21 and Testosterone Therapy o.0

[Out_n_about]

Okay, so originally I was a little embarrassed to even say anything but I figured the community around here seems to be supportive (hince the name) and has more knowledge as a whole than I could ever get from one person.

So the other day I went to the doctor's office to finally have an issue addressed that's been bugging the hell out of me for a long time. Contrary to how it may seem in the pictures I post, it's severely difficult for me to obtain and maintenance an erection... I'm 21. The wind should blow and I should be able to spring a boner. I've also been experiencing the inability to focus well, been tired constantly, and even though I have muscle, the growth rate is severely slow for someone who wrestled for about 8 years and works his tail off to grow in size and strength. Additionally, my body/facial hair grows back rather slowly... I shave my face about once every three to four weeks.

All of these things together caused my doc to suggest having some blood work drawn and said that it sounds like I have low testosterone levels, which is not an all-together common thing in 21 year-old males. He said that he wanted to start me on a testosterone treatment plan, but we're waiting on my blood work results to see what dosage and what method of treatment would be the most effective.

First off, I know that it's strange for a 21 year old to have low testosterone levels, especially since I'm in good shape, active, and have low stress levels. Secondly, I've been tested for every kind of STD you can think of and come out clean, so we know that that is not an issue.

For those of you skim readers, here's the main point of the post.
Here's my question, I've been reading a lot about treatment and what some of the potential side effects are, but I've yet to see exactly how treatment is SUPPOSED to effect me. I know it's to address the lethargy, lack of focus and erection issue, but is there anything else I should be aware of before considering treatment. Last thing I want is to find out there's these big changes or risks, and not find out about them until it's time to make the decision with the doctor.

I know this is usually an issue with older gentlemen but anyone with life experience that could shed some light would be most appreciated.

 

[canuck_pa]

All your concerns should be discussed with your doctor before you start any treatment.

 

[Out_n_about]

I've discussed them and get the general list of items. My wonder is if the treatment makes enough of a difference to outweigh the side effects.

 

[notN2pussy]

I wonder about that also.

 

[technopeasant]

If you should have low "T" don't stop there and just start taking "T" you should be evaluated by an endocrinologist. Among the things that can cause this is a pituitary tumor or other problem there. Investigating why your "T" is low is an important step. Your doctor will probably suggest that but, the most common problem at your age is a blood leak in the penile blood system. (A bad valve or other anomaly in the penile blood system.) These can happen from excess bicycle riding or an injury. If your blood work is normal consult a urologist.

 

[pmax]

You and your doctor have discussed this at great length already, so there's no need for comment on the testosterone.

What caught my attention was this:

I'm 21. The wind should blow and I should be able to spring a boner. I've also been experiencing the inability to focus well, been tired constantly...

Since this is a community, I have to ask: did your doctor bring up depression? I had these problems when I was 17 and went to my doctor. He thought it was depression, I insisted that it couldn't be because I thought I was happy. I took his advice anyway and he was absolutely right. Started an SSRI, worked with a counselor, and after a few months I was much better. Just a thought to bring up with your doctor if your testosterone is normal.

 

[humdinger]

If properly administered and monitored, it is safe. Here is a good article Testosterone Replacement Therapy...

 

[554279]

If I felt as you presently appear to, I wouldn't hesitate getting a second opinion if I were you, to make sure there are not other issues.

When I was very young one of my friends had to take testosterone therapy and frankly it was because he was pushing 22 and still looked like he had not broken through puberty beyond some wispy hairs around his under grown pecker. Had problems with muscle mass, etc. Not sure about the ED thing though because he said he never had any problems like that and I had seen him a few times with a major chubby (albeit pretty small).

Looking at your photos you appear to have developed fine.

I believe you should talk with the doc about the ramifications of the therapy.

 

[colgan1999]

don't come here for advice....your doctor

 

[Out_n_about]

Let me do a bit of clarification here.

First off to everyone tell me to go to the doctor for advice... I HAVE. I didn't just generate the idea of testosterone therapy for the hell of it. My philosophy is that if there is a way to fix something without the use of medicine or other forms of outside assistance, I will seek that out first. Nothing I've tried has worked, and this was the solution that my doctor and I discussed as a possible treatment option.

