Hi guys
Because of my low T (<360) I am going to start a self administered therapy soon. Tomorrow I have appointment with an urologist/andrologist. He will then take some blood and after that I will see if my T level is still low. My lifestyle is already optimised as good as possible.
My symptoms of fatigue and panic disorder for example are still there. Also low libido and ED.
But I think there will be a problem because of my Polycystic kidney disease. I’m 26 years old and don’t have any problems with my kidneys in the meantime. And I read a study where low T levels can shorten the time to an terminal kidney failure state. But there is also evidence that testosterone can harm the kidneys. So what would you say??
I want to start a self administered therapy because I live in Germany and chances are very low to find a doctor who will treat low T. So I would decide to do it on my own. Of course with regular bloodwork.
Greetings
My latest lab results (from July.2019)
FT 3: 3.1 pg/ml (2.0-4.4)
FT 4: 13.4 ng/ml (9.3-17.0)
TSH: 1.63 microgram/dl ( 0.27-4.20)
For those that dont know PKD is a disease where the kidneys develop cycsts of varying sizes and cause the kidneys to grow in size over time. Some people have PKD and never know it because they never have any symptoms. A lot of PKD patients are on BP meds to keep BP down, they are told to limit sodium, and be extra careful about adequate water intake in order to constantly flush the kidneys.
Please post the studies you are referencing. I can’t see how T would harm the kidneys but I am not a doctor.
I have two immediate family members who have it so I am very familiar.
As for the study you posted this is a study on CKD which is damaged kidneys. PKD doesnt necessarily damage kidneys as much as it causes them to grow. Decreased kidney function is not a guarantee with PKD. Also, there are no results posted for this study.
Your free T is pathetically low according to the Tru-T calculator, 12.44 ng/dL (ranges 16-31 ng/dL). The question is are you actually experiencing low testosterone or debilitating symptoms caused by your panic disorder which cause fatigue, ED and low libido.
Your doctors should allow a trial of TRT to see if it relieves symptoms, but our medical systems seem against hormone therapies in general.
Oh that is really low. I think that this symptoms are the result of low T because it all started when I was 21. Also everytime I speak to other men I seem so cowed. My confidence is also very low.
If the health system is against these kind of therapies then we should try it on our own. Because it’s our health and it’s should be the #1 priority.
These hormonal therapies treat and prevent disease, you would think doctors would be all for it. If you think about it long enough preventing medical problems hurts doctors if no one is coming in to see the them for medical treatment.
Hospitals make more money when people are seeking services, it’s a multibillion dollar business.
I am currently self administering with panic disorder. My advice is seek professional help and guidance, issues will arise and you will need someone to solve them, preferably a trt expert. Trt will not cure panic disorder, thats strictly cbt. It may help with confidence which I am hoping for in my own situation. I am also on it for the libido, ed, fatigue factor, including lack of motivation etc etc from ssri usage.
I have noticed a great many men with anxiety/panic disorders over the years don’t do well on large and even moderate dosing, they seem to do much better on very frequent dosing because this minimizes hormonal fluctuations between injections that can sometimes trigger panic attacks.
The large functions trigger aggression is myself for a brief time, it’s not hard to understand why some would experience anxiety because everyone will respond a little different.
Daily dosing produces minimal fluctuations, in fact I feel no fluctuations on new protocols only when on daily injections. The EOD protocol have plenty of fluctuations.
You just have to get past the period where you natural production is being shut down causing your levels to drop, some return to the symptoms they had pre-TRT if for only a couple of weeks before they start feeling good.
This occurs because when you start TRT, you have your natural production and the testosterone being injected, when the natural production is shut down, levels decrease for a couple of weeks and the TRT honeymoon is over.
See that’s interesting system because I had severe anxiety for years. It has virtually vanished after getting balanced on TRT. I feel like hormone imbalance and low T/E2 is an underestimated cause of anxiety/mood disorders. But, that’s just my experience. I have heard different opinions in this site though. He may be ok with one or two doses a week.
You are not wrong. When it comes to aggression and even assertiveness I have 0, yet another thing I hope trt helps with. However I do get irritiable (part of my anxiety, inability to handle stress well).
I was doing 50mg eod 200mg week but feels high, gonna try 20-25mg a day after bloods and see from there. Probably gonna sign up with defy at this point, the trial and error with my instability rn is actually pretty rough to manage which is why I suggest anyone with history of emotional instability to do this under expert guidance (not talking useless endo/uro/pcp, talking hormone specialist).
Messing with your hormones is no joke if you’re already predisposed. I was in a “calm” place before starting, but doing this alone has me constantly wondering etc.
