How to get test from a dr?

[Stu4090]

I live in California and have kaiser..I tested really low for free T (32) and through my research I want to start TRT. They are currently blaming it on sleep apnea, even though I barely meet the min. standards and want me to take an MRI. I have asked numerous times about being put on TRT with the response I need to try to improve sleeping habits before I move on in the process. Does anyone have a similar experience or suggest how or where I should pursue getting TRT elsewhere that’s safe, reliable and affordable.

 

[Systemlord]

I'm in California also and have kaiser, it's useless for TRT. None of my doctors have any clue and refuse to test for estrogen which is mission critical. I recently joined Defy Medical who doesn't take insurance, you must realize insurance is almost useless for anything related to male hormones. You need to log in to the patient portal to get your labs, link below. Follow through with the diagnostic process, once you have all diagnosments, then you can decide on your next move.

What were the results regarding your sleep apnea?

https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/

 

[Stu4090]

Thanks for your quick response. I don’t remember the exact number for theresults for sleep apnea, I was 3 higher (for the stop breathing for 10 sec) but I can account for that, it was a one night test. Currently have me on a one week machine. Which oddly is causing me to wake up more and is more of a nuisance. I’ve been looking into defy, would you mind sharing more specifics? IE costs, how it works and what to actually expect.

 

[Stu4090]

That’s what I’m thinking, I’ve brought up getting treatment outside of kaiser to my Dr and ends and both had nothing to say but do their process.. I’m waiting for them to schedule the mri, thanks for responding

 

[Vince]

Before I started trt, I read five books on the subject. Saw four different doctors and visited two clinics. It was a pain but I did find someone I'm happy with.

 

[StepbyStep]

I agree with what they're doing. I'm not sure what your labs look like or your age, but I would want a clear diagnosis, which includes and MRI. For me this meant discovering a pituitary tumor.

TRT is no magic bullet for many, and a lifelong commitment.

 

[BigD]

I live in California and have kaiser..I tested really low for free T (32) and through my research I want to start TRT. They are currently blaming it on sleep apnea, even though I barely meet the min. standards and want me to take an MRI. I have asked numerous times about being put on TRT with the response I need to try to improve sleeping habits before I move on in the process. Does anyone have a similar experience or suggest how or where I should pursue getting TRT elsewhere that’s safe, reliable and affordable.

Any TRT Doc will want you to get the sleep apnea checked and fixed (CPAP, surgery or other solution) Before prescribing TRT due to testoserone increasing untreated sleep apnea problems.

 

[dawatts22]

Thanks for your quick response. I don't remember the exact number for theresults for sleep apnea, I was 3 higher (for the stop breathing for 10 sec) but I can account for that, it was a one night test. Currently have me on a one week machine. Which oddly is causing me to wake up more and is more of a nuisance. I've been looking into defy, would you mind sharing more specifics? IE costs, how it works and what to actually expect.

Generally CPAPs have been show to give no relief to mild sleep apnea suffers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2564770/

 

[[email protected]]

I am trying to get TRT from VA doctor who has literally spent the last 21 months try to blame my low T symptoms on anything besides the verified blood tests that show test below 200 total and 3. 2 free. Everything he has tested, and I mean everything, has come back normal except testosterone and he refuses to prescribe T. Good luck.

 

[dawatts22]

I am trying to get TRT from VA doctor who has literally spent the last 21 months try to blame my low T symptoms on anything besides the verified blood tests that show test below 200 total and 3. 2 free. Everything he has tested, and I mean everything, has come back normal except testosterone and he refuses to prescribe T. Good luck.

I bet if you said you were depressed you would have walked out of there with an SSRI script.

 

[Butchmo]

While TRT is still generally considered "controversial", there are standard of care recommendations for its use. For example, the American Association of Family Physicians makes their recommendations in an article titled "Testosterone Treatments: When, Why and How?" which is online- google the title. Look at Table 6. If your levels are below the so-called "normal" range and you are symptomatic (meaning you have classic signs of hypogonadism, which range from low libido, ED, to fatigue, low muscle mass, etc.) then they recommend treatment to return the patient to the "normal" range. I have "normal" in quotes, because as you may know, the range is huge. The issue in that respect is that very few men know what their baseline level was as a young adult. For example, if your baseline level was at the high end of the "normal" range, say 1000, and it's plummeted down to the lower end of "normal", say 250, then even though the lab might say your result is still within the "normal" range, for you as an individual it may be not normal at all. In that case you might need to find a physician who knows TRT well and is willing to look at not only lab numbers but your entire clinical picture. On the other hand, if your results are below what is usually considered "normal", then you are indeed, by definition, hypogonadal. If you're also symptomatic, then you might want to arm yourself with the above article, have the doctor confirm that he understands this (he may want to get another total and free T test to confirm the first result if you've only had one test), and tell him you are simply expecting "the standard of care". Most doctors will take that phrase as a clue that you mean business. If you aren't satisfied with the result and you need to appeal, do so. Incidentally, in 2017 Kaiser Permanente issued a press release of a study they did showing TRT reduced the risk of cardiovascular events in hypogonadal men ("Kaiser Permanente Study Finds Testosterone Replacement Therapy Reduces Cardiovascular Risk Among Men with Androgen Deficiency".) If Kaiser Permanente is your insurance, you might want to point THAT out to your doctor as well.

 

[Sakuraba39]

I am trying to get TRT from VA doctor who has literally spent the last 21 months try to blame my low T symptoms on anything besides the verified blood tests that show test below 200 total and 3. 2 free. Everything he has tested, and I mean everything, has come back normal except testosterone and he refuses to prescribe T. Good luck.

Go straight to the Patient Advocate. They have to prescribe if there is a clinical indication.

 

[JL]

There is a Doctor in California. Dr. Rand. Check out Muscle Insider on youtube. His information is accessible there. Hope this helps...my 3cents!