Finally found somewhere I can communicate with people.

[cocarr]

Boy am I glad I found this forum.

My name is Cody, I am a 34 year old firefighter/paramedic in Colorado. I am married and have 3 little ones (6, 3, 5 months).

I recently had my T and thyroid checked due to many symptoms and just generally not feeling myself the last few years. I obviously have a hectic and somewhat stressful work schedule and recently changed jobs (to a private company) so my wife could stay home with our little ones. I would think these changes are the reason but I have been feeling "different" for years.

I have all but completely lost my sex drive and even though kids have that affect on life it has become worse more recently which is unfortunate since I am lucky to be married to a woman who is very generous in that regard. I have gained an excessive amount of weight over the last few years not due to diet change but a complete lack of energy 24/7. I have always been athletic and did play, or attempt to play, college football for a short time (3 weeks haa) so not having any energy is not the norm for me.

Unfortunately I am at work so I dont have my exact lab work in front of me but my total testosterone level was 220. I am due for my follow up lab work in 3 days but given the fact that I have known something was "off" for years I am fairly certain that the retest will have similar values. In the last month I have started taking, magnesium 300mg, zinc 50mg, vitamin D and fish oil as I read that those can increase T levels. I have yet to feel any changes from them and will be interested to see if they have any bearing on my follow up lab work.

I have researched T treatments and am very apprehensive about starting it at such a young age. I am also very concerned about the side effects of treatment, increased prostate, breast growth, and more over worried that once I start any sort of treatment that I will not ever be able to get off of it. I know obviously if I got back in the gym regularly and lost some weight it couldnt hurt but that is hard to do when you have 0 energy.

I am not sure that I have actually asked any questions here but more curious of your opinion. Has anyone here had positive results using that vitamin regiment? I am also a touch nervous since my PCP and his PA are very very old and most likely not up to the "new" treatments. Some advice in that regard would be great so I dont allow them to start me on a harmful or "old school" treatment that is out of date. Also to add I am done having kids so sperm count is not a factor that I am concerned about.

Nelsons' book should be at my doorstep in 2 days which will most likely answer a bunch of my questions. Thanks for reading and any input any of you have is greatly appreciated.

 

[OMI100]

Read up on thyroid. There are some good links posted on this site. If your PCP just ran your TSH and makes a call based on that you have your work cut out for you. TSH is meaningless. If your PCP did not at least run a free t3 and free t4 you may need to ask for additional testing. It is hard to find an ENDO, much less a PCP, that fully understands the thyroid and thyroid hormones.

 

[cocarr]

No they ran a CBC and BMP + Testosterone levels. My other values were all right in the middle.

My TSh was 4.2 and your right she did not run a thyroid panel or t3, t4. Her follow up lab order did not include them either or free T.

.

 

[James]

Cocarr - I had to seek advice elsewhere, as I just didn't feel my PCP had the level of knowledge I was looking for. I went to an age management doc and then a testosterone clinic...what a difference. I'm 42 and also thought I was too young for TRT, then I got to a point where the symptoms of low testosterone were so bad for me, I was willing to take that risk.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Cocarr

We are so glad you are part of our buddy community. It seems to me that you have a few basic questions that can be answered by reading the book (you can read it in probably one hour). I would suggest that you do so and then ask us as many questions as you can until you get the help you need.

Nelson

 

[OMI100]

My TSH was running in the middle of the range and I had no outward signs such as an enlarged thyroid, but when I went to see a new (TRT) DR, and he did the Q and A's with me, he ordered an ultrasound based on my symptoms. Who would have thought… A BIG honkin' nodule was hiding and pressing inward and not outward, thus the palpitation of my thyroid never caught it. After the radioactive dye stuff and then a FNA, it all came back non-malignant. DR said most likely my thyroid had been hosed for a long time…. Cycling off and on (my understanding of what he said). I am on Armour now and feel a whole lot better. My thyroid issue was missed by my old PCP who is an excellent DR. but my TRT DR understands hormones and symptoms better than the majority of ENDOs, not to mention most general PCPs.

 

[EverettCD]

Cocarr, good to see a brother Fireman on here. Our line of work & schedule doesn't do our health any favors. Shift work + waking up at all hours of the night going from a dead sleep to 90 mph in less than a minute + stress + all the toxins/diseases we are exposed to + keeping up with our little ones & wife at home = years taken off our life if we don't take care of ourselves.

