7 weeks on clomid: results so far

Hi guys,

A couple months ago I went to a fertility specialist because my wife and I are trying to have kids. In addition to a bunch of other tests they tested my T. I have long suspected something was wrong in that regard. My libido has been pretty low for at least a year, almost non existent, Im fatigued all the time, brain fog, I used to have a drive/creativity that is gone...

The test came back with:
Total: 410
Free: 5.0 (reference range 4.3 - 30.4)

About 4 years ago, when these symptoms first appeared I went to my doctor who also tested my T.
Total: 533
Free: 101.6 (range 35.0 - 155.0)

He told me it was normal so I never gave it a second thought. (Im not quite sure why the Free reference ranges are different. According to the paperwork, they use the same units of measurement pg/ml.)

Anyways, I started 25mg of clomid every 3 days. These are my results.

The good:
Noticeable, but slight, increase in libido.
Wake up with erection almost every day. Before it was almost never.
Small increase in physical endurance
Small increase in confidence.


The bad:
My temper has become incredibly short. I get mad very quickly at things I probably shouldn't get mad at and it takes me longer than before to get over it.
If i take it in the morning, I cant sleep at night.
Still fatigued
Still have brain fog

About me:
30 years old
Heavy lifting about twice a week
Not overweight
Suppliments:
Creatine
Vit D
Zinc
Calcium
Magnesium
Fish oil

I just drew blood this morning for Free, Total, and estridol. Ill post the results as soon as i get them. I also plan on switching to 12.5mg every day and seeing how I feel.

Free T is always a calculation of TT/SHBG/Albumin if I remember correctly so it's not a test with a number per se. Clomid has a terrible rep for Estrogen, I see guys thinking it's better on 12.5mg though you're not that I can tell on a heavy dose...some guys are on some horrid 50mg/D dosing and it's terrible.

Thing I saw is you need an SHBG test, and the (ultra) Sensitive Estradiol LC/MS/MS <<<< this is crucial, the only test males should be taking for E. Maybe you want to switch up to 12.5mg for a few weeks and then pull labs and see where you're at but it sure sounds like the hallmarks of high Estrogen.

To expand on Vince Carter's observation on free testosterone, it's a devil of a value to capture and utilize in a clinical setting. It's important, most certainly, but direct, rather than calculated, scores are the subject of much argument. An SHBG and sensitive (sometimes referred to as ultra-sensitive) estradiol are key pieces of this puzzle that are missing. Congratulations on your progress...we're glad you joined EM.

Results have come back and all I can say is wow. I felt it was working but I didnt think the numbers would be so high.

Testosterone, Serum - 854 ng/dL (reference 264 - 916)
Free Testosterone - 23.7 pg/mL (Reference 8.7 - 25.1)
Estridol, Sensitive - 32.2 pg/mL (Reference 8.0 - 35.0)

Suspecting that my estridol was high, after drawing blood on the 23rd I started taking anastrozole at .5mg / week. After seeing the results I'm glad I did. My temper has calmed down considerably and I no longer experience the "fits of rage" I was having earlier.

At the same time I increased my clomid dose from 58mg per week (25mg every 3 days) to 75mg per week (12.5mg M-Sa) and I am happy to report that my libido feels back to normal. I also used to experience mild ED which has disappeared.

I will test again in another month and report back.

Thanks to everyone for your information and advice on this forum. I never would have tried this without it. I would love to know what the initial cause of my symptoms was but for now I am happy with these results.

this study is on mobility not volume, but I hope it helps
The effect of coenzyme Q10 on sperm motility and function.

Lewin A, Lavon H
Author information

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.


Abstract

In sperm cells, the majority of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) an energy promoting agent and antioxidant, is concentrated in the mitochondria of the midpiece, so that the energy for movement and all other energy-dependent processes in the sperm cell also depend on the availability of CoQ10. The reduced form of CoQ10-ubiquinol also acts as an antioxidant, preventing lipid peroxidation in sperm membranes. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of CoQ10 on sperm motility in vitro, after incubation with 38 samples of asthenospermic and normal motility sperm, and to evaluate the effect of CoQ10 administration in vivo in 17 patients with low fertilization rates after in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for male factor infertility. All 38 sperm samples from patients registered in our infertility clinic had normal concentrations and morphology. Of these, 16 patients had normal motility (mean 47.5%) and 22 patients were asthenospermic (mean motility 19.1%). Sperm samples were divided into four equal parts and incubated for 24 h in: HAM's medium alone, in HAM's medium with 1% DMSO and HAM's with 5 microM or 50 microM CoQ10. While no significant change in motility after incubation was observed in the samples with initial normal motility, a significant increase in motility was observed in the 50 microM CoQ10 subgroup of sperm from asthenospermic men, with a motility rate of 35.7 +/- 19.5%, as compared to 19.1 +/- 9.3% in the controls (P < 0.05). The 17 patients with low fertilization rates after ICSI were treated with oral CoQ10, 60 mg/day, for a mean of 103 days before the next ICSI treatment. No significant change was noted in most sperm parameters, but a significant improvement was noted in fertilization rates, from a mean of 10.3 +/- 10.5% in their previous cycles, to 26.3 +/- 22.8% after CoQ10 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the administration of CoQ10 may result in improvement in sperm functions in selective patients. Further investigation into the mechanisms related to these effects is needed.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9266524