Low Testosterone - Crazy Doctor

[macbooktim]

I have most of the classic symptoms with Low Testosterone:  Low libido, fat in mid-section, fatigue, grumpy, low stamina, medium/weak erections etc.,

Went to my Urologist.  After blood work, he said I was fine and prescribed nothing.  I'm thinking he's crazy.  Can someone review my readings and give me an unofficial recommendation?  I'm thinking I should've been recommended some sort of therapy, and if so, which therapy is good for my situation?

Here are my readings:
Prolactin, Serum      9.5 ng/mL     (2.0-18.0)
Testosterone Total   278 ng/dl      (250-1100)
Testosterone Free    2.88%          (1.50-2.20)
Testosterone Free    80.1 pg/mL   (35.0-155.)

40 years old
Male
260lbs
6'2"  
Exercise 4x week with 30 minutes of intense cardio, 30 minutes weight training
Consume 2,000 calories/day. 3,000/weekends
Good Health. No diseases.

[rmprdl1964]

Hi,

Your testosterone levels are within the normal range. I take testosterone injections due to having a lower free testosterone that 150. I believe that I only was at about 110.
I believe that this is due to many cases of orchitis as well as the loss of my left testicle.

Should your free testosterone have been lower than 150 the urologist might have felt that some form of treatment was required. As much as I feelt that no intervention is required, you can still talk to the doctors about increasing your testosterone to a safe higher level.

With the increase of the levels you will feel more agression and it could impact your liver.

You might want to get an opinion in regards to the other symptoms that you have. Lower testosterone will not cause the grumpy feeling.

God bless,

Ron

[James186282]

First - I'm not a doctor.  A fellow patient so take this all as just two cents worth from a guy with the same problem.

Your total Testosterone levels are low in my opinion.  Under 325 ng/dL is an indication that you should have some kind of treatment.  It varies a bit by age and symptoms with the particular doctor but...  Your well within the time to treat range if I understand it.

A couple ideas.  Download the Age vs Average Testosterone chart from the Files section of support ed partners group.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/supportEDpartners

I think they also have a copy of the 2002 AACE Guidlines to Male Hypogonadism.  This is a very technical document but if you want to work with that doctor you may want to share that with him/her.

The reason to look at the age chart is that your rather young and way too young to have this kind of level.  *I think?!  If you have symptoms its good ammo to ask for a diagnosis and treatment.  The AACE guidelines are the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) that doctors ought to use to diagnose and treat this problem.  If your working with a GP he/she just may not be very well read on the subject and this will help them get up to speed.  And before you get mad at your doctor for not knowing everything remember.  This problem is not huge on the radar.  Most men with it never seek treatment.  And the typical GP has to know what?  A gazillion things?  ;-)

A good book to read is "The Testosterone Syndrome" by Dr E. Shrippen.  This book is a bit old but is easy reading and well worth the time.  Once your done with it "gift" it to your doctor!

What you should expect is a diagnosis of why your total Testosterone is so low.  Is it failure of your testes?  Or the signals that tell them to make hormones?  Once you know that you can move to some kind of treatment.  And it is different to treat testicular failure vs signal hormone failure so find out which it is.

After that its up to you to report your symptoms.  Trust me on one thing.  One dose does NOT treat all.  You may need to adjust more then once to get in the right "zone" to feel right.  If the doctor your working with is not able or willing to figure this out with you don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion.  And as weird as this may sound one good resource is a doctor that deals with a lot of female patients.  Menopause and male "man-o-pause" are at least similar.

[wilfredtr]

Your T levels are *NOT* even CLOSE to being in the normal range. Where do people get their information on this board from? Here's the truth from Quest, the second largest lab in America.

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/hcp/intguide/EndoMetab/Gen_Misc/Testosterone/Table%201.pdf

Go to this ten year old Group and post... for help from real experts and fellow men.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hypogonadism2/summary

And Men, remember, if YOUR doctor doesn't take what you're feeling seriously, take yourself seriously and GET ANOTHER DOCTOR. This is about you, not them.

-W