I'm debating if I should start TRT?

[mnlake66]

So, I was prescribed T-cypionate by my Endo. I'm 54 years old and below are my recent numbers. Do these numbers warrant it? My total seems to be in the normal range. I do feel like I'm lacking energy for my workouts and get tired at night after work easily I am also relying on the use of Viagra (which sucks) and libido is not good. Not sue if this is low-T related or if it would help. I'm just nervous about going down this road and having worse side-effects as a result. Thanks!

BIOAVAILABLE TESTOSTERONE​
Albumin SerPl-mCnc	4.30 g/dL	3.6-5.1
	30	10-50
Testost SerPl-mCnc	298.0 ng/dL	250-1100
Testost Free SerPl-mCnc	41.30 pg/mL	46.0-224.0
Testost Bioavail SerPl-mCnc	81.3	110.0-575.0

 

[Systemlord]

I'm 54 years old and below are my recent numbers. Do these numbers warrant it?

When a man's testosterone levels dip below a certain point, the diseases of aging can creep in, so yes I do think TRT is warranted in your case because you're not just low, you're profoundly hypogonadal if your Free T has anything to say about it.

The Total T is not the active hormone, so even if it looks good, the Free T is what truly matters. Your endo should have tested LH and FSH to determine if you have primary (testicular failure) or secondary hypogonadism (pituitary failure).

Now side effects can be managed by a qualified doctor, but I must warn you not all doctors are good TRT doctors, the recurring issues I see are the treatment protocols.

You really should be injecting testosterone 1-2 per week and if you do get side effects, more frequency may be needed and usually resolves issues. The total weekly dosage should be at least 100mg, a lot of guys need a little more.

 

[Jake_from_StateFarm]

I don't mean this to be a blanket statement, but if an Endo is proactively prescribing T without you going in requesting it, that says something. Again, that may charge some people to respond negatively but my point is that it's much more common for guys posting here to report that Endos are harder to get to prescribe T. I was at 400 and figured it wasn't worth the Endo route and I went to a Uro instead who put me on 100 mg/week of Cyp (nothing else) and I've felt very good since starting in Aug 2020.

You have nothing to lose plus (depending on how good an Endo you have) in theory you're with a Dr who can look at additional/alternative ways to dial you in if T doesn't work. Just get yourself in the "normal" range with Cyp and stay there for 6 to 9 mos to see if you feel an improvement. Regarding your Viagra prescription, do some research here on guys taking Tadalafil with very good results.

 

[Cataceous]

You posted similar lab results in 2015 and were on TRT for a quite a while in 2017. I think details of the previous TRT experience are needed.

 

[Vtail]

I was 56 when I started TRT. I was looking for an answer to my afternoon fatigue and brain fog. And my blood levels (both Total T and Free T) were slightly below the reference range. The TRT did not do much to help, although I found that I was able to work out more often - I seemed to recover faster. Things really turned around for me when I began supplementing with t3. That cleared up the brain fog and vastly increased my energy levels. Have you had your Thyroid checked?