The short version: Does anyone have any experience with Axiron? The long version: I am 34, recently diagnosed with low testosterone after months of exhaustion, weight gain, low libido, et cetera. My doctor gave me Axiron gel, with a few caveats, but she felt pretty confident about prescribing it to me despite my sleep apnea (for which I am getting surgery next month). I did some research online, which talked of some undesirable side effects, I asked the pharmacist who told me there are none and treated it like I was asking about the risks involved in taking vitamin C, and called my doctor back about my concerns, mainly being:
1. Will this replace the missing testosterone, or replace it altogether, i.e. if I am, say, 30mg short on testosterone, will this product replace that 30 mg, or will my boys shut down completely and I will have to replace all of my testosterone?
2. What about testicular atrophy? How likely is this? She is staring me off on the lowest dosage, but it is still a concern of mine.
3. Realistically how common is gynecomastia?
4. Finally, do I have alternatives to TRT, such as lifestyle changes (lose weight, eat better, reduce stress, exercise)?
My doctor's nurse called and told me that, using my above example, only that missing 30mg will be coming from TRT, and my boys will continue to crank out the rest. The nurse sidestepped the following two concerns, and told me that I am welcome to try lifestyle change, I probably won't see any results for 2-3 months, if at all. For as shitty as I feel, that's a bit of a long time.
This leaves me on the fence about the Axiron. Once I start TRT, my doctor says I can never stop. I'm only 34, that's a long time for me to be using this stuff. On the other hand, I am noticing the effects of my condition on my relationship with my wife, who is awesome and being very supportive, especially about trying the natural route first, but I am trained in NLP and notice behavioral patterns that are indicating that she misses the old me. My relationship isn't in danger, I just want her to be happy.
My apologies for the novel, and my decision making processes are based largely on information, not impulse. Clearly there is a lot on my mind about this. Maybe I am being over-analytical, I don't know. Feedback from anyone who is familiar with this or any form of TRT would be greatly appreciated.
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