HIV guy on TRT

[hdbernalp1979]

Hi Guys:

I´m new here, i´m a 37 years old, seven years since my diagnostic since then i have been suffering low libido and erectyle dysfunction, all this years my sexual life has been a disaster , only until this year after private consulting with an andrologist i´m on trt(before i was always sent to psychologist or psychiatrist ). I have normal testosterone level above 500, but very low libido, also i´m hypothyroid my doc says that HIV and hypothiroidism make my SHBG go high and that´s the reason ´cause i have hypogonadism symptoms.
This year on january i began with levothyroxine 50 mcg, small and slow changes, on my despair two months later i began to consult the andrologist that put me on androgel. Has been two and half months since i began whit androgel, and i´ve only seen small changes morning woods returned but still no great energy, no great libido, no better sleep, and last week feeling worst than ever. How much time takes to see real improvement?i told my medic that if we dont see improvement i want to try injections, i dont know if is a good desicion ´cause is still a short time with androgel, i´m confused and no one to speak and support me. On certain way this forum make feel that i´m not alone.
Advices to my situation are welcome

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Welcome to ExcelMale. I am the founder and also HIV+ (34 years). I am glad you joined us.

What HIV meds and other meds are you on?

Can you provide the following basic blood test results? What dose of Androgel (1% or 1.6 %?)?

Total and Free Testosterone (HIV and its meds can increase sex hormone binding globulin and lower free T)
Free T3 and free T4
Sensitive estradiol (some HIV meds increase estradiol)
HIV viral load and CD4 count
CBC (hemoglobin and hematocrit)

We are here to help.

By the way, we have a few HIV specific posts in this folder:
https://www.excelmale.com/forumdisplay.php?66-Androgens-in-Chronic-Illness-and-Injury

 

[Re-Ride]

Welcome hdbernalp. We're glad you're here. You mention a "private andrologist" , a medic and a doctor who discussed HIV related high SHBG with you. This suggests that you are not in the U.S. Is that correct? What is "normal" serum testosterone? What is your individual optimal serum testosterone? Achieving the latter is definitely a step in the right direction toward resolving your symptoms. Optimal serum T is however a mere cog in any HIV wellness program as I'm sure you are beginning to understand. That gets passed around as if all one needs to do is get off his duff and go sign up for one. If all your endocrine issues are resolved via topicals, injections, or other means, or a combination thereof how much time until real improvement you ask? Well it took at least seven years to arrive where you are now. IF your symptoms are 100% attributable to hormone levels, which they likely are not, then 3 to 12 months. Post your labs, information about your muscle tone, activity level, other interventions. Download Nelson's writings from the links on these pages.

 

[hdbernalp1979]

Welcome to ExcelMale. I am the founder and also HIV+ (34 years). I am glad you joined us.

Hi Nelson:

Thanks for your answer, before post i was reading about you, also visited your section on the body page. Much information, great history . It´s great find pos people open to speak and share their experience and knowledge, here in my country still is a kind of taboo, and there´s much ignorance and disinterest, fortunatelly i have monthly my meds without fault

What HIV meds and other meds are you on?

Can you provide the following basic blood test results? What dose of Androgel (1% or 1.6 %?)?

Total and Free Testosterone (HIV and its meds can increase sex hormone binding globulin and lower free T)
Free T3 and free T4
Sensitive estradiol (some HIV meds increase estradiol)
HIV viral load and CD4 count
CBC (hemoglobin and hematocrit)

We are here to help.

First i´m from Bogotá Colombia, well my meds are lamivudine/zidovudine and issentres i know that zidovudine is and old med, here is still on wide use, before i was on kaletra instead of issentres. Now i´m on androgel 1%, after all it makes feel more relaxed. About tests i dont have recent free testosterone and free t3, my medics has been reticent to send me an order for those test. Reading on hypothiroidism forums i know is a common problem about t3 :/.
But i have totals i hope can be usefull in some way
Total T 5.19 ng/ml 2.8-8.0
Free T 14.38 pg/ml 9,0-47 pg/ml (This is an old value, at that time total t was on same value that now)
Total T3 1.54 nml/l 1.3-3.1
Free t4 1.65 ng/dl 0.93-1.7
TSH 2.71 uUi/m 0.27-4.2(This was ranging between 4 and nearly 7 now on levo has a lower level and i feel better)
Ferritin 125.8 ng/ml 40-400ng/ml
Hemoglobin 16.9 g/dl 13.5-18
Hematocrit 45.5% 40-50
Viral load <20 copies
CD4 723

I like to be active but my physical performance now is low, some years after diagnostic i was on a capoeira academy and loved it, but for many things including thyroid i left it(specially for it). I´ve always been a skinny guy, with problems to gain weight, also i have libido problems since my 24 that went worst after diagnostic, like i said before medics always said me that my problems was psychological, with first month with levothyroxine i knew that it´s not true and are my hormones, i really hope that with both treatments i´ll can regain much aspect of my life, at this point after read much posts here i ask my self i should have waited until thyroid stabilization before begin with trt, ´cause only with one month on levo i gained weight returned to gym routine(shoulders and back grew to be notorious but no much sex drive), but after that month i suffered a crash and still recovering i think now my thyroid doesn't produce hormones and i´m depending of external t4 and may be i need an increase on dose, any way like i said before i´m desperate has been much years, nearly all my 30's, sadly no one here speaks or pay much atention to hormonal problems on hiv persons, i really thought that i was 'crazy'.

Thanks Nelson

 

[hdbernalp1979]

You are right i´m from Bogotá, Colombia