Free T3, Reverse T3, TSH, and Free T4 is very important…Can’t stress this enough…
I’ll see if he will add those 
What about Vitamin D and Liver Function, should I get those done at the same time too?
fin2005,
Sure I would add the vit D. The more you can add on the test the better.
I hate to admit it, but when I see guy’s like you come on here after being off of this crap for 5 years and still have sides it scares the hell out of me. I just feel like we need to get as many guys as we can to be agressively seeking out medical care.
There are almost 1400 members on this site. It seems as though only a small percentage of guys frequent the site, but there are only a handful of recovery stories. There are also hundreds of vistors frequenting the site that haven’t joined. The bottom line is guys are just ignoring the problem and not seeking out care.
That’s why when I see a new guy join the site, I try get them to participate. The more of us that seek out doctors, the more likely it is that the medical commmunity will consider this a wide spread problem. So, be persistent with the doctors visits and blood tests.
Just a small update…got an e-mail from Dr. Jacobs today saying my bloodwork results came in. “3 alpha-androstanediol is quite low and am cortisol is mildly elevated.” So he’s sending me back for a 3a-diol level test and a 24 hr. urine free cortisol. Will keep you guys posted.
Your the first guy I have ever seen on this website that had a doctor suggest 3adiol test. Good to see a competent doctor know enough to suggest this.
twas the infamous jacobs himself - who is treating a ton of guys worldwide now (apparently)
Anyone know if 3-alpha Androstanediol is able to be tested for? On the Quest website I’m only seeing one for 3-alpha Androstanediol Glucoronide, which is the one I already had done. But he sent me an order for just 3a-diol to be tested.
call quest and ask.
Hmm…called up and asked, put me on hold while they contacted the lab, came back and said that test used to be offered but has been discontinued. Has anyone had this tested or know a lab that can do it?
maybe labcorp?
or maybe ur doc got them confused and wants gluconoride - ask what the diff is for him.
My endo goes through quest for labs and told me they did not offer this test.
I got the 3a-diol gluconoride done with the first set of tests. Apparently it came back low so he wants me to get a follow up test for 3a-diol to help him determine something about the low 3a-diol G.
Thanks for the reply, Quest called me back a few hours after I called up and said they contacted a bunch of different vendors and nobody offers it…I just looked on labcorp though and found one for “5α-Androstane-3α, 17β-Diol Glucuronide, Serum” No idea if thats the same thing or not though.
I have posted my blood test results in the hormone/blood test forum. As far as a status update, I feel the same as I have since quitting. On a somewhat positive note though for the first time since my inital recovery/crash, I had that horny feeling come back. This was after taking maca for about a week. I started having sexual thoughts again and actually getting spontaneous boners off of them for that short time period. Unfortunately it only lasted those couple days, but at least it gives me hope that something in my system can be recalibrated and hopefully get me back to normal again. Previously I had tried things like DIM, Tribulus, Quercetin, Tyrosine, ZMA, Green Tea Extract, Sustain Alpha, and the Ball Zinger and hadn’t had any return of libido whatsoever. Jacobs sent me another lab order to get basically the same things tested for again that I got tested last time, and said if they come back pretty much the same that he thinks I should begin treatment to boost my testosterone level and see if I feel any improvement. Will post update once I get the labs done and results. Thanks for any input and/or advice.
this is almost exactly my same symptoms and I’ve been off for 5 years too.
New blood test results posted. Since my brief “recovery” (if you can even call it that) on maca a few months back, I’ve been back to my normal baseline existence: zero libido, zero spontaneous/nocturnal erections, “sharpei puppy skin” dick.
So after getting my most recent lab results, Dr. Jacobs wants me to start taking testosterone. I asked why since I’m in range, he said because even though my level came up from the last set its still pretty low. And since I don’t have pre-fin numbers, he thinks maybe my body is at a lower level now than before I started taking it. So he wants to see how I respond to a higher level. He wanted me to get the kind you take as a shot but I’m not that comfortable with needles so he prescribed me the Testim gel instead. Anyways I’m a little apprehensive with this whole thing after taking propecia and it fucking me up. Reading the thread about people who have tried TRT it doesn’t seem that many see lasting success. Anyways I’m willing to give it a shot I just don’t want it to fuck me up worse than I am now, thats my main concern. I don’t want my balls shut down permanently. He didn’t seem to think this would be an issue with only taking a 30 day run. Also not sure how this fits in with the theory behind the molecular study going on now, if it proves to be correct. Like if I do this will it make an eventual recovery more difficult, etc. These concerns are the reason I haven’t tried much besides natural remedies thus far. Any advice is appreciated, thanks.
Hi Fin2005,
I am not a regular poster on this forum (as you can see), however I just noticed this post and it raised a few alarm bells for me having spoken face to face with another user on the forum just recently. He has used testosterone post fin and assures me that it was the worst thing that he could have done to fight this condition and has certainly lead to worsening side effects in the long term - particularly on the sexual front. Also, please take note of the 2 most prominent theories circulating on this forum today - Silenced AR signal and Chronic Prostatis. If either of these theories were to be true, about the worse thing you could do is introduce hormones such as testosterone. Also, note that it is possible to have low testosterone and be horny as hell. This condition isn’t just about testosterone, it’s pretty complex as we know.
Personally, I am only seeking and utilising natural ways to boost testosterone, mainly in the form of short but intense workout regimes (hill sprints etc.). Such regimes do provide me with some short-lived relief from many of my symptoms, with a gradual overall trend towards improvement. So good luck with whatever you decide, but I’d be very aware of Dr’s protocols, they know less about this condition than we do, so do what you feel is right for you.
Cheers
How long did he take TRT for and how much? Yeah I’m pretty sure I’ve always been a low testosterone type of guy (little/no body hair, can go without shaving 4-5 days, etc.) but it never had a negative affect on my libido or sexual function. The only reason I’m trying this run on TRT is because I’ve already tried what you’re doing now, for the last 5 years with no results. I have 5 days left of this Testim gel, then I’m off it. I’m not going to take anything else until the results from awor’s study are in. The first couple years I did absolutely nothing, hoping maybe I would naturally recover with time. Once I found this site I started trying different supplements and things that have been suggested on here. Nothing has brought back my libido except maca, and that only lasted a couple days, and it still didn’t feel like I was back to “normal”. But just the fact that I actually had a small spark of libido and sexual feeling in my dick again for the first time in so long gave me hope that I can recover, and I’m not permanently fucked. Figuring out how to get out of this mode is the problem but at least I know it’s possible now. With the TRT, I really wasn’t expecting it to work anyways but at least I’ll have eliminated “low” testosterone as the cause of my symptoms. I agree that this problem is more complex than just hormones, all my hormones are in the normal range, the only thing that consistently comes back out of range low is 3-adiol-g.
Hey fin,
So how long have you been on TRT? Have you noticed any effect? I’m especially interested in change in heart rate (lower, higher, louder, more irregular), change in energy, change in cognitive functions. Were you on T alone or combined with other hormones?
I had T @ 12 on a scale of 8 - 30. I was tried all the time. fell asleep at the wheel once and almost killed my entire family.
I have been taking tamoxifen for 7 months. My T raised to 17 on same scale. Tiredness has gone, but still zero libido, numb penis and ED unless i take calis.
Increasing T for me has seen some improvements but generally not many. Maybe i need to increase it fuher somehow.