New here: erections and libido lagging, high BP and lipids

[Belekas]

I was able to get my results:

Estradiol - 17 pg/ml
Testosterone - 555 ng/dl
SHBG - 50 nmol/L
Free androgen index - 38.52
Free T - 9.1 ng/dL

These all fall within the “normal” range, for a 43/M. But the free t and free androgen are on the low side.

If anyone has any thoughts/insights, I’d love to hear them. Thanks!

Joe

It be good that you also include the reference ranges on all the results given. Also was your free T tested or calculated as I don't see albumin which is required for the calculation?

 

[Systemlord]

Free T - 9.1 ng/dL

That’s subpar levels, I have seen men seek TRT with 12 ng/dL and respond well to TRT. A lot of people don’t understand you can still have symptoms of low-T within range and it would be an assumption to take the position that one must be below range to experience the symptoms of testosterone deficiency.

Studies show symptoms begin at midrange (<500 ng/dL) as far as loss of libido and vigor. Sadly little data exists on Free T levels and will be different depending on the individual.

 

[ATL713]

It be good that you also include the reference ranges on all the results given. Also was your free T tested or calculated as I don't see albumin which is required for the calculation?

Sorry about that, here they are with the reference ranges:

Estradiol - 17 pg/ml (0-45)
Testosterone - 555 ng/dl (249-836)
SHBG - 50 nmol/L (17.4-53.6)
Free androgen index - 38.52 (25-98)
Free T - 9.1 ng/dL (4.7-24.4)

Here's my working theory of what's going on with me at the moment: When my back issues started 2 months ago, my activity level decreased. I played fewer sports and lifted weights less due to the pain I was experiencing. I think I also had some mild seasonal depression going on as well. The winter has been a long and cold one this year. During the winter I ride my bike a lot less too. These factors caused my T/Free T to decline which is why I am seeing libido/erection issues, as well as general malaise.

So, I think as a first step I'm going to try and rectify these lifestyle issues. The warmer weather will help, as well as my back slowly getting better so I can get back to more physical activity. I'll eat less saturated fat and sodium, more whole foods, less sugar and less alcohol. I'm going to stay off the porn too, because, why not.

I really appreciate the responses and the resources available on this board.

Thanks,
ATL

 

[Systemlord]

I think I also had some mild seasonal depression going on as well. The winter has been a long and cold one this year.

Your vitamin D levels has likely decreased as well. This reduction in vitamin D, if significant can cause mild to moderate depression.

 

[Simbarn]

Your vitamin D levels has likely decreased as well. This reduction in vitamin D, if significant can cause mild to moderate depression.

Indeed, this must be a real issue in areas where people are getting virtually no sunlight in very cold dark winters and not having a replacement in their diet.
Even here in Sydney AU, we have people with Vitamin D deficiencies, possibly due to the skin cancer campaigns that have been strongly promoted and some people have been avoiding sunlight too much, especially those that work indoors.

 

[Systemlord]

Indeed, this must be a real issue in areas where people are getting virtually no sunlight in very cold dark winters and not having a replacement in their diet.
Even here in Sydney AU, we have people with Vitamin D deficiencies, possibly due to the skin cancer campaigns that have been strongly promoted and some people have been avoiding sunlight too much, especially those that work indoors.

Sun block significantly reduces vitamin D absorption. You can’t live your life in a bubble just for longevity, that’s not life. I know my skin cancer risks, my mother and brother have both had mild skin cancer.

I’m in Southern California and will continue my days in the sunshine!

 

[ATL713]

Indeed, this must be a real issue in areas where people are getting virtually no sunlight in very cold dark winters and not having a replacement in their diet.
Even here in Sydney AU, we have people with Vitamin D deficiencies, possibly due to the skin cancer campaigns that have been strongly promoted and some people have been avoiding sunlight too much, especially those that work indoors.

Totally makes sense. I'm now supplementing with vit d, and warmer/sunnier weather is on the way.

 

[Simbarn]

Sorry about that, here they are with the reference ranges:

Estradiol - 17 pg/ml (0-45)
Testosterone - 555 ng/dl (249-836)
SHBG - 50 nmol/L (17.4-53.6)
Free androgen index - 38.52 (25-98)
Free T - 9.1 ng/dL (4.7-24.4)

Here's my working theory of what's going on with me at the moment: When my back issues started 2 months ago, my activity level decreased. I played fewer sports and lifted weights less due to the pain I was experiencing. I think I also had some mild seasonal depression going on as well. The winter has been a long and cold one this year. During the winter I ride my bike a lot less too. These factors caused my T/Free T to decline which is why I am seeing libido/erection issues, as well as general malaise.

So, I think as a first step I'm going to try and rectify these lifestyle issues. The warmer weather will help, as well as my back slowly getting better so I can get back to more physical activity. I'll eat less saturated fat and sodium, more whole foods, less sugar and less alcohol. I'm going to stay off the porn too, because, why not.

I really appreciate the responses and the resources available on this board.

