Learned a ton from this thread; and got extremely motivated to research further. (especially after reading stuff from the Mikes, Reaper, and others)
Have been chewing thru forums (T Nation, ATM), blogs, journal articles (urology, endocrinology), conference proceedings (A4M, Endocrine Society) for the past few weeks.
I have gotten a very solid understanding of the hormonal axis between hypothalamus, pituitary, testes and all the positive and negative feedback loops. Have also gained quite a bit of understanding about the HPTA hormonal axis as well. I think having a base of graduate work in reproductive biology definitely helped ease the learning curve for me.
Got extensive blood work done on my own after doing a ton of research as to what labs to get done.
My reason for posting is that I wanted to get some opinions from respected board members regarding what they would suggest given my circumstances. [Note: I know this is NOT a medical forum and that I should consult with a doctor, etc. etc.]
I simply want some thoughts from guys in the real world who have dealt with this stuff (i.e. personal experience.)
Personal background:
31yo
6'0' 190lbs
Gym 4 days/wk (squat, bench, overhead press, DL + some core conditioning/planks/pull-ups/etc. thrown in)
Poor recovery past few years; some lethargy; possibly lower libido as well
Diet: try to do some interm fasting 4-5 days per wk; know I need more protein in my diet
Meds: none
Supps: Vit D-3 10,000 units per day, Zinc 100mg daily (note: was previously on half dose of each, but am currently at these elevated doses after lab results showed me to be in mid-range on both assays)
Relevant Labs:
Total Test: 504 (300-1200)
Free Test: 16 (8-25)
Estradiol: 37 (7-42)
LH/FSH/SHBG: normal
Basically all other labs (CBC, BMP, Liver function, other hormones/minerals were all normal.)
Maybe slightly barely hypothyroid due to TSH near upper limit of normal (note: fT3, fT4 were normal)... but again values all fell within normal range according to reference values given by testing lab.
I won't go in to the nitty gritty of every single vitamin and mineral level I ordered.
So based on labs alone ... perhaps it wouldn't seem like I am a homerun candidate for T replacement therapy.
Plus maybe my symptoms are not thaaaat bad? (But I also don't know if this is just my poor baseline that I've become accustomed to.)
I've read some of the great experiences some of the members here have had with T replacement .... so I decided to seek out a local doctor for an evaluation/mgmt.
Nice guy ... basically said its up to me how I want to proceed. He doesn't treat a number but instead treats the symptoms.
He is willing to Rx Testosterone (injectable); aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole); HCG; clomiphene; plus supplies.
But he said the decision is mine and should depend on how severe I feel the symptoms are.
Truthfully, I am not in severe depression because of my poor recovery from workouts; inability to get rid of stubborn belly fat; lack of gain of lean muscle mass; average-mediocre sleep. But, maybe I don't know how amazing I will feel with supplementation? Perhaps supplementation can take me to the next level??
I am a little wary of shutting down my endogenous T production at such a young age. (although, HCG should probably take care of that worry) I may still want to keep my fertility intact down the road if I decide to have kids.
----
I am just looking for some thoughts/opinions from guys out there that maybe have been in my shoes and can give some insight. I'm very much willing to give this a go ... but also understand that perhaps I'm not taking some other important considerations into mind that I'm overlooking.
Also if anyone with experience would like to chime in on suggestions of where to start with drug therapy; I'd be willing to hear you out.
Some thoughts I had were:
-start HCG only therapy ... keeps endogenous production alive; doesn't mess with endogenous T levels shutting down; may run into high Estradiol issues tho (given that may E is already near upper limit of normal)
-start aromatase inhibitor only therapy ... doc said since I'm not very fat to begin with that I probably dont suffer from a lot of peripheral T to E conversion and thus an AI only therapy would do little to increase my T levels
-start T + AI + HCG (using dosing protocol I've seen others mention ... T 100mg per wk; HCG 250 units daily; AI ??dose??/??timing??)
