Androgel for T level good but still not so hard?

[Richmond]

Anyone else have this issue from time to time ? The Androgel does a good job it seems but I still dont get rock hard like Years ago Thinking of asking for Cialis or V from the Doc

Any help guys??

 

[RawDog]

It's totally not recommended, but try applying the stuff to your cock and nutsack. Maybe it's psychosomatic, but the skin in thaty area is thin enough to allow pretty good absorption.. Also shave your pubes off. You should apply it to bare skin and do not rub it until it's dry. Apply it and spread it until there's a thin film of goo. It'll dry quickly.

 

[Smartalk]

I Suspect that the reason they DON'T advise you apply it to your penis and scrotal area is that if you have sex particularly unprotected the you partener will become exposed to the testosterone, which will had an effect on her hormonal system. That is why you should always wash your hands thoroughly after applying.

There have been reported cases of young children showing early signs of puberty as a result of dad not washing his hands and the holding the youngsters hand, thus transferring the hormone.

 

[NightFish]

How is your health overall? Do you do any cardio or weight training? How about your diet? Check out the book The Hardness Factor, it will give you some idea what you can do prior to pills.

 

[Richmond]

Thanks guys tried the sack and shaft today so I guess we will see ...

My job is very active im 51 190 and the only vise is still smoking.

Not really and type of workout but all heath tests I passed fine.


When the doctor did my t test it was under 100. He has me use 1 packet daily but I have seen some posts here that look like you could increase it.

Any other ideas??

 

[MC1000]

T replacement therapy can be tricky. Did your doc check your estrogen levels too? A side effect of T therapy can be an increase in estrogen which will kill erections. I've been on testosterone therapy for over four years now and have received quite a few benefits from it. Talk to a doc how specializes in this area (endocrinologist) and see if he can help adjust your treatment to meet your needs. This is still a relatively new field and some doc are netter than others. By the way what was your T level at your last test? It should be in the upper third of the test range. Also, a high T level doesn't mean good erections. Testosterone is not a treat ment for ED. Putting the gel on your dick and balls is not a good idae. The rate of absorbtions is about five times faster there as compared to your sholder. This will cause the T level to spike quickly rather than a control release. This can lead to all kinds of problems...mostly an increase in DHT ( a by-product of testoserone breakdown) which will cause baldness, and most certainly an increase in estrogen which can cause ED, low libido, depression, gynocamastia and feed certain types of cancer tumors. All that being said you may opts for a different method of delivery. I started with the gel then went ot self administered injections. Some methods work better for some people. Also it is very common for men to by on both testosterone and ED drugs. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[D_Pubert Stabbingpain]

T replacement therapy can be tricky. Did your doc check your estrogen levels too? A side effect of T therapy can be an increase in estrogen which will kill erections. I've been on testosterone therapy for over four years now and have received quite a few benefits from it. Talk to a doc how specializes in this area (endocrinologist) and see if he can help adjust your treatment to meet your needs. This is still a relatively new field and some doc are netter than others. By the way what was your T level at your last test? It should be in the upper third of the test range. Also, a high T level doesn't mean good erections. Testosterone is not a treat ment for ED. Putting the gel on your dick and balls is not a good idae. The rate of absorbtions is about five times faster there as compared to your sholder. This will cause the T level to spike quickly rather than a control release. This can lead to all kinds of problems...mostly an increase in DHT ( a by-product of testoserone breakdown) which will cause baldness, and most certainly an increase in estrogen which can cause ED, low libido, depression, gynocamastia and feed certain types of cancer tumors. All that being said you may opts for a different method of delivery. I started with the gel then went ot self administered injections. Some methods work better for some people. Also it is very common for men to by on both testosterone and ED drugs. Hope this helps and good luck.

What he said!
Androgel will aromatize over time and most docs will tell their patients to increase the dose. Unfortunately, it will continue to be a problem and the only way to *correctly* treat low T is through regular injections. If they are not regular, you are prone to high E due to the T increases after the injection but then decreases until the next. In any case, any T supp will shut down your own body's natural T production so regular testing is essential and not just for Total T. Free T, and E2 (Estradiol) as well as LH/FSH and various other Hypothalamus, Pituatary, Testicular axis tests must be regularly given. BTW, E2? You actually need that for libido but too little or too much will kill it. It is essential that your doc test for this as well as Free T.

