TOPIC: Very Low Testosterone - Labs Just Came back

My doctor is saying it\'s probably a \"lab error\" and I have to redo it...but I have all of the symptoms too. ED is worse than usual, sleep sucks, I\'ve been working my ass off in the gym - and my waist line hasn\'t budged. I\'ve gotten some muscle gain, but not like I should.

Plus, I had it done by the LS/MS (mass spectrometry) method which is the most sensitive and accurate way to measure.

Total T 305 (Range 250-1100)
Free T 30 (46-224)
Bioavailable T 60.4 (110-575)
SHBG 45 (10-50)
Albumin 4.4 (3.6-5.1)

My BUN was above the limit, probably due to eating 180g protein / day. Creatinine was normal.

This is just weird. At least, I think it explains the lack of fat loss (if anything, fat gain!) This is the only place where I really post personal stuff...and I don\'t know if anyone here knows about this - but I figured I\'d give it a shot.

I have been only doing things to increase my T, such as lifting weights 4x a week and taking things like Arginine, ALA, & Acetyl-l-Carnitine + eating Brazil nuts for selenium, etc. This is so weird & frustrating. He said he\'ll let me know tomorrow after talking with an endocrinologist & I\'ll probably have to repeat it and do some other things like LH FSH and Prolactin... but I just can\'t imagine what is going on here.

Restoration - Feel your pain on this as I had very low T the last time I checked 6 months ago. I have done an extreme overhaul to my already strict organic diet trying improve T without much luck. Still have to use Cialis daily every time I see my girl. This gives me a 85%-95%. Add levitra to it give me 100% Erection. And my girl is a smoking hot 9(no exaggeration). Frustrating and very expensive.

Been using ED pills for 7 years on and off. Now it\'s like I absolutely have to use them. 3 years ago I started smoking weed. This helped me get erections without ED pills. Thought it was a God send but then it stopped being effective. Went from everyday hitting the vaporizer to once a week and it still doesn\'t have the effect I want. Believe it also crashed my T levels further. Believe it also gave me Seborrhagic Dermatitis which is extremely annoying. So ditched weed, n no alcohol for awhile and still have rely on ED pills.

I kept trying different things over years trying to get T up. I believe morning wood is a good indicator for T levels. No morning wood here. Tried many different diets, supplements, no supplements, no porn for 6 months, cold showers, getting lots of sun, Miracles8x7 test plan, etc. You name it, I\'ve likely tried it. Now about to go on doctor Test plan of Cyponiate,Deca,anti estrogen for $300 a month. Little more than what have been paying for ED pills but at least I hopefully won\'t still have to use those pills and will make sold gains in gym

You know, I think the best thing for me was to just drop everything, such as vitamins, peptides, Viagra, Cialis and so on. I continued to eat fresh veggies, fruits and good meats, fish, rice and bread. One strong coffee in the morning and one good Tea after dinner. I go actually better this way and I found that the best sexual medicine that got me a great hard on was.......a new girl!!! I never have any problem if I have a new girl now and then. So, a new and nice sexual stimuli can be the best thing for good sex....

Thanks Mustang. I bought l-citrulline and that seems to be pretty good actually. I was reading up on it and it is actually better than arginine, it seems. It augments the pde5 inhibitors too. I\'ve been off the \"Cialis for daily use\" for a week (though I did still get a response - I had to add levitra on top of that)...I\'ll go back on after a longer waiting period this time.

Shadow - I actually eat more like 150g protein a day - but I try to eat 180 to meet the 1g protein / 1 lb body weight to add muscle. When I ate below 150g of protein, I couldn\'t put on any muscle at all. It was a huge change at 180, daily...but after a while, chicken, tuna, beef, etc... get repetitive and unappealing - so I end up around 160 on average. My BUN was high because I had a protein shake of 40g right before the test, but the repeat test was normal. Some body builders out there eat 2 g / lb, but I\'m definitely not in that category.

