Husband is on Clomid—nothing has changed

[JPB]

Just to point out the obvious testing results, the initial testing showed FSH low, and the later labs showed ALT high (although not extreme) - however, ALT high and AST well within normal range, makes me wonder. Is he working out again? Additionally I would think a course of clomid at the lower dosages makes sense. While is T is reported on the low side, Estrogen seems to be coming in at normal levels (25 - although the test was likely the non-sensitive test which is scorned here). Otherwise, my guess is too much stress. You mentioned your own health issues (what may those be? not be too nosy, but the health of the partner does affect and impact the sexual response of the other), and vet school is very stressful.

 

[Systemlord]

Testosterone is what makes a man a man, without enough hormones you cease being yourself and you turn into a person with little joy in life. You need good hormone levels in order to deal with normal everyday stress.

Clomid is a tool to restart the pituitary gland and few men feel goon on it, if levels fall again after clomid is stopped, TRT is the solution and will work.

 

[Nashtide]

I appreciate the honest opinions but with all due respect, we know the problem is not porn or anything related. I agree that stress has worsened the issue, but anxiety regarding sex and/or desensitization to sexual stimulus is not the root of this.

As you can imagine, many guys on this site are older and have had all manner of sexual issues, so it's natural that they have a bias toward things which they experienced. I take you at your word regarding your husband's mental health. If this issue winds up to be hormonal, you'll have to decide between trying clomid at much lower doses or starting TRT. I can understand the hesitation to try clomid again, but your husband was horribly mismanaged. The upside to clomid is fertility protection. Otoh, TRT comes with the real risk of infertility and a lifetime of injections. So what I'm saying is don't rule out anything at this point.

 

[Jiu Jitsu Dude]

I appreciate the honest opinions but with all due respect, we know the problem is not porn or anything related. I agree that stress has worsened the issue, but anxiety regarding sex and/or desensitization to sexual stimulus is not the root of this.

You would Know. I believe you. Good luck this

 

[Nashtide]

I understand and expected as much when posting here. To be honest, doesn’t make it any less insulting to both of us, especially having dealt with such “accusations” for so long now. We try not to take it to heart and know it’s well intended.

We’re trying not to rule anything out for sure! We will go to therapy at the drop of a hat if we feel it’s needed, same for anything else. Right now I think we are going in the direction of Defy.. which I believe implies TRT. I am a little distraught about infertility but I want nothing more than for my husband to be healthy, happy, and comfortable with himself again. It is what it is.

I'm not suggesting that TRT and infertility are certain, it's just a gamble. If it were me, I'd freeze some sperm before hand and be sure that hcg was part of the protocol. Defy is the way to go. Again, best wishes for a great future.

 

[Mountain Man]

I agree, and thank you. We would be relieved just to get a doctor who doesn’t prescribe cialis and/or a ludicrous dosage of clomid. It’s hard not to focus on the negative but we’re getting there.

Clomid may help. HCG may also be an option. Cialis will not help unless their is an improvement in libido. PDE5s only work if the desire is there, they don’t cause desire. TRT may solve the problem, but at 25 you may want to rethink that, as fertility can be an issue for you as a couple. And, both of you could probably benefit from the stress relief of some type of workout. You don’t need a gym, or even equipment, to workout.

 

[blackebob]

Please update with your outcome, I as others are concerened for you. Also, your post might help someone in the same situation somewher down the road.

Like mounatain man said, go for a hike.

 

[Wolfblood]

Hey. First time poster here.

I'm in a very similar situation as you but I'm the husband. My wife and I moved in with each other in late 2013 and married June 2014. Right when I moved in the problems started. Grumpy, no sex drive, just feeling acky, hot flashes, etc.. After many fights I went to check my T and it was around 166. My primary doctor put me on compounded T because at the time pharm. gels were expensive even with insurance. It might me feel better for a week then nothing. We had more fights and arguments. So I went to see a urologist.

Tested lower again. I was put on Clomid. 12.5 ED. I felt like complete crap for the first 6 weeks. I don't know how long your husband has been on it but it did take a while to feel better. My T got to upper 300s but still no increase in sex drive and more fights. My doctor retired and I went to another one. He put me on 50 ED. My levels went to low 400s.

As far as Clomid goes, I felt better. I was lifting weights 3 to 4 times a week. I didn't feel achy. The side effects of low T went away except for the sex drive. We would have sex maybe once or twice a week which let to more fights. So I saw a new urologist.