I encourage all men to try the natural alternative first. DIM is a scientifically formulated cruciferous vegetables concentrate that naturally regulates both male and female hormone levels back to normal. Often, this alone will get a man's T level back to where it belongs.

 

[Richmond]

What he said!
Androgel will aromatize over time and most docs will tell their patients to increase the dose. Unfortunately, it will continue to be a problem and the only way to *correctly* treat low T is through regular injections. If they are not regular, you are prone to high E due to the T increases after the injection but then decreases until the next. In any case, any T supp will shut down your own body's natural T production so regular testing is essential and not just for Total T. Free T, and E2 (Estradiol) as well as LH/FSH and various other Hypothalamus, Pituatary, Testicular axis tests must be regularly given. BTW, E2? You actually need that for libido but too little or too much will kill it. It is essential that your doc test for this as well as Free T.

I encourage all men to try the natural alternative first. DIM is a scientifically formulated cruciferous vegetables concentrate that naturally regulates both male and female hormone levels back to normal. Often, this alone will get a man's T level back to where it belongs.

I tried on the shaft and balls and over the course of the day had lots of stuff happening, warm fuzzy when someone attractive was seen, a semi or two and my erection was a STAFF.


It has been a while since I had all that in 24 hours

I am on 1 pac a day of androgel. My t level that was on my chart was 63. I have no idea what that means and I asked my doc, he did not say too much more.

I was on it 2 years ago but had issues with insurance coverage every time I went to get it filled.

I started again 2 boxes ago. Muscle mass is better for an old fart but erections not so much. Arousal is better for the most part and my junk feels like a penis when I touch it versus a piece of skin.

My balls have definatly shrunk a bit as they did before when I used it. When I asked the Doc he just laughed and asked was it working the first time...


I don't understand the DIM and did a google but saw nothing can you expand on this ? Thanks

 

[D_Pubert Stabbingpain]

I tried on the shaft and balls and over the course of the day had lots of stuff happening, warm fuzzy when someone attractive was seen, a semi or two and my erection was a STAFF.


It has been a while since I had all that in 24 hours

I am on 1 pac a day of androgel. My t level that was on my chart was 63. I have no idea what that means and I asked my doc, he did not say too much more.

I was on it 2 years ago but had issues with insurance coverage every time I went to get it filled.

I started again 2 boxes ago. Muscle mass is better for an old fart but erections not so much. Arousal is better for the most part and my junk feels like a penis when I touch it versus a piece of skin.

My balls have definatly shrunk a bit as they did before when I used it. When I asked the Doc he just laughed and asked was it working the first time...


I don't understand the DIM and did a google but saw nothing can you expand on this ? Thanks

Sounds like you need to find a doc that spends less time laughing at you and actually gives you some answers. 63 is a useless number unless you know the range and what is being measured. Ask for the original copy of your test results.
:frown1:
Your balls will shrink with any exogenous(outside of the body) T because your hypothalamus senses that you are getting too much and notifies the pituatary to shut down T production by delivering less LH. That is why a good doctor will regularly monitor all your hormone levels.

Print out a list of your insurance "in network" doctors and then spend some phone time talking to the office people to find out if the doctor orders hormone testing. Keep calling different ones until you can find one that does. Unfortunately, you may have to go "out of network" to find one. :frown1:

In the meantime, you can try 1 Gram Arginine supplement with each of 3 meals per day and 1-30 mg Zinc per day (don't take more than 30mg because you are probably getting some in your daily diet). That combo can put lead in your pencil virtually overnight. If it does not in say, 2 days, tell the new doc you get that you tried it.

Are you located in the U.S.? Here are some typical "normal" ranges of the hormone tests you need:
Labcorp (I used it through DirectLabs online)
Iron TIBC 250-450
Iron UIBC 150-375
Iron, Serum 40-155
Iron Saturation 15-55
LH (male to age 69) 1.5-9.3 LH hormone tells your testicles to make Testosterone.
FSH (male > age 15) 1.4-18.1 FSH hormone tells your testicles to make sperm.
Serum (total) Testosterone 241-827 Total T range is stupid. IMHO every man should be near 800 level.
Free Testosterone 7.2-24.0 Best to be on the high end of this one too.
Sex Hormone Binding Glob (SHBG) 13-71 This test is not always used if Free Serum T is used.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) 30-85 This is what T converts to and it is bad stuff for your hair and your prostate. I say, the closer to the bottom of this range the better.
Estradiol (E2 Estrogen) <54 Should be kept between 20-30. Too little kills a man's libido, too much does the same.
Serum Estrone (E1) <67 Mine was actually close to the high range and has now gone down but typically is not an issue for men.
Cortisol 4.3-22.4 (AM) 3.1-16.7(PM)
Fasting Insulin <29.1

