Re: New member-need urgent advice on ongoing t issues
Hello, I just registered and hope to get some feedback. I have a massive and urgent issue with low T as I have been struggling with it for 12+ years. I am 44 years old in South Florida (Ft Laud/Boca area rather than Miami) and have felt like I was 80 for many years. The first years I ignored it and placed it as a result of 90 hours a week of worklife and no social life. However, I began to crash physically and felt like it was the end. My numbers were initially 85 for my T levels 4-5 years ago and not aware of my free T. My issues are not just ED but the total package of low quality of life I have been coping with for many, many years. I have ZERO sex drive and no connection to women at all-that lust for life is totally non-existent and low-energy, mental crashing affecting my ability to work & concentrate, depression, etc-you name it I have it while looking normal on the outside, I feel like I am terminal internally. 5 years ago I finally started Androgel with primary with no help at all then an endo and began shots instead for the last 3+ years. My numbers began to rise leveling at 450-550 but really no change in my life OTHER THAN not falling asleep in the day. My endo said YOU ARE GOOD! NO ISSUES! I was 40+ with 500 average T reading after reading with no physical changes for the better and told NO ISSUES-BYE!!! No change in ED getting better, sex drive, energy, ability to concentrate and focus, life passion, etc. I was like physically screaming inside and he did not care-year after year-YOU RE FINE! YOU ARE 550 T-that's normal! As we know, even if it was efficiently used in my body, 550 is good for a 70 year old not 40 year old plus I was probably getting use of 20% of that.
My new primary who is great just referred me to a urologist in Dec 2013 who I was thrilled to go to for a fresh view. I tried to convey to him my life is a mess as he barely listened-I have no energy, I cannot sustain relationships with women since I have zero desire yet my heart wants it and overall my quality of life is a one out of ten. In January of this yr, I did initial visit and was taken off T shots for 6 weeks so he could test all my levels with no T shots in me and just see my natural levels-it was brutal as I fell back into barely moving and falling asleep at 2-3 after full 8-9 hours at night (I take 1.5ml every 3 weeks) and I endured it so I could have this great visit in my mind with an overall picture of what is going on! Instead, I went back today after he took 20 tests and got the results with no T shots in me. I cannot tell you how excited I was today for the first hope in 15 years-this was gonna be my big day when I finally had a full picture and some solutions! Well I should have known-the medical system let me down once again. The urologist rushed in quickly after rushing from hospital. He reviewed my blood tests and in 2 minutes started jotting notes and wrapping up-I WAS LIKE HUH?? He had not even barely said anything and said I will see you in 3 months! He said good to go! He said all my prolactic/estrogen levels were "normal" and everything else was fine. I SAID WHAT WAS MY T LEVELS??? YOU READY? HE SAID "65" yes "65 L" and my Free T was 12.7 L which is basically pretty close to being DEAD! When I approached it as he started leaving and I was stunned, he said OH THAT WAS A BOUNCE BACK FROM NOT TAKING THE SHOTS!!! I SAID NO KIDDING BUT DOESN'T THAT TELL YOU I AM IN REAL TROUBLE AND THE T SHOTS BRING MY NUMBERS UP A BIT BUT STILL NOT BEING USED IN MY BODY HARDLY AT ALL! I AM NATURALLY A 65 LEVEL OF T !!!! How can this Dr just say "well now you have had your shot you will get back to 450-550 and all is well": that was the whole point of me going through this the last 6 weeks-I am not well. He just referred me to a new ENDO-FORGET IT! I will never go to him again.
I cannot go to someone he refers me to with the same level of caring! I truly am losing hope as I am really, really ill and no one hears me. I lost my business and desperately trying to reboot my life but have no tools to do so with these issues-only someone who has suffered like me understands this hell I am in! After 18 years of success and now this time with no money, lack of work and everyone judging me like "What the hell is wrong with him-just get up and restart your life" They truly do not understand. I had a brain MRI 4 years ago and it showed the pituitary is my issue but I am sure it is testicular as well. I really have not had anyone explore the pituitary to test for a tumor or go indepth which is my instinct of the potential problem. Wouldn't that be obvious to a Dr? I have little blood flow in genitals and also have diabetes recently and overweight BUT...the Dr's all look at that as one of the main issues. However, when all this started 10-12 years ago is when all these body issues happened-my blood levels were great 2 years ago while over 10 years into this issue and I gained 80-90 lbs SINCE this issue so they are looking at it backwards "WELL IF YOU LOSE WEIGHT AND GET DIABETES UNDER CONTROL-YOU'LL BE BETTER!" I have been on diabetes treatment for a year and conquered it with meds & diet-A1C levels almost prediabtees now-guess what? No change in my T issues so... Sorry for long note-lots more to say but I know someone has been through this and need guidance on answers! Please let me know if you have any advice-I am growing hopeless and wish the 2 main Dr's gave a damn but they simply could care less. Also, I have great Blue Cross Blue Shield so not bad Dr's in theory but are really sad excuses for people suffering like this. Thanks for your help! Hookman
