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.
sorry above meant to say T @ 10 on a scale of 8 - 30
25 days now, 5 days left to go. I posted in the TRT thread and I’ll update that when I finish these last 5 days. I haven’t noticed anything, maybe slightly more tired, usually soon after I apply it. I got blood drawn and 4x saliva last Wednesday so will be interesting to see the results in the numbers, because I don’t feel any beneficial effects, even if the numbers say I should.
m_81 I know you are very interested in TRT, when I was new I used to think just like you. TRT or hormone are not answer, that I can gaurantee you. I have been on Androgel, it had worsened me. you better read story of Chemman on musclechatroom.com. He has been on TRT for about 16 months, I am not sure, but he is still struggling. There are chance we are having Auto immune disorder.
I know man, I was on clomid for 5 months. Mostly, it was a nightmare. But what seems to emerge from other people’s stories (JN, Dury) is that although TRT/clomid won’t work by themselves, they may work if combined with thyroid medications or a cortisol boost. That’s why I’ve asked him if he was taking anything else while on TRT.
Thyroid and cortisol treatment especially if you have the money or doctor to do it properly is definitely worth a shot because quite a few have recovered from it, especially if you count dexamethasone as cortisol treatment, although it could be the immune system element that it is helping with that drug who knows. I won’t ever be trying TRT.
Testim gel only.
Cool, looking forward to see the impact of Testim on your cortisol and thyroid levels. It was very wise of you and your dr to get one blood+saliva test before Testim and one while on Testim. I think that nobody else ever did it. This “experiment” will hopefully give everybody some answers.
Actually credit for the saliva cortisol and reverse T3 goes to you and the other poster who suggested it, I can’t recall right off hand. But thanks goes out to you guys for that and hopefully the data obtained from this will be of benefit to the cause. When I asked about getting saliva cortisol done my doctor said there was no need to, going by the serum and 24 hr. urine tests I had done. The last set of tests with the saliva cortisol and reverse T3, I got done on my own. However I was able to get him to write in saliva cortisol on this latest order and I wrote in Reverse T3 myself. Hopefully I can get most of the results tomorrow, besides 3-adiol-G. I need to see where my LH & FSH are at to determine if I need to run a PCT, I only have 4 days of testim left. I asked if I should taper off but he said it would be fine to come off cold turkey.