testosterone

[Flavio]

[...] I have never had cancer, but I have heard from some who have that Testosterone stimulates cancer. This may be why doctors are reluctant to mess with natural Testosterone unless there are symptoms.

Absolutely.

Messing with your endocrine system is always a risk, there may be unwanted effects and these may be permanent.

Antiandrogens (Propecia, Avodart) for hair loss are effective but they are dangerous drugs and major erection killers.

[silver daddy 1960]

Hi BJohn67y

I started down the T route and can tell you my results thus far (a little over two years now). I was told the average range for testosterone in men is between 300 and 1100. I tested at 320 to 340. My Dr had no issues starting Testosterone injections. I take it once a week in my belly fat (what little I now have). The Dr sees me every 3 to 4 months and does a blood workup to check up on things. I am now at 1000 and feel great. I am no longer dragging tired, my libido is back, I have lost a few pounds, my muscles are far more defined and enlarged (gym three days a week). The draw back, my nuts aren't as big as they used to be. there is an additional hormone treatment, they are nearly back to original size (this part is not necessary). I do not get acne and I do not get aggressive. I feel fine. The treatment brings me up to a higher normal not a crazy body builder level. A reminder, I am monitored by my Dr. quarterly. this has been my experience thus far.

[stephen54]

That all said....any results? Good or bad.

Short version - yes. Absolutely. And the good ones came quickly. Within months of beginning testosterone replacement and results sustained over many years:

1. Already very strong libido got pushed incrementally farther. There are other contributors as we all know. To the best of my self-awareness, I'm correcting for other variables and saying absolutely, my libido went from very high to even ridiculously higher.

2. Body composition - dropped 10% of total body weight while increasing muscle mass. This was without increasing activity level/exercise specifically. But then, once changes in body composition were becoming obvious, I was increasingly interested in and participating in more physical activity.

3. Strength increase seems to have followed above

4. Likewise general energy levels - mine are as high as I remember them as any sort of adult. I'm 56.

5. Mental effects. I don't know that I'd say mental acuity in particular sharpened or increased, though this is one of the things talked about. I will say that my productivity and positivity have definitely dramatically increased, but I don't know that can be attributed simply and directly to testosterone obviously. There are overlapping variables at play here. As testosterone-driven body mass changed for the positive, my outlook and overall activity levels in turn naturally changed for the positive. Perhaps an understandable parallel effect.

6. ED - no discernible effects for me. My testosterone replacement overlapped the era where PDE5's were ending and over a long period of time where Trimix was my thing. If testosterone had the remotest effect on ED specifically, I never observed it over a full decade of replacement. And I was looking hard for it.

As others have noted, yes, obviously testosterone levels can be spurred higher without replacement therapy and through regular vigorous exercise. Sometimes. In my case, my low T is caused by secondary hypogonadism of (mostly) undetermined origin; my anterior pituitary is to blame - ie, LH/FSH/GnRH feedback loop to/from testes, and all the exercise in the world isn't going to reset this loop. On balance, my replacement has been nothing but positive. But I watch my hematocrit/hemoglobin #s religiously and now take an 81mg aspirin daily etc. I don't need the fucking clot.

[Spontaneous1]

Stephen, what were your numbers before compared to now? What is "LH/FSH/GnRH feedback loop to/from testes"? My last T number was 445, but I have no idea what it might have been years ago. It doesn't seem to matter how much biking and lifting I do, body composition has changed (man boobs), and strength is down. Libido, penile sensitivity, and mental effects have all taken a hit, along with the moderate ED, but my energy level is still good???

[timduncan]

I have taken antiandrogens for 20+ years for my hairloss and my T levels are and always have been extremely low.

Nevertheless, I can have a great sexual performance thanks to my regimen (see below) and at the age of 46, I still have a full head of hair.

same as you, 17years on fina, stopped almost three years ago, now im 43.
can I pm you about your regimen?