Secondly, There is a difference between professional medical advice and real life live-it-out, this is how it effects my day to day life, advice. No offense to anyone here, but I wouldn't take medical advice from a single person on this sight. But in the same measure I wouldn't take my doctor's advice on how to live day to day life in my shoes either. With a larger pool of people you have a higher chance of encountering someone who is/has had the same issue and can give you pointers and heads up for things to come that do not relate directly to the medicinal effects of the treatment. That is really what I'm looking for. Advice on those things that come with the therapy that you might not initially think of, or how it effects your partner, etc.

Pmax: As far as depression goes, I've gone through the battery, and no. It's not depression. Though admittedly, I almost wish it was. Chemical balances are all normal, the testosterone level check is the last thing that we're looking at before we start diving into seeing a urologist.

And to be honest with you guys, at this point I'm starting to think it's a bigger pain in the butt to have the treatment than it is to not get/maintain the erections and arousal.

I'm not asking for an itemized list of "watch out for's" but more so to hear from people who have experience with the treatment and what to expect outside of just the medical side. If all you have to say is "Go talk to your doctor," please just keep it to yourself. I've spoken with my doctor. Multiple times.

Sorry if that seems rude, but the subject is sensitive as it is. I don't need people telling me to do something that I've already done and making me feel even more stupid about having this issue. Thanks for the understanding!

 

[bigred0818]

I don't know much about the therapy itself, but aren't there other ways you can boost your Testosterone levels? My ex partner was a body builder and after a course of Testosterone based steroids, especially at the level he was using, meant that his body had "forgot" how to make its own testosterone, so he would take stuff like Clomid, Nolvadex, Tribulus, ZMA to boost his testosterone back into natural production. Is that a possibility for you instead of the therapy? Or am I thinking of a completely different side to it?

What are the side effects that you are worried about?

 

[Maryland1984]

Hey there, just a thought - there is a support group forum called TC-Cancer.com | Testicular Cancer Information & Support that is for testicular cancer patients and survivors. While you luckily don't have testicular cancer, a lot of the guys on there have experienced issues with low T after losing a ball (or sometimes two) so there are a ton of threads about people's real-life experiences, side effects, long term concerns, etc. That might be a good place for you to poke around and do some research. Hope that helps.

Patrick

 

[D_Alec_Baldtwins]

To the OP, I've known a number of guys, most of them older, a few younger, who have sought testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for a variety of reasons. The trouble is that like any other medical solution, the response, the side effects, and the patient's ability to live with the "headaches" of this technology are so variable, it would be difficult to draw firm conclusions simply based upon anecdotes. The trouble also tends to be that on the internet, you tend to hear from people who represent extremes - those who did very well, or very poorly.

You also have to realize that in today's litigious society, medical professionals often disclose the garbage pail of possible bad outcomes, however unlikely they may be statistically, in order to protect themselves if something works out less than ideally. A lot of bad press about TRT also relates to people who abuse it, not those who are simply trying to maintain healthy, normal levels.

In people I have known, the results of TRT have varied from life-transforming, to basically nil. Side effects have ranged from virtually nothing to significant, though never anything truly awful or life-threatening, and interestingly, the decision to continue treatment or not wasn't based solely on the degree of side effects - some guys were simply unwilling or unable to deal with the ones they had, however small, while others continued in the face of more significant side effects because their life was so much better while under treatment.

The fortunate thing is that this isn't like an irreversible surgical procedure. Stay away from pellet treatments. Go with topicals or injections, make sure you are properly monitored for ALL your hormone levels, not just testosterone, and see how it goes. You have the option to simply quit if it isn't working for you. In the end, only you can decide if it's really worth it.

 

[JMeister]

Get yourself to a world class endocrinologist. You need a full workup to find the underlying cause of your problem. It could be a MAJOR issue with your thyroid, pituitary gland, pancreas etc.

But since you've asked TRT side effects include prostate enlargement, sperm count reduction, testicle shrinkage, increase in red blood cells which can increase the probability of a clot or stroke and increase hair growth at the site of application if you are using a gel.

BTW, There's a similar recent thread (e.g. young male, low T) somewhere on LPSG.

The website below is a bit disorganized but does a good job of covering the basics.

