low libido High Testosterone

[jebby]

I have been experiencing very low libido. I have been tested for various labs, my testosterone tests out high at 865 total, and high bioavailable...I've seen endocrinologists,etc and everything they test appears high normal...I am also physically fit, a body builder, drink rarely, don't smoke...I am absolutely perplexed...I used to be a raging animal sexually and it is as though it has simply shut off. It also effects my ability to maintain and achieve erections. I thought it could be low testosterone...but apparently not...I still get night-time erections, but then when I wake up in the AM it is like they disappear and it takes tremendous amounts of  enticement to get me excited. I also noticed that I don't feel the same sensation...What possible causes could it be? It is quit stressing...I have read similar stories on here...I am 33 years old...could my cortisol levels be too high?  I am willing to test anything?

[buddyjoe]

im 47 and a walking hard on with a testosterone level of 240.....explain that!

[mozzy1704]

First of all, it really does help to find a thread like this and see other people having the same problem. I'm experiencing the same symptoms you guys have mentioned. I used to drink protein shakes every now and then when i worked out but I don't think they are the problem, I go gym every now and then but have never been massively committed to working out, when this problem arose (around 6 months ago) I hadn't drank a protein shake in a long time. Anyway, I just got back from my doctors today and got my blood results back, I was surprised to find my testosterone was a little higher than average, but my prolactin was also high. This thread has given me many ideas though as to what it could be which I will discuss with my doctor, but it seems that theres a link to low libido with high testosterone as well, i'm guessing due to your body trying to balance it self out. I'm 20 years old and even though I feel like my libido has got slightly better (maybe) my erection is still very limp. Im hopeful though that we can all find a way to the bottom of this, and in 20 years someone will go to their doctors with the same symptoms and the doctor will be like 'oh yes, I know exactly what you need! 20 years ago this wasn't even recognised you know!'

[grizzlegriz]

Has nobody found an answer to this??? We have 7 years worth of questions and no answers? I am 38. I took Anavar (Oxandrolone) for about 3 days two years ago and it substantially changed my libido. No other steroid history. It seemed to bounce back, so I took it for another 4 days and it tanked down to nothing. My testosterone is normal but my libido has never since come back. It is not psychological. It happened the very moment I took that damned drug and it was a markedly different change than any other variation I've ever experienced. I went to an endocrinologist and he told me he is confident that it would come back, but he also suggested I burned out some neurons. The best theory I can come up with is that somehow the steroids ruined the neurological receptors that usually respond to testosterone. I don't know if that's something you can fix. It makes me very sad and depressed. It's not just sex drive. It's my desire for romance and closeness with females that's also  gone. I wish a doctor would respond to this.  

[dcmelad]

I also used to have an incredible sex drive, my libido now is however non existent.   It is the same as not being alive, what good is it being here, libido is what drives men to do everything the do in my opinion.  It is a shame that the pharmaceutical industry is so crooked.  There is one thing that improves libido and it is safer than baby aspirin.  I'm talking about GHB, I haven't had sex without it for 20 years, so that means I haven't had sex for 19 years.  With it I have a strong libido and can go anytime I want.  It was made illegal because it works better than a lot of drugs and they couldn't have that.  Someone needs to make something to increase libido.  Viagra and Cialis all those pills do nothing for libido, what good is an erection if you don't want to use it, if you have no desire?

[Phil_K]

I am 50 years old and have been prescribed testosterone enanthate injections for several years now. Without it, my levels falls very low.

I'd like to share something that seems to correspond with what a couple of the guys in this thread have said.

Usually, after my injection and for at least a few days, my libido is very low. I've looked at charts regarding the expected blood levels of testosterone after an injection, and on average a peak is expected about 2 days after the injection, followed by a fall back to baseline, and then below (unless the next injection is timed to avoid this). In my case, the fall to low level causes quite bad effects (the problems that spurred me to seek treatment to begin with), and include things not often mentioned, such as terrible memory problems and other issues.

AFter some experimentation and a balancing act based on blood tests and improvements in life quality, the endocrinologist and I agreed on a weekly injection as this avoids falling low for long enough for troubles to recur. However, sometimes I miss an injection, for example when the pharmacy has no stock. And about 5 or 6 days the injection my libido rises noticeably. If for some reason I'm unable to get my next injection, my libido stays high for some days.

As I mentioned, I've been on this prescription for some years now, and this effect is quite consistent. And what is absolutely clear is this: libido is NOT high during the brief peak when testosterone levels are high. Instead, libido is high when testosterone levels are low (and possibly still falling) after an earlier peak. I think this indicates that the picture is more complicated than usually presented, but may also explain why some men report improved libido and others report no improvement or even lower libido - the differences may be due to timing differences found with different regimes.

My theory is that it isn't testosterone that increases libido, but more likely either a metabolite of testosterone that takes some days to build up after a peak in testosterone (and possibly makes its presence felt some time after that peak in T has gone), or else it's a response in some way to falling levels (but not to low levels in themselves).

[JamesC186282]

I'm not a doctor so take this with a large grain of salt.   I never dabbled with steroids or OTC male enhancement bs.  Was diagnosed with low testosterone and went on Androgel which seems like it worked a little for a while.   I wasn't absorbing it so I went to injections.  Ended up learning what many of you had that monthly (shudder) or every two weeks was a roller coaster and not good.  I went to weekly injections and it seems  to me that its the rise and fall of testosterone levels that are what gave me a sex drive.  Nailing it at higher levels and never letting them cycle down seems like it dialed off libido.  Also wanted to say that high levels of external testosterone increased my estrogen levels pretty badly and a small dose of arimidex helped lower this and turn down lots of weirdness because high estrogen levels seem to trump testosterone.   Long term use of Testosterone is a one way street on your testes (I think) because they atrophy.   So if you start with low levels this is probably not too important because they aren't working anyway but for people abusing steroids or injecting themselves with testosterone to get buffed up you might wish to reconsider because it doesn't take very long before you have no way to go back.   Atrophied testes are not super sexy.  

[billmack1]

I am 48yo and have been dealing with the same problem for the past 8 years. I took alot of steroids back in my thirties. Never had a problem while I was on/off steroids, then all of a sudden when I turned 40 I started having libido problems, unable to maintain an erection, no morning wood, nothing. I had blood work done and my T level was in the toilet. Dr prescribed androgel and it works for about 3 months, then follow up blood work showed my t level tanked again. I have been through androgel, testim and injections, nothing has helped. I have tried adding hcg, hgh in a desperate attempt to regain my sex drive but nothing has worked. Over the past 6 months I have been seeing a very highly regarded endo dr in my area, she has me on 200mg of testosterone cypionate every week which puts my test level in the 850-1000 range but there has been no improvement. I am at my wits end, viagra, cialis and levitra do absolutely nothing. All my other blood work is pretty much normal. I work out 4-5 times a week, do cardio and eat pretty clean. I"ll also point out that over the last 8-9 years I have seen numerous endo's and urologist. I have had mri's on my brain/pituitary several times all with nothing found. I get you have hypogondism and am usually handed a script for androgel and viagra. Like I said earlier, Iam at my wits end.