Hey, concerned wife here. I wanted to update here, in case it might help someone. We have confirmed that my husband's body is still capable of producing testosterone on it's own, despite the medicine he has to take (which has been implicated as a possible cause). I had tried to tell a couple of doctors that he had very low testosterone BEFORE he ever had to take medicine. We suspected his low testosterone could be related to his very low cortisol - adrenals being exhausted and then those affect other hormones (thyroid), etc. etc.
A few months ago, we started an experiment. We had been very hesitant to use the "big dose" of iodine recommended by Dr. Brownstein and others, because of all the warnings I'd read. However, after talking with a local functional medicine nurse practitioner, we decided to try a short trial and see if he would be any worse for the wear. I had been reading thyroid stuff from all the top practitioners for months and we had struggled with whose advice to take, as there are so many differing opinions.
Anyway, long story short, after doing it for a few weeks last Fall, he had his blood tested. His testosterone number was unbelievably high, by comparison of how it has been for literally YEARS. It was so high, we couldn't believe it. He had also lost almost 10 pounds without even trying. I asked the doctor if thyroid and testosterone could be related (I knew they could, but wanted to see if he did). The doctor told me those were separate issues. I don't hold that against him, because he's a family medicine doc and probably not able to keep up with all the latest hormone research.
We pinned down exactly what changes we had made in the weeks prior to see if we could duplicate these results. We stopped the changes and then he had labs done again 3 months later. The testosterone number that time was the LOWEST it had been in years (less than 200 total T). The nurse talked to the doctor and both were perplexed about how these numbers could be so radically different in only 3 months, from the same lab. We asked if there could be a mistake (either time) by the lab, but they said the numbers come directly out of the machine, that a person does not actually write them down, so the chance of a mistake are slim.
After seeing THOSE numbers (the low ones), we decided to be vigilant about getting the particular supplements in him, that he was taking before (when T levels went up so significantly) so we could have an adequate test. We resumed those again and made sure he got them almost every day (except Sunday, which is his day off). Last week, he had all those labs run again. Guess what?!?! The testosterone was way back UP. We now know definitely that even though his thyroid numbers were coming back "okay", his thyroid (and adrenals and other stuff, I'm sure) DO need extra support, desperately.
His numbers are all not perfect, but all are better and his testosterone went from over 1,000 total T on the supplements to less than 200 total T off the supplements, back up to around 750 total T after 3 months back ON them.
If these numbers are hard to believe, they were hard for us to believe too, but it's reality!
DISCLAIMER: Please do not misconstrue anything I shared as medical advice. I simply wanted to share what has made a difference for my husband. Consult your own holistic doctor or other health practitioner for your personal situation.