Eager to learn more...
Have been chewing thru forums (T Nation, ATM), blogs, journal articles (urology, endocrinology), conference proceedings (A4M, Endocrine Society) for the past few weeks.
I have gotten a very solid understanding of the hormonal axis between hypothalamus, pituitary, testes and all the positive and negative feedback loops. Have also gained quite a bit of understanding about the HPTA hormonal axis as well. I think having a base of graduate work in reproductive biology definitely helped ease the learning curve for me.
Got extensive blood work done on my own after doing a ton of research as to what labs to get done.
My reason for posting is that I wanted to get some opinions from respected board members regarding what they would suggest given my circumstances. [Note: I know this is NOT a medical forum and that I should consult with a doctor, etc. etc.]
I simply want some thoughts from guys in the real world who have dealt with this stuff (i.e. personal experience.)
Personal background:
31yo
6'0' 190lbs
Gym 4 days/wk (squat, bench, overhead press, DL + some core conditioning/planks/pull-ups/etc. thrown in)
Poor recovery past few years; some lethargy; possibly lower libido as well
Diet: try to do some interm fasting 4-5 days per wk; know I need more protein in my diet
Meds: none
Supps: Vit D-3 10,000 units per day, Zinc 100mg daily (note: was previously on half dose of each, but am currently at these elevated doses after lab results showed me to be in mid-range on both assays)
Relevant Labs:
Total Test: 504 (300-1200)
Free Test: 16 (8-25)
Estradiol: 37 (7-42)
LH/FSH/SHBG: normal
Basically all other labs (CBC, BMP, Liver function, other hormones/minerals were all normal.)
Maybe slightly barely hypothyroid due to TSH near upper limit of normal (note: fT3, fT4 were normal)... but again values all fell within normal range according to reference values given by testing lab.
I won't go in to the nitty gritty of every single vitamin and mineral level I ordered.
So based on labs alone ... perhaps it wouldn't seem like I am a homerun candidate for T replacement therapy.
Plus maybe my symptoms are not thaaaat bad? (But I also don't know if this is just my poor baseline that I've become accustomed to.)
I've read some of the great experiences some of the members here have had with T replacement .... so I decided to seek out a local doctor for an evaluation/mgmt.
Nice guy ... basically said its up to me how I want to proceed. He doesn't treat a number but instead treats the symptoms.
He is willing to Rx Testosterone (injectable); aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole); HCG; clomiphene; plus supplies.
But he said the decision is mine and should depend on how severe I feel the symptoms are.
Truthfully, I am not in severe depression because of my poor recovery from workouts; inability to get rid of stubborn belly fat; lack of gain of lean muscle mass; average-mediocre sleep. But, maybe I don't know how amazing I will feel with supplementation? Perhaps supplementation can take me to the next level??
I am a little wary of shutting down my endogenous T production at such a young age. (although, HCG should probably take care of that worry) I may still want to keep my fertility intact down the road if I decide to have kids.
----
I am just looking for some thoughts/opinions from guys out there that maybe have been in my shoes and can give some insight. I'm very much willing to give this a go ... but also understand that perhaps I'm not taking some other important considerations into mind that I'm overlooking.
Also if anyone with experience would like to chime in on suggestions of where to start with drug therapy; I'd be willing to hear you out.
Some thoughts I had were:
-start HCG only therapy ... keeps endogenous production alive; doesn't mess with endogenous T levels shutting down; may run into high Estradiol issues tho (given that may E is already near upper limit of normal)
-start aromatase inhibitor only therapy ... doc said since I'm not very fat to begin with that I probably dont suffer from a lot of peripheral T to E conversion and thus an AI only therapy would do little to increase my T levels
-start T + AI + HCG (using dosing protocol I've seen others mention ... T 100mg per wk; HCG 250 units daily; AI ??dose??/??timing??)
Eager to learn more...