your symptoms suggest it as well.
I would suggest starting to use iodized salt fairly freely: start at 1 tbsp per day, and after a month you could back down to half that if you like. Or use supplements such as kelp tablets, no more than 1 mg/day though if you want you could start with 2 mg/day and use that for a couple of weeks before reducing.
As luck would have it my sister gave me some Ludol’s iodine yesterday. That and bottle of selenium.
I have natural thyroid which I bought last year. It’s weird…when I was on T-Cream and I took even a half a tablet of the thyroid I would get mean as hell. Without the T-Cream I can take two pills and still not feel angry. I’m going to read KSMans stickies again. I think the answer as to why is in there.
Starting tomorrow I’m going to take my temp. the three times like KSMan said. However, it’s 5PM now. I exercised a little 30 minutes ago. My temp. is a scalding 96.9!!!
Ksman, thanks for the reply. My skin has been dry lately. Eyebrows are fine. My hands and feet are always cold. Im mostly sluggish, depressed, feel weak, and hopeless. Ive been under extreme emotional stress for years. So maybe its adrenal fatigue. But the stress doesnt seem to be stopping so how can my adrenals recover?
On the iodine and selenium I dont feel as out of breath as Ive been since stopping tcream cold turkey. My body temperature is around 77 or 78 throughout the day.