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.