Your protein intake is way too high. I haven\'t been eating well the past few months and it\'s reeked havoc on my body. I\'ve recently adopted a high fat, no sugar diet and I can already feel beneficial effects after only 4-5 days. To synthesize testosterone, the body requires fat. It is sugars that one should avoid.

www.marksdailyapple.com/high-fat-diet-he...-safe/#axzz3ULNEmXTi

Hi Restoration,

what doctor will do these tests? Just a GP upon a request or do you visit a specialist?

I doubt I have a low blood pressure so I would not blame the low gains on that.

So, here\'s the update.

I had a repeat test 2 weeks later and I was normal - low, but normal.

My doctor thinks the reason was that I was taking arginine, carnitine, BRCAAs & a lot of other \"natural testosterone boosters\" and stopped them abruptly (because I just ran out and didn\'t feel like taking more). I was taking a lot of these things (2g arginine per day, 1.5 g acetyl-l-carnitine and propionyl-l-carnitine, etc...). Part of this was for ED, and part was for the gym.

There\'s no way to know for sure, but that was his guess. He said my labs sort of looked like someone who just came off steroids. The repeat labs (which had LH, FSH, Prolactin, and a few more things) were all normal. He said I can repeat this in a little while, and if it\'s still bad there is a drug Clomid that he uses in these cases, but he thinks it should stabalize.

Oddly enough, the ED hasn\'t improved...and I am scared I\'ve gotten immune to the effects of Cialis/viagra etc. It could be due to the poor lower body blood flow that I\'ve treated in the past with another drug (pentoxifylline) - but that drug has really annoying sleep side effects. I think one of the reasons I had a bad PMMA response was due to the poor circulation down there...and I want to go back on pentoxifylline next time - at least 3 weeks before TJ. I had a HUGE Flaccid when I was on that. Well, huge for me, but you know what I mean.

Restoration wrote: Hoodle, yeah for the most part T is associated w/ muscle - but it\'s important in fat loss too. Men actually put fat on in a female pattern if they remain in low T for too long. Women have higher fat, in general, partly bc it\'s genetic - but also lower T. Calorie deficit is the main \"logical\" way to lose weight from the mathematical standpoint, but then there are so many complicating factors like insulin resistance, thyroid, testosterone, food timing, portion size, etc... Calories in / Calories out is how it works, but \"calories out\" can be affected by so many things like what I mentioned. (edited to fix wording) I was eating at a protein surplus (hence my high BUN), but not too crazy with other macros like carbs and fat.

Sick Boy - That was a good list. I am doing a lot of those things...actually almost all - wow. The crazy thing is I\'ve been doing nearly all of that + taking those supplements, and I\'ve never had such low T (I\'m mid 30s)... maybe... the timing of the blood test was bad & I stopped a supplement (that I forgot) and led to a crash? I\'ll have to see on the re-test. I hope it\'s nothing weird. I am gonna get LH, FSH, and a few other things.

And to Undecided\'s point - yes I am going to just go back to a multivitamin & the basics...and see if I test normal next time. This test is already nearly 2 weeks old (mass spectrometry takes a lot longer to get back), and I\'ve tapered off some of those supplements in my journal that had my Dick extra big (they wore off, incidentally...back to 4.5-4.8 EG...not sure how that even happened).

I have been eating a garlic clove one of each meal everyday. This is my 3rd day and i shall tell you this thing is working. Today i woke up with a morning wtood and very horny. So i can testity this garlic stuff is working. Give it a try dude

Hoodle, yeah for the most part T is associated w/ muscle - but it\'s important in fat loss too. Men actually put fat on in a female pattern if they remain in low T for too long. Women have higher fat, in general, partly bc it\'s genetic - but also lower T. Calorie deficit is the main \"logical\" way to lose weight from the mathematical standpoint, but then there are so many complicating factors like insulin resistance, thyroid, testosterone, food timing, portion size, etc... Calories in / Calories out is how it works, but \"calories out\" can be affected by so many things like what I mentioned. (edited to fix wording) I was eating at a protein surplus (hence my high BUN), but not too crazy with other macros like carbs and fat.

