Testosterone Replacement Therapy

[SWorks17]

Does any of my Frank Talk brothers who are Military Veterans, know if the VA will treat you for low testosterone? Cream or injections?

I’ve always had pretty high testosterone levels in the 800 hundreds and a high libido but the last couple months I can tell that I don’t get as horny.

I did go to a VA appointment today and my primary care doc put in a request for labs, so I should find out my levels in a couple of weeks after I go in, on Monday the 19th of August for my lab work.

I’d appreciate any input,
Thanks
SWorks

[ape1100]

i went to see my primary care doc for ED and when Urology at the hospital couldnt see me, they sent me to a local provider through community care. when i asked my primary if i could get TRT, he said if it is in the normal range they wont do it. thankfully, my local uro said i dont have to follow those rules and prescribed it. and the VA fills it. i was at the low end of normal and now its pretty high up there but i still dont see any help with ED and maybe just a slight improvement in libido. when i was active duty, the military docs all said the same thing, if its normal, no TRT. i do feel like i am better with it, than without though. i just thought it would be a noticeable change or reaction that i never saw. just my experience.

[SWorks17]

i went to see my primary care doc for ED and when Urology at the hospital couldnt see me, they sent me to a local provider through community care. when i asked my primary if i could get TRT, he said if it is in the normal range they wont do it. thankfully, my local uro said i dont have to follow those rules and prescribed it. and the VA fills it. i was at the low end of normal and now its pretty high up there but i still dont see any help with ED and maybe just a slight improvement in libido. when i was active duty, the military docs all said the same thing, if its normal, no TRT. i do feel like i am better with it, than without though. i just thought it would be a noticeable change or reaction that i never saw. just my experience.

Thanks Ape1100 for the reply, I might try what you did, except ask if I can be seen by a urologist downtown that will be covered by the VA.
I have the AMS 700 LGX implant, I made the jump 33 months ago, I started going to see the military urologist at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio about prostrate issues and when I filled out a survey about my sexual health they started talking to me about a permanent solution.
I didn’t have total ED before the benign prostrate procedure to decrease the prostrate size to help with some of the urinary issues I was having, but after the Rezume procedure I did, nothing would work, so three months later I got the implant.
I’ve always had a high sex drive, way more than my wife, but the last couple months I can tell that something is off, I haven’t been as horny.
Thanks again for the info, if the VA path doesn’t work, I’ll go to the clinic that my wife is going to for Hormone replacement therapy, she is retired military also, it has really increased her desire for sex and we don’t need lube anymore.

Thanks again,
SWorks

[Donkeykong]

Feeling less horny for a couple of months is really a small blip in the scheme of things and could just be from a little virus or other temporary health or social issue. If it’s not way low I would be hesitant to get on TRT because it’s not a panacea and it may do nothing for libido. I made that error years ago, never really got any benefits from it besides easier muscle retention, and now cannot stop it because it atrophies the body’s mechanism for producing its own testosterone. Increasing T level very often kills libido too unless the patient is very low to begin with. TRT message boards are filled with guys who never get their TRT dialed in despite years and years of adjusting, so the risk of going that way is to possibly be without libido for many months and sometimes years.

[BillyBob51]

If you are Military Retired, Are you on TRICARE? Tricare should cover the Testosterone Treatment. And if TRICARE covers it, the VA should cover it also. I don't do much thru VA, even though I'm rated at 100% VA Disabled.

I am Mil Retired and on Social Security, and on Tricare4Life. Tricare has covered my T treatment for yrs, even thru my civilian Primary Care Dr. Medicare and Tricare4life even covered my implant 100%.

[SWorks17]

Feeling less horny for a couple of months is really a small blip in the scheme of things and could just be from a little virus or other temporary health or social issue. If it’s not way low I would be hesitant to get on TRT because it’s not a panacea and it may do nothing for libido. I made that error years ago, never really got any benefits from it besides easier muscle retention, and now cannot stop it because it atrophies the body’s mechanism for producing its own testosterone. Increasing T level very often kills libido too unless the patient is very low to begin with. TRT message boards are filled with guys who never get their TRT dialed in despite years and years of adjusting, so the risk of going that way is to possibly be without libido for many months and sometimes years.

Thanks Donkeykong, I'll move cautiously forward and do more research. Thanks

[SWorks17]

If you are Military Retired, Are you on TRICARE? Tricare should cover the Testosterone Treatment. And if TRICARE covers it, the VA should cover it also. I don't do much thru VA, even though I'm rated at 100% VA Disabled.

I am Mil Retired and on Social Security, and on Tricare4Life. Tricare has covered my T treatment for yrs, even thru my civilian Primary Care Dr. Medicare and Tricare4life even covered my implant 100%.

Thanks BillyBob for the reply, yes I'm Tricare for Life and Medicare. I got my implant done at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and it was 100% covered and that was before I turned 65 and went on TriCare for Life and Medicare.
Now that I'm TriCare for life and Medicare, here in San Antonio, Texas, 65 year old patients have to find a Primary Care Doctor downtown, which I have.

I went the VA route first to see what my levels are because it is a little easier to get an appointment. I went for my appointment yesterday and I'll do my lab work Monday morning.

I will check into solutions with TriCare for life also, my docs office is in New Braunfels, Texas
One of my Frank Talk friends in Dallas does Testosterone treatment but with a cream that he applies to his shoulder and he says it has made a big difference in his sex life.

My wife is also TriCare for life retired Air Force and TriCare won't cover her Hormone Replacement Therapy, so she is going to a local wellness clinic getting the hormone pellet in her hip. It has made a huge difference in her libido, desire and how wet she gets. We had to use lube before for sex and now, it's not needed. She did try to go through TriCare but they wouldn't cover it, maybe when she turns 65 and goes on TriCare for life and Medicare they might cover it with a local primary care, right now she still goes to Randolph Air Force Base Clinic for her primary care until she turns 65 which, will be 3 more years for all her other medical needs.

Thanks BillyBob,
SWorks