I used to take the shot now i use Testim and its alot easier and helps, and my doc usually has a shit load of samples so i havent had to buy any yet.

I would suggest the OP get his thyroid function checked as well.

My thyroid problems CAUSED low testosterone and low vitamin D, which is actually another hormone.


ETA; my testosterone level self-corrected after my thyroid was addressed.

Triublus works well.



But if your test is that low...one option.


Steroids, yes I said steroids and that's exactly what they will put you on. Replacement hormone doses. DO NOT USE THE TESTOSTERONE GELL, its crap and you can accidently pass it onto your wife/kids.


Request the testosterone injections, Test Cypoinate most likely. Weekly or Bi-weekly doses, sounds extreme but you will feel like a god damn walking GOD once your test comes back up in normal to high range.

I'm curious about activate extreme too. i may use that on top of the shots.


I took my second shot tonight,   so far I don't feel any different

Androgel is very effective.  It comes in 5 gr foil packs.  Damn stuff is a pain to put on every morning, especially in the winter when it's cold.  I don't care.  It's worth it!!
Low T can bring on the symptoms of depression, joint stiffness, memory problems and other stuff you want to avoid.  
Adding 25mg of DHEA helps, too.

About 40% of men over 50 have low testosterone and the percentage goes up fast as you hit 60 and 70.  It's a normal part of aging.  
Women have had hormone replacement for decades.  Now it's our turn.

I have heard that if you put testim on your scrotum, it increases you levels faster and higher.

It says on the label, do not apply to scrotum.

Anyone ever tried that?

Icy Hot does the same thing on your balls.  It's cheaper too.

been there, done that as a victim of a practical joke.

it might have raised my testosterone levels but my boys were so traumatized for a while it didn't matter.

Sign me up for some of that!

I've heard that if you normally wake up with hard-on that your T levels are OK.

I think Ive had this before and it went away for me...I mean I never had any tests done...but the feeling tired, drop in libido. Happened to me - took a couple months and bam back to normal. Who knows? maybe I have low testosterone too?

how long will I have to take these shots before I start to feel the effect?  anyone taken them? I forgot to ask the dr.

get a boob job.
( and shave)

what about clomid?  its dual purpose one it can help your levels go up and two give it to the wife and you can have twins or worse

Clomid does not raise test levels, it just helps reset the HPTA.

You are in luck with your low test levels. Tell your doc you want to use an injectable, longer acting testosterone.

Gels are a bunch of crap - they dry out your skin, wash off, and cause rather rapid fluctuations in t-levels if you are not using it on a strict schedule

I've been taking the Novarel injections for about oh, a week now.  i can't feel any difference but it may take some time.

Clomid was mentioned earlier in the thread but I don't think it's supposed to generate new T.  Novarel/HCG I think is supposed to help me create new testosterone on my own.

I just have no clue how long it will take. I assumed it would be fast but either my nads are on a permanent vacation or it takes a while.

If this doesn't work I will have to ask about the shot.

but frankly,  if it means 60 bucks a month for the rest of my life,  I will probably just go the tired and cry at commercials route.  

$60/month for non-test injections?! Crimminy...one can buy a 250mg amp of Sustanon for ~$15 online...but only if you have a prescription

tag

A friend pays $150 per vial at Walgreens.  IIRC, the brand name is Watson Labs, and it is a total of 1g of testosterone (5mL at 200 mg/mL).  While working in China, he bought the same thing in a powder form and mixed it himself for $8/gram.  The medical cartel in this country is a complete rip-off.

What are the units on your measurements?  My test was 20 ng/dl the last time I had it checked.  Despite that, I still can't find a doctor that is willing to talk about supplementing my levels because they're terrified of the DEA.  I couldn't find an endocrinologist in SC that would consider it, and one of the first things I did after moving to the Seattle area is try to find one.  I haven't had any luck.z

I have low T and my number was lower than yours. I first tried the gel and it sucks.  If you get sweaty, it re-hydrates the gel and your clothes stick to you.  It's messy, expensive, and not very convenient.

