Low Testosterone?

[hghealth]

I know that testosterone drops with age and I have now turned 53, however, I noticed that around 6 to 9 months ago my sex drive seemed to just vanish. It's not something I have suffered from noticeably before... even in my now advancing years!! But it was a marked shift that seemed to happen quite rapidly. It also coincided with a a peak in a long battle with insomnia. That situation is improving but the low sex drive situation has not improved. Do I have low T? How is this best tested? Do I really have to go through blood tests to get T levels checked?

[Nick2U]

Yes, a blood test is the best way to get your testosterone levels. But make sure you get it checked first thing in the morning as levels change throughout the day. Tell your doctor your symptoms and if he doesn’t suggest it just ask them to order a blood test. It’s very easy to do and if you are correct they can prescribe testosterone treatment. My doctor dragged his feet for nearly a year until I told him my testicles were shrinking and I was literally falling asleep all the time. So when the results came back we found out I was severely deficient at about 35 instead of 600 or so. They put me on Testosterone injections every two weeks but the benefit only seemed to last a few days, and due to other side effects switched to a topical Testosterone gel to maintain a more consistent level. Now, it’s very possible your insomnia or medication may have caused it but if your symptoms persist and it were me I would definitely ask for a blood test—of course, I’m not a doctor but if I can answer any questions you might have just ask. Anyway, best wishes. 😁

[hghealth in reply to Nick2U]

Thanks. I think long term insomnia is definitely a factor but also it has coincided with a period in life where my exercise levels dropped compared to what they used to be. Probably higher levels of alcohol than is necessary at my age to maintain good T levels. Pretty much all adds up. I probably need to work harder at fixing all of these in order to up T levels.

[Norwich1 in reply to Nick2U]

And it is not just your T levels that you should be having checked but other hormones such as cortisol and prolactin. There is a possibility of a pituitary growth causing your problems.

[hghealth in reply to Norwich1]

You mean cancer?

[Norwich1 in reply to hghealth]

I do not know the prevalence of cancer in pituitary tumours but it might be worth consulting an endocrinologist

[xsevenx]

I would definitely ask for a blood test…

[Don_1213]

My medical oncologist insists on a T test along with my PSA tests. He felt the PSA tests were useless without knowing the T levels. I've since converted my GP into a believer, which probably was useful since the last few tests have shown my T decreasing from "old man normal (>300) to deficient (around 210), and he's suggested I talk to my MO about replacement therapy. I do tend to nod off a lot during the day - which is probably one effect of low-T. I also have close to zero sex-drive.

[Don_1213 in reply to Don_1213]

I heard back from my MO this morning (he's great with replying to emails, which I try to keep very infrequent) - and he said replacement therapy is a possibility, but "T supplementation is a long conversation," - so I'm going to try to setup a video call with him next week. He said the discussion is about risk/rewards... I'll try to post the gist of it here after it happens.

BTW - if you haven't looked at my profile - the reason I have an MO is prostate cancer. I realized this group isn't one with only PCa victims in it (like other HealthUnlocked groups I'm in..) And with high-risk PCa, supplementing T can be a chancey thing.

[Don_1213 in reply to Don_1213]

Update on this 8 months later (yes - it took THIS long..)

Had my first Xyosted shot today - that's a testosterone booster shot. My T level has been wandering around in neverland for the past year now - below where my age group should be (300+ up to around 600) and sometimes down as low as 100.

I had the long talk with my medical oncologist (MO) - we have a good relationship because we respect each other and each other's thinking.. and in my case, we came to a concensus..

My PSA has been dropping for the past year - much more radically than the T levels would indicate. That's GOOD news for a PCA "survivor". My MO read a very recent paper which I also had seen mention of - of what he called an excellent trial of T supplimentation, with an A group (getting supplimentation) and a B group (getting placebo) of similar men who were all PCA survivors with low T levels. Just like me.. and the answer was quite clear in the study, there didn't appear to be any additional risk of reactivating PCA by supplimenting T to bring it to normal levels, and indeed - it actually reduced the number of recurrances in the men receiving the testoserone.

So today I took my first shot. It took this long because it involved 3 MD's at 3 locations to agree it was a good idea, and then one MD to prescribe the Xyosted and another week or two for the compounding pharmacy to make up the auto-injectors.

I'll let you know how it works.

[hghealth in reply to Don_1213]

I am wondering if my sudden drop in T/Sex drive is related to cancer...

[xsevenx in reply to hghealth]

I hope not. Please see your doctor!

[hghealth in reply to xsevenx]

... but is low T (or loss of sex drive) a common symptom of cancer?

[xsevenx in reply to hghealth]

Only a medical professional can answer that.

[hghealth]

UPDATE... Thinking about my diet though... it was around the same time (suspiciously enough) that I switched over to a sort of permanent state of intermittent fasting where by I shifted to two meals a day and quite often dipping into ketosis (low carb). All of this was to kill off belly fat which was getting a bit too big... This actually worked very well indeed... but I'm now wondering if its related to the loss of sex drive?

[Weneviq]

It's not uncommon for testosterone levels to drop as men age, and it can definitely impact your sex drive. Given the rapid change you've noticed, it's worth considering a few factors. Insomnia can also affect your hormone levels and overall health. The best way to determine if you have low testosterone (low T) is indeed through a blood test. This test measures your total testosterone levels and helps your doctor determine the best course of action. There are also other medications and therapies that can address low T. Have you considered speaking with a healthcare professional about this? They can provide a thorough evaluation and recommend treatment options tailored to your needs.

Also remember to use only trusted pharmacies, for example, I use health-delivery24.com high-quality meds at and affordable prices, suggest.

[Norwich1 in reply to Weneviq]

An endocrinologist would be the best medic to not only look at hormonal levels but also why any levels are low. That is often by having a pituitary MRI

[hghealth]

Not yet. I was thinking of testing my own T levels first before seeing the Doc, but if it involves blood tests then I may as well see if the Doc will do that for me.

[Don_1213 in reply to hghealth]

How would one go about "testing" their "own T levels"??

[Norwich1 in reply to hghealth]

Have you not already had your T levels tested? This will go no way to establishing why your T levels are low if they are. T supplementation because of secondary hypogonadism is likely to be for the rest of your live or you may become at risk of osteoporosis. Proper T supplementation should only be prescribed by an endocrinologist after testing not only for testosterone but also other hormones or precursor hormones such as cortisol or prolactin. You have to know why you have a problem before supplementing.

[hghealth in reply to Norwich1]

.... but increasing T naturally as opposed to T supplementation is still a valid general purpose approach?

[Norwich1]

Personally I believe it is better to know why you have a problem and treat it accordingly. If you possibly have low T because of a tumour in your pituitary gland then the problem is the tumour and not just low T