Varicocele Influence on Testosterone

Hi,
I have had issues with low sex drive and fatique lately.
I checked my testosterone, 4 times already actually:

2 times the total was around 330 ng/dl with 9.5 ng/l free testosterone.
Once it was 260 total, 6.9 free.
The other time it was 386 total, 11 free.

I am a twenty year old male, these values seem low for my age.

I have a varicocele on my left testicle. Have had it for years, probably noticed it at age 14.

Is it possible to build muscle reasonably well with my testosterone levels? I want to start training.
Has anyone had surgery on their varicocele and experienced an increase in testosterone after that?

Thanks in advance
DrShrimp

Muscle building doesn’t happen at these geriatric levels, it’s why old men are losing muscle and not gaining. You should have about double the testosterone you are scoring.

There is a chance at recovering higher testosterone once the varicose is repaired, but there are no guarantees. At your age it’s going be difficult to get TRT from a managed healthcare doctor, they will just tell you your levels are fine because they don’t want to treat you.

A good progressive doctor would first start you out on clomid or HCG, shutting down the HPTA of someone so young is frown upon in western medicine.

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Search varicocele here if you haven’t already. There’s a few active members dealing with it and at least one seems very knowledgeable on the subject. I can’t think of his thread but I’d bet it has the word varicocele in it.

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Thank you!
I have quite thin bones and narrow shoulders, as well as little.facial hair growth. Is it possible that the developement of these secondary sexual characteristics was impeded by the varicocele? Because testosterone is the hormone responsible for it, correct?
My sperm is healthy btw.

@anon8512651

Absolutely, testosterone is needed for turning a boy into man, without testosterone I would expect to see skinny, tall non-muscular features as you would see in men with Klinefelter Syndrome.

You more than likely will fill out nicely once testosterone levels are elevated, you may even see bigger features because you are still young.

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I will probably have my varococele surgically removed sooner rather than later.

Lets assume that my T-score will not improve. Would you do TRT in my situtation, given the opportunity, and taking in account the risks?

If it was guaranteed that I would have permanent access to the Testosterone, I would probably do it. But what happens when the economy collapses or whatever? (I live in Germany)
Or what if I move to another country where I can not get TRT?
Looking at how the body might shut down the own production of T, and having shrinking testicles, I might feel terrible when I have to stop TRT after doing it for a while. My levels might be much worse than now…

but how bad are the side affects of Chlomid and HCG? From what Ive read so far, they are not as bad.

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I’d get the surgery ASAP. I had it done.

I had sperm count one million before the surgery and my TT was 308 (age 31), I had the surgery and did 2 months of clomid and got my count to 10 million. This was 10 years ago so I never rechecked my TT cause after my wife got pregnant I hopped on trt

So I’d get it done, do clomid for a few months and check labs, if still 300s I’d do trt plus hcg to keep balls alive.

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Thanks for the advice!

I had mine surgicially removed 6 years ago at age of 36 (left clinically relevant, right ‘minor’ varicocele). Didnt really improve my T levels.

I was on 12.5 Clomi at that point in time and this increased T from around 330 to mid 500s.

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Did your TT go back down after stopping the clomid?

Yes.

WHat it go down to and did you get on trt?

From between 250 and 350 to between 500 and 550 on 12.5mg Clomi

Returned to baseline after Clomi stop.

Now on TRT.

Yes. I know of a couple of guys who are now on TRT, but had levels lower than you, and were very muscular and very strong (deadlifting 700 lbs / benching 405). Now that they are on trt they have improved further.

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Guys, my testicular volume is 6.4 ml on each side. What do you think about that, that seems really low, right?

Also, I went to my urologist again today and he sees no problem with a total testosterone score of 330 ng/dl and 9 ng/dl free testosterone. This seems weird to me.

The possible date for the varicocele surgery is 30th of October, or 27th of November. This sucks, because I have my endocrinologist appointment on the 30th as well. If I chose the 30th of November for the surgery, I might have to postpone my endocrinology appointment by 4 to 6 week. What would you do?

6.4 ml seems low. I grabbed a big syringe and drew to 6 ml to get a feel for that amount of volume and it seems smaller than a nut should be.

Unfortunately, low t will likely not be treated unless you have very low levels. I hovered in the upper 300s for total and I pay out of pocket for trt. I pay around 1500 - 2000 per year for trt. This includes blood work and all the meds including HCG and cytomel, and an Ai I don’t use.

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First that doc is an idiot. 300 is not a normal T for a young guy. I personally would get the surgery, get on clomid and recheck labs in 2 months. Endocrinologist don’t know crap btw.

As for 2k a year, I spend less than 300. Vial of depot test is 195 and that lasts my more than 6 months. My TT is 650 (I do .2 ml SQ every 3 days). I use defy medical much more knowledgeable than any endocrinologist

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The test is not that expensive, it’s the lab work and such. I have not heard of anyone doing a year of trt with Defy for less than $300?

Are you just monitored by them? Just wondering.

I get labs from quest, my insurance covers it, I pay nothing and I send to defy. One a year I consult with one of their docs (this year was free because of some credit)… I but depot test 190 or 180… I get 6000 units hcg for 45.

Be cheaper if I did generic test