In deep shit advice needed

[finasterided]

Hi guys
I'm 33 and took propecia for hair loss fior a few years with in retrospect sides of ed, low libido and brain fog. Last year I cycled on and off the stuff a couple of times which might have made things worse, was self-medicating, before finally a two month run at the end of last year put me in hell.

Basically I had depression and poor libido then, when quitting on finally realising why, stopped the stuff and 'crashed' three weks later with awful ED and fatigue, insomnia, muscle wastage. Lost a stone in two months, put it back on in abdominal fat.

I am trying to get TRT, here are my last bloods:

Total Test: 10.36 (scale 10-36)
SHBG: 23 (6-45)
LH 3.4 (1-12)
FSH 2.5 (1-12)
TSH 1.2 (0.2-5)
Free t4 15 (9-21)
Prolactin 116 (0-500)
Serum B12 204 (155-1100)
Cortisol 218 (280-720)

Anything stand out as to why I'm so screwed with muscle loss and total ed? What should I do next?

 

[theemperor]

Better see an Endocronologist!!

 

[doublebicep]

Good advice:

Better see an Endocronologist!!

You also might want to take a look here:

PROPECIAHELP: Unresolved Finasteride Propecia Proscar side effects info & forum

 

[musclemom]

Hi guys
I'm 33 and took propecia for hair loss fior a few years with in retrospect sides of ed, low libido and brain fog. Last year I cycled on and off the stuff a couple of times which might have made things worse, was self-medicating, before finally a two month run at the end of last year put me in hell.

Basically I had depression and poor libido then, when quitting on finally realising why, stopped the stuff and 'crashed' three weks later with awful ED and fatigue, insomnia, muscle wastage. Lost a stone in two months, put it back on in abdominal fat.

I am trying to get TRT, here are my last bloods:

Total Test: 10.36 (scale 10-36)
SHBG: 23 (6-45)
LH 3.4 (1-12)
FSH 2.5 (1-12)
TSH 1.2 (0.2-5)
Free t4 15 (9-21)
Prolactin 116 (0-500)
Serum B12 204 (155-1100)
Cortisol 218 (280-720)

Anything stand out as to why I'm so screwed with muscle loss and total ed? What should I do next?

Echoing what the previous posters said, with two caveats:
1. Try to find an endo that has an interest in andropause. While you're too young for that, you want someone who gets the fact that the low end of many hormones means the difference between feeling happy versus totally not giving a shit.

2. Go immediately to the nearest vitamin/health food store and find yourself sprayable B12 (the tablets are shit). Start taking a shot or two (oral absorption of B12 is very limited) of that every morning under your tongue. Your B12 is EXTREMELY low. While that may not impact ED, it sure as hell can make your life horrible, causing depression, all sorts of sleep disorders (fatigue and insomnia), and generally draining any joy for life right out of you. While a doctor could put you on injectible B12 unless you have some mitigating health problems (celiac sprue, Crohn's disease, IBS, ileitis/colitis) there's no reason why you can't do the oral and it is something you can do right now that will make you feel better.

 

[artificialaspirations]

Hi guys
I'm 33 and took propecia for hair loss fior a few years with in retrospect sides of ed, low libido and brain fog. Last year I cycled on and off the stuff a couple of times which might have made things worse, was self-medicating, before finally a two month run at the end of last year put me in hell.

Basically I had depression and poor libido then, when quitting on finally realising why, stopped the stuff and 'crashed' three weks later with awful ED and fatigue, insomnia, muscle wastage. Lost a stone in two months, put it back on in abdominal fat.

I am trying to get TRT, here are my last bloods:

Total Test: 10.36 (scale 10-36)
SHBG: 23 (6-45)
LH 3.4 (1-12)
FSH 2.5 (1-12)
TSH 1.2 (0.2-5)
Free t4 15 (9-21)
Prolactin 116 (0-500)
Serum B12 204 (155-1100)
Cortisol 218 (280-720)

Anything stand out as to why I'm so screwed with muscle loss and total ed? What should I do next?

Welcome to the club, I have the same issues. Visit propeciahelp.com, find an endo specializing in hrt (pm me), and get your dht tested. Propecia obliterates dht which is what makes you feel like half a man. btw, the rest of your tests look low...do you have baseline levels from before the propecia use?

 

[finasterided]

Welcome to the club, I have the same issues. Visit propeciahelp.com, find an endo specializing in hrt (pm me), and get your dht tested. Propecia obliterates dht which is what makes you feel like half a man. btw, the rest of your tests look low...do you have baseline levels from before the propecia use?

No baseline tests unfortunately, yeah I think I may have adrenal fatigue and low thyroid certainly have the symptoms. Don't know how big muscle loss comes into this. Yeah pm me the details please.

 

[goin on 4T]

wow that sucks, I value my muscles more than I do my hair and supplement my test.

 

[treneriffic]

just a qiuck test for your adrenals..take a flashlight into the bathroom and turn off the light so your eyes dialate. Shine the light into the side of your eye. If your pupils hesitate slightly to adjust to the light then its a sign your adrenals may be fatigued.
Also if you have a blood pressure cuff, take your blood pressure while lying down for about 5-10 minutes. Then stand up and immediately check it again. If your diastolic number drops 10-20 points then your adrenals arent working right.

 

[feverdog]

If I were you, I'd get some DHEA right away and start taking 50mg a day. If this doesn't help, try taking 100mgs per day. DHEA will raise your DHT levels and help you feel much, much better. Take b12 too. Good luck Bro!

