Help with test results (25 years old)

[mandimeoutof10]

Hi, I just created this account today to get a little bit of help and mainly some other perspectives before I go to my endocrinologist. I am a very healthy 25 year old male. 6'1" about 185 and I would estimate 12-13%bf. I am reasonably strong (b-265, s-315, d-465). Anyway, to the point: I went to the doctor the other day for some blood work (unrelated) and I requested a testosterone test as well (from my dermatologist). She agreed and I got my results back today. My total test appears to be 245. I have been experiencing lethargy and lack of sexual desire but not erectile dysfunction and my muscle gains have pretty much come to a large plateau. I have attached the "screencap" of my results and was hoping some of you could give me some advice on what I should consider when I go to the endocrinologist she recommended me to in a couple of weeks.

edit: not at 25 posts yet

Also, just some background information as it might be important:

I took anti depressants for 4 years during my adolescents.
In college I used many recreational drugs very regularly.
About 2.5 years ago I quit drinking/drugs altogether and despite getting a few drinks with friends a couple times a year I do not use drugs or alcohol.
My diet consists of on average ~200g protein, 250g carbs, ~80g fat
I take a multivitamin and white flood before I work out.

I am under the impression after a little research that if I were to begin hrt, it is very much a lifelong thing. What would you do if you were in my situation? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[mandimeoutof10]

bump for imput

 

[mandimeoutof10]

Would any of you consider HRT at the age of 25 if your test levels came back at 245?

 

[lbcmtony]

I am going through the same thing (much older though) and I have done a ton research since I got my results back a couple of months ago.


I read somewhere that anti depressants can really effect it negatively

HRT is going to be a life long commitment. I would just make sure that your Dr has a ton of experience in it. I have been researching for awhile and there are a lot of docs that have no fucking clue what they are doing and then there are others that do. Stay away from Anti Aging Docs. Its usually some sad ass doc who could not make it as a doc that is almost being used as a front to sell cycles by other people behind the scenes.

 

[lbcmtony]

What was your free test

 

[mandimeoutof10]

I am going through the same thing (much older though) and I have done a ton research since I got my results back a couple of months ago.

I know drugs like coke, and meth can effect it negatively but it doesnt sound like you used more then recreationally

I read somewhere that anti depressants can really effect it negatively

HRT is going to be a life long commitment. I would just make sure that your Dr has a ton of experience in it. I have been researching for awhile and there are a lot of docs that have no fucking clue what they are doing and then there are others that do. Stay away from Anti Aging Docs. Its usually some sad ass doc who could not make it as a doc that is almost being used as a front to sell cycles by other people behind the scenes.

Hey, thanks for the response. I used drugs pretty heavily for ~3 years and like I mentioned, I was on anti-depressants for nearly 5 years (right after puberty) so that could have played a major factor.

Unfortunately this was a very basic test that only tested for total testosterone and not free so I guess I will have to wait and see what the endo says. He was recommended by my dermatologist. He's ~30 and graduated from UT Southwestern so I figure he must be decent.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your age and test level? What method of treatment would you be pushing for (or would you simply listen to the doctor?) if you were my age and got these results back?

 

[mandimeoutof10]

Anyone else have any advice?

 

[mandimeoutof10]

Alright, thanks for the help. I'll post back here once I hear from my doctor. Bump if anyone else out there has any input.

 

[stevesmi]

well lets be careful not to talk about rec drugs on this site.. that is against the rules.

you abused drugs and alcohol and now you paid the price, its a shame you or your doctor will put you on HRT for life. its a huge waste, whatever you choose you better think long and hard about your decision

 

[mandimeoutof10]

well lets be careful not to talk about rec drugs on this site.. that is against the rules.

you abused drugs and alcohol and now you paid the price, its a shame you or your doctor will put you on HRT for life. its a huge waste, whatever you choose you better think long and hard about your decision

I apologize for discussing recreational drugs. I will not mention them anymore. I was simply trying to give some background information and by no means glorify them. I take it from your response that if you were in my shoes you wouldn't consider HRT? While I may have made mistakes in the past with what I put into my body, I don't believe that I should not treat a problem if I in fact have a problem. And I am in the most infantile state of considering options like HRT. I am by no means going to go in and try and get a doctor to "give me steroids." I simply want to talk to someone who deals with these issues on a daily basis and get their opinion as that is what my doctor recommended. If you had this level at 25 and were eating well and overall in good health, what would you do? Nothing?

