Low libido

[sliphill]

I'm a 59 yo man who is in pretty good shape. I bicycle regularly. I started TRT about a year ago at the advice of a doctor. My total T before was on the low side of the range so I went with his suggestion. Both he and I thought this would increase my libido, but it has not! Is it normal for a man my age to have low libido? It's been low for a few years now. I did take Zoloft for 6 or 7 years, but stopped 5 years ago. Maybe this has something to do with it too. Is there any supplement I can take to increase my libido?

[dtwarren1942]

How low is low. My lab considers 241 to be at the bottom of the normal range, but that includes some older guys. I am 72 and my T was at 291 and my Endo considered it normal for my age.

Perhaps some others can advise on foods and supplements to raise T naturally or advise on other causes for low libido other than T.

[sliphill]

How low is low. My lab considers 241 to be at the bottom of the normal range, but that includes some older guys. I am 72 and my T was at 291 and my Endo considered it normal for my age.

Perhaps some others can advise on foods and supplements to raise T naturally or advise on other causes for low libido other than T.

My total T was 400 before starting Testosterone injections. t's now over 1000. So I guess it was not low T that was causing low libido.

[Anonymous2]

How low is low. My lab considers 241 to be at the bottom of the normal range, but that includes some older guys. I am 72 and my T was at 291 and my Endo considered it normal for my age.

Perhaps some others can advise on foods and supplements to raise T naturally or advise on other causes for low libido other than T.

My total T was 400 before starting Testosterone injections. t's now over 1000. So I guess it was not low T that was causing low libido.

Hi Slip, Now having high T's can have the same effect as low T's, so you may need to get them done again,to mid range, for more info just google high testosterone.

Good Luck

[dg_moore]

How low is low. My lab considers 241 to be at the bottom of the normal range, but that includes some older guys. I am 72 and my T was at 291 and my Endo considered it normal for my age.

Perhaps some others can advise on foods and supplements to raise T naturally or advise on other causes for low libido other than T.

I'm 71 and my T was 238. My doc said he'd like to see it at 500 or better, and see if I feel any better at that level. I've been on Androderm for a month and am having it tested tomorrow. I don't feel much different than before, but I want to see what the level looks like now.

[sliphill]

How low is low. My lab considers 241 to be at the bottom of the normal range, but that includes some older guys. I am 72 and my T was at 291 and my Endo considered it normal for my age.

Perhaps some others can advise on foods and supplements to raise T naturally or advise on other causes for low libido other than T.

I'm 71 and my T was 238. My doc said he'd like to see it at 500 or better, and see if I feel any better at that level. I've been on Androderm for a month and am having it tested tomorrow. I don't feel much different than before, but I want to see what the level looks like now.

This is exactly how I felt. I really never experienced any difference from when my total T was 400, to where it is now at around 1000. Well know, I take that back, the one difference is body hair, I have a lot more of it. I have since lowered my dose to 140mg of Test Cyp once a week. And upped my dose of arimidex to .5mg EOD. I'll see if this makes a difference. I might be making too much E2.

[dg_moore]

How low is low. My lab considers 241 to be at the bottom of the normal range, but that includes some older guys. I am 72 and my T was at 291 and my Endo considered it normal for my age.

Perhaps some others can advise on foods and supplements to raise T naturally or advise on other causes for low libido other than T.

I'm 71 and my T was 238. My doc said he'd like to see it at 500 or better, and see if I feel any better at that level. I've been on Androderm for a month and am having it tested tomorrow. I don't feel much different than before, but I want to see what the level looks like now.

OK, after a month on Androderm I had my T tested again. Before starting on Androderm my level was reported at 238. After a month the level is now reported at 130 ( ). I am not noticing much change in how I feel (energy, mood, libido), but I'm guessing that one of these readings is incorrect. I've contacted my doc to see what he wants to do - presumably re-test.

[rlm1818]

OK, after a month on Androderm I had my T tested again. Before starting on Androderm my level was reported at 238. After a month the level is now reported at 130 ( ). I am not noticing much change in how I feel (energy, mood, libido), but I'm guessing that one of these readings is incorrect. I've contacted my doc to see what he wants to do - presumably re-test.

First off, I'm not a medical professional. What I'm relating is just what I read.

There is an outfit in Oregon, zrtlab.com, that provides an alternative explanation of what might be happening to you when you take exogenous transdermal T, and your venous blood levels of T drop. It is that venous blood levels of T do not correctly measure the levels of T that your body is taking in. The drop in venous T might be meaningless, or even evidence that you're overdosing exogenous T. Let me say right off, that this is not totally mainstream accepted medical consensus. I've consulted two docs about my T, and one totally believes zrt and believes you should measure T in saliva or blood spot as zrt recommends. And another, a professor at the local medical school, who believes this is all bunk.

zrt claims that venous blood levels of T correctly measure what your T levels are if you're not doing TRT, or if you're doing injections or pellets, its still correct. But they claim when applying transdermal T (gels, creams, etc absorbed by the skin) your body is actually absorbing much more T than venous blood levels show, and that if you measure saliva or "blood spot", you will get more correct readings.