In a period of 7 months taking DIM my Total T jumped from 671 to 801 but, more importantly, my Free T was LOW at 6.9 and it jumped up to 17.1. My LH increased from 2.9 to 4.6. My E2 decreased from 36 to 24. I started having nighttime erections again for the first time in many years. Try looking for DIMFAQ but remember that although DIM will regulate your hormones 1) it will take time to get back to normal after taking Andro or T-Gel or injections and 2) you may have more going on than simply hormone regulation. At the very least you need a doc who will order the above tests or, if you have a FLEX plan at work you can use that to pay for what your insurance company does not pay and order the tests yourself online.
Best wishes to you.

 

[Richmond]

In the meantime, you can try 1 Gram Arginine supplement with each of 3 meals per day and 1-30 mg Zinc per day (don't take more than 30mg because you are probably getting some in your daily diet). That combo can put lead in your pencil virtually overnight.


Holy Crap that worked REAL well thanks

 

[FuzzyKen]

This is kind of a mess.

A testosterone level of 63 would tend to indicate a major problem. Normal range on serum testosterone is between 300 and about 850. A serum level at 63 would tend to indicate a total and complete shut down because there is some production in the liver as well.

You need a major endocrinological work-up by a professional and a specialist dealing with male reproductive issues.

Another member mentioned the other hormones involved and those regulating testosterone production. This member did an excellent job and I would agree that you are being severly compromised by these issues.

One thing that has not been mentioned here. There are multiple different versions available of androgel. The worst problem with this can be the prescribing of the wrong one for the problem. In your case, I would wonder about the correctness if the version prescribed for you as a hypogonadal male was not derived from dihydrotestosterone. Where testosterone esters such as cypionate and enanthanate aromatize and upset the pituitary axis a great deal those based on DHT do not tend to have this effect. Unless DHT is given in horse doses it does not aromatize in and of itself . Because DHT has already been 5-alpha reduced it is also not recognized by the pituitary gland.

I am sorry pal, forget the other sups for a while and get your butt back in to a very qualified MD. (The problem will be finding one that is in fact qualified).

That testosterone level and the treatment of it without really complete evaluation of the entire picture has some potential to be dangerous and make additional problems.

It is common for testosterone levels to drop as we age. Right now I am facing testosterone replacement and I am going to be damn certain that I get what fixes the problem and that my MD is current and not living on data that is 30 years old because he or she has listened to a bunch of crap and does not personally believe in male HRT.

Get in to the doc my friend, this is what you need. . . .

 

[D_Pubert Stabbingpain]

This is kind of a mess.

A testosterone level of 63 would tend to indicate a major problem. Normal range on serum testosterone is between 300 and about 850. A serum level at 63 would tend to indicate a total and complete shut down because there is some production in the liver as well.

You need a major endocrinological work-up by a professional and a specialist dealing with male reproductive issues.

Another member mentioned the other hormones involved and those regulating testosterone production. This member did an excellent job and I would agree that you are being severly compromised by these issues.

One thing that has not been mentioned here. There are multiple different versions available of androgel. The worst problem with this can be the prescribing of the wrong one for the problem. In your case, I would wonder about the correctness if the version prescribed for you as a hypogonadal male was not derived from dihydrotestosterone. Where testosterone esters such as cypionate and enanthanate aromatize and upset the pituitary axis a great deal those based on DHT do not tend to have this effect. Unless DHT is given in horse doses it does not aromatize in and of itself . Because DHT has already been 5-alpha reduced it is also not recognized by the pituitary gland.

I am sorry pal, forget the other sups for a while and get your butt back in to a very qualified MD. (The problem will be finding one that is in fact qualified).

That testosterone level and the treatment of it without really complete evaluation of the entire picture has some potential to be dangerous and make additional problems.

