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26 year old struggling with ED/Low Testosterone
I apologize for this long drawn on post, but please I need your help.
First a bit about me. I am a 26 year old male, 6'0, 150 lbs, have great abs, very low body fat (7%). About two years ago, I was skinny fat (170lbs, and had moobs), and wasn't in great shape. I got a sudden surge of motivation then, hit the gym, did some chest targeted weight training and started running. Ended up discovering I was an excellent long distance runner, and even did a few 10ks and half marathons at below 6min pace so I've actually been as low as about 140lbs when I was really racking up the miles. Can't say I'm the healthiest eater. Being a bachelor and a poor cook, I end up eating crap at times. I'm trying to improve that
I never really had regular sex before my current gf. I had sex with a previous girlfriend once and couldn't maintain an erection but I really thought nothing of it at the time. I mainly used erotica as an outlet before I found my current gf. I masturbated about 6-10 times a week and watched a load of porn. Fastforward to the present. I meet the most wonderful girl I've known, and fall in love. We live 2 hrs away and only see on weekends. We finally have sex after five months of dating. I revved up and got an erection immediately, and we go at it. For some reason, I don't orgasm (which is a surprise to me), but I maintain my erection throughout. She ends up having a great time, and feels guilty that I didn't orgasm and tries to get me off orally. My unit was unresponsive. I thought all my exercise paid off, and I had developed incredible sexual stamina somehow. I told her I was fine without getting off, and I had a great time, so she stopped trying. The next morning we try again, and I couldn't get aroused. Throughout that day, my penis was unresponsive to anything. At this point, I knew I had a problem. My girlfriend was initially angry and thought I was holding something back from her. I assured her I wasn't and immediately scheduled an appointment with my physician who told me that he was almost certain I had performance anxiety and handed me some 10mg Cialis samples, and said it would fix my problem. Seeing that I was in great shape, he opted against bloodwork. Next couple episodes with Cialis: Same deal. I either lost my erection or didn't get one at all. I'm in shambles at this point and expect my girl to leave me. I went back to my physician and told him I needed bloodwork. He told me the same stuff: It's all in my mind, but went ahead and did the bloodwork ayway. At the same time, I scheduled an appointment with a specialist (a urologist, and one of the best in the Northeast) and he also told me he suspects its performance anxiety after I described my situation and gives me Viagra 50mg samples, but he also does bloodwork. My physician calls me and tells me everything from my first test showed that I was normal. I was silly for not questioning him further. Turns out my test from the 1st blood sample showed levels of 307ng/dL, and free test of 9.9 pg/mL. I asked him for a Cialis prescription which he gave me (20mg). The first time I took it, I actually had the most amazing weekend of my life. I drive down to her place for the weekend, and we have an awesome sexual experience (she said it was the best she ever had). It took me a while to orgasm, but we had great sex. We ended up having sex on Sunday as well (Cialis should have worn off by then). I actually orgasmed quicker, but we still had great sex. I thought I was finally over the hump, and was at an emotional high point of my life. A weekend later we again had good sex, and the second time we try, my problem surfaced again. Two months later, I have not been able to sustain (or sometimes achieve) an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. I've tried Valerian, Cialis 20mg, Viagra, Seredyn, everything I read on the internet. At this point, I decide to check in with the urologist to see the results of my second bloodwork. He asked me if the Viagra solved my problems to which I said no. He immediately said that he thought I had other problems because the Viagra should've worked. He pointed out to me that I had very low test for a 26 year old male (361 ng/dL, 12.0pg/mL free according to his test). This is where things stand now. My girlfriend has been super supportive of me through my whole ordeal. She is horny as ever and I feel like the biggest loser on the planet for not being able to satisfy her sexually.
The doctor is bringing me in for some more tests to see if there is an underlying problem, or another problem entirely. According to normal testosterone charts, I have the testosterone of a typical 90 year old male. I don't really fit the bill for low testosterone. I'm in great shape, have low blood pressure, good athletic stamina, and am generally healthy otherwise. At the same time, I notice I have other symptoms of low testosterone (such as poor concentration and memory, and fatigue). I am depressed as well but I think it's as a result of my condition.
Has anyone experienced similar problems as me? Did testosterone therapy solve it? I'm also concerned about my ability to have kids. I hear the therapy could screw up my sperm count (if it isn't already). Has anyone been able to have good intercourse with low test ir found a way to boost it naturally?