Here's their explanation of why your venous blood levels of T might drop, at least as I understand it. You apply the transdermal T. Your body absorbs it. Causes your LH to drop since your body detects the higher T. LH is produced by the pituitary and stimulates your testes to produce T, and since you now have a lot of T, your body is signaled to stop producing so much. Natural T levels drop. Venous blood draw measures the drop in natural T but not the transdermally absorbed T.

How to know if this is what's happening? Measure LH before TRT and while on TRT and see what happens. Your LH should be very high with true low T (if its not that means your low T is "secondary hypogonadism" and you should be trying to stimulate your testes to produce more T, by taking clomid or exongenous HCG which contains LH, not taking expogenous T). If your LH drops to normal or low once you start transdermal T, that is a signal your body is absorbing the T. Similarly your body converts (aromatizes) T to estrogen (E2). You might expect E2 levels to rise too if you are really absorbing T. And, of course what zrt wants you to do is order blood spot or saliva tests from them. They would show much higher levels of T in your body than the venous blood test.

OTOH, if your T drops and your LH stays sky high, or increases, and your E2 doesn't go up, and your blood spot and saliva tests don't show a rise in T, then something else is going on.

I wouldn't go to a doc who doesn't at least measure LH and E2, before and during TRT. Even with injections or pellets you should also be measuring E2. If your LH drops low, your body does not produce T, and your testes shrink, and eventually you loose the ability for them to produce T or sperm. Too much E2 not only makes you feel bad, but most medical authorities believe it increases your risk or heart attack, stroke, and other bad things. zrt blood spot and saliva tests, though, are not really mainstream medicine at this point.

[dg_moore]

OK, after a month on Androderm I had my T tested again. Before starting on Androderm my level was reported at 238. After a month the level is now reported at 130 ( ). I am not noticing much change in how I feel (energy, mood, libido), but I'm guessing that one of these readings is incorrect. I've contacted my doc to see what he wants to do - presumably re-test.

First off, I'm not a medical professional. What I'm relating is just what I read.

There is an outfit in Oregon, zrtlab.com, that provides an alternative explanation of what might be happening to you when you take exogenous transdermal T, and your venous blood levels of T drop. It is that venous blood levels of T do not correctly measure the levels of T that your body is taking in. The drop in venous T might be meaningless, or even evidence that you're overdosing exogenous T. Let me say right off, that this is not totally mainstream accepted medical consensus. I've consulted two docs about my T, and one totally believes zrt and believes you should measure T in saliva or blood spot as zrt recommends. And another, a professor at the local medical school, who believes this is all bunk.

zrt claims that venous blood levels of T correctly measure what your T levels are if you're not doing TRT, or if you're doing injections or pellets, its still correct. But they claim when applying transdermal T (gels, creams, etc absorbed by the skin) your body is actually absorbing much more T than venous blood levels show, and that if you measure saliva or "blood spot", you will get more correct readings.

Here's their explanation of why your venous blood levels of T might drop, at least as I understand it. You apply the transdermal T. Your body absorbs it. Causes your LH to drop since your body detects the higher T. LH is produced by the pituitary and stimulates your testes to produce T, and since you now have a lot of T, your body is signaled to stop producing so much. Natural T levels drop. Venous blood draw measures the drop in natural T but not the transdermally absorbed T.

How to know if this is what's happening? Measure LH before TRT and while on TRT and see what happens. Your LH should be very high with true low T (if its not that means your low T is "secondary hypogonadism" and you should be trying to stimulate your testes to produce more T, by taking clomid or exongenous HCG which contains LH, not taking expogenous T). If your LH drops to normal or low once you start transdermal T, that is a signal your body is absorbing the T. Similarly your body converts (aromatizes) T to estrogen (E2). You might expect E2 levels to rise too if you are really absorbing T. And, of course what zrt wants you to do is order blood spot or saliva tests from them. They would show much higher levels of T in your body than the venous blood test.

OTOH, if your T drops and your LH stays sky high, or increases, and your E2 doesn't go up, and your blood spot and saliva tests don't show a rise in T, then something else is going on.

I wouldn't go to a doc who doesn't at least measure LH and E2, before and during TRT. Even with injections or pellets you should also be measuring E2. If your LH drops low, your body does not produce T, and your testes shrink, and eventually you loose the ability for them to produce T or sperm. Too much E2 not only makes you feel bad, but most medical authorities believe it increases your risk or heart attack, stroke, and other bad things. zrt blood spot and saliva tests, though, are not really mainstream medicine at this point.

I have read similar things also - in a nutshell, if you take T at a dose that does not raise your T level, your natural production of T may be suppressed, which could account for lower T levels after starting replacement therapy.

That said, my internist, who prescribed the Androderm (which I used because of insurance), has referred me to a T specialist (urologist). I will be seeing him in late September. Hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this.