Low testosterone?

[dmash]

My level was 211....thing is, I'm only 20. Doc is wanting me to get on TRT but I REALLY don't want to do that at this early of an age.

Went in because of recent weight loss...inability to gain muscle...lethargy, etc. Been an athlete all my life and was hovering around 190 at 5'11, but then the past couple months everything went downhill.

Anybody else ever tested low? What was your solution, what happened?

 

[APK]

I've been curious about this myself. I was an overweight teen and remember my doc having me take some meds for several months to boost my testosterone levels.

That was more than a decade ago, but I've wondered if my T-levels are low for various reasons (lethargy, sex drive mostly). I don't have health insurance, though, and I'm not sure how expensive getting the necessary blood work would be (not cheap would be my guess).

I'm somewhat ignorant to remedying the problem with meds, but would something like Alpha Male help the problem?

 

[Nosu3]

Altering your diet can help boost testosterone by adding some foods and avoiding others.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Would TRT not mean you were unable to have children certainly for all the time using it? Would long term use not cause such suppression that having children while on a break from the TRT would be less than easy too?

 

[thekunk07]

no, i was geared up every time my wife got pregnant.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

no, i was geared up every time my wife got pregnant.

Well anecdotally this seems true, all the guys I've known who used gear had children during that period.

An endocronologist friend did say the above difficulties though, when we discussed an article on TRT.

 

[dmash]

Originally Posted by TheDarkKnight

Would TRT not mean you were unable to have children certainly for all the time using it? Would long term use not cause such suppression that having children while on a break from the TRT would be less than easy too?
Yes this is usually true, which is why I'm not sure about what I want to do. To whoever said diet can help...my diet is ridiculously healthy. and 211 is BAD low for a 20 year old. Even if diet were my problem, a small increase is nowhere near enough.

 

[Becks23]

Maybe list out what your diet consists of.

The whole "healthy diet" has different connotations for everybody these days.

Somebody who tells me they eat whole grains and low fat is not something I would deem as "healthy".

 

[why]

Total testosterone levels and free testosterone levels are two different things. Some people may have low total testosterone but normal free testosterone because a higher percentage of their serum testosterone is unbound. Bound testosterone cannot act on its usual hormone receptors.

 

[Nosu3]

Originally Posted by dmash1080

To whoever said diet can help...my diet is ridiculously healthy. and 211 is BAD low for a 20 year old. Even if diet were my problem, a small increase is nowhere near enough.

I'm not sure how much it will increase it but more zinc, indole 3 carbinol, b6, magnesium and vitamin A foods might help along with avoiding high phytoestrogen foods.

 

[APK]

Originally Posted by Becks23

Maybe list out what your diet consists of.

The whole "healthy diet" has different connotations for everybody these days.

Somebody who tells me they eat whole grains and low fat is not something I would deem as "healthy".

From what I remember, Dmash is a pretty ripped/built dude who eats legit clean, not "clean" by food industry standards.

 

[MetroStyles]

Originally Posted by dmash1080

Yes this is usually true, which is why I'm not sure about what I want to do.

To whoever said diet can help...my diet is ridiculously healthy. and 211 is BAD low for a 20 year old. Even if diet were my problem, a small increase is nowhere near enough.

Dietary changes will not help you. If you have a reliable cheap way of getting blood work done every few months, try OTC supplementation to see if you see a bump in your t-levels:

- ZMA
- Tongkat Ali

Maybe try these for 2-3 months and check your levels.

When getting bloodwork, try to do two samples a couple weeks apart. These things fluctuate. Your testosterone can fluctuate by more than 100 from morning to night. The amount of water you drink prior to your test will affect your results. For clearest numbers, do two tests each an hour after awakening.

It is important to check your other levels as well. How is your T3, T4, and TSH? How is your prolactin level? Estradiol (usually not on a typical thyroid panel though)?

Good luck. I agree that TRT is not an ideal solution for someone your age. The question is - can you live with the way you are living right now? Do you still have a relatively healthy sex life? Are you constantly lethargic or just not as energetic as before? There are pros and cons to all solutions...

 

[Nosu3]

What about a Tribulus Terrestris supplement?

 

[MetroStyles]

Originally Posted by Nosu3

What about a Tribulus Terrestris supplement?

I have heard some good things about it but have no personal experience with it and can't speak about it intelligently.

 

[JaPo]

Originally Posted by APK

I've been curious about this myself. I was an overweight teen and remember my doc having me take some meds for several months to boost my testosterone levels.

That was more than a decade ago, but I've wondered if my T-levels are low for various reasons (lethargy, sex drive mostly). I don't have health insurance, though, and I'm not sure how expensive getting the necessary blood work would be (not cheap would be my guess).

I'm somewhat ignorant to remedying the problem with meds, but would something like Alpha Male help the problem?

The manner in which you post reeks of low testosterone. I've always thought this.

I'm presuming you starting a course of TRT yields financial incentives for the doctor? What is normal level for someone your age?