First a bit about me. I am a 26 year old male, 6'0, 150 lbs, have great abs, very low body fat (7%). About two years ago, I was skinny fat (170lbs, and had moobs), and wasn't in great shape. I got a sudden surge of motivation then, hit the gym, did some chest targeted weight training and started running. Ended up discovering I was an excellent long distance runner, and even did a few 10ks and half marathons at below 6min pace so I've actually been as low as about 140lbs when I was really racking up the miles. Can't say I'm the healthiest eater. Being a bachelor and a poor cook, I end up eating crap at times. I'm trying to improve that
I never really had regular sex before my current gf. I had sex with a previous girlfriend once and couldn't maintain an erection but I really thought nothing of it at the time. I mainly used erotica as an outlet before I found my current gf. I masturbated about 6-10 times a week and watched a load of porn. Fastforward to the present. I meet the most wonderful girl I've known, and fall in love. We live 2 hrs away and only see on weekends. We finally have sex after five months of dating. I revved up and got an erection immediately, and we go at it. For some reason, I don't orgasm (which is a surprise to me), but I maintain my erection throughout. She ends up having a great time, and feels guilty that I didn't orgasm and tries to get me off orally. My unit was unresponsive. I thought all my exercise paid off, and I had developed incredible sexual stamina somehow. I told her I was fine without getting off, and I had a great time, so she stopped trying. The next morning we try again, and I couldn't get aroused. Throughout that day, my penis was unresponsive to anything. At this point, I knew I had a problem. My girlfriend was initially angry and thought I was holding something back from her. I assured her I wasn't and immediately scheduled an appointment with my physician who told me that he was almost certain I had performance anxiety and handed me some 10mg Cialis samples, and said it would fix my problem. Seeing that I was in great shape, he opted against bloodwork. Next couple episodes with Cialis: Same deal. I either lost my erection or didn't get one at all. I'm in shambles at this point and expect my girl to leave me. I went back to my physician and told him I needed bloodwork. He told me the same stuff: It's all in my mind, but went ahead and did the bloodwork ayway. At the same time, I scheduled an appointment with a specialist (a urologist, and one of the best in the Northeast) and he also told me he suspects its performance anxiety after I described my situation and gives me Viagra 50mg samples, but he also does bloodwork. My physician calls me and tells me everything from my first test showed that I was normal. I was silly for not questioning him further. Turns out my test from the 1st blood sample showed levels of 307ng/dL, and free test of 9.9 pg/mL. I asked him for a Cialis prescription which he gave me (20mg). The first time I took it, I actually had the most amazing weekend of my life. I drive down to her place for the weekend, and we have an awesome sexual experience (she said it was the best she ever had). It took me a while to orgasm, but we had great sex. We ended up having sex on Sunday as well (Cialis should have worn off by then). I actually orgasmed quicker, but we still had great sex. I thought I was finally over the hump, and was at an emotional high point of my life. A weekend later we again had good sex, and the second time we try, my problem surfaced again. Two months later, I have not been able to sustain (or sometimes achieve) an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. I've tried Valerian, Cialis 20mg, Viagra, Seredyn, everything I read on the internet. At this point, I decide to check in with the urologist to see the results of my second bloodwork. He asked me if the Viagra solved my problems to which I said no. He immediately said that he thought I had other problems because the Viagra should've worked. He pointed out to me that I had very low test for a 26 year old male (361 ng/dL, 12.0pg/mL free according to his test). This is where things stand now. My girlfriend has been super supportive of me through my whole ordeal. She is horny as ever and I feel like the biggest loser on the planet for not being able to satisfy her sexually.
The doctor is bringing me in for some more tests to see if there is an underlying problem, or another problem entirely. According to normal testosterone charts, I have the testosterone of a typical 90 year old male. I don't really fit the bill for low testosterone. I'm in great shape, have low blood pressure, good athletic stamina, and am generally healthy otherwise. At the same time, I notice I have other symptoms of low testosterone (such as poor concentration and memory, and fatigue). I am depressed as well but I think it's as a result of my condition.
Has anyone experienced similar problems as me? Did testosterone therapy solve it? I'm also concerned about my ability to have kids. I hear the therapy could screw up my sperm count (if it isn't already). Has anyone been able to have good intercourse with low test ir found a way to boost it naturally?
Hello,
It is really so bad to think of such a tightly structured medical system, where patients have to wait for long time to get an appointment with a doctor.