It is common for testosterone levels to drop as we age. Right now I am facing testosterone replacement and I am going to be damn certain that I get what fixes the problem and that my MD is current and not living on data that is 30 years old because he or she has listened to a bunch of crap and does not personally believe in male HRT.

Get in to the doc my friend, this is what you need. . . .

Thanks for the DHT clarification FK.

I too found that T levels of 63 and 100 "suspect" and could be a different lab measurement or percentage or it could have been anything and the doc had no clue or at least did not make themself clear. Now that Richmond says the Arginine and Zinc really helped, I wonder even more what those numbers really represent. Somehow I think that if his T levels were that low, they would not have helped him at all.

FK is very much right on target though. I had 3 different docs in 3 different States tell me I had a "normal" T level. One even wanted to dose me with anti-depressants. Well, duh, if you have low T, you will be depressed! Bottom line was that it was up to me to find a doc to order a Free Testosterone test (I checked out one of those online Testosterone ads and found a doc within an hour's drive) and it came back marked as "Low." He wanted to put me on a pellets in the ass regimen but my job was eliminated and I was severed so I opted to try the DIM. It got my Free T back into normal, my E2 down a bit, and my Total T into high normal. I can live with that for now.

Richmond, you do really need a full blood workup. It is expensive but worth every penny. It is, afterall, your health.

 

[johnbones5]

If you haven't stopped smoking you should. Eat plenty of anti-oxidants and exercise in moderation. A lot of the problem which androgel doesn't touch is desire or a rise in libido. Androgel will get your testosterone up but your desire might not increase.WHat is your cholesterol levels like? If you have some blockage and most likely you do, that can be an issue. there's nothing like take androgel and you will have erections all the time, you have to be turned on pyschologically first.

 

[Richmond]

Thanks all for the help so far. I have a blood workup list that has about 6 things on it for labcor in the am.

To add some more info, this has been a re occur ing problem for the last 20 or more years.

Age of course is probably not helping any. I also know that I was instructed years ago to start a b12 supp as my body no longer does what it did. ( father had injections daily)

When I went to the Doc (now 2 1/2 years ago) and said that I was having problems with libido and errections he ordered a PSA which was .05?? Said that was fine.

I took injections of T for 6 months at which time he asked how it was and I said much better it seemed. He wrote a scrip for androgel and I took it on and off for the first year as I could with crap for insurance and a $400 monthly charge when they wouldn't.

Seemed to work ok for a good while and I returned to the Doc this past march as the scrip ran out.

He asked how it was and I asked for something other than the gel but he gave no options and gave another scrip and a followup in 6 months to review.

I called today to ask about blood work and the nurse put the papers through.

Smoking still and the last cholesterol test was in the 80's.

 

[D_Pubert Stabbingpain]

Looking forward to seeing the results, make sure your doc doesn't just tell you but gives you a copy so you can start monitoring your own health from year to year.

Part and parcel of you taking charge over your own health is to become informed. There are 3 types of cholesterol and you can read about them and triglyceride levels here:
What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean
There are even more advanced tests that are more indicative of your heart and overall health.

All the best!
:smile:

 

[Richmond]

Thanks for all the input guys! Feeling better overall but did apply to shaft area as well as my abs ( what little there is LOL) My junk actually feels like its there for a change which is nice. Any of you using this and at the same level 1 a day ? I saw someones that said 6 pumps a day but I don't get that ?

 

[RawDog]

Androgel also comes in a pump dispenser bottle. 4 pumps = 1 packet.

 

[Richmond]

thanks for the info

 

[grower_60]

Great post. I've been thinking of finding a doctor and going through the process.

I'm 60, use Cialis and Viagra in moderation and not together. I can have sex without the pill but she notices the harder cock when I use the pill. Pretty good success with each. I PE also and have noticed better erection, a little longer and thicker but not really harder unless I use the pills. She has noticed the PE too, the little longer, thicker.

My Regular MD told me about 7 years ago that My T level was in the low normal range. I wanted to get in the high normal but he wouldn't oblige. From what I read online and in this post it is quite complicated. I don't think my MD is qualified for Male hormone replacement. It really is a take your health into your own hands world we live in.

Anyway, Richmond I'm hoping the best for you.
Longer, harder, stronger.

 

[Richmond]

Back at Ya While I play both ( mostly Guys ) The funny part is I have the cycling on the tv and have been in a slight ahh "state" for a bit. Thats been a while and I like it !! LOL