TRT Is it time to start now or wait? Reluctant to begin but tired

[VinceFord]

Hi everyone. Love this site and the honesty you guys offer. I need your advice.

I will try to keep this as brief as possible and list my labs and details.

I am 42, 195lbs, and exercise 5 times per week including weights.

The past 2 years I am getting more and more tired and not motivated. I still accomplish all my goals but by 2 in the afternoon I am worn out and my brain doesn't remember things well.

For background I had Testicular Cancer it had spread and I had one testicle removed and did 3 round of chemo. This was 4 years ago.

I have done everything I can think of to raise my energy levels but nothing has helped much. I get solid 8 hours of sleep each night, I am not on any medications, I exercise almost everyday and even do HIIT. I keep stress to a minimum. Eat right. I don't drink alcohol at all and don't do any drugs. I eat well and watch my intake daily. I hardly ever eat out and prepare all my own meals. I have tried lifting real heavy weights for a while but it didn't help. I even tried Nugenix Total T and hardly noticed I was on it.

All of you guys with experience I would love your opinion and ideas. The urologist wants to start with Androgel 2 pumps daily. He said my levels are normal but because I am missing one testicle he thinks it may help my energy. I just don't want to start TRT too early. I never thought I would have to at 42. I always took care of myself and thought I would be fine for a while.
Labs listed below. Thank you all so much.

Latest Total Test. was 453 in August 2022


June 2022
Total T 416
Free 13.4 ( range normal 6 to 21 pg/ml) different measuring than other tests below
Estradiol 23
FSH 6.4
LH 3.6
Prolactin 5
PSA .42

April 2022
Total Test 311
TSH 2.86 (one before that was 3.59)

Dec. 2021
Total Test 422
Free Test 66.3 pg/ml (this was done by Quest and there chart seems different than the other one. The list their normal range as 35-155 for Free T)

June 2021
Total 321
Free Test 50 (this was done by Quest and there chart seems different than the one at the top. The list their normal range as 35-155 for Free T)

2020
Total Test 396
Free 62.2 (scale 35-155 Normal

[frank66665]

testosterone is normal even if slightly low, then the gel is useless, either you do it or you don't, at this moment with these values ​​no, maybe it would be better to do some mesterolone cycle, just my opinion

[AmansinCali]

Vince, I am a great believer in specialists, get an opinion from an endocrinologist, they have more training and experience in hormones than your urologist. Best of luck.

[dtwarren1942]

Several years ago my total T was about 295 and my urologist put me on Androgel and after six months my total T increased to over 800. However, my PSA also increased from 1.1 to 2.2 and my endocrinologist recommended I stop the treatment.

[Gt1956]

Just an observation from an old man. I've worked with what many people would describe as slender healthy men. Yes, some of them had heart attacks, a few even died.
My non medical thoughts are that you've hit what some call male menopause. You are slowly crossing the lines into middle age. A little research might help you. Fun times ahead. Father time never rests.

[Floridaspeedo]

I have been on TRT for a couple of years and without my T drops to the low 200's. I get a generic brand of Testopel inserted into my glutes. It lasts about 6 to 9 months for me. A month after insertion my t will be 1,400 and as the months progress, I drop down to 400. I'm very conscientious about doing blood work but it has made a world of difference in terms of tiredness, anxiety, performance, etc.

It doesn't hurt to try it and see if it works for you. If it doesn't then you stop.

Is an FYI I have very thick skin. I started with the AndroGel gel and it didn't do much for me but that's just me.

You need to explore the options.