I now do the shots at home.  First the doc had me injected with 2cc's every 4 weeks, but it made my mood a roller coaster.  By the end of the 4th week I was very crabby.
So now the doc has me on 1cc every 2 weeks and my mood swings are gone.  And the wife unit is much happier now. (She's the one that gives me the injections)
The injectable testosterone is about $20 and theres enough in each vial to last 3-4 months.

i don't know what the units on my measurements were. he just said it was 160 when it should be 400 on the low end to 800-1000 on the high end.



the Novarel I'm taking now is not Testosterone but it's 72 bucks/month with needles.  of course my insurance rejected it because it's used as both a diet supplement and a fertility drug. So I think we can fight them because it's treating a condition that is neither of those.

hopefully that will cut it down. Even if it's 50 bucks a month.  Add that up for life. That's a LOT of nice guns.  If my body doesn't right itself I will have to re-evaluate.

maybe I can get it in mexico cheap in a yearly trip or something.

There is NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING that you can take without a Rx that will have ANY effect on your test levels.

ZMA, Tribilus, ect. ALL complete GARBAGE. Will not change your test levels ONE BIT.
No, I dont care what you Muscletech ad says.
"but, but, the 18yr old on BB.com said..." No, I dont give a fuck. its GARBAGE.


Skip the BS, talk to your Dr. See what your options are, pick one you can live with.

Any update?

I've had low-T for years.  First step is see an endocrinologist who will do several blood tests.  My level was around 140 ng/l whereas, for my age, it should have been around 350 or better.  I've taken Androgel for about 3 years and the only side effect I'm aware of is having peanut-sized nuts because they get smaller when your body stops making testosterone on its own (Androgel replaces your natural T).

So... see a doctor, get tested and go from there.

Incidentally... Androgel now comes in a metered dosage, squirt bottle.  No more little foil packets.  Using Androgel is easy and only takes a minute or two to apply (you rub it on your belly).  It is expensive though.

Whoa there!
Before you go messing up your body biochemistry for the rest of your life....  try considering this:

Keep in mind that doctors, as valuable as they are, sometimes tend to see drug therapy as the solution to everything.  (when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail)
(the kickbacks and financial incentives from drug companies don't help either)

You have already identified the cause:  you are suffering from high stress and exhaustion.  There is most likely nothing wrong with your body.
High levels of stress and exhaustion will do that to anybody.  When the stress stops, the body can return to normal.

The solution:  take decisive action to get more sleep, and to do everything else you can to reduce your stress level.  You might need to change your habit patterns and limit some activities.  Or go take a restful vacation (not a hectic, intense vacation)  Also, get some more exercise, which lowers stress, and IIRC, can increase testosterone somewhat.  

Get your body rested and back to a normal level of stress.  Then, after a few months of lower stress, get tested again and see if you really have a problem or not.

If you really have such high levels of stress that it is significantly reducing your testosterone, you can be sure it is also wreaking havoc with all your other body systems too, and essentially aging you at an accelerated rate.  Do you really want to look and feel decades older than your calendar age?  If you keep up the status quo, that is what will happen to you.  (and the testosterone supplements won't prevent or solve that)

If, after you eliminate the current stress and give your body a few months to recover, it turns out you really have a permanent medical problem, then sure, treat it according to doctor's recommendations.  

I forgot to mention what my doctor told me concerning high stress levels.  Yes... stress does cause decreased testosterone levels in your blood.  He said that, when you are stressed, that your body looks at that like you are being attacked and so all your bodily resources are re-directed to survival.  In other words... if you are under attack, you don't need to be procreating with a woman.  Thus, your T level goes down since you don't need to be screwing when you are in a fight for your life (so your body believes).

Perhaps a vacation would be what your doctor orders.