Anyhow, in the mean time, you can concentrate on the food you take. Do you still have any belly fat left, since this is one source of estrogen production. You should also avoid saturated fat intake and include more vegetables and fruits into your diet, which will also help you to reduce the body fat. Zinc and folic acid are expected to help improve testosterone, especially when it is in low levels. Since zinc is not stored in our body for future use, our daily requirement of around 15 mg of elemental zinc has to come from the daily food, so ensure that you get this essential trace element from your food. Do not get stuck with a fixed pattern of food, keep rotating the type of food, so that your body gets all the nutrients it needs.Vitamin D is also a very important, so try to expose yourselves to morning sun for about fifteen minutes daily.
And above all, keep a positive attitude to life and avoid stress.
If you follow these steps, you would find a great improvement in your your physical as well as mental health. Do not worry, you are not alone in this boat, in todays fast track world, many professionals are finding themselves in your situation.
Good luck,
Solace
It is really so bad to think of such a tightly structured medical system, where patients have to wait for long time to get an appointment with a doctor.
Anyhow, in the mean time, you can concentrate on the food you take. Do you still have any belly fat left, since this is one source of estrogen production. You should also avoid saturated fat intake and include more vegetables and fruits into your diet, which will also help you to reduce the body fat. Zinc and folic acid are expected to help improve testosterone, especially when it is in low levels. Since zinc is not stored in our body for future use, our daily requirement of around 15 mg of elemental zinc has to come from the daily food, so ensure that you get this essential trace element from your food. Do not get stuck with a fixed pattern of food, keep rotating the type of food, so that your body gets all the nutrients it needs.Vitamin D is also a very important, so try to expose yourselves to morning sun for about fifteen minutes daily.
And above all, keep a positive attitude to life and avoid stress.
If you follow these steps, you would find a great improvement in your your physical as well as mental health. Do not worry, you are not alone in this boat, in todays fast track world, many professionals are finding themselves in your situation.
Good luck,
Solace
Yeah it takes quite some time to see a specialist. It took a while before I could even see a urologist, and I had to get a referral from my primary care physician. If I want to see an endo, I'd have to get another referral and pay a higher fee (co-pay) for the appointment . It really is a convoluted process, and it takes a while to get an appointment unless it's with your PCP. I asked for the earliest appt, and they got me there in mid-November. It's like I'm just keeping my life on hold, and buying time. :( . I am a non-vegetarian. I know I probably don't eat enough veggies/fruits. I really need to try harder to avoid junk food. I have so little time to cook. I do exercise a fair bit, usually running, and light weight lifting, but this situation has depressed me enough and I've exercised a lot less than I used to. I am an engineer by profession, and am in grad school currently. Yeah it is a lot of work (especially since I find it so hard to concentrate on anything) but I'm almost through. I just wonder where I went wrong. Things used to be a lot easier for me. I feel so slow and sluggish these days, and ED just makes me feel even more worthless.
Hi,
Does it really take so much time in your country to see a doctor? Is it not possible for you to consult an Endo directly, without going through the Urologist? We are lucky in that respect, we do not have any such restrictions. In any case, it is better to do a complete test to find out the real source of the problem, if any, and correct it.
As regards medicine, you need to see a doctor only, we are just members of this community like you, sharing information we have to help each other. Unfortunately, herbal medicines are not specifically targeted as in the case of allopathy medicines and neither their chemical composition is precisely controlled, nor are their side effects well studied.
As regards food, yes you need to pay more attention to what you eat. Are you a vegetarian or a non vegetarian? You should ensure you take balanced food. While all nutrients are important, concentrate on Proteins, Zinc, Vitamin D, B12 and balancing of omega 3 / omega 6 fatty acids. . Avoid fast food, soda, junk food and alcohol. Your higher level of estrogen may be due to the poor quality of food you are taking at present. May be you should consult a dietician. The best food one could take would include the seasonal fruits and vegetables.
As regards exercise, do moderate, but regular exercise. You can also think of Yoga.
Assuming your other hormone levels are ok, I feel if you can bring down your estrogen level, your T levels should go up naturally and you should not have any problem on account of hormones. I still tend to believe that the best medicine for you is to convince yourselves that you are alright. By the way, what profession do you practice?, if it involves too much of brain work, then that could be the source of your problem - the intellectual brain interfering with the emotional brain.
