Update - There is hope if you're persistent

[Guest guest]

I haven't posted in awhile and just wanted to give everyone an update. I have

been struggling for over 4 years with low T and I can FINALLY report that I am

back to normal. I know some on this board have struggled a lot longer than

that. In any case, I am now on a regimen that works very well for me. When I

first started the T injections, I was getting a MONSTER shot of 200mg a week. I

am also one of those folks whose blood thickens with T and I even had a very

tiny stroke because of it. There seems to be no permanent damage, so no harm,

no foul. I went to Dr. Overbeck and , and they started me on hCG because

my endo would not do it. This was really the turning point. I went on the

twice a week shot regimen with 250IU of hCG and 100mg of T. My hematocrit and

hemoglobin were still too high, so we knocked it down to 80mg of T a week in 2

shots. I was developing insulin intolerance and had put on almost 60 pounds.

In August, my wife and I started Nutrisystems D. I was also being treated with

Synthroid for hypothyroidism (100 mcg). Nutrisystems is a low glycemic diet and

after struggling to lose anything the first two weeks the weight started to come

off. I am now down 53 pounds to 177 and feel fantastic. I am down to only 40mg

of T a week (2 shots of 20) and the hCG. I take .5mg of Arimidex every other

day and my ED issues have completely vanished and my estradiol level is 15. My

T levels are in the high 600 range and I guess for me that is best because I

feel like I did before this started. I am running on a treadmill every other

day for 40 minutes at a 7 min mile pace (not bad for someone who is almost 50).

I have a ton of energy and feel just great. I also take benicar for high blood

pressure and that has been reduced. I take crestor for cholesterol and for the

first time in YEARS my HDL is in range and my total cholesterol is only 97. My

CBC is perfect. All my blood work is perfect.

The bottom line is that you really have to be persistent with doctors and

educate yourself. As Phil and others have said many times, most doctors don't

know anything about treating low T other than what the drug companies tell them.

The other thing is that we are not all built the same. While the standard

treatment Dr. advocates is 100mg of T a week, that was way too much for me,

combined with the hCG. Some have problems with estradiol being below 20 whereas

I do not. I have been on the regimen since August and have had no issues with

ED. Additionally, as you lose weight, you need to have your meds adjusted. I

am taking a lower amount of Synthroid because of the weight loss.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

Regards,

Joe