Hey everyone. I posted for awhile and then never had a chance to come on here. My last T shot was in December of 07. I was doing pretty well and then all of a sudden I pooped out.

I never got a diagnosis of the why's of low T, the underlying cause. Along with the findings I found out my Vitamin D was very low, DHEA and IGF-1.

Which brings me back to how does an endo find the underlying cause.

Why does a person who had a raging sex drive now have no interest in sex at all.

I was diagnosed in late March 2006 with low testosterone. After being on replacement T for a few months, I went to my doctor in July 2006 to discuss the tests that were low.

I said that I wanted to see if there was a link between my low testosterone and the test scores and if there was some underlying issue, like a pituitary problem or testicular failure. He said it just happens in some men, "andropause". I am glad I did my research and listened to my gut.

When I went to the endocrinologist back in Aug 06 he confirmed that my doctor WAS NOT DOING HIS JOB. He said that the first thing to do is rule out where the issue is coming from. He said that its possible that my pituitary or hypothalamus is damaged or may have a tumor which is blocking the FSH & LH hormones from telling my testicles to produce testosterone or there may be another issue.

He ordered blood tests that I took and I even had a brain MRI. The MRI came back negative but I found out that I also had low DHEA and Vitamin D levels which can contribute to low T.

I had taken anti-depressants from 1996-2005. I was off of them about 2 years and then restarted Paxil around Sept 2007 and tapered off in December 2007. I believed the "pushers" of the meds that I had a chemical imbalance. That it was genetic and what I always heard is it will be lifelong that you need to be on these meds. What a lie!!

So I popped them for many years. In some ways it did help at least I thought. It desensitized my brain. It helped my brain and emotions quiet. I wasn't low and I wasn't high in emotions. Well years pass and I go to the doctor for fatigue.

He draws my blood and my testosterone is low. I started shots from March 06 - December 07 which helped me greatly with fatigue but I was wondering what happened to that part of Pat that enjoyed the thought of a delicious cake, the appetite for Thai food, the appetite for sex. It all diminished. I don't even think about sex or get aroused.

I was wondering if you know of a connection between SSRI's and Dopamine dysfunction?

Symptoms include:
Physically fatigued easily
Sleep too much and trouble getting out of bed
Reduced ability to feel pleasure
Flat, bored, apathetic
Low drive, motivation & enthusiasm
Depressed
Difficulty getting through a task even when interesting
Procrastinator/little urgency
Difficulty paying attention and concentrating
Reduced libido and/or impotence

As we recently seen the effects of Tylenol to the liver which have shown that those people who take it on a regular basis have liver problems. For many the daily popping of an SSRI (anti-depressant) have caused a desensitization in the brain. I know that SSRIs have an effect on the hypothalamus in the brain, which controls hormonal pathways, and the amygdala, which is involved in sexual and emotional behavior.

Around September of 2004 I was working for a pest control company. I was not trained properly. I was wearing a backpack sprayer and when I went to put it on my back some of the liquid (pesticide) spilled out all over the back of my shirt. I never washed my skin but changed my shirt.
The last few years had been a challenge.

The internet has been a great resource. Laboratory studies indicate that fipronil (what I was exposed to) products disrupt the normal functions of two types of hormones: thyroid hormones and sex hormones.

I don't know what to do at this point. I am not a doctor but my low T may be related to this exposure and also the SSRI's I took.

Whatever it is I need my T back!

I dont know any of your previous labs so my comments are limited. There is some evidence that ssri's can affect hormone production. Im not sure how much of this is true. Low Vit-D can affect hormone production as well. I dont know any of your labs, but you may possiably be a canidate for a hpta restart attempt. You should also make an attempt to get your Vit-D to proper levels.

What is hpta restart ?

I you may possiably be a canidate for a hpta restart attempt.

HPTA restart is an attempt to get the pituitary/hypothalmus to start working correctly again. It is usually done by taking clomid or some other SERM drug that blocks T and E from binding to the hypothalmus receptors, plus at the same time taking HCG which will help get the testicles working again.

You have a complicated situation with the long term use of SSRI's and the chemical spill. I suggest you see Dr. Eugene SHippen in Shillington PA. It is not cheap though so you would need at least $1000 to spend ($500 of it initially).

Did you have any T level tests when you were on the shots? How about estradiol tests? Many of your symptoms (if not all) could be explained by low T. I'm wondering if you got your T up to normal or not when you were on the shots. I assume they did not make you feel better because you stopped them.

Good to see you hayfarmer. I stopped the shots because I lost my insurance in December. I could have paid for the testosterone out of pocket but I thought I would give my body a retry.

Now I am miserable. I can't concentrate and stay focused, I have no sex drive-I mean zero, and I have fatigue and feel very lazy.

The shots DID help.

I've been out of work for 4 months so I know that contributes some but I have to face reality.

By the way my IGF-1 was 146. Is that considered low and what is IGF-1 anyways?

I don't recall getting labs during the shots at all. Maybe before seeing the endo. It was like 800-900.

If you ever go into this field I want you to be my doc!

How about in Southern California? I heard of Life Force Medical, Dr. Marc Darrow in L.A. He seems good. Do you know of any on the west coast?

In reply to your asking about IGF-1, it is 'insulin like growth factor-1' and is
used in conjunction with ACTH to help diagnose hypopituitarism in case
that is the cause of low T. But not just low T but also low thyroid and
possible adrenal insufficiency, all of which are regulated by the pituitary.
Quest lab range for IGF-1 is 31-187. So your 146 is not low if your test
was conducted by Quest labs.

There is Dr. Romeo Mariano in Monterey CA. You know if you can give yourself the injections it only costs about $25 or $30 per month for the supplies. Maybe even less depending on your dose. Thats not much if it helps you....but you do need to have you levels checked until you get to the right dose.