Low testosterone dilemma. Please advise!

[InThePines]

Hi,

Hopefully someone on this board can shed some light on my situation. My questions follow the synopsis of my situation.

Long story short:
At age 28 (am nearing 31 now)I started feeling VERY tired all the time (like I had been drugged or something), not thinking as clearly, memory went downhill, and was/am having alot libido and ED problems as well as depression. I was always a high energy person, in all aspects of life, so this was quite a marked change.

About a year ago, I had my testosterone level checked and it was 427. The doctor said it was within the normal range, but decided to start me on 5 mg/day Androgel per my symptoms combined with the borderline T level. My free T was never checked. I get tested a couple months later and my level was 250 on 5mg Androgel; lower than where I started. He upped my dosage to 10mg/day. I got tested for total T and free T (For the first time during all of this) after 6 weeks of new dosage.
My level is now 356 (250-1100) and my free T is 2.17% (1.0-3.1).
Note that my total level is still lower than when I started HRT a year ago (427).

I would like to note that for a good while before, and when I started HRT I was under immense stress (divorce etc) and got about 5 hours of sleep a night for over a year straight. Not to mention I was pretty depressed.

Keeping these things in mind...
My questions:

1) Could lack of sleep (No better than 5 hours of restless sleep a night for a couple years straight) and immense stress caused my level to have dropped to my original 427 from some higher number? In other words, could better sleep and stress management have been the answer, instead of HRT?

2)Why is my total T level so close to low, while my % free T is A-OK? Could this indicate some other problem than hypogonadism?

3) I dont see any point on staying on Androgel if my levels are lower than when I started HRT. If I discontinue, how long would it take roughly, for my body to produce T again?

4) How low does T have to be to see long term health deterioration? (IE - decreased bone density, heart/cardio problems etc). If I stopped therapy altogether, would be level 427 likely be damaging in any way, in the long term?

This has all been a long and very confusing ordeal. Any wisdom that any of you might share would be immensely appreciated.

Thanks!

[JinL]

The androgel shut down your testicle production of testosterone & probably converted a lot of the testosterone into estradiol E2.

The E2 will also cause low sex drive along with low testosterone.
The E2 will cause weight gain.
E2 will cause boob growth.

Your "T" should be in the upper 1/4 of the range & the "E2" should be in the lower 1/4 of its range.

Your "T:E2" ratio shout be about 30:1

Low dose injections of HCG will probably start your testicles working again since thaey have shrunk & not producing testosterone or sperm.

DIM tablets will reduce your existing E2
Arimidex tablets, expensive, 1/2 tablet twice a week will stop the "T" to "E2" conversion.
Saw Palmetto will reduce the "T" to DHT conversion.