Still struggling

[Wean]

So it's been about two years since I became symptomatic due to varicoceles I'm 27 was 25 when it started long story short they started hurting after lifting one day randomly then I got depressed and dick stopped working felt numb and cold couldent figure out why got diagnosed with varicoceles on both sides got blood tests that showed low t and free t got surgery and have a persistent left so now I'm getting it embolized total t has been as follows
420tt at 3 p.m. when I felt symptoms in 2017
380tt- 6a.m.
355tt-6a.m.
325tt-6a.m.
305tt6a.m.
And multiple tests afterwards all between 300 and 325 at 6a.m.
Estrogen non s in conjunction have been
10e2
8e2
17e2
19e2 all done at the same as total t I've never gotten above 19 non s e2

Fsh is always 5.5

Lh has been as follows (scale2.5 To 8.5)
5.5lh
7.6lh
2.8lh
8.5lh
Here's the odd thing shbg has went from 38 to 23 as follows
38 shbg
34shbg
29shbg
23shbg
Fertility tests showed low sperm at 6 million

Origionally my free t was low on lancorps scale flagged but since my shbg dropped my free t is considered normal but I feel like shit depressed no morning wood or erections or libido and I can't keep fat off not to mention dry skin and I pee alot more than I used to seems like it's a chore to stay hydrated. In the time I've gottenvputa shape because I just wanna sleep after work and the gym takes it out of me.....the doc wants me to try hcg followed by nolvadex after embolization is this a good idea? Hcg is around 500iu eod or ed to 1000 eod...to wake up my leydig cells...uro says varicoceles can cause dysfunction of the testes....I'm kinda lost I get scared seeing all these guys with persistant libido issues on trt or no improvement or honeymoon phase then they lose benefits. for stabbing yourself for life or being dependant it's scary to be 27 and think I'll need injections for life with out the garuntee of symptom improvement not to mention loss of fertility. What to do guys

 

[Systemlord]

Your LH doesn't seem to be a major problem on just about all tests, normally LH is very low for the majority of men who have secondary hypogonadism which is the most common, I think your testicles just aren't performing well anymore which is likely do to the varicoceles. I expect T to be at least midrange when LH is about midrange, I'm not seeing that.

Therefore I don't expect HCG to show good results, I think in the end you'll need TRT for life. Careful excessive HCG does can desensitise the leydig cells, I think TRT would be a better fit for you. Men who aren't on TRT and have high testosterone have libido issues, those that do have libido issues on TRT is do to having lower SHBG, your SHBG is ideal and don't expect to see major problems.

There are a lot of guys who seek TRT to solve their libido issues that aren't related to testosterone, working later hours and getting poor sleep, sleep apnea, depression and anxiety will kill libido and a lot of men believe TRT will solve all their problems without working on their mental issues.

Your comment of dry skin may point to a thyroid problem, large fluctuating in SHBG levels could be do to thyroid dysfunction, Free T3 increase body temperature, increases metabolism and speeds up every cell in the body including the livers production of SHBG.

You should have a closer look at your thyroid, a thyroid panel consisting of TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3 and antibodies is recommended. Those who start TRT who have thyroid problems don't see good results, often response to TRT is less than ideal and libido issues would drag on.

For TRT to work, you must put in the effort, if you eat a poor diet, don't exercise and get poor sleep you may not see good results. Being obese can cause TRT to be more challenging in the beginning, nothing that can't be solved by diet and exercising.

This low T state is causing you to self doubt yourself and wonder whether you'll ever make a full recovery, don't listen to it because it happens to just about every man who has low T. Restore you hormones to an optimal state and these feelings will disappear, you'll find yourself more confident.

As for your comment about stabbing yourself with syringes for life, I would hardly consider sticking myself with an 29 gauge insulin syringe in my shoulders and quad stabling myself, it's actually quite painless.