I was diagnosed with hypogonadism (Low T) about a year & a half ago (33 yrs old). For a few years I had been feeling tired, low libido, weight gain, no drive, strength loss & my assertiveness was gone. Looking back I wish I would have began TRT sooner than I did, not only did it cause unneeded stress in my marriage but it caused problems at work that under the best of circumstances could have gotten one of my guys hurt. My TRT protocol (60mg Test Cyp every 3.5 days, 350iu HCG Mon, Wed, Fri) along with a major overhaul of my diet has greatly changed my life.

I agree with the guys above posts that you should see a Dr that specializes in TRT/Anti Aging for men. My PCP is a great Dr, he has been my Dr for years but his TRT knowledge is minimal. Finding the Urologist that I see now at Baylor College of Medicine was the best move I made for my TRT & quality of life. If TRT ends up being the best option for you don't hesitate, it will greatly increase your quality of life.

Good luck brother & stay safe.

 

[cocarr]

Thanks for the words Everett. Our lifestyle is crazy. I have been a fireman for 16 years in one form or another and like to think that I am immune to the stresses of it but that is me merely convincing myself that it has no impact on my everyday life or health for that matter. The fact is it does weigh on us and going from 0-90 that frequently is exhausting both mentally and physically even if we wont admit it.

As I said I recently quit the FD I worked for to go work as a fire/medic for a private company. That entailed giving up the feeling of being a "real" fireman since I now only deal with occupational health type of calls, no mva's and very few fires. In my state of denial I assumed my fatigue, weight gain, lack of interest in the bedroom was work related. It turns out that may have not been the case.

What kind of specialist is best? A urologist? Endo? Seeing as this is a life long commitment I want to make sure I start off in the right direction. My PCP will likely refer me immediately as he is not too proud to admit something like this is out of his realm.

 

[Vettester Chris]

Cocarr, glad you joined!! When you get all of your labs please post them up. I suspect thyroid problems as others have mentioned, and a good chance you are dealing with adrenal issues, which in itself will complicate the thyroid's productivity.

Look for a hormone/wellness physician that specializes in this field. You can look at the A4M site to get a better idea of the type of doctor to look for: http://www.a4m.com/

 

[cocarr]

Chris, thank you for your reply. My PCP is very old haa and his PA is 79 years old. They are amazing pcp's but way out of touch. I asked her to order the labs just on a hunch and all she ordered was total T and thyroid. Prior to my second lab I found this site and had a better idea of what lab work really needed to be done but even if they had done all of the proper labs this is obviously way out of their court so I figured I would let them repeat the T and then I will move on to a specialist. My total was 220 so I am sure it will once again be low prompting them to refer me.

I also started reading Nelsons' book this morning which is loaded with information for us rookie lowTers. My wife took a picture of it since I never read.

 

[OMI100]

Nelsons book is GREAT. After you read it head over to Dr. Crisler's site and download his "TRT: A Recipe for Success" paper and the revised power point presentation same name. If you can not find a suitable DR in your area and if your PCP is open minded, give him a copy of each ask ask to have the labs, as noted, ran along with a complet thyroid work-up as a start. http://www.allthingsmale.com/publications.html

 

[cocarr]

Israel, I printed out the "Recipe for Success" paper and cannot thank you enough. I lays out each lab test and why it needs done. Great piece of information there my friend thank you very much. My wife happens to be a medical technologist (shes the one looking at your blood in the microscope) and honestly she knows more about blood than any Dr. except a pathologist. That being said many of these tests are "send outs" from the lab in the hospital as none of them are "critical" in a hospital setting.

As I have been telling her what I find she explains allot but also has a lot of questions as to why certain lab work is pertinant to my low T. This explains it in very simple terms. Thanks again sir.

 

[Gene Devine]

Israel, I printed out the "Recipe for Success" paper and cannot thank you enough. I lays out each lab test and why it needs done. Great piece of information there my friend thank you very much. My wife happens to be a medical technologist (shes the one looking at your blood in the microscope) and honestly she knows more about blood than any Dr. except a pathologist. That being said many of these tests are "send outs" from the lab in the hospital as none of them are "critical" in a hospital setting.

As I have been telling her what I find she explains allot but also has a lot of questions as to why certain lab work is pertinant to my low T. This explains it in very simple terms. Thanks again sir.

I believe you are referencing Dr. Crisler's paper "Testosterone; The Recipe for Success"?

If so, I totally agree, it's one of the best written on the subject.

I know Dr. Crisler personally and think of him as one of our best in the field of Interventional Endocrinology.