Executor

Hi Brian.....Let's look on the bright side....At least now we know that there's a documented, legit reason for feeling so crudy. I think you'll find HRT to be a really good thing. Who knows, you may not need your anti-depressants down the road. It is well documented that low T can cause depression.

One thing that I need to correct you on.....280 is not barely normal...It is LOW. 280 is the T level of about a 70 year old man. I would encourage you research normal ranges by age group. Conversely, Steve's level of around 500 is where you need to be. In fact, most progressive HRT Docs today recommend that you should be in the upper third for your age group.

What dose of Androgel did he start you on? 5G or 7.5G? Ideally, they should monitor your levels every 6-12 months to ensure that you aren't too high, or that it's in fact working. You should know that with Androgel, it works like a charm with almost everyone initially, but with a fairly large %, the levels drop @ some point due to transdermal thickening, which effects absorption. You won't notice any difference, and is not recognizable to the human eye, however it's just enough to effect absorption. Thus, patients either need to change application locations, or move to shots. Some Endos feel that the transdermal thickening is body wide.

Good luck with the HRT....I think you'll feel like a new person in about 2 weeks.

Take care,

Ex