Testosterone update....


Well, I have been on it for about a month and a half now.

I went back at about 4 months and here are my before/after numbers:

Total testosterone 266 (350-890)
Free testosterone 81.3 (47.0-244.00)
SHBH 12 (13-71)
TSH 1.837 (.350-5.5)
T4 1.10 (.89-1.80)
FSH 4.6 (1.4-18.1)
LH 1.7 (1.5-9.3)
Prolactin 8.0 (2.1-17.1)
PSA 1.46 (.10-4.00)

After starting Androgel 1% 5 mg per day, here are my total and free number:

Total testosterone 813 (350-890)
Free testosterone 264 (47.0-244.00)
Estaridol (E4) 52.7 (<50)
PSA 1.5 (.10-4.00)


Here are my problems that seemed to start this weekend:

-very minor ED last night (got past it). Since starting this has NOT been a problem.

-Very angry....almost got into a fight in a parking lot when a man failed to yield to me as a pedestrian (of course, he started it :D). Wife says I am very quick to turn to yelling and rage she calls it (no, no domestic violence or anything like that).

-Sleep apnea/snoring had gotten MUCH worse. I have had it for a while and my wife said I fell asleep on the couch the other night and no one could hear the TV with the surround sound going. She even said that I have started snoring through my CPAP mask.

-Weight gain....I would say I gained about 10 pounds since starting T

-Exhausted.....could be because of the snoring.

-Anxiety....feel like I am abuzz all the time. Kind of like I have electricity pulsing through my veins. I feel like I am going to have an anxiety attack (mostly when thinking about my son's problems in school but I should be able to handle that at least moderately well,....).


I am worndering if whatever mechanism that converts T to Estrogen isn't working overtime.

Thanks to insurance, my MRI got canclled AGAIN so I have everything in order to do the MRI on Friday. Really happy about being stuffed in a sausage tube for an hour with an IV in my arm! I want to wait until after I get my MRI results back before I talk to the doctor about the symptoms I am having. We are also having problems out of our son, my work sucks, and money is tight so these might be contributing factors to the problems above.

Any advice?

Thanks,
OC9

You should not need an IV for the MRI. They just roll you out 1/2 way thru and inject the contrasting agent, then roll you back in to finish the MRI.

Your T is actually too high in my opinion which makes the Estradiol higher than it has to be also. With your low SHBG level you should be able to do fine with a total T level of about 600 or even a little less. The target is to get free T down to about 160. So my advice would be to use a little less androgel and try to get total T down to around 600. You should see free T and Estradiol both drop in concert. Hopefully that would make you feel better. You absorb the androgel better than anyone I know. Usually people can't attain your total T level even on 10g per day, at least this is true of those I have read about on various forums.

Thanks Hayfarmer.....

I must absorb it really well....I had a serious fear that I had made a bad mistake and that my T was only temporarily low and that I started this all for naught. But then I realized the immediate improvement in my sex life so if for nothing else, I needed it for that.

I am torn between wanting them to find something on the MRI so the low T and other problems can be resolved permanently. On the other hand, surgery through the nose (if required) or radiation doesn't sound great either.

As for the MRI, they said it would be injected into an IV but where would they inject you if they didn't use an IV? I don't like needles or tight places! The last MRI I had they had to roll my shoulders up like I was hugging myself to get me in the machine! :eek:

Thanks for being there as always.

OC9

They injected me in a vein in my arm, as in the same place they would draw blood. So it would go into a vein but I didnt have to sit there for the whole MRI with a needle stuck in me. I guess maybe diff places do it differently. The goal is to do the imaging without the contrasting agent, then inject it and do it again with the agent.

Maybe cut down to 4 g of androgel and see how it works? Might be hard to measure though and the temptation is always that more is better. If you go to injections you would be able to control your dose better but I hear you when you say you dont like needles. Me either but I have gotten over it due to all this.

you don't have any BP or excess water with Andorgel? Have you had any side effects? I am going to my Heart Doctor Monday, 13 I sent Him a Copy of my Testostrone blood work 2 weeks ago will decide after I talk with him about going back on Androgel.

I did not have any BP or excess water issues while on Androgel for 4 years. But it just didnt work that well for me. Only got my total T up to around 500 when on 10g a day.

I did not have any BP or excess water issues while on Androgel for 4 years. But it just didnt work that well for me. Only got my total T up to around 500 when on 10g a day. I wish it had not affected my BP and excess water. I did not have any ED Problems it was just the night sweats was why I was checked. I am asking my Heart Doctor Monday about the Andorgel 5% with my Heat Deases and COPD Lung Deases I don't think He will agree.?