36 years old normal T levels, but feel terrible. TRT experimenting?

[Eusung]

Here is my story:
For the past couple years…my energy level, motivation, mental sharpness, and mood have plummetted.
I have had minor cases of depression on and off. It runs in my family (my mom has severe depression and so did my older sister). Nothing seems to work for my mom.
In my case, I would call it minor depression. And I have been seeing a psychiatrist for the past 5 years. I’ve done antidepressants a few times, with mixed results.
But recently it has gotten to the point where I’m barely functional. I don’t eat much or have a huge appetite. My libido feels significantly lower (though I still get morning wood just not as frequently as before).
So I got tested twice at different clinics. And both times I tested in the 600s, which is considered healthy.
Is there anyone here who has had normal T levels but started TRT anyway? And how were your results?
And if I try the TRT for 2 or 3 months to see how it feels…by then would it be too late for me to quit and go on clomid/HCG to kickstart my natural T production again?
One more question: What if I continue to feel awful 4 years from now when I hit the big 40…and I get tested at around 500, which is in the normal range. At that point would it be advisable to do the TRT if I feel awful?


I've done HCG monotherapy....it helped me physically a lot and quickly raised my test by a few hundred ng/dl (able to spring out of bed with little sleep) but it gave me no mental benefits that exogenous T is known for. It also made me feel moody and anxious. So I stopped.

Here are my labs attached.

One of them from an HRT clinic, the other from a general practice dr. Both yielded similar results:

Total test: 663 ng/dl
Free Test: 12 ng/dl (reference range 5.7 to 17.8)

 

[Vince Carter]

No Estrogen test?
I think your Free T looks well enough though your SHBG is a bit higher and eats away at that but 1.78% of Free T isn't that alarmingly low. More like you could be low on Free T but again it's not *that* bad, closer to 3% would be more ideal.
Thyroid?

 

[Eusung]

No Estrogen test?
I think your Free T looks well enough though your SHBG is a bit higher and eats away at that but 1.78% of Free T isn't that alarmingly low. More like you could be low on Free T but again it's not *that* bad, closer to 3% would be more ideal.
Thyroid?

Oh thyroid got cut off in the pic.

Thyroid: TSH 2.23 uIU/ml Reference range 0.27 - 4.20

Estradiol: 32.1 pg/ml

My estradiol rose up to 45 pg/ml in the beginning of HCG monotherapy...then I was given an AI and it went back down slightly.....now that I am off the therapy I am back to 32.2 pg/ml

 

[BigLebowski]

Personally I would have loved to have had your test results (and mine were on the higher side of low before trt). I would look elsewhere as it doesn't seem low t is your issue

 

[Eusung]

I will admit that the cause of my symptoms are probably more to do with personal issues (family issues, stress from work, to name a couple) rather than test levels.

It's more I think it could potentially improve my quality of life and ability to work (the nature of my career requires a LOT of energy and tolerance for stress...it's more of a young person's job).

I look at athletes like Chael Sonnen who definitely did not need TRT, but his quality of life improved drastically. Prior to TRT he was a weird, serious guy. Then after on TRT for awhile, he became one of the most popular stars in MMA and eventually the highest paid. He said TRT makes your whole life better. He said the improved sleep alone gives you an extra 4 or 5 hours in the day to take care of chores.

I'm more interested in the subjective benefits of TRT than improving my physical appearnce/physique (though that doesn't hurt either).

The HCG Monotherapy gave me a taste of what the physical benefits could feel like....but not the subjective mental benefits.

 

[Vince]

You could try low dose clomid, 12.5 every other day..

Are guys that do well on low dose clomid unicorns...or do they really exist?

 

[stx359]

Don't do it. It sounds like you are pretty committed to going down that path but I would not if I had those numbers. Depression can be due to any number of things. Using one person as an example (the MMA guy) is not a way to make that decision, for example for many people TRT has a negative impact on sleep. I know it has for me. I think you are crazy for considering TRT with a total T in the 600s. You may very well live to regret it.

 

[Evilwhitey]

TRT isn't going to fix your issues and will introduce a whole host of other issues for you to deal with.

You need to focus on diet, strenuous exercise, sleep, positive mental outlook, stress reduction/management, etc.

I'd kill to have your natural levels.

 

[JimBob]

This is worth a listen, I think, followed by further research on your part.

 

[BCD19800]

Get a full thyroid panel. I had lots of depression and anxiety issues until I solved my thyroid issues. I had a normal TSH that even went down to around 1 after meds but my free t3 was in the bottom range and had plenty of depression and anxiety. Currently on t4/t3 and 800 mcg iodine. Daily iodine made a world of difference. Feel much better now. You may not have a thyroid issue but dig a little deeper to rule it out. Also look into mindfulness and meditation. It helps a great deal with anxiety and depression. Check out the “headspace” app.