Hypogonadism

[sopranos2006]

I am in my late 20s.  I never really fully went through puberty and was never put on hormone replacement.  My testicles are severly under developed and my penis is very small.  I have never talked this over with an adult doctor but when i had a physical 9 years ago the doctor did not even mention the fact that I had small testicles and penis.  I didnt go to the pediatrician much during my adolescent years when I did they said my penis and testicles would grow.  I also have gynecomastia and I am on the short side with regards to height.  Where do i go from here?  I am not sexally active because I am so embarresed about my under developed genitalia.  I am at the brink of a complete depression.  Any advice would help.  I am really shocked from what i read that i was not started on hormone replacement as a kid do you think that would have led to penis growth and larger testicles?

[Trialanderror]

Since you have not received any comments yet, I might as well share with you that I am in the middle of doing lots of internet research on this for my son who is only 4. He seems to have always been on the delayed side and I wanted to make sure not to miss out on any treatment if there truly needs to be one.
If the condition exists since birth, it does sound like it is beneficial to start a mild hormone replacement therapy starting during adolescence, but if it makes you feel better, I have not read anywhere that it could not as well be started later. I am not sure whether an endocrinologist would be the best choice of specialist but  I am sure you should get some professional advice. If I find out more, I will post another comment on this thread. In the meantime, do not worry about the dating portion of the problem. There can be great intimacy with and without the usual features. Don`t give up hope and talk to a pro.

[sopranos2006]

thanks for the support.  my advice to you is to bring your son to an academic medical center.  i had terrible experiences with community pediatricians who always wrote off my short height and small genitals as something "i would grow out of'" well they were very wrong about that.  people in academic medicine really keep up with new treatments and technology and treat illnesses much more aggresively.  take it from me keep on top of your sons growth and get second opinions from people in academics

[Trialanderror]

Thank you so much, Sopranos. I am not sure if an academic medical center is basically a research and teaching hospital but I know exactly what you mean and have gone through. There can be such a wall of silence and stereotypical thinking when it comes to rare disorders. You have probably done any research you could think of already but I keep reading that at least the symptoms of hypogonadism can be cured with testosterone shots, it never mentions any age restrictions. I am very cautious about hormonal treatments of any kind but I wonder if you can literally give it a shot anyway. Hope you get some more comments. Anything that prevents a depression because that is the last thing you need!

[vaiisking]

You should seek a fertility doctor in your area and have a complete hormonal workup. If you are primary hypogonadism, they can treat you with TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) and E2 (Estradiol) meds to keep you balanced. Testing is the first step, but don't do anything without consulting your doctor first. I took Testim without question when they told me I was hypogonadism and it disrupted my HPTA and caused all sorts of problems. If they tell you you are hypogonadic, make them tell you what type and why.

God Bless,
Chris

[David1963]

I have primary hypogonadism and I take monthly injections. Patches and gels didn't work for me. After about a week to two weeks after an injection, I enter a period where I feel as if I'm dragging for a couple of days, then I come out of it and I'm fine thereafter. I can only describe it as an unusual type of fatigue accompanied by cramps and occasional headaches.

Before TRT, I had ugly symptoms however these are much milder in nature. They re-occur, predictable, almost like clockwork. Are there any other gentlemen enjoying only limited success with their TRT?

One more thing, when I enter into this lag period I am mentioning, I have been prone to vomit. Granted, the doctors will tell you that there is no connection between primary hypogonadism and vomiting. While this may be so, or at least that's what's written in the medical journals, it's during this period when I feel weaker and it's my belief that I'm more vulnerable during this time. I can not back this up with any scientific data but can only recall my personal experience. I've been vomiting occasionally off and on for almost 2 years since I've been on TRT. It doesn't happen that often. I may go another 2 months before I vomit. Then again it could happen at work, home, church, while driving, in the parking garage, at the ATM. The only thing predictable is when it happens, it's usually during this time when my body is not assimilating the hormone. Now I'm making a presumption here simply because my doctor mentioned the absorption cycle or rate between injections. However, I'm not the only patient my doctor treats for this condition. In fact, my doctor is a patient of this condition like myself. However, he has given me the impression that some of these side effects are unique to myself and myself alone. Granted, I'll have cramps from time to time and sometimes sweats may occur. Sometimes my face is flushed red. My doctor tells me he gets cramps so bad they can bring tears to his eyes. Are there any other gentlemen that experience unusual side effects of their TRT?

[David1963]

Looking back, there's one more thing I may have failed to do that I'll mention here. Perhaps some of you have had experience with it. I have a cream made from bio-identical (testosterone) hormones. Supposedly these hormones are based in nature and are not synthetic compounds. They are supposed to be better for you. Suzanne Sommers wrote a book proclaiming the usefulness of bio-identical hormones. Of course she's not a doctor but she did make the switch to start using them.

I know my body does assimilate the hormone from the cream due to the increased acne and hair growth. Gonadal function was never much of an issue with me. Either that or I really didn't pay much attention to it. However, in these small amounts, I don't find the cream as an effective form of primary supplication. What I probably should continue to do, which is what I have failed to do as of late, is begin to use the cream prior to a week from an injection.

I seem to remember having had some successes during that lag period between injections but I don't recall how frequent I was with the cream during that time. Bio-identical hormones can be obtained from a compounding pharmacist. My pharmacist also has an injectable form available that I have been a bit reluctant to try. My doctor is familiar with the bio-identical cream. He prescribed it. But he's not that familiar with the bio-identical injectable hormone.

Are there any men that frequent this site familiar with or have any experience with bio-identical hormones?