 

[Charliebizz]

Your LH doesn't seem to be a major problem on just about all tests, normally LH is very low for the majority of men who have secondary hypogonadism which is the most common, I think your testicles just aren't performing well anymore which is likely do to the varicoceles. I expect T to be at least midrange when LH is about midrange, I'm not seeing that.

Therefore I don't expect HCG to show good results, I think in the end you'll need TRT for life. Careful excessive HCG does can desensitise the leydig cells, I think TRT would be a better fit for you. Men who aren't on TRT and have high testosterone have libido issues, those that do have libido issues on TRT is do to having lower SHBG, your SHBG is ideal and don't expect to see major problems.

There are a lot of guys who seek TRT to solve their libido issues that aren't related to testosterone, working later hours and getting poor sleep, depression and anxiety will kill libido and a lot of men believe TRT will solve all their problems without working on their mental issues.

Your comment of dry skin may point to a thyroid problem, large fluctuating in SHBG levels could be do to thyroid dysfunction, Free T3 increase body temperature, increases metabolism and speeds up every cell in the body including the livers production of SHBG.

You should have a closer look at your thyroid, a thyroid panel consisting of TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3 and antibodies is recommended. Those who start TRT who have thyroid problems don't see good results, often response to TRT is less than ideal and libido issues would drag on.

For TRT to work, you must put in the effort, if you eat a poor diet, don't exercise and get poor sleep you may not see good results. Being obese can cause TRT to be more challenging in the beginning, nothing that can't be solved by diet and exercising.

This low T state is causing you to self doubt yourself and wonder whether you'll ever make a full recovery, don't listen to it because it happens to just about every man who has low T. Restore you hormones to an optimal state and these feelings will disappear, you'll find yourself more confident.

As for your comment about stabbing yourself with syringes for life, I would hardly consider sticking myself with an 29 gauge insulin syringe in my shoulders and quad stabling myself, it's actually quite painless.

I was doing every day delt injections never any pain at all

 

[Wean]

Your LH doesn't seem to be a major problem on just about all tests, normally LH is very low for the majority of men who have secondary hypogonadism which is the most common, I think your testicles just aren't performing well anymore which is likely do to the varicoceles. I expect T to be at least midrange when LH is about midrange, I'm not seeing that.

Therefore I don't expect HCG to show good results, I think in the end you'll need TRT for life. Careful excessive HCG does can desensitise the leydig cells, I think TRT would be a better fit for you. Men who aren't on TRT and have high testosterone have libido issues, those that do have libido issues on TRT is do to having lower SHBG, your SHBG is ideal and don't expect to see major problems.

There are a lot of guys who seek TRT to solve their libido issues that aren't related to testosterone, working later hours and getting poor sleep, sleep apnea, depression and anxiety will kill libido and a lot of men believe TRT will solve all their problems without working on their mental issues.

Your comment of dry skin may point to a thyroid problem, large fluctuating in SHBG levels could be do to thyroid dysfunction, Free T3 increase body temperature, increases metabolism and speeds up every cell in the body including the livers production of SHBG.

You should have a closer look at your thyroid, a thyroid panel consisting of TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3 and antibodies is recommended. Those who start TRT who have thyroid problems don't see good results, often response to TRT is less than ideal and libido issues would drag on.

For TRT to work, you must put in the effort, if you eat a poor diet, don't exercise and get poor sleep you may not see good results. Being obese can cause TRT to be more challenging in the beginning, nothing that can't be solved by diet and exercising.

This low T state is causing you to self doubt yourself and wonder whether you'll ever make a full recovery, don't listen to it because it happens to just about every man who has low T. Restore you hormones to an optimal state and these feelings will disappear, you'll find yourself more confident.

As for your comment about stabbing yourself with syringes for life, I would hardly consider sticking myself with an 29 gauge insulin syringe in my shoulders and quad stabling myself, it's actually quite painless.