Thanks,
ATL

When I read your initial post, the first thing that came to my mind is that perhaps much of what you are experiencing is aging combined with a lifestyle that could be improved.
When we are younger our bodies can deal with the not so good diet and lifestyle a lot better than after 40. That's not saying it won't cause us issues later on in life.

Sexual function for most of us in our 40's is not going to be what it was in our 20's. Sorry to say this. The time it takes for you to get your erection back is going to be longer, the hardness of erection may not quite be the same, spontaneous erections may also be far less frequent if at all, ejaculate levels decline, the ability to have sex more than once in a night may be not as easy. This is not just because your T levels have declined a little from 20-40. Its because every cell in your body is now different to the ones you had 20 years ago.
Improving your diet and other lifestyle concerns you have may make some reasonable improvement, but IMO, don't expect that it will turn the clock back to what you were describing, which appears to me to be a stud in their 20's!
Some of us age biologically quicker than others, much of this is in our genes and of course your diet and lifestyle, how much stress you have experienced over 20 years also plays a substantial part in it also.
Men reach their sexual peak at 18, after this it begins to decline, slowly.

I wouldn't put to much credibility in the theory's that masturbation and porn are causing your issues. If you were watching it a number of times a day and also masturbating, then I would consider you might have a problem. I have known too many men in my life, being a *** male who watch porn regularly and have no sexual issues whatsoever. If you masturbate every night at the age of 40 and still expect your sexual sessions with your wife to be mind blowing and they are not, I feel its more to do with your sexual recovery taking longer than it used too. By not masturbating as often you will experience a build up of sexual tension that may heighten what you experience with your partner. Even in my twenties, I knew if I masturbated every day sometimes twice a day, my orgasms would start to feel less intense and I had less sexual drive. If I cut this down to a few of times a week, they would become very intense. The sexual chemistry in each of is different.

Your SHBG is approaching the upper limit. This seems to happen to some of us as we age and or other health related reasons. Which means less free testosterone is available and could be partly responsible for some of your issues. You could try to lower this with supplements or investigating if you have any liver or thyroid issues. Even supplementing with Magnesium may help here. Apparently much of the population is low in this vital mineral.

However, as you mention recently, some improvements in your diet, the approaching summer months and the ability to do some regular physical exercise may make a significant improvement. I would not be going down the TRT rabbit hole just yet!

 

[ATL713]

Simbarn,

I really appreciate your thoughts, and I tend to agree – not time to look at TRT just yet. I wonder if this winter wasn't the "perfect storm" of factors to down-regulate my free t, etc. because of:

- Several months of little sunlight exposure and cold temperatures
- Back strain resulting in decreased activity level on top of limited outdoor options
- Some bad dietary habits accumulating over the pandemic
- Daily porn/masturbation habit
- Turning 43

And you're right, I'm not in my 20s anymore, or even my 30s for that matter. Though I think the daily masturbation wasn't helping things, though I stopped that a month ago. Now I only orgasm during sex, which is ~3-5 times per week.

I am going to supplement with D3, magnesium, and nettle root extract along with fish oil and multivitamin and see how that goes.

Thanks again for your thoughts. Feeling like what I'm going through has an explanation, and that there are some things that might help improve my situation, is a much better headspace to be in than feeling hopeless about what's happening and not understanding why.

ATL

When I read your initial post, the first thing that came to my mind is that perhaps much of what you are experiencing is aging combined with a lifestyle that could be improved.
When we are younger our bodies can deal with the not so good diet and lifestyle a lot better than after 40. That's not saying it won't cause us issues later on in life.

Sexual function for most of us in our 40's is not going to be what it was in our 20's. Sorry to say this. The time it takes for you to get your erection back is going to be longer, the hardness of erection may not quite be the same, spontaneous erections may also be far less frequent if at all, ejaculate levels decline, the ability to have sex more than once in a night may be not as easy. This is not just because your T levels have declined a little from 20-40. Its because every cell in your body is now different to the ones you had 20 years ago.
Improving your diet and other lifestyle concerns you have may make some reasonable improvement, but IMO, don't expect that it will turn the clock back to what you were describing, which appears to me to be a stud in their 20's!
Some of us age biologically quicker than others, much of this is in our genes and of course your diet and lifestyle, how much stress you have experienced over 20 years also plays a substantial part in it also.
Men reach their sexual peak at 18, after this it begins to decline, slowly.

I wouldn't put to much credibility in the theory's that masturbation and porn are causing your issues. If you were watching it a number of times a day and also masturbating, then I would consider you might have a problem. I have known too many men in my life, being a *** male who watch porn regularly and have no sexual issues whatsoever. If you masturbate every night at the age of 40 and still expect your sexual sessions with your wife to be mind blowing and they are not, I feel its more to do with your sexual recovery taking longer than it used too. By not masturbating as often you will experience a build up of sexual tension that may heighten what you experience with your partner. Even in my twenties, I knew if I masturbated every day sometimes twice a day, my orgasms would start to feel less intense and I had less sexual drive. If I cut this down to a few of times a week, they would become very intense. The sexual chemistry in each of is different.

