I have been a eunuch (for medical reasons) for 3 ½ years.

At first I took HRT (T injection every two weeks), but I did not like it.

I have been off T completely for over a year and I love the calm and the lack of extreme libido. I had a bone density test very recently and was given a 100% good report. I exercise 3 days a week and I am in fairly good shape (for an old man).

My problem is:

1. One of my Doctors says my T level is FAR too low (virtually none) and I MUST take T injections on a regular basis.

2. Another Doctor tells me that I actually do NOT need to have any HRT and extreme low T is OK and possibly even safer than HRT.

I am NOT asking for medical advice, but I would appreciate any relevant comments anyone would give me.

Andy in Houston

I do not have experience with HRT, but I do have experience with the underlying issue.

My brother (deceased) had diabetes since age 5. He eventually developed MS, his wife chucked him out because he was too much trouble and we got him. He became a 'brittle' diabetic - could have wildly fluctuating blood sugar. I learned over time dealing with him day in and day out that he worked best with a blood sugar on the high side at about 160. When he got down to 60 or so, he was not really with it. I remember taking him to one doctor with a rigid Germanic personality who gave me a stern lecture that I was abusing my brother by letting his blood sugar get up to 160. I never took him back to that doctor and other medical people have told me since that each body is different and that 160 knowing that he works best in that range is reasonable.

I have COPT and take two inhalers. One side affect when I am physically working hard is a get like muscle cramps that wrap my fingers around my fist and I cannot write. That is totally unacceptable for doing what I do and I love what I do. I have experimented and cutting back one inhale a day and drinking a MgCl solution solves that. I have run that by one medical professional who said that a person can adjust dosages to fit the reaction of their body - every body reacts differently. I am not event going to say much about the pulmonologist who fired me as a patient because I had seen a naturopath about something else and the naturopath brought up the idea of food allergies.

I have written separately about an incident with my Dad - where he went to a nursing home from the hospital after pneumonia bout. It turned out a doctor had put him on a sedative. He was sent to the nursing home for physical therapy. He seemed to have slid downhill a lot to where he was, to my eye, incapable of physical therapy. Funny thing, they always do that until Medicare no longer pays and then we got him back. I did not find out about the sedative until he ran out of the medicine and I went to get a re-fill. We quit that medicine and within two days he recuperated back to an unsedated state where he was capable of benefited from outpatient physical therapy.

I think obviously doctors have good intentions, but there is a whole mix of personalities and human foibles which each patient has to take into account. You have proven this by getting two different opinions (congratulations). Now take the two different opinions and go with what works with your body. You know your body better than any doctor can after 20 minutes of face time.

Arab Nights (imported) wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2015 5:07 pm Now take the two different opinions and go with what works with your body. You know your body better than any doctor can after 20 minutes of face time.

After several years of taking 11 different drugs I threw them all in the trash, today I take one. My rule is simple if the drug works and I don't have any side effects I will continue taking the drug.

As for HRT, I have asked my doctor for some low dose, actually I have asked my last three doctors and the answer I have received is NO. The reason is simple, the HRT does much to screw up other things in your body like kidneys liver etc. so NO is a good answer.

NOW, if you feel OK not taking HRT then don't. I don't give a rip what your doctors say one way or the other, they are not the ones that must live with what those drugs will do to you on many levels. Its OK to tell a doctor to go stick it. They are not the know all and beat all that they think they are. Remember modern medicine is only about 100 years old and its still called a "Practice."

So to repeat the quote from above, '

Arab Nights (imported) wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2015 5:07 pm You know your body better than any doctor can after 20 minutes of face time.

'

another old guy

River

What does your pituitary and hypothalmus feel about it all?

Check those stimulating and releasing factor whoremoans.

Riverwind (imported) wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2015 6:04 pm After several years of taking 11 different drugs I threw them all in the trash, today I take one. My rule is simple if the drug works and I don't have any side effects I will continue taking the drug.

As for HRT, I have asked my doctor for some low dose, actually I have asked my last three doctors and the answer I have received is NO. The reason is simple, the HRT does much to screw up other things in your body like kidneys liver etc. so NO is a good answer.

NOW, if you feel OK not taking HRT then don't. I don't give a rip what your doctors say one way or the other, they are not the ones that must live with what those drugs will do to you on many levels. Its OK to tell a doctor to go stick it. They are not the know all and beat all that they think they are. Remember modern medicine is only about 100 years old and its still called a "Practice."

So to repeat the quote from above, '

Arab Nights (imported) wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2015 5:07 pm You know your body better than any doctor can after 20 minutes of face time.

'

another old guy

River

Yes,

I would agree with this.

I get crushing depression without any T. I am hoping that it will diminish as I age. I am 36 now so I will stay with the T for a while I think.

I had one doctor trying to get me up to "normal" for a male my age. So that was 250mgs per cycle. However the cycle was a month. So the high versus low was too tough to handle as a rollercoaster. The wife wanted to toss me out. A more realistic cycle was 2 weeks. However that level of T was still insane as my pre-op T was in the 250s. So eventually I am now down to .5mL of a 125mg 1mL amp, it seems to work for me. I have had people tell me that it is still too much (no doctors though) So....

mileage varies?

I would think though if you are ok without then why add something?

The 0.5mL of 125mg/ML is a bit higher than I used to take at each injection. Of course, I do not know how often you are getting that injection so I can't compare to my own personal experience. I presently take 0.4mL of 200mg/mL testosterone cypionate each week and I seem to be o.k. on that, my levels are a bit above the range, but only about 1-2%.

So unless I know you specific dose over time (IE how much each time and how often), I'm afraid I can't tell you if it is consistent or higher/lower compared to myself or others I know of.

--LT

I am on a product called Axiron and I apply 1 pump per day under my armpit. I alternate each day just for fun. My doc originally prescribed 2 pumps per day, but I cut that in half and I feel much better for that. My endocrinologist wanted to put me on injections, but I told him where to stick his injections. The only other HRT method that I would possibly consider is implants, but I am very happy with what I am using and it keeps me on a even keel and happy.

I am able to become erect, have sex and orgasm as before my balls started to really give me so much trouble that I took steps to kill them off in order to get them surgically removed. Best thing that has happened in many a year.

moi621 (imported) wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2015 6:23 pm What does your pituitary and hypothalmus feel about it all?

Check those stimulating and releasing factor whoremoans.

I'll assume I'm