 

[stevesmi]

I would continue to eat well, exercise and build a blood work graph over the next 18 months.. i would also run some natty supps like hcgenerate to boost the hpta that won't suppress you.

if my numbers start inching up then i would not do HRT.. you have to consider your prior history of substance abuse is gonna take a while for the body to shake off. if my numbers stay stagnant or go down then i would see how i felt after 18 months and then make a decision at that time. keep in mind just because one goes on HRT does not erase your past and plenty of guys go on HRT and continue having problems.

i would also like to see your LH levels, not just your total test. build a graph with your LH levels too, not just test levels .. once a month blood work.

my test levels btw were far lower when i was your age then they are today. a big part of that was I also went through 1 year of depression, alcohol abuse, and poor diet in my early 20's. i remember going weeks without having any sex drive whatsoever.. now I am horny everyday and I'm in my 30's. so give your body a chance to come back, this is my opinion. if you can produce your own testosterone naturally then why be so quick to just throw that away ?

 

[RickRock13]

You need to see a good Endo ASAP and get some more bloodwork done. You really need a full hormone panel to see what else you may have going on. Estrogen and other hormones may be way off also, which could also contribute to the low sex drive. It sounds like you are headed for HRT, but there may be other options also. You need the bloods to verify

 

[mandimeoutof10]

You need to see a good Endo ASAP and get some more bloodwork done. You really need a full hormone panel to see what else you may have going on. Estrogen and other hormones may be way off also, which could also contribute to the low sex drive. It sounds like you are headed for HRT, but there may be other options also. You need the bloods to verify

When you say "headed for HRT" realize that I am not excited by the notion of getting on synthetic hormones for the rest of my life by any means but if it will increase my quality of life then it is something that I am going to consider. I guess I need to just go get another more complete test by an endo and see what he recommends. Thanks for the input!

 

[mandimeoutof10]

I would continue to eat well, exercise and build a blood work graph over the next 18 months.. i would also run some natty supps like hcgenerate to boost the hpta that won't suppress you.

if my numbers start inching up then i would not do HRT.. you have to consider your prior history of substance abuse is gonna take a while for the body to shake off. if my numbers stay stagnant or go down then i would see how i felt after 18 months and then make a decision at that time. keep in mind just because one goes on HRT does not erase your past and plenty of guys go on HRT and continue having problems.

i would also like to see your LH levels, not just your total test. build a graph with your LH levels too, not just test levels .. once a month blood work.

my test levels btw were far lower when i was your age then they are today. a big part of that was I also went through 1 year of depression, alcohol abuse, and poor diet in my early 20's. i remember going weeks without having any sex drive whatsoever.. now I am horny everyday and I'm in my 30's. so give your body a chance to come back, this is my opinion. if you can produce your own testosterone naturally then why be so quick to just throw that away ?

Thanks again for the input. I have heard conflicting reports about the efficiency of "natural test boosters," if that is in fact what HCGenerate is. Also, are there other options that an endo might want to put me on that can raise my test without full on HRT?

 

[stevesmi]

hcgenerate is a natural herb and its totally safe and reliable. i use it myself during my cycles to keep my nuts plump and functioning and it flat out works. if i don't use it my nuts turn to raisins.

the stuff you get from GNC or other places are either watered down or they just don't do very much at all. hcgenerate is the real deal, in fact you can get a sample for 5 bucks and try it out yourself.

i'm not gonna say what your endo will do, i've heard from guys on here if you read the threads a variety of things endo's have done to them. from nothing, to creams, to some guys getting injectables. but i've also heard urologists are more likely to prescribe injectables than endo's are. and many guys say their endo's were of no help. so it just depends

 

[lbcmtony]

well lets be careful not to talk about rec drugs on this site.. that is against the rules.

you abused drugs and alcohol and now you paid the price, its a shame you or your doctor will put you on HRT for life. its a huge waste, whatever you choose you better think long and hard about your decision

Sorry I knew I should have spelled out the category rather then the specifics. Just couldnt spell it right. Wont happen again bro

 

[lbcmtony]

Hey, thanks for the response. I used drugs pretty heavily for ~3 years and like I mentioned, I was on anti-depressants for nearly 5 years (right after puberty) so that could have played a major factor.