He put me on Cialis (compounded by Empower Pharmacy since name brand is ridiculously expensive). It gave me more confidence in performing but once again sex drive stayed low. We had another argument and I am now on TRT. 100 MG Testosterone Cyp. shot once a week which I started about a week ago. I felt good on the first 5 days but crashed on the 6th. It's like my body craves sleep and food now. So I don't know if that is a good thing but like Clomid I have to give it time.

Is your husband against TRT? If it has been a while on Clomid (at least 6 weeks) and no improvement then I think TRT is the way to go. I really didn't want to give myself shots every week but it's not too bad. I use to give myself allergy shots.

Of course, children are important in this subject. The reason I was on Clomid was to preserve fertility but now my wife is getting a partial hysterectomy for health reasons which is another reason for the change to shots. We have no kids and really don't want to have any. In about a month we won't have a choice to have our own children anyways. If he change our minds then adoption is in our future which fine with us because there are so many children out there that need a loving home. Would you and your husband be happy with adoption?

Also, has he gotten his cholesterol levels checked? I think there is a link but I can't be sure but ever since my triglycerides have been high, I have been having T issues. I recently got my levels checked right before I started my shots. Triglycerides were 288, HDL was low, but LDL was fine which makes no sense. I can't lose weight even when I eat around 2000 calories a day and go to the gym. I feel like I'm starving myself and nothing changes but on the flip side I can eat whatever and not gain. I'm a little overweight but have a big frame and muscles to go with the fat. I feel like it all has to be connected.

Metabolic syndrome and low T go hand in hand. Of course, to fix metabolic syndrome you have to lose weight but that's hard when the scale almost never moves. Some are lucky and do TRT, get their weight down, then come off TRT to restart their natural T. Maybe your husband could be a lucky one and be like that.

Anyways, I hope this helps you. You are not alone. Other couples have and are experiencing this. My wife says she feels like she never got the honeymoon phase of our marriage which is a crappy feeling to have.

Whatever you two decide whether to continue Clomid or go TRT just know there are no magic bullets. It's going to take time. I just started the shots and I'm having issues to start out. It might also be from coming off Clomid and Cialis but who knows? Like the Clomid I have to give it time.

 

[fifty]

Personally if my only concern was sex drive i would be trying dhea or pregnenolone or maca or mucuna or fenugreek. All of that stuff increased my sex drive more than trt plus it’s all cheap and available without prescriptions.

 

[Wolfblood]

Personally if my only concern was sex drive i would be trying dhea or pregnenolone or maca or mucuna or fenugreek. All of that stuff increased my sex drive more than trt plus it’s all cheap and available without prescriptions.

Thanks. I've def tried most of those plus some other natural products. Never tried pregnenolone. Sounds promising after looking up info on it.

 

[Nashtide]

Hi all, been a while but didn’t have anything to update. We finally had our Defy appointment and it was lovely, many thanks to the doctor there (I’m blanking on names, sorry), it’s been nothing but a good experience so far. We’ve decided to go ahead with TRT and see where it takes us.

We received our medication today and I just have one question, but it’s too late for the pharmacy and we want to start tonight. He was prescribed HCG injections (as well as T and anastrozole), but my understanding is that the mixture has to be kept refrigerated and agitation should be avoided. We are going on a week long vacation soon and we’re not sure how to take the medication along without compromising it? I can’t find anything on this problem in the forum.

Welcome back. I reconstitute the hcg with the bacteriostatic water. Then I fill all the syringes with the desired volume and freeze them. They thaw in a few minutes out of the freezer. So, when I travel, I take two frozen syringes and keep them in a cooler if I’m driving or I toss them in my dop bag if I’m flying. Don’t fret too much over the few times that you travel. Relax and have a good time.

 

[Nashtide]

Oh wow, would never have thought to freeze them, but I suppose taking premeasured doses makes a lot more sense than what I was thinking. Thank you for the advice, and have a blessed thanksgiving!

It takes a little extra time to draw up all the syringes, but it is so convenient to have the syringes ready to go when I need them. Been using this method for three years with great results. Let us know his protocol when you get a moment. Happy thanksgiving!

 

[Nashtide]

I think I just might do that. It was kind of a whole song and dance to draw them up, it’d be nice to have them ready to go.