There is a LOT of bad info in this thread so far about substances.  I would start with AGW's suggestion about getting active and eating right.  I would also look in to Hormone Replacement Therapy.  (HRT)  Like others have said self injections are the way to go.  Go talk to your doc about it.  You will feel much better with normal test levels.

Please don't just take HCG or Clomid.  The people who recommended this don't have a clue what they are talking about.

I'm curious as well.  From what I've heard the effect is pretty quick, within a day, but it takes a few days to really peak.

RF

For some reason, any time I am on creatine suppliments, I get a very strong sex drive.

I wonder how Chantix and Testim will react with each other

Two chicks at the same time.

When I took creatine for a short time I had the urge to flip over mid-size cars, too, so take that for what it's worth...

Crash: Best of luck to you and let us know how it turns out. I am 37 and not quite in the same boat as you, but close enough. Oddly enough I've given up fighting the loss of sex drive and embraced it. It's mentally liberating not scheming up the next sure-fire way to get the wife in the sack.

DHEA and Creatine.   Combined with an exercise program,  it's almost like turning back the clock...except I was never this strong when I was younger.


CJ

Stop eating soy products. Link

OK Update:

I have been on the HCG for about a month and a half now.  I feel no different or not any different from my normal swings.  Still low libido,  still have a 30 minute "time limit" on the spousal entertainer.

I finally got an appointment with an Endocrinologist today.  Actually she was a nurse practitioner and a doctor.  They said it was probably related to my concussions I got playing football. They are going to MRI me next week.

The Dr was very dismissive of anything around the idea of finding out why it was dropping although I think one of you that said it might be around stress and sleep might be on to something.  I'm in a hugely stressful job and it's getting worse. Economy is not helping at all.  I'm in tech and in this economy the stress level is off the chart. hell oboingo's election has probably cost me 50 pts in T fromm the stress.


They gave me Androgel but now I'm thinking I might get the shots if I am going on anything. The nurse practitioner  was very understanding about my not wanting to be on HRT for good. I mentioned my dose of 1/2 cc HCG every other day.  She called her pharmacist and he said that was a very low dose for someone my size (i'm 6'5" and 335lbs)  He recommended three times that dose,  or 1.5 CC every other day or 2 CC three times a week.

I'm going to give that a shot for a week or so and see if I can jump start my nads. If not, I will start a little bit of androgel but i already don't like the idea of that cause apparently my wife can't touch me wherever it's on and I will have to do my laundry separate from hers.  That already sounds like a pain in the ass.

DAMN NUTS!  Why won't they just start working again?

the deck is stacked against my poor gonads,  years of being a catcher and getting pegged in the nads and playing football getting pegged in the nad and then the concussions. it's a miracle they are still even attached I guess.

Get a hooker, have her beat the shit out of you in high heels.

Maybe that will work?

I would also add that look carefully at your workout program.  What are you doing in your workouts?  Are you concentrating on losing weight or strength/muscle building?  If possible, try changing up your workouts to focus on building muscle and give yourself the nutrition and supplements to help.  I was in a similar spot at 31 without the confirmed numbers, but I had zero libido.  I worked too much, slept to little and ate shit in irregular meals.  I had no energy and really could have cared less about sex.  



About a month ago I made a decision to start working out again, but instead of focusing on weight loss like I usually did, I made the decision to focus on trying to make myself stronger/bigger.  I improved my diet (eat more and more often) and started taking a few supplements with a ton of protein.  I got my rear back in the gym and started serious weight training with compound exercises (deadlift and squats are required) on a three day/week cycle.  I don't know if my testosterone levels have improved, but I feel like a new man.  Most days I feel like I have been worked over by a meat tenderizer, but in less than a month I have re-ignited the fire in my belly again.  



 

I have been on Androgel for 10+ years...

I had heart problems (a bad valve) that led to a lot of blood not getting circulated. Which I believe caused my testosterone production to stop.

My levels were down to below 100. Symptoms included little sleep, no energy and no sex drive.

The Dr. recommended shots for a while, but those only lasted maybe 10 days (they

were supposed to last a month). I eventually began using Androgel (Testosterone gel) and have been great ever since.