Unfortunately this was a very basic test that only tested for total testosterone and not free so I guess I will have to wait and see what the endo says. He was recommended by my dermatologist. He's ~30 and graduated from UT Southwestern so I figure he must be decent.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your age and test level? What method of treatment would you be pushing for (or would you simply listen to the doctor?) if you were my age and got these results back?

I am 34 and I was at 228 TOT and 6.78 for FREE, and I still cannot commit to HRT for life. Everyone can easily say its good or bad but no one knows what you feel like. I run lift hard and eat clean but it takes me an hour to get out of bed bc I am pretty tired. I am in a good mood once I get up but its tough getting out of bed. From what you are saying about what you can lift at your size I am really surprised your test is that low. I would not let a college degree decide a huge change in my life. He does not sound like the right Dr to speaking with IMO. Get some more advice.

 

[stevesmi]

Sorry I knew I should have spelled out the category rather then the specifics. Just couldnt spell it right. Wont happen again bro

yeah don't worry about it, thats why i warned you only.. cause i knew you didn't mean to do it.

and good point on the prior post. its a very important decision and one he will have to live with for the rest of his life

 

[wcjcMr.O]

Would any of you consider HRT at the age of 25 if your test levels came back at 245?

NO!!!

I would search for other avenues to get that test back up. SHBG inhibitors, AI's, natty test boosters(phytoserms347).

personally, I would try EVERYTHING i could think of before resorting to hrt.

but who knows, maybe you suffer from hypogonadism and your somebody who truely NEEDS trt. It does happen. Just rarely.....

 

[RickRock13]

When you say "headed for HRT" realize that I am not excited by the notion of getting on synthetic hormones for the rest of my life by any means but if it will increase my quality of life then it is something that I am going to consider. I guess I need to just go get another more complete test by an endo and see what he recommends. Thanks for the input!

I agree with you bro. HRT/TRT should be a last resort only. If it were me, I would definitely explore every avenue I could to try and get my natural levels back up before having to inject forever. That bloodwork will tell the story, just as long as you have a good enough doc that can interpret and diagnose it correctly while taking the right course of action

 

[mandimeoutof10]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to post back in this thread once I go to the doctor. I'm anxious to see what another test will reveal and what he thinks the solution is, if he thinks one is necessary at all.

 

[stevesmi]

^^^ okay but don't just go with what he says. docs are wrong when they diagnose frequently.

took my X 8 doctors to figure out her back problems were caused by her spleen for example.

 

[mandimeoutof10]

^^^ okay but don't just go with what he says. docs are wrong when they diagnose frequently.

took my X 8 doctors to figure out her back problems were caused by her spleen for example.

I hear you. I am going in to get his advice but i absolutely agree, this is completely my decision ultimately. Also, I am impressed that despite this being a "steroid forum," you guys seem to be very hesitant to advise me to jump on some gear. NTS

 

[mandimeoutof10]

So, I haven't been on this site in a while but I realized that I never updated this. I went to one of the top urologists in the US and he tested me at 8am the week prior to my visit with him. My level was at 786. He told me that the first test done by my dermatologist was almost certainly wrong. He got her information from me and said that he was going to inform her of the apparent mix up. If he is correct, that is pretty scary. That means that the general health panel I got from them is suspect as well. Be careful out there guys. Go to doctors you trust and don't get your test levels checked from your dermatologist.

 

[zwhit]

That's nuts bro. You went from being diagnosed with super low test to fairly high test. Just goes to show that docs make tons of mistakes.

I'd probably get another test just because those numbers were so far apart