Yeah =( in thought hcg desensitization was a myth I've read it numerous time on here it was a false fear I may be wrong but I've did some research and a few good docs felt the same way but I'll be cautious also my tsh was 2.5 which is above 1 so shbg cpuld be a problem with that does thyroid sort itself once t levels are corrected? And ive been told my shbg is low and not ideal was I mis led in that regard?

 

[Systemlord]

Testosterone can affect thyroid, but not by a large margin. It isn't uncommon to see a thyroid that is sub-clinical and once TRT commences, only then the weak link is exposed and thyroid starts struggling as TRT attempts to restore metabolic rates. Usually you'll see SHBG decrease from about midrange down to the low teens in some cases, that's why when I saw your SHBG go from 38-23 I became suspicious.

The normal ranges for TSH are invalid do to the fact that when doctors went back to take a second look at the study group that made up the TSH ranges, 30% were later found to have thyroid dysfunction invalidating the ranges.

The evidence for a narrower thyrotropin reference range is compelling.

It has become clear that previously accepted reference ranges are no longer valid as a result of both the development of more highly sensitive TSH assays and the appreciation that reference populations previously considered normal were contaminated with individuals with various degrees of thyroid dysfunction that served to increase mean TSH levels for the group.

Recent laboratory guidelines from the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry indicate that more than 95% of normal individuals have TSH levels below 2.5 mU/liter. The remainder with higher values are outliers, most of whom are likely to have underlying Hashimoto thyroiditis or other causes of elevated TSH.

It should be 5.-2.5 mU/liter, not .5-4.5 mU/liter.

 

[Wean]

Testosterone can affect thyroid, but not by a large margin. It isn't uncommon to see a thyroid that is sub-clinical and once TRT commences, only then the weak link is exposed and thyroid starts struggling as TRT attempts to restore metabolic rates. Usually you'll see SHBG decrease from about midrange down to the low teens in some cases, that's why when I saw your SHBG go from 38-23 I became suspicious.

The normal ranges for TSH are invalid do to the fact that when doctors went back to take a second look at the study group that made up the TSH ranges, 30% were later found to have thyroid dysfunction invalidating the ranges.

The evidence for a narrower thyrotropin reference range is compelling.


It should be 5.-2.5 mU/liter, not .5-4.5 mU/liter.

I've tested at 1.8 before as well tsh....so why did my shbg still drop? And you sure my shbg is ok for trt? I thought it lowered shbg more

 

[Systemlord]

I've tested at 1.8 before as well tsh....so why did my shbg still drop? And you sure my shbg is ok for trt? I thought it lowered shbg more

Well my SHBG was about midrange, lower than yours, got knocked down to 16 at one point and within the first week I noticed my muscles were getting firm and sore, by week two they were very sore, clearly they were growing thanks to the TRT. By week 5 sourness was as if I had gone to the gym all day long without taking a break.

All of this occurred with my SHBG hovering between 16-22, I think you'll do more than fine. If your thyroid presents a problem, you'll have to address it as well which isn't as bad as it sounds.

 

[Wean]

Well my SHBG was about midrange, lower than yours, got knocked down to 16 at one point and within the first week I noticed my muscles were getting firm and sore, by week two they were very sore, clearly they were growing thanks to the TRT. By week 5 sourness was as if I had gone to the gym all day long without taking a break.

All of this occurred with my SHBG hovering between 16-22, I think you'll do more than fine. If your thyroid presents a problem, you'll have to address it as well which isn't as bad as it sounds.

I'm more worried about restoring morning wood sexual function and healthy metabolism/ insulin sens.withput needing an a.i. at 290 lbs I don't think I can

 

[CoastWatcher]

I'm more worried about restoring morning wood sexual function and healthy metabolism/ insulin sens.withput needing an a.i. at 290 lbs I don't think I can

No one is suggesting you are facing a simple set of issues. But many of us found ourselves in a situation that seemed overwhelming when we began considering TRT. You are asking the right questions and becoming your own health advocate - the essential step all of us had to take. It isn't going to be fixed in a day, a week, or a month. But it may well get fixed.