And to Dalubabaji,
Hope you are in good health and in high spirits. Thank you so much for your encouraging remarks. But, I would like to add that while the doctors are busy solving the patient's problems, they do not want to overload the patients with the details of their diagnostic procedures, whereas we community members here are trying to help each other by sharing the information we have, and these are not intended as diagnosis or treatment. However, I also feel that when a patient is having problems, it is the doctor's responsibility to provide him with a solution rather than brushing aside the problems as non existing or psychological. In case a doctor is not able to find a solution, at least he should recommend the patient to a more experienced doctor for further investigation, rather than the patient himself having to go from one doctor to the other. What do you think of this present practice of doctors saying " nothing wrong with you " while the patients feeling totally left out?
Solace
Does it really take so much time in your country to see a doctor? Is it not possible for you to consult an Endo directly, without going through the Urologist? We are lucky in that respect, we do not have any such restrictions. In any case, it is better to do a complete test to find out the real source of the problem, if any, and correct it.
As regards medicine, you need to see a doctor only, we are just members of this community like you, sharing information we have to help each other. Unfortunately, herbal medicines are not specifically targeted as in the case of allopathy medicines and neither their chemical composition is precisely controlled, nor are their side effects well studied.
As regards food, yes you need to pay more attention to what you eat. Are you a vegetarian or a non vegetarian? You should ensure you take balanced food. While all nutrients are important, concentrate on Proteins, Zinc, Vitamin D, B12 and balancing of omega 3 / omega 6 fatty acids. . Avoid fast food, soda, junk food and alcohol. Your higher level of estrogen may be due to the poor quality of food you are taking at present. May be you should consult a dietician. The best food one could take would include the seasonal fruits and vegetables.
As regards exercise, do moderate, but regular exercise. You can also think of Yoga.
Assuming your other hormone levels are ok, I feel if you can bring down your estrogen level, your T levels should go up naturally and you should not have any problem on account of hormones. I still tend to believe that the best medicine for you is to convince yourselves that you are alright. By the way, what profession do you practice?, if it involves too much of brain work, then that could be the source of your problem - the intellectual brain interfering with the emotional brain.
And to Dalubabaji,
Hope you are in good health and in high spirits. Thank you so much for your encouraging remarks. But, I would like to add that while the doctors are busy solving the patient's problems, they do not want to overload the patients with the details of their diagnostic procedures, whereas we community members here are trying to help each other by sharing the information we have, and these are not intended as diagnosis or treatment. However, I also feel that when a patient is having problems, it is the doctor's responsibility to provide him with a solution rather than brushing aside the problems as non existing or psychological. In case a doctor is not able to find a solution, at least he should recommend the patient to a more experienced doctor for further investigation, rather than the patient himself having to go from one doctor to the other. What do you think of this present practice of doctors saying " nothing wrong with you " while the patients feeling totally left out?
Solace
Thanks so much, solace. I clearly have a lot of reading to do on this stuff. I'll definitely tak to my uro again, and see if I can find an endocrinologist. I don't have another appointment until November unfortunately. Is there anything I can do to combat these symptoms (in particular the ED) in the mean-time (i.e. herbs, medication, diet, types of exercise).
You are lucky to get a full explanation from Solace. Even a full-flagged doctor would not be able to give this type of explanation.Do act as per the advice. It is true that if there is hypothyroidism,You are likely to get many peculiar symptoms. Checking t3,t4 and tsh will give a clear picture.
Thanks for the reply and encouragement. I really feel I have to do something drastic. Though my girlfriend is supportive, she is practical. I've been telling her it's all psychological for the last 5 months, and she's sick of hearing that. And she's also tired of me getting her hot and not being able to perform. I'm totally comfortable around her in every other situation. Don't understand why I'd have performance anxiety. Like I sad, my urologist was surprised that Viagra and Cialis didn't give me the necessary boost, and it seems most anxiety drugs lower your sex drive, which I really don't need. I feel like I also have other symptoms of low T such as poor concentration, memory problems, lack of general agression, and poor performance in team sports. Distance running is the only sport I'm good at tbh with you. And it bothers me that Im not in the 700s like most guys my age. I've done all I can do to eliminate stress, quit porn/masturbation cold turkey for almost a year, tried PDE5 inhibitors, and nothing seems to be working. By the way, the blood tests I did were thorough. I'll post the results and ref ranges below.