All Things Male - Center for Men's Health

 

[Dave NoCal]

OP, your blood results are not yet in so the issue may not be low T. If it is, I agree that you need to find out WHY this is the case as it is far from normal at your age. Your great pictures clearly demonstrate you are well developed so the problem is almost certainly not congenital.
There are an increasing number of methods for replacing T. The oldest and least expensive (if paying out of pocket) is an injection of testosoterone cypionate every week or two. In addition, gels are available but do not work for some. Within the last year Axiron has become available. It is topical in a stick-type deodorant that you apply to your underarms on a daily basis. Still unapproved by the FDA is Nebido, and injection given at the doctor's office ever 10-12 weeks.
Any of these can cause acne, excessive body hair growth, thinning of hair on the scalp, and polycythemia (excessive red blood cells). All will suppress fertility which may or not be a concern for you. Another approach is hCG injections, which are pretty painless but have to be taken every couple of days. They do not suppress fertility.
Still, if your T is low the reason needs to be found and addressed. It could be a pituitary tumor. Another possible cause is Lyme disease which commonly causes low T, even in very young males.

 

[B_nudebudlondon]

I'm 44 and experiencing similar symptoms I'm first going to try a herbal remedy called Tribulus which from my research has great results and zero side effects.

Might be an idea for you to try this first rather than T replacement therapy?

Wish you every success

 

[danjs584]

I started a similar thread on this back in November:

http://www.lpsg.com/325123-low-t-and-androgel.html

Basically, make sure you get not just the male sex hormones (testosterone free and total, prolactin, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone) checked but also check estradiol (if too much testosterone is being turned into estrogen it can cause low T) and get the thyroid hormones (thyroid stimulating hormone, T4, and T3) and stress hormones (ACTH and cortisol) checked. Any of these things being out of whack can either mimic the symptoms of low testosterone or cause low testosterone. My doctor put me on Androgel before treating my thyroid and all it did was make me start to grow boobs and elevate estradiol levels without raising testosterone levels. Now I have been taking thyroid medicine for the past month and stopped taking androgel and I have a little more energy and my facial hair and head hair is growing faster. There isn't much change in libido but it may take a while for the thyroid to get fixed before testosterone starts to get better. I'm going back to an endocrinologist in March to get everything tested again and if the testosterone isn't getting better he will look into a better way to treat that but hopefully the thyroid will help it a lot.

Also, if your labs do come back with low testosterone and particularly if you have high prolactin, get an MRI to make sure you don't have a pituitary tumor called a prolactinoma which secretes too much prolactin causing lower testosterone. Normally prolactinomas are easily treatable with a dopamine agonist (usually cabergoline) that shrinks the tumor and lowers prolactin. Definitely make sure your doctor looks at all angles because if he starts treating you with testosterone therapy for too long and there is another cause of low testosterone, the testosterone therapy will have already made you less able to naturally produce your own testosterone.

Anyway, good luck and feel free to message me if you have any questions.

 

[danjs584]

I'm 44 and experiencing similar symptoms I'm first going to try a herbal remedy called Tribulus which from my research has great results and zero side effects.

Might be an idea for you to try this first rather than T replacement therapy?

Wish you every success

Let us know how that works out. I'd be interested in trying it if it has good results.

 

[Out_n_about]

Hey there, just a thought - there is a support group forum called TC-Cancer.com | Testicular Cancer Information & Support that is for testicular cancer patients and survivors. While you luckily don't have testicular cancer, a lot of the guys on there have experienced issues with low T after losing a ball (or sometimes two) so there are a ton of threads about people's real-life experiences, side effects, long term concerns, etc. That might be a good place for you to poke around and do some research. Hope that helps.

Patrick

That was a great link and site Patrick =) Actually had a chance to talk to someone about it, who wasn't trying to give me medical advice. Basically what I'm getting is that there's a wide variety of possible side effects, but if the treatment is done well you can avoid most of the physical ones. As far as relational ones, that's a different story.

...get an MRI to make sure you don't have a pituitary tumor called a prolactinoma which secretes too much prolactin causing lower testosterone.

Funny you should recommend this, I had an MRI not but a month ago to address headache issues. My doc said the same thing but because I'd already had one figured that it hadn't developed within a month, and since my condition has been going on for longer than a month we ruled that out =)

 

[IntentsOfCare]

I was talking with an xxy male who started HRT because of our tendencies to have low T at an early age. It apparenlty made him feel reallly awesome and changed his life etc. I have one functioning testicle but thus far I've had no immediate need to start T. Did your doctor show you your blood panel results?