 

[finasterided]

Thanks guys. I'm considering low dose HGH for an extended period too would that help?

 

[mrplunkey]

Thanks guys. I'm considering low dose HGH for an extended period too would that help?

Help with what?

HGH is great stuff but I don't know of it increasing sex drive or helping with ED. Now I do believe HGH and testosterone are synergistic, so using both would probably give you great results.

I never liked finesteride. I used it more as a prophylactic during some of my earlier cycles, but it just made me feel "off".

 

[manboy]

the info I see passed off on here makes me sad for the people asking for help. Ask your doctor man. No offense to everyone trying to help, but your not helping. B-12 is not going to bring back his libido and looking at your eyes with a flashlight WILL NOT tell you if your adrenals are working or not. If you came on and asked a doctor this stuff (meaning via the net with no face to face and nearly no medical history) he wouldn't be able to diagnose you with so little, let alone many peeps who are expert google researchers. You likely have several factors, some of which you might not even realize until your doctor probes the right questions in a physical exam. Its good to get perspectives, just keep in mind these "perspectives" on here aren't 2nd opinions and are seemingly said without any basis at all.

 

[DJ_UFO]

the info I see passed off on here makes me sad for the people asking for help. Ask your doctor man. No offense to everyone trying to help, but your not helping. B-12 is not going to bring back his libido and looking at your eyes with a flashlight WILL NOT tell you if your adrenals are working or not. If you came on and asked a doctor this stuff (meaning via the net with no face to face and nearly no medical history) he wouldn't be able to diagnose you with so little, let alone many peeps who are expert google researchers. You likely have several factors, some of which you might not even realize until your doctor probes the right questions in a physical exam. Its good to get perspectives, just keep in mind these "perspectives" on here aren't 2nd opinions and are seemingly said without any basis at all.

We all calrify all the time that we are not doctors, and we advise to seek medical help. However, people come here for help an avises, because of the low competence of medical doctors. We are used to hear "my testosterone is 390, and doctor said is in normal range and I don't need TRT, but I feel like shit". That is when we teach about the endocrine system and advise what to ask and what doctor to look for. On top of that, some people just don't have the money for all the tests and exams that they might require.

 

[mrplunkey]

the info I see passed off on here makes me sad for the people asking for help. Ask your doctor man. No offense to everyone trying to help, but your not helping. B-12 is not going to bring back his libido and looking at your eyes with a flashlight WILL NOT tell you if your adrenals are working or not. If you came on and asked a doctor this stuff (meaning via the net with no face to face and nearly no medical history) he wouldn't be able to diagnose you with so little, let alone many peeps who are expert google researchers. You likely have several factors, some of which you might not even realize until your doctor probes the right questions in a physical exam. Its good to get perspectives, just keep in mind these "perspectives" on here aren't 2nd opinions and are seemingly said without any basis at all.

Asking your doctor is never a bad move, but always weigh the advice with who you are asking. There are plenty of doctors who will send you off with a script for viagra and an antidepressant when all that's happening to a guy is andropause.

Always look for a good HRT doc who stays current with the literature.

 

[treneriffic]

My Endocrinologist told me he wouldnt even check my testosterone levels even after I told him all my symptons, Im 32 so he thinks Im too young. So I went to my general doc and he told me that I have depression and anxiety (which I do have anxiety) and put me on xanax and prozac. I told him I want my test levels checked because of libido problems and he told me that maybe Im just not attracted to my wife anymore...total bullshit (my wife is hot). He checked them and told me they were fine at 380.
Ive ran test in cycles before and whenever I did I always felt great and never had any anxiety/depression/libido problems so I figured I had low test.
Went to a TRT clinic they said Im way too low and put me on testosterone. Its only been two weeks and I feel sooo much better
already.
Most doctors dont know shit about this and just want to prescribe you the general meds that you probably dont need.
Finding a doctor that actually cares and knows what he is talking about is great but sometimes hard to find

 

[mrplunkey]

My Endocrinologist told me he wouldnt even check my testosterone levels even after I told him all my symptons, Im 32 so he thinks Im too young. So I went to my general doc and he told me that I have depression and anxiety (which I do have anxiety) and put me on xanax and prozac. I told him I want my test levels checked because of libido problems and he told me that maybe Im just not attracted to my wife anymore...total bullshit (my wife is hot). He checked them and told me they were fine at 380.
Ive ran test in cycles before and whenever I did I always felt great and never had any anxiety/depression/libido problems so I figured I had low test.
Went to a TRT clinic they said Im way too low and put me on testosterone. Its only been two weeks and I feel sooo much better
already.
Most doctors dont know shit about this and just want to prescribe you the general meds that you probably dont need.
Finding a doctor that actually cares and knows what he is talking about is great but sometimes hard to find

testosterone used to be the standard of care for men with depression until all the fancy antidepressants hit the market. Test is cheap and unpatentable (but in all fairness, harder to administer).

 

[goin on 4T]

testosterone used to be the standard of care for men with depression until all the fancy antidepressants hit the market. Test is cheap and unpatentable (but in all fairness, harder to administer).

Damn pharmacutical companies always telling the dr. what to prescribe. Isn't that funny!

 

[mrplunkey]

Damn pharmacutical companies always telling the dr. what to prescribe. Isn't that funny!

It's a blessing and a curse. It means there is always someone pushing the latest technology, but no one left over to push the tried-and-true older stuff. But remember, the doctor gets paid the same either way -- so he's going to go with the nicest solution that satisfies the patient's google expectations but doesn't get him sued.