I got a lot of medical tests done early this year. I was passing out at work and while driving. I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t motivate myself to participate in my hobbies or to take care of the house, etc. I felt week and tired all the time. I was worried my anti-depressant had stopped working and that I was going to get in an accident and die.
I took a sleep test and found I had severe apnea, waking or stopping breathing 70 times an hour. Got on PAP therapy and it made a big difference to me first thing in the morning, but I was still crashing in the late afternoon.
Doc had ordered a ton of bloodwork, including various tests for testosterone levels. My man parts have never given me issue, so I didn’t think anything of it. I associated testosterone replacement as the snake oil stuff others here are mentioning, people wanted to get swol, or just vainly attempt to recapture their youth.
Turns out, at my peak, I have 1/3 or less the testosterone of a normal male. And that’s first thing in the morning when it’s at its highest level. I was nervous about trying it as it can have serious side effects, mainly from thickened blood, but the doc said if I don’t like it, no biggie coming off for the most part. I opted for the gel to get a daily small dose instead of the biweekly shot and have a peak and a valley.
My depression is back to normal being treated with a SSRI, I feel more confident again, I am participating in things I like doing, I’m taking better care of myself and my house, and I’m not falling asleep at work, the car, or right when I get home anymore. It’s pretty cheap medicine, and I just run it onto my upper arms and shoulders and make sure my wife doesn’t touch those spots for a few hours.
I thought it was BS, but it seems to really be helping. In a few weeks I’ll have my first blood results after treatment and see how it is going for real, but it’s making a big positive improvement in my life and it’s keeping me safe.
bizarroland@lemmy.world 1 week ago
I had similar issues earlier this year, and I got blood work drawn, and my testosterone total is great. It’s in the 900s out of 1100, which is above average.
But my SHBG, the sex hormone binding globulin, is like 20% over the top of the scale, so my bioavailable testosterone is in the 70s, which is pretty close to a post-menopausal woman’s testosterone.
So I’m taking dhea and a very light testosterone supplement. All of the SHBG is bound up with my natural testosterone, any supplement that I add on top of it turns into pure free testosterone.
I’ve got about another month or so before I get rechecked to see how well it has worked, but I’m sleeping better. I’ve lost seven pounds while making minor changes to my diet. I feel more energetic and outgoing, and I’ve become more active.
It remains to be seen if this is just placebo, but it seems to be working for me.
anon6789@lemmy.world 1 week ago
I’m glad you sound to be feeling better!
I still don’t really understand the how or why to any of this, and I can’t say it’s something that I feel actively working in any way, I just feel a bit better overall.
Both my total testosterone tests came back under 200, so I can only imagine that has at least seen a healthy bump upward.
I wish I had a better understanding of things, my primary doc has been willing to give me whatever tests and all that, but has just been “try it and let me know how it goes” more than anything. The specialist explained a bit more, but she’s off having a baby now, so I feel I’m kinda on my own. I guess I’m fine with not knowing the how and why as long as it works and my blood test comes back fine, but I feel all my docs have been kinda lacking in helpfulness this year.
Between the androgel and CPAP though, I feel leaps and bounds better than I did 3 months ago, and I feel I’m still getting better benefits each week from both still.