Low testosterone

[xx99xx]

Also, a lot of people with low T have little strength, energy or incentive to go to a gym and lift weights with the aim of bulking up.

[Don Roque]

Perhaps getting off the sofa and getting into the gym might kickstart some reaction and put the lead back in your pencil.

[Scabutz]

Don Roque said:

Perhaps getting off the sofa and getting into the gym might kickstart some reaction and put the lead back in your pencil.

No, it won't, not in these cases.

[anonymous-user]

How did OP get the interest from the GP here?

I’ve had multiple tests - blood, CSF, urine etc for investigation into an issue I have and despite some coming back out of normal range all I get is a shrug of the shoulders and a ‘nothing of concern’ type response !

I’ll look up my T later but in may it was like OP’s and the urologist involved didn’t even mention it I had to point out it’s low is that a problem and the question got fobbed off.

[xx99xx]

V6 Pushfit said:

How did OP get the interest from the GP here?

I’ve had multiple tests - blood, CSF, urine etc for investigation into an issue I have and despite some coming back out of normal range all I get is a shrug of the shoulders and a ‘nothing of concern’ type response !

I’ll look up my T later but in may it was like OP’s and the urologist involved didn’t even mention it I had to point out it’s low is that a problem and the question got fobbed off.

Sadly, that's the typical response you get from GP's. You have to be persistent, change GP's, go private etc. Took me 10 years, several GP's, a few endo's and loads of blood tests to get some treatment (on NHS).

Go armed with the society for endocrinology guidelines as that might help.

[xx99xx]

Don Roque said:

Perhaps getting off the sofa and getting into the gym might kickstart some reaction and put the lead back in your pencil.

Is this what you did when you had low T?

[Alrey87]

Don Roque said:

Did any of you low-Test guys try lifting some weights, eating more red meat or anything before you started taking all these drugs? I can only think it might have helped.

It’ll more likely increase your cortisol and lower your testosterone further, if you’re already struggling. I worked out more when I was lower T, felt like absolute crap but still powered through it.

[anonymous-user]

xx99xx said:

V6 Pushfit said:

How did OP get the interest from the GP here?

I’ve had multiple tests - blood, CSF, urine etc for investigation into an issue I have and despite some coming back out of normal range all I get is a shrug of the shoulders and a ‘nothing of concern’ type response !

I’ll look up my T later but in may it was like OP’s and the urologist involved didn’t even mention it I had to point out it’s low is that a problem and the question got fobbed off.

Sadly, that's the typical response you get from GP's. You have to be persistent, change GP's, go private etc. Took me 10 years, several GP's, a few endo's and loads of blood tests to get some treatment (on NHS).

Go armed with the society for endocrinology guidelines as that might help.

Might change GP. Haven’t heard locally of any GP better though.

[Legacywr]

V6 Pushfit said:

xx99xx said:

V6 Pushfit said:

How did OP get the interest from the GP here?

I’ve had multiple tests - blood, CSF, urine etc for investigation into an issue I have and despite some coming back out of normal range all I get is a shrug of the shoulders and a ‘nothing of concern’ type response !

I’ll look up my T later but in may it was like OP’s and the urologist involved didn’t even mention it I had to point out it’s low is that a problem and the question got fobbed off.

Sadly, that's the typical response you get from GP's. You have to be persistent, change GP's, go private etc. Took me 10 years, several GP's, a few endo's and loads of blood tests to get some treatment (on NHS).

Go armed with the society for endocrinology guidelines as that might help.

Might change GP. Haven’t heard locally of any GP better though.

You need to go outside of the NHS for proper results.

[Don Roque]

xx99xx said:

Is this what you did when you had low T?

I've never had low testosterone but I thought it may have been a useful suggestion for the guys struggling here. I see a lot of guys these days who look like they couldn't pick up a newspaper without struggling who I expect are suffering from low testosterone. Some red meat, maybe a cigar and a few trips to the weights rack would sort them out.

[budgie smuggler]

Don Roque said:

Did any of you low-Test guys try lifting some weights, eating more red meat or anything before you started taking all these drugs? I can only think it might have helped.

Yes, I was following the Stronglift 5x5 programme and taking magnesium, creatine, and various other supplements, making myself go to bed early, eating st loads and still making *zero* gains. That was when I went to the GP.

When you've been fit you know how your body should react, and when it doesn't it's just obvious something is wrong. My wife was making more gains than I was!

PS probably obvious but do not mention training whatsoever when you speak to a doctor about testosterone, it's an instant red flag to them

Edited by budgie smuggler on Thursday 27th October 09:16

[Scabutz]

Don Roque said:

xx99xx said:

Is this what you did when you had low T?

I've never had low testosterone but I thought it may have been a useful suggestion for the guys struggling here. I see a lot of guys these days who look like they couldn't pick up a newspaper without struggling who I expect are suffering from low testosterone. Some red meat, maybe a cigar and a few trips to the weights rack would sort them out.

Smoking as well to increase T, brilliant. This is the bro science post of the year.

[Louis Balfour]

Scabutz said:

Don Roque said:

xx99xx said:

Is this what you did when you had low T?

I've never had low testosterone but I thought it may have been a useful suggestion for the guys struggling here. I see a lot of guys these days who look like they couldn't pick up a newspaper without struggling who I expect are suffering from low testosterone. Some red meat, maybe a cigar and a few trips to the weights rack would sort them out.

