TRT THREAD

The_Lone_Wolf said:THE RESULTS ARE IN, AND I AM NOT THE FATHER!!!!

Sorry, wrong test.

OK, my blood semi panel is finally back and I have some results. THe upshot is I do indeed have low test.

My results are right at the bottom of the NHS range, so it will be interesting to see what they say once I get to speak to someone, and I guess it will simply depend on what mood the medical professional is in, and how hard I push for support.

I emailed my results to opti male to see what they would do, but the test I had doesnt meet all of the required fields that they would test for... While they have said my results are indeed low, they need more info.

It would seem the ball(bag) will be back into the hands of th NHS unless I stump up the cash to go private...

I shall update in time.

Actual numbers too for those interested...

Serum testosterone is 9.2 nmol/L and the NHS zone for normality is 8.64 -29.00nmol/L

Serum sex hormne binding glob is 15 nmol/L and the NHS zone is 18.30 - 54.10nmol/L

Serum albumin is 37 g/L and the NHS zone is 34.00 - 50.00g/L

Derived Free Testosterone is 0.28 nmol/L and the NHS zone is 0.20 - 0.62nmol/L

BigMacca said:
Buddy, I think my Dad who is a 76 year old prostate cancer survivor (and therefore chemically castrated) has a higher T level than you
Unless you are a 65 year old, you should be nowhere near the bottom of the scale. Hopefully you will get a good endo who understands this and offers a treatment plan accordingly.
There are loads of reports out there of people with similar readings basically getting dismissed though.
Two private clinics that always get mentioned as being the best are The Mens Health Clinic and The Ledger Clinic.
I hope you find a suitable way forward dude
Macca

Sparksy said:
Coincidentally, I find myself in a similar position. Having many symptoms of low T, my GP sent me for tests, with the following results:
Fasted Testosterone 11.1
SHBG 33
Albumin 41
Calculated Free Test 226 pcmol/l
Apparently levels exceeding 12 for Total Testosterone and 225 pmol/l Free Test does not require TRT……….I’m right at the bottom of the range and Consultant doesn’t think I’d benefit! I have an appointment with my GP next week as a follow up. I’ll push for support but I’m not optimistic. I’m considering the Leger Clinic as a private option.

The_Lone_Wolf said:
I'm not aware of what current side effects and issues you are facing as a result of your low levels, but I do wonder how much they would listen if you certainly laid it on thick with them?
I mean the common sides are pretty grim anyway, and they do all reduce the quality of life thats for sure. I do think that laying it on thick may help your cause?
I know I will be pushing for support and TRT in some form.

Sparksy said:
My symptoms are pretty typical; Low libido, lack of morning wood, low mood, fatigue and struggling to recover from training.
I’ll update with progress.

The_Lone_Wolf said:
I would certainly ham it up then, and while I don't encourage one to tell lies, in order to get the result you want you may need to throw in a few more symptoms and really push them on the matter.

Sparksy said:
Good news! GP has been supportive and prescribed Testosterone Gel; Tostran 2% at a dose of 60mg/day, starting today. I have 40 days worth on 1 prescription so far. Bloods to be taken again in 3 months. Hopefully I’ll experience some positive benefits in a few weeks.

The_Lone_Wolf said:
I will be pushing hard

Funky_monkey said:
Or not
Hope it goes/went well.

The_Lone_Wolf said:
LOL I just thumbed in my floppy helmet!
So... As I kind of thought, they want to do another blood test. This time, they want to do a fasted blood test at 8am to get a real clear picture of my levels first thing in the morning.
The Dr I spoke too was very understanding of my concers and my current issues, and went onto say that my levels are indeed low and at the bottom end of the range. Another bloodtest is needed to be done under more optimal conditions.
I say that what was the point of the first bloodtest being at 2 in the afternoon FFS.
I then spent 2 hours and 6 minutes on hold to my local GP surgery to book a fasted bloodtest. The earliest they could book me in for was 7th June... f**king shambles!
I'm looking at another week after that to get the results, and then probably another month to get a telephone call booked in with my Dr again.
The frusration continues!
If I had the money to go private, I would do it in a heartbeat!

Sparksy said:
This was exactly the same as my experience. My fasted results were in the ‘normal’ range but only just! The Endocrinologist wasn’t interested but my GP was much more supportive and responsive to the view that symptoms needed to be taken into account rather than numbers. 1 week in to treatment. Difficult to identify any definite improvements at this stage. Takes a few weeks to see any real change. I’ll report back in a few weeks.

The_Lone_Wolf said:
Well I least I know what to expect, I do hope though that the path you're now on is a better one and helps you.
Did they only offer you the testogel, or were Nebido injections offered too?
I am seriously considering the action of tampering with my test... Taking some supplements to force my natural test down a bit, but then there is part of me very curious as to what my actual levels are.

AdamT said:Have you guys tried more natural ways of boosting your testoserone first? Like following a very healthy lifestyle and getting the body fat to optimal levels?

I understand that some will suffer low test no matter what, but I would try everything to fix my levels through diet, exercise, rest etc first before jumping on trt

Also if I was to go on TRT and the NHS were unlikely to pay? Then I think I would get in touch with Big Rory and save myself a fortune