Your SHBG is approaching the upper limit. This seems to happen to some of us as we age and or other health related reasons. Which means less free testosterone is available and could be partly responsible for some of your issues. You could try to lower this with supplements or investigating if you have any liver or thyroid issues. Even supplementing with Magnesium may help here. Apparently much of the population is low in this vital mineral.

However, as you mention recently, some improvements in your diet, the approaching summer months and the ability to do some regular physical exercise may make a significant improvement. I would not be going down the TRT rabbit hole just yet!

 

[ATL713]

Over the past couple weeks I've seen some welcome improvement. So I thought I would post here in case in helps anyone in the future:

What's improved:
- I no longer have that empty dick feeling. It feels fuller now, even when it's flaccid.
- No more erection problems. I get erections pretty easily again, even when just thinking/talking about sex. Refractory period has also decreased back closer to what it used to be.
- If I go 2-3 days without orgasming, my libido seems to surge. Maybe not to what it once was, but better than what it was recently.
- I'm waking up with morning erections again.

What I'm doing differently now compared to 2 months ago:

- Diet changes: cut fast food from 3-4 times per week to 1-2. No more high fat, high sodium frozen meals. Eating cruciferous veggies every day. Cut sugar intake ~1/2. Cut alcohol intake ~1/2.

- Exercise changes: increased weight training from 1 hr/week to 2 hrs/week. Riding bike 15-20 miles more per week. Still playing sports twice per week and getting at least 10k steps per day.

- Less masturbation. 2-3x per week, as opposed to every day.

Supplements:
Men's multivitamin, fish oil, ginkgo biloba, garlic, D3.

Something that is still lagging, though, is sensitivity in my penis. It still doesn't feel like it used to, even pretty recently. Sex just doesn't feel quite as good as it once did. Maybe it will improve, or maybe it's just that I'm 43 now.

I plan on continuing with these changes permanently. I feel much better about where I am now, and thank you to those who offered advice on this board. Hopefully someone who is in a similar situation to myself a couple months ago finds this helpful.

ATL

 

[Nelson Vergel]

I have been so busy with life and health issues that I have not taken the time to read most posts on this site I created years ago.

I took the time today and read each post in this thread. I am blown away by how many of you share so much valuable and intimate information.

I have had a bad day but it just got better by seeing what’s been happening lately on ExcelMale. A friend of mine told me many years ago “Build it and they will come “. He was right. It’s been worth it.

 

[Simbarn]

Over the past couple weeks I've seen some welcome improvement. So I thought I would post here in case in helps anyone in the future:

What's improved:
- I no longer have that empty dick feeling. It feels fuller now, even when it's flaccid.
- No more erection problems. I get erections pretty easily again, even when just thinking/talking about sex. Refractory period has also decreased back closer to what it used to be.
- If I go 2-3 days without orgasming, my libido seems to surge. Maybe not to what it once was, but better than what it was recently.
- I'm waking up with morning erections again.

What I'm doing differently now compared to 2 months ago:

- Diet changes: cut fast food from 3-4 times per week to 1-2. No more high fat, high sodium frozen meals. Eating cruciferous veggies every day. Cut sugar intake ~1/2. Cut alcohol intake ~1/2.

- Exercise changes: increased weight training from 1 hr/week to 2 hrs/week. Riding bike 15-20 miles more per week. Still playing sports twice per week and getting at least 10k steps per day.

- Less masturbation. 2-3x per week, as opposed to every day.

Supplements:
Men's multivitamin, fish oil, ginkgo biloba, garlic, D3.

Something that is still lagging, though, is sensitivity in my penis. It still doesn't feel like it used to, even pretty recently. Sex just doesn't feel quite as good as it once did. Maybe it will improve, or maybe it's just that I'm 43 now.

I plan on continuing with these changes permanently. I feel much better about where I am now, and thank you to those who offered advice on this board. Hopefully someone who is in a similar situation to myself a couple months ago finds this helpful.

ATL

Great to hear ATL. Sometimes all that is needed is some basic lifestyle and diet changes and our body does the rest!
I would continue with your current improvements and the sensitivity may improve also over time. You could also try Boron as a supplement as it has the potential to lower SHBG, which may help your free T levels.

Comparative effects of daily and weekly boron supplementation on plasma steroid hormones and proinflammatory cytokines - PubMed

Boron possesses widespread properties in biochemistry and nutrition. Acute supplementation with 11.6 mg of boron resulted in a significant increase in plasma boron concentration. Given such a fast bioavailability, the objective was to determine whether acute (hourly or daily), and weekly...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[ATL713]

I have been so busy with life and health issues that I have not taken the time to read most posts on this site I created years ago.

I took the time today and read each post in this thread. I am blown away by how many of you share so much valuable and intimate information.

I have had a bad day but it just got better by seeing what’s been happening lately on ExcelMale. A friend of mine told me many years ago “Build it and they will come “. He was right. It’s been worth it.

Nelson, you've built a great community. I realize my issues are different than most here, but I felt lost and pretty hopeless and didn't know where to turn. I got some great guidance from the folks on here, and I'm really thankful for it. It's made a difference in the quality of my life.