Smoking as well to increase T, brilliant. This is the bro science post of the year.

Ignore him. That particular poster can be prone to making comments to be inflammatory more than helpful.

I haven’t needed their services thankfully but I am led to believe that most cities have at least one private doctor who will help promptly with low T issues. Whether that can later be parlayed into an ongoing arrangement with the NHS I don’t know.

[Legacywr]

Don Roque said:

I've never had low testosterone but I thought it may have been a useful suggestion for the guys struggling here. I see a lot of guys these days who look like they couldn't pick up a newspaper without struggling who I expect are suffering from low testosterone. Some red meat, maybe a cigar and a few trips to the weights rack would sort them out.

You're trolling, surely?

If not, I apologise, but you're input is of zero use, it's a total lack of awareness.

[PArbor1]

V6 Pushfit said:

Might change GP. Haven’t heard locally of any GP better though.

Don’t bother, I did this and waisted 6 months time when I could be on treatment.

[Scabutz]

V6 Pushfit said:

Might change GP. Haven’t heard locally of any GP better though.

Is there another doctor in the same surgery? At my surgery you dont have an assigned doctor you just get whoever is available, first one was completely dismissive and uninterested. I booked an appointment with another one and she straightaway said this is to complex for GP you need referral to the endo (which is all I wanted the first one to do)

[anonymous-user]

Scabutz said:

V6 Pushfit said:

Might change GP. Haven’t heard locally of any GP better though.

Is there another doctor in the same surgery? At my surgery you dont have an assigned doctor you just get whoever is available, first one was completely dismissive and uninterested. I booked an appointment with another one and she straightaway said this is to complex for GP you need referral to the endo (which is all I wanted the first one to do)

Yes it’s like musical chairs at the GP’s and phone call only unless you’ve stopped breathing. They’re all the same there though - zero ownership of a patient.

I’ve been private but they kick the can down the road too as they have no oversight or management to check what they’re doing.

I’m feeling ok at the mo though but just checked and I’ve also also v low calcium apparently (Doc didn’t even mention it) I think I’ll use iron pills and get even more active and demand a test after Christmas.

[272BHP]

Scabutz said:

Is there another doctor in the same surgery? At my surgery you dont have an assigned doctor you just get whoever is available, first one was completely dismissive and uninterested. I booked an appointment with another one and she straightaway said this is to complex for GP you need referral to the endo (which is all I wanted the first one to do)

Be careful what you wish for, most endos are diabetes specialists and don't have the slightest clue about this stuff either.

Normally an endo appointment is booked for a half hour slot so you might be lucky and get one that is open minded enough to google for 10 mins.

[FNG]

V6 Pushfit said:

How did OP get the interest from the GP here?

I’ve had multiple tests - blood, CSF, urine etc for investigation into an issue I have and despite some coming back out of normal range all I get is a shrug of the shoulders and a ‘nothing of concern’ type response !

I’ll look up my T later but in may it was like OP’s and the urologist involved didn’t even mention it I had to point out it’s low is that a problem and the question got fobbed off.

Sorry for not replying, I don't pop in very often.

Simple answer is I have a number of other conditions which means I see a GP quite often, and try to make sure it's the same one. After ten years he knows I am not going to go away quietly and he knows that I don't waste his time.

So when I went in there prepared with what I thought the problem was, he agreed to tests. When he got the results, he recognised it was outside his expertise and so referred me to an endo.

The endo, however, is as useless as the majority of them seem to be (in that they don't do a lot of low-T work, and are mostly there for menopause issues etc) and concentrates solely on the numbers, not on the symptoms. Take bloods after a course of treatment, adjust dosage to achieve 15nmol. That's the job jobbed as far as they're concerned. I get the feeling they are scared stless that if they treat a patient to get him to a higher level of T, he'll go postal / start looking at peoples pints in pubs / kill his extended family, and then they'll be on the hook - being asked Hard Questions while the hospital manager Learns Lessons.

I did get an MRI to see if the pituitary gland is functioning, but didn't get a clear answer as to whether it was or not.

I started on injections but they weren't working well for me - tailing off towards the end of the period "oh no that doesn't happen" sigh, ok lets go to gel then. Which does work in that I have been able to adjust the dose to the point I feel is the right balance for me, but I've no idea what my blood results are as last time out I was due a phone consultation, it didn't happen. Then I was told they needed bloods doing, and were going to send me the details of what tests were being done, to give to the blood nurse. Which hasn't happened, after repeat chases.

So I've decided fk it I'll stick with self prescribing my levels until I can afford to go private and get it done properly by someone who listens to symptoms in preference to targeting a blood value.

I wanted to go NHS and force them to do a proper job of it by being informed and telling them what I want, not them telling me what's going to happen. This is the only way to get a consultant to do anything useful in my experience and it's generally served me well enough. But I've failed and while it's only partly the endo not being a low-T specialist and partly just NHS secondary care being bloody useless, nevertheless I've given up on that route.

TL;DR: don't bother with the NHS if you possibly can. All else you've read here about that route is true. And if you can't avoid them, go for the gel and get it on repeat. At least then you can achieve your own suitable levels by trial and error, which should have a better outcome than relying on the womens health specialist at the local hospital.

[Big Rig]

Can anyone recommend a private clinic where I can get my T level checked please? I’m midlands based atm.

Edited by Big Rig on Monday 26th December 06:54