Low Testosterone? 22yo Male

[Drock]

Hi I am 22 and my testicles are very small. They have never grown and my voice still changes pitch. I can't even grow any facial hair and I'm quite short my 14 year old brother is taller than me. Is it because I didn't sleep when I was younger?? Is there anything I can do about it now. Do I have Low Testosterone? I am also hypothyroid and am on 25 Levothyroxine.

[shaws Administrator]

I wonder why you haven't been referred to a specialist who deals with growth problems when you were a younger child? I am not medically qualified but understand that low testosterone may be due to hypothyroidism. .

I would ask your GP to refer you now to a Specialist who deals with growth who may also refer you to another re your thyroid gland problem.

[Jackie]

Hi miserable for you but I am sure there is an answer,if ,you have the correct advice, If you saw an endo they specialises in all hormones but I am sure at a large teaching hospital you can have some one even more specialised for your specific problems. If you have a referral and ,if they feel they cannot help you etc. will give you a tertiary referral which, is so much better than a GP one. On the subject of thyroid, make sure that you have had a TSH, T4 and Free T3 test as, some GP`s will not do them all. Years ago, and I still believe that as my endo does,this was the only way to obtain a correct diagnosis and the right treatment. It is all down to costs now!

Please do not put up with this, you should be fit and well and able to enjoy life and have " fun" at your age.

Very best wishes,

Jackie

[Hidden]

I have Hypogonadism (in my case I am 54, and it is probably as a result of long term use of prescribed Opiate pain killing medication) and such things are a nightmare to get properly treated in this country, (at least as hard as sorting the problems that Thyroid issues are!) thankfully recently there have been some medical guidelines issued, so it's made it a little easier, although in your case, I wouldn't be thinking of rushing down the route of Testosterone replacement just yet -

As you are so young, some of the issues you might need addressing are different to mine, such as long-term fertility, so this is likely to throw you into the hands of those most useless of God's creatures, Endocrinologists; but I would recommend researching things as much as possible so you are ready to ask the right questions.

Normally I would suggest seeing a Urologist instead of an Endo, as they seem to have far more idea, but in any case, you need to see your GP with the right questions to ask, and discuss the route to follow - there needs a physical examination (for one thing, it's easy to imagine such things are worse than they are!), and blood tests - it may be something like a Chromosomal condition, or some type of delayed puberty, (YES, hypothyroidism can be a cause of delayed puberty, so they MIGHT be related, but they might not be) for example delayed puberty often leads to being TALLER rather than shorter, so it's not as straightforward as you might think - or you may actually be worrying over nothing, it's quite possible to be VERY smooth and have normal Testosterone - either way, don't' be embarrassed (tell me about it, been there, was VERY spooked by such things!), but once you do it, it's not as big a deal as you might think, and try and find the answers.

Now's the time to sort it, rather than later, if your puberty IS delayed, don't be fobbed off, you need the right tests if you are to sort anything out.

I can't give you very detailed information as my circumstances are very difficult to compare to yours, but I do have some experiences related to your condition (including visits to Endos when I was 21 too!)