No prostate problems (checked annually). The downside of Androgel is the expense....

I just turned 55 and am in better shape now than 10 years ago. I exercise, eat a good diet, drink little alcohol, no soda and lots of water.

Chocolate and red wine are my weakness...

Good luck

I was on the shots for awhile and they seemed to help. The problem is I think it fucks with your cartilage and I have had a ton of joint surgeries and am having another in a few weeks. I would like to go back on when I am done with surgery and healed up. My symptoms are temper, fatigue, low libido and just generally feel like half the man I used to be. I am 45yrs old. My doctor told me the side affects are less with the injections. I can't compare though as I have not done the gel. Hope it works out for ya.

What's the name of the injection you take?



I was thinking my chest would look better with a little hair.....
(j/k!)  The hubby's been very, very tired for quite awhile now.  Although he doesn't have any problem with his sex drive.
 I guess he should just go in for blood work.  It obviously could be any number of things.  I just didn't realize that it was so common for you guys to have low testosterone levels after 35.  Is it the male version of menopause?

how is the test done?

how much does it cost out of pocket with no health insurance?

sex change?  

feeling hot... feeling cold....

(sobbing) you just dont understand (sobbing)

Not covered by co-pay  I cry at the hallmark commercials on TV though, so I'm maybe half way there.




Bed-head,  your hubby could have low T.  It is frequently associated with tiredness. that's been my major symptom for the last two or three years.  I still had a sex drive and we have a regular sex life if not more frequent than what most people here have,  the change was I had sort of a timer on the machinery.  my wife is sort of a horn dog and we have a rather extended "scheduel".  She's a woman after all,  with the timer,  I literally had maybe 1/2 hour before I would start to peter out.  The drive was still there,  but sometimes if we stalled too long or spent the normal amount of foreplay, I'd be on the bench before I ever got up to bad.  we became master of the quickie.

it wasn't until just recently that I've noticed a more severe drop in libido.


As far as work-out program,  this is what actually drove me to the doctor.  I thought I was tired because of sleep apnea. I've gained some weight recently due to work schedule and I think getting older.  So I took an at-home sleep test which indicated i needed to be studied for a CPAP.

I realized that if I just ran my ass into shape I would probaby not need the CPAP.  So I started jogging 3-4 times a week on the treadmill.  Problem was, I was not getting in better shape.  My times were not improving and I couldn't go longer.  Also noticed some softening of the muscle mass in my legs and chest.  I was a professional athlete at one point so I know about how long I should respond to training and how fast, this was WAY different.

SO I went to the dr.

I was pleasantly surprised that my adrogel prescription was covered by my insurance except for twenty bucks and they gave me a card to discount even that. I put a little on last night to test it out but it's not gonna work. there aren't any places on my that my wife doesn't touch.  so now you have to remember where not to touch me. Plus it's gonna get on the sheets and my clothes. I don't want my wife sprouting a 'stach or chest hairs so we're going to have to do something else.  Maybe shots.  damn.

That. Plus some serious physical activity like Crossfit. It sounds like you also need to spend a good deal of time in the sun since you mentioned you work in a windowless office in the dark AND you're exhibiting D deficiency.

Low T levels here as well. 10cc bottle of Cypoinate is cheap and covered by insurance. Myself or my wife gives the shot once every  two weeks or so, 1cc of 200mg Cypoinate. I also got a 30cc vial of the red stuff, what b-12. Just started it. Takes a few weeks for the test to kick in, but once it does, woohooo.

What's your diet like?  Please don't say low fat or low cholesterol because if it is, that's a big reason why your levels are in the toilet.

Rather than treat the symptoms with dangerous and risk hormone therapies & drugs, why don't you target the potential underlying causes...

Plenty of Exercise
Proper Nutrition
Setting aside some time each day for activities you enjoy
Stress Relief / Stress Management
Limit or eliminate booze / recreational drugs