Of course, here’s the plan for the foreseeable future:
View attachment 6324

I like that protocol a lot. He may find that 150mg of T is too much, but I think it’s a reasonable starting spot. I encourage you to follow the doctor’s orders and avoid the temptation to change things until you have follow up labs. Have patience. It takes some time to dial in. Guys who constantly tinker take much longer to get this right. It’s not rocket science so don’t overthink things.

 

[Nashtide]

I agree, we’ve waited this long, 3 more months shouldn’t be too hard.

We just filled up half of the medicine supply and the “5mg” vial of testosterone only filled up 18 syringes of .25mg... so only 4.5mg. Is this a normal problem?

I have not run into this problem. I only pre fill a weeks worth of syringes and my rx is for almost twice as much as I take (was prescribed 200mg/week and I inject 120mg/week) so I always have so much leftover.

 

[GeauxBears]

I think I just might do that. It was kind of a whole song and dance to draw them up, it’d be nice to have them ready to go.

Of course, here’s the plan for the foreseeable future:
View attachment 6324

Let us know how this goes! His T levels in the previous labs were truly abysmal, so I’m hoping this therapy will be revolutionary (for you both). As others have posted, make sure you stick to the plan and give it time to work. You are making fundamental (and good!) changes to the body’s basic metabolic functioning, so it takes time to see subjective benefits like libido and mood changes take hold!

 

[Tommy Wall]

I haven´t read earlier comments but would he consider taking a daily Cialis like 5mg and see. Many on this forum do that with success. Some even add on if planned Viagra. I don´t think only TRT is the solution for you 2.

 

[Nashtide]

Hey Aimee, happy anniversary! Try to stay positive. It’ll help him if you can. Are you saying there is no changes in any way or no changes in libido/erections? Six weeks is still early. When is he having labs? Please detail any changes he’s feeling from emotional to physical.

 

[mooseman109]

Happy anniversary!! I get by on only 70 mg over weeks but most guys require a higher dosage. So you have been on this protocol for I guess 5-6 weeks and you are seeing 0 change? Any mood or cognitive improvements?
Most of us here would not wait 3 months before drawing labs again, because we are all impatient!! LOL I would run a CBC and sensitive E 2 and total/free test labs thru defy. Should run about $88 if I remember correctly. I only say CBC due to monitoring hematocrit, if he was in mid 40's prior to it you can skip that $15 portion.
We have never seen his SHBG labs, that would be helpful as well, I am sure Dr Calkin ran that in his initial labs.
There are guys on here who have to have their total T way up there, like 1000 and up ignored to get their free T high enough to be of benefit. We are all different.
I certainly would not be anti Cialis or Viagra. If it works use it! It is expensive, but there are plenty of places to get it overseas for pennies a day. There is a huge thread on here regarding that. All day chemist, reliable pharmacy..... and others. A quick search on here will give you that info.
I can feel your frustration, and I am sure he is dealing with it as well, which of course contributes to the issue. While most of us guys are warriors and not afraid to take on the world, with things like this we can actually be pretty soft, and it takes the support and love of a good woman to bring us back. I know without my wife I am near useless. Hang tough, focus on all th reasons you two fell in love originally and enjoy each other's company

 

[Nashtide]

We’re doing much better tonight, perhaps I updated too soon. Saw more progress tonight then we have for 8 or so months.

He’s had some improvement in sexual desire and dreams, but until tonight there was no physical change. Still not perfect of course but we are encouraged.

His labs are on the 29th I believe.

We’re not against cialis but unless we could get it for dirt cheap, it’s out of the budget.

Glad to hear about the progress. I ask again, has he had any other changes good or bad other than sexual issues?

 

[Mountain Man]

We’re doing much better tonight, perhaps I updated too soon. Saw more progress tonight then we have for 8 or so months.

He’s had some improvement in sexual desire and dreams, but until tonight there was no physical change. Still not perfect of course but we are encouraged.

His labs are on the 29th I believe.

We’re not against cialis but unless we could get it for dirt cheap, it’s out of the budget.

Generic cialis is not expensive and can be gotten from Indian pharmacies like All Day Chemist for less that 2 dollars a day. You should try this, starting at 10 mg per day and you could go as high as 40mg if your husband is healthy. This is important as your husband will be far more confident if he is able to have an erection and some penetration. Confidence in him is the critical element that needs to build along with foreplay where he gives you orgasms and vice versa. Sex needs to be playful and fun and can’t have a science experiment to it. Foreplay, a appropriate dose of cialis, and at some point penetration will be impossible to avoid. Make it fun and it will happen if he has a pde5 in his system. You both will be there soon.