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Low Testosterone! Help!

Hi, I am a 17 Year old male that is having some problems. I am experiancing slow puberty I guess youd say (Not that deep of a voice, still kind of high, barely any arm pit hair, no facial hair, small penis, when I orgasm it is clear, not white, and small loads) So I went to my doctor, beignm very embarrased about this, I waited a few years (I noticed this and began to worry when I was 14). So the doctor runs soem blood tests and says my testosterone level is around 4.5%, and its usually 9-25% in males (Im not sure what this all means, All I know is mine is very low. So he sais I need to see an endocronologist, but will be put on a waiting list. I havent told my parents yet as Im really embarrased (You could imagine). So Im wondering about some stuff. Thhe doctor said Id be taking some testosterone pills to help stuff, but as I was ready to cry on the office, I didnt ask any questions. So:

How long will I have to take these pills / Injections?

Will this make my penis bigger? Im about 2.5 Inches hard :(

If Im 17 now, is there chance for a normal life with these artificial drugs?

Thanks alot.
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Avatar universal
Low testosterone and breast enlargement in men, (and boys) is often caused by elevated prolactin hormone secretion from the pituitary, and may signal the growth of a pituitary tumor or other pituitary disease. Anyone at any age with these symptoms would be wise to get an enhanced pituitary-specific MRI to rule out a prolactinoma. There is growing awareness that 1 out of 5 people have some type of pituitary disorder, and most of these people go several years before they get a correct diagnosis.

Don't want to scare anyone, just please keep this in mind. Most GP doctors overlook the symptoms way too long.
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Avatar universal
I can't believe nobody has mentioned gynecomastia yet!  It's a condition where males grow breasts and it is totally normal for a boy to go through this when he is going through puberty.  About 10% of males get this!  Usually it subsides by age 18 but if you grow to be 20, you might want to get surgery.  I did!  Don't worry.  I swear, nobody notices/cares about it as much as you do, so don't trip about it!
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Avatar universal
Is there any kind of growth hormone or pill anyone would recommend that might get my body on the right track. My father had the exact same condition as me but when he joined the army at 18 his body began to change during the rigors of basic training. This has lead me to wonder that if I work it hard at the gym, might my testosterone levels increase? Can anyone answer my questions?
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Avatar universal
I have talked to my parents about it but relations between us soured a few months ago, so it's up to me now to fix my condition. I'm thinking about seeing a eurologist when I get the money, and maybe an endocronologist. Thanks for the support, I hope to be where you are some day.
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Avatar universal
my son has had this problem diagnosed a year ago after a car accident. his adrenal gland and some other tests were done and it was discovered that he had a small benign tumor on his pit. gland. he also had almost no testosterone in his system. he had to wait forever to get help as he had lost his job and had no insurance when he got in a car crash and got a closed head injury. he was given testosterone shots but had an allergic reaction to them (massive swelling at injection site) and had to wait for four months for the a drug company to agree to supply his with androgel. he began the androgel around two months ago and he is getting acne, and mood swings, but his libido (sex drive) is coming back. this is a medical condition and while i understand feeling embarrassed to talk about it, it is imperative to seek help asap in order to maximize the benefits of correct diagnosis. also someone wrote about one breast being bigger than the other. men often have growth in breast tissue and can develop breasts when not producing testosterone. sometimes it goes away and sometimes it needs to be dealt with surgically. my son is in the waiting period with the specialists who are waiting to see how much the testosterone will do. one other thing. if you are in recovery and taking methadone for a long period of time it can impact your libido, and you can get gynomastia (spelling is off but it means the development of breasts in men-- type it in search area and you will find info on this very site). it is sad for me to read of the struggles of so many good guys over the medical issues their bodies are going thru and how horrible it is emotionally because i know from first hand experience what it's like to have someone in our family (in my case a grown child who got in car wreck) come up with such issues. but the reality is the faster you ask for help the quicker answers can be sought. if you are not able to talk to your parents about this, your state can allow you to seek medical treatment or advice from a free clinic and that may lead you in a direction toward help.
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Avatar universal
I am a 28yr old man and had the same issues as yours. only trouble being I went to the doctors when I was 26. For the past 2 years I have been placed on testesterone and now I have body and facial hair. My voice has changed and my penis has inccreased in size from 3.5 inches to  5 inches. So have faith oin GOD and all should be ok. I think you should speak to your parents and get some moral support from them. I can understand how you must be feeling. Let me know how you get on?
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Avatar universal
Okay, I am experiencing a similar problem. It is very sad yet slightly comical. I am 19 years old. I have an underdeveloped penis, maybe a little more than 4 inches when erect and maybe an inch when flaccid, yet I have a ton of pubic hair. I have a deep and normal voice. I only grow facial hair in the mustache area, but I'm not too worried about that. My lower body hair (lower thighs, calves, ankles, feet, etc.) is growing normally, and yet my upper body has the same amount of hair I had when I was 12 except for some long ugly hairs growing around my nipples. I have moderate armpit hair, but only in my left armpit. My right pit has barely any hair in it. I have crazy greasy acne on my back, shoulders, neck, and face. I have never been able to masterbate. I've tried every technique and setting, but I still can't get off, although I have had a few wet dreams in my life. The weird thing is, I do think about sex all the time, so I think my mind is where it's supposed to be, but my body is strangely off the mark. I did have injections of a type of synthetic growth hormone for maturity back when I was 15 and 16, but the only thing I think they affected where my voice and my height, I was 5"0 before the injections and I'm now 5"10. Any thoughts on my dilema?
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Avatar universal
(I think this question is related)
Im 14 years old and My left Breast is bigger than my right breast ( Quite alot bigger )
I think its something to do with testosterones but im not sure.
Ive had this problem now for about 4/5 months.
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Avatar universal
funkfresh, im 21 now and finally got the courage to see a doctor. He's going to refer me to a urologist with an interest in endocrinology...
Im underdeveloped in my genitals also (4" hard) and about 5'7.
I always thought it would sort itself out because i was a very late bloomer, but guess what, it didnt! Ive got pubic hair in all places but beard and hair chest only came about a year ago, id say my puberty started at aroud 16/17 - yeah, very late. i was partly circuncised when i was around 9 and perhaps that contributed to my problem. Im not sure if my problem is testosterone but ill be getting some tests done. hey man its normal to feel embaressed but like Morgannon said you havent done anything wrong neither did i. we just unfortunate  that our bodies didnt develop at normal age/rate as other boys but it can still be sorted out, im sure of that! hang on in there man as i am too...

Anyway, how tall are you/parents/brothers?
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Avatar universal
Has anyone else had this problem recently? What was the treatment, results?
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your advice, it's just so hard to open to people. I will see how things go, and hopefully the testosterone midication can help me out.
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Avatar universal
Funk;

Sorry to hear about your troubles...that sounds rough.  Try not to be embarassed, I know it's hard not to be, but you didn't do anything wrong.  Just sounds like for some reason your body isn't wanting to produce testosterone on its own.  This could be due to several reasons, but the most important thing is getting yourself in order.  

I'm not sure how long you will have to take pills / injections - but I do know that the body recovers from many injuries and diseases, and I'm sure you will have a great chance at a normal life.  And it's definitely not too late to do it - look at some of these women bodybuilders - they start taking steroids in their mid- and late-20's, and suddenly they are growing facial and underarm hair, undergoing clitoral (analagous to penis) enlargement, experiencing muscle growth - in short, they are going through a kind of artificial puberty into malehood.

Hang in there man - and talk to your parents as soon as you can.  Hopefully they will be able to comfort you.  If they don't, turn to someone who can.

Morg
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