TRT? Doc said I am normal

[domino]

Hey guys here are my stats and blood work.

41 years old
5'8" clean diet 12 percent bf and weigh 160

Blood work from recent test
Sex hormone binding GLOB - HCCL 32
Free androgen index (test SHBG) 45.3
testosterone total 418
Tsh ultra-sensitive 3rd generation 1.10

I feel sluggish a lot I workout 5-6 days a week heavy. I just can't put any muscle mass on anymore. Had a diet trainer etc. low sex drive at times. But my doc says I am normal. I should also mention I have a rare disease called cluster headaches and when going through a cycle[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] test drops to almost zero. Several docs are using trt to keep them away since we have a deformity in our hypothalamus and when we hit our REM cycle we get woken up in extreme pain. I get 2 cycles of these every other year. I also have veracious veins on my left teste. But anyway the clusters affect hormones big time and recently doe neuro docs have started to use Test as a way to keep them away. But general doc says he won't do it for me because my test is normal. The lab uses a range of 132-813. [/FONT]

I have read I am on the low side for even a 50 year old man. In fact my doc said I am above average. But from everything I have been reading and finding on here I seem to be low.

Thnx to all who respond. I am actually thinking of getting some testosterone cypionate and HCG - human chorionic gonadotropin - and self prescribing and medicating depending on what more research I come across. Oh and also was going to get an aromatase inhibitor as well.

 

[pappybay]

I was running about the same number of T when I started TRT. IT was low for me at 50. Your SHBG is a tad high as well, s/b around 15-18. YOu need to find another doc. Any prescriptions will not be covered by insurance, but your labs should be. Call the local compounding pharmacies and ask which docs are prescribing test.

At least give the Doc approach a legitimate try before you pursue self medication. If you are going to pursue self med, you need about 50 hours of reading time here.

 

[domino]

Thanks - so you were at around 418 at 50 ? Wonder why my shbg is high. I will call around tomorrow to find a different doc. I will also spend a few weeks here and do as much research and reading as I possibly can.

I appreciate your response.

Also I just received an email from a researcher (MD) and this is what he had to say. This is for the condition that I have called cluster headaches, it affects the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. It also affects LH.

Here si what he just told me.

But you need to block the SHBG and I hold the patent on this medication.


So, (1) get the blood tests, (2) have a telephone consultation, (3) fly out here to have pellets inserted, (4) get the order in for the injections, (5) find someone to insert pellets (urologists are doing it all over the place now).


However, I must caution that without blocking the SHBG, the treatment will not work. No guarantees, but what harm in using FDA approved medications?


Sincerely,


Edward M. Lichten, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor Wayne State University

 

[pappybay]

Thanks - so you were at around 418 at 50 ? Wonder why my shbg is high. I will call around tomorrow to find a different doc. I will also spend a few weeks here and do as much research and reading as I possibly can.

I appreciate your response.

Also I just received an email from a researcher (MD) and this is what he had to say. This is for the condition that I have called cluster headaches, it affects the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. It also affects LH.

Here si what he just told me.

But you need to block the SHBG and I hold the patent on this medication.


So, (1) get the blood tests, (2) have a telephone consultation, (3) fly out here to have pellets inserted, (4) get the order in for the injections, (5) find someone to insert pellets (urologists are doing it all over the place now).


However, I must caution that without blocking the SHBG, the treatment will not work. No guarantees, but what harm in using FDA approved medications?


Sincerely,


Edward M. Lichten, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor Wayne State University

Listen brother, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and swims like a duck, you have a duck. That doc is full of shi&&. While the hypo in involved, there is NO evidence SHBG is the culprit.

Here is a link to a credible source for cluster headaches.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cluster-headache/DS00487/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs

Nowhere does the Mayo clinic specifically address SHBG. Plus Wayne State University (not knocking it on purpose) is not the epi-center fro medical research.

I was at 418 at 50 and it was not fun. I am in the middle of a blast right now at 600 mg test C per week after being at 180 mg per week for almost a year. I have added excellent weight (before the blast) and plan to add another 10 pounds during this blast.

Find a credible doc AFTER you arm your self with knowledge. This forum is the source for that knowledge. Now, get busy brother.

 

[domino]

Pappy,

Yep I know what you mean about Wayne State. I have suffered from clusters for about 20 years. I go through 2 cycles every other year. They do know for a fact that there is something with the hypothalamus, histamines, pituitary and vascular. But more tends to show something with the hypothalamus and the REM sleep pattern. The worst dan pain I have ever had in my life. It strange too that when we go through one of these cycles test levels drop even further. I have had this tested during the last cycle and I was down to total Test around 180.

The worst part is drug protocol that they use for this. Tons of imitrex (makes joints hurt and pop) , tons of verapamil, Depakote, and prednisone. The list goes on, but what might help with one cycle won't help most of the time the next cycle.

I am going to be very honest with you there is one thing that has stopped them dead in their tracks and made things better, Magic mushrooms. It kills them, it floods the brain with serotonin which causes the hypothalamus to reboot the brain. The only issue with this, it is much harder to get my hands on shrooms let alone growing them takes a very long time. But there are a few studies not just with the quack above that have had great success treating us with trt for clusters.

You were 50 with T levels at 418 and felt like crap, I am freakin 40 and have the same thing going on. Yesterday I was able to see my actual neuro and family doc - they have both decided to get an endo involved and to go with the trt path. They both said that the shbg levels might actually balance better with just test and they said no AI or HCG to start off with. I don't plan on having anymore kids anyway (vasectomy). Also I had an ultrasound done on my nuts and i have varicolcele.....Friday I go in for first injection and to be taught how to inject myself. Wife is going to so she can learn.