checking in

[tmckenzie]

So glad to see this is finally up and running. Looks like a lot of hard work has been done. I hope I can learn and contribute as we go forward.

 

[tmckenzie]

I guess I should give some background on myself. My name is Thomas Mckenzie. I am 34, divor Ed and have 3 kids. I have no dou t had low t for ten years. In 2001 gas drilling caused contamination of the water wells in my community in Alabama. I drank a lot of water containing benzene, naphthalene, acetone, and radium 226 and 228. I became very sick. No doctors were of much help. I struggled along till last August and asked to have my t levels checked. Came back at 300. Now when I first got sick in 2001, my t levels were checked, Dr said I had a healthy level of 340. I should have been treated then. Any, trt was began in August of 12. I have regained a lot of my health but still am not 100 percent. Trt has made great improvements in my health, I feel a lot better, but still have sexual dysfunction to a degree, and muscle and joint pain which might never get better but I am working on it. I have been through a ton of drs that were uneducated on this matter, I signed up with defy 2 months ago, and have become much better.

 

[Gene Devine]

Hi Tom, welcome to the forum.

Can you post your last blood work, especially the hormonal labs complete with ranges?

Also, can you post your current testosterone replacement protocol?

I am interested in what you are taking, how much you are taking, if you are administering HCG to keep your testes alive (among other things) and if there is any estrogen management.

Go to the Fact & Question forums and start reading and start learning...the more you know the better you will be at managing your health in conjunction with a well trained hormone replacement Physician in your care.

 

[tmckenzie]

Sure thing Gene. I am a patient at defy medical. I did labs on Friday, but 2 months ago I went with them because my levels were good, but no energy or libido. My levels when checked 2 months ago were 700 total t and 63 free, sgbh was 17, estradiol was 16. that was on 100 MG's of test c split into 2 doses per week. And 2 shots per week 750 ius of hcg and .5 arimidex every 3 days. Dr. Says did not check prolactin, nor dht last time, but from what I told him, he thought low libido could be low dht. So put me on 4 clicks of a 10 percent compounded cream. And 3 of those go to my scrotum. My dhea s was like 30 points below the reference range, and he knew I had low cortisol as my Dr here had done a saliva test. So he put me on 50 mg a day of dhea and pregnenolone. Switched me to 500 ius of hcg twice per week, and said estradiol needs to come up, so arimidex .25 twice a week. We added in 1 ml per day of lipo c for energy. So here I am at two months in, I asked to have labs pulled early because I feel like crap. My energy has risen, I workout and have cut a lot of fat with lipo c. I no longer felt the need for arimidex so I got off thinking it waslow e causing my trouble, but no help there. I have poor erection quality sometimes even on cialis. Libido perked up some but no where near were I was even with low t. And if I had to guess, my t has fallen on the cream based on how I feel. So I added dht and prolactin to these tests, I eagerly wait them as they have never been tested. When I first started trt, my local Dr had me on axiron. After a week of that I was a new man, that lasted exactly 3 weeks, something happened and I crashed and have not felt like that sense. I am hoping defy can get me straight, low t was hell, but this I not the best either. Best thing trt did for me was I have lost 60 pounds. I weigh 175 at five feet six inches, and it is all muscle. Now if I can get that good feeling back and a normal sex drive, life would be great. I am a member on the fb page and have learned a ton there. This forum will be great.

 

[Gene Devine]

Everything above looks correct with the exception of the AI.

If it were me, I'd probably tell the Doc to hold off on the AI unless we see E2 elevate to higher levels.

Low E2 can cause all the symptoms you describe.

Have you had a complete and thorough evaluation of your Thyroid?

Hypothyroidism has many of the same symptoms of Hypogonadism and in fact can cause the same if not treated!

Go to the Thyroid forum here and do some reading.

You want a complete Thyroid evaluation including:

TSH
FT4
FT3
RT3
Thyroid antibodies.

Keep us posted on how you do in this thread tmckenzie.