1st test
testosterone, serum 307 [249 - 836] ng/dL
testosterone, free 9.9 [9.3 - 26.5] pg/mL
prolactin centrex 3.6 [2.1 - 17.7] ng/mL
follice stimulating hormone 2.0 [1.4 -18.1] mIU/mL
Leuteinizing Hormone 2.4 [1.5 - 19.3] mIU/mL
2nd test (with uro)
testosterone, serum 361 [175 - 781] ng/dL
testosterone, free 12.0 [9.3 - 26.5] pg/mL
prolactin 6.6 [2.6 - 13.1] ng/mL
follice stimulating hormone 2.5 [1.3 -19.3] mIU/mL
Leuteinizing Hormone 3.4 [1.3 - 19.3] mIU/mL
estradiol 59 [20 -77] pg/mL
shbg 26.6 [14.5 - 48.4] nmoL/L
1st test
testosterone, serum 307 [249 - 836] ng/dL
testosterone, free 9.9 [9.3 - 26.5] pg/mL
prolactin centrex 3.6 [2.1 - 17.7] ng/mL
follice stimulating hormone 2.0 [1.4 -18.1] mIU/mL
Leuteinizing Hormone 2.4 [1.5 - 19.3] mIU/mL
2nd test (with uro)
testosterone, serum 361 [175 - 781] ng/dL
testosterone, free 12.0 [9.3 - 26.5] pg/mL
prolactin 6.6 [2.6 - 13.1] ng/mL
follice stimulating hormone 2.5 [1.3 -19.3] mIU/mL
Leuteinizing Hormone 3.4 [1.3 - 19.3] mIU/mL
estradiol 59 [20 -77] pg/mL
shbg 26.6 [14.5 - 48.4] nmoL/L
Hi,
Yah, it is true that at your age with your type of health background one can not suspect any issues. All that you need is a short term anti anxiety treatment to just to propel you into the orbit. May be you can escape into a holiday trip and that may solve all your problems with your understanding partner.In many cases, even the very process of adaptation to partner based sex takes little time, personal confidence and switching off your thinking brain while engaged in a totally emotional activity is the main key. So, relax and keep going.
In any case, I would not think that you should consider HRT at this stage. If you really want to confirm your health status with detailed diagnosis, you will need to do a complete hormone test, which could include LH, prolactin, estrogen, SHBG, adrenal hormones, and thyroid hormones, which all can interfere with your sexual health.So, what your urologist is doing is the right course and you should follow that.
By the way, your total T may not be the problem, your free T appears to be less, do you know the reference range for free T of the lab where you tested it? There are also medical articles which talks of reduced total T for persons who engage in vigorous exercises, but it is believed that such levels do not interfere with sexual life.
Keep in touch and let us know your progress, all the best,
Solace
Yah, it is true that at your age with your type of health background one can not suspect any issues. All that you need is a short term anti anxiety treatment to just to propel you into the orbit. May be you can escape into a holiday trip and that may solve all your problems with your understanding partner.In many cases, even the very process of adaptation to partner based sex takes little time, personal confidence and switching off your thinking brain while engaged in a totally emotional activity is the main key. So, relax and keep going.
In any case, I would not think that you should consider HRT at this stage. If you really want to confirm your health status with detailed diagnosis, you will need to do a complete hormone test, which could include LH, prolactin, estrogen, SHBG, adrenal hormones, and thyroid hormones, which all can interfere with your sexual health.So, what your urologist is doing is the right course and you should follow that.
By the way, your total T may not be the problem, your free T appears to be less, do you know the reference range for free T of the lab where you tested it? There are also medical articles which talks of reduced total T for persons who engage in vigorous exercises, but it is believed that such levels do not interfere with sexual life.
Keep in touch and let us know your progress, all the best,
Solace
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From your test results, it is clear that the low T is caused by the low level of Leuteinizing Hormone (LH) produced by the brain. While your free T is also on the lower side, the estradiol level is on the higher side, which might be forcing the brain to produce less LH and correspondingly low T is produced by the testes. So, your control factor appears to be the reduction of estradiol by an aromatize inhibitor.
At the same time the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) is also on the lower side, which might mean that you need to have a look at the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) level also. If in fact TSH is found to be low, chances are that thyroid hormones T4/T3 may also be low. Low thyroid level can produce all of your symptoms. Once again if your general levels of hormones produced by the brain are less, the cause behind may have to be found out and treated. In this context, the level of adrenal hormones also need to be assessed.
What you need to do is to consult an Endocrinologist and do an overall hormone level assessment.
Solace