Sick Boy - That was a good list. I am doing a lot of those things...actually almost all - wow. The crazy thing is I\'ve been doing nearly all of that + taking those supplements, and I\'ve never had such low T (I\'m mid 30s)... maybe... the timing of the blood test was bad & I stopped a supplement (that I forgot) and led to a crash? I\'ll have to see on the re-test. I hope it\'s nothing weird. I am gonna get LH, FSH, and a few other things.

And to Undecided\'s point - yes I am going to just go back to a multivitamin & the basics...and see if I test normal next time. This test is already nearly 2 weeks old (mass spectrometry takes a lot longer to get back), and I\'ve tapered off some of those supplements in my journal that had my Dick extra big (they wore off, incidentally...back to 4.5-4.8 EG...not sure how that even happened).

Hi Restoration,

I always enjoy reading your posts as there are so many questions I wouldn\'t think of. But one thing in your posts is very common - numbers and figures count. Stop and relax, get rid off all the supplements and pills and vitamins and minerals and do a basic good routine. You have the answers.

UD

Since i reached the age of 43 I worry about the same stuff.

I am trying this following diet/routine to increase my T levels,

1. 100% organic cold pressed coconut oil. The saturated fat in coconut increase T Levels and give me even more strength to lift more.
2. High EPA, High DHA fish oil from Vitamin Shoppe. I take about 3000mg a day or combine EPA, DHA oil.
3. Zinc Piccolinate 50mg a day.
4. Vitamin D. I Go to outdoors and let the sun do its job.
5. I eat avocados, lots of them
6. I Do HITT training, interval sprints of 30 seconds, 1 minute rest. Repeat 6 times
7. Lft heavy weight, compound exercises will increase T levels. Usually shoot for 6-8 reps until I am exhausted.
8. Avoid Masturbating for a month preferably 6 weeks until T-Levels go to the Roof!. The moment I wish I want to rape any ass I see out-there I know for sure my T levels are good.
9. I Watch porno, arouse myself but don\'t ejaculate. Yes, I know you\'ll get blue Balls and hurt like a bitch but it is worth it to have a high libido.
10. I am considering lipo around waist and love handles. I read If you have a lot of fat around the vital organs the fat will not allow enough blood to reach the genitals. Once I go under procedure I\'ll post the results for sure.

EDIT: the woman I am with is unhappy with this routine, but she is fine with it as long as I am loyal and faithful to her.

Would it really explain the lack of fat loss? Surely if you are eating a calorie deficit and lifting weights, low test isn\'t going to be that big of a deal unless you have already got lots of muscle and low body fat. I\'m probably wrong but I\'d have thought the main benefit of testosterone would be to help maintain muscle mass, when on a cut. But even then, the real benefits wouldn\'t be seen until lower fat percentage levels. For the ordinary guy trying to cut down from 20% to 14%, would having low test really be that big of a deal? How do women lose fat?

Yeah, some of that started around 30 for me cuz of peyronies... couldn\'t get a (solid) boner with a 9/10 either (not that I got too many of those, but - 7/10 then)! It never came back after surgery, but in my immediate post-op period I was getting ROCK hard erections constantly. Then, around 2-3 mos, those stopped. My doctor never said much about it other than \"maybe there was more blood flow in that area\" -

These days, daily Cialis helps, except when I got tolerant to it (I think). I took a break for a while...but went back on to have good nighttime erections with the PMMA growth phase happening. I wake up with morning wood 25% of the time or less... it used to be 0%. I think it\'s healthy to have morning wood, so even if I have no sex on the horizon, I try to remember to take Cialis 5 mg and some supplements, especially citrulline (4-6 grams of powder).

I told my doc that low T is also associated with bad sleep at abdominal fat gain, and I have horrible sleep & very resistant abdominal fat...but he thinks that since my labwork is fine now, I shouldn\'t worry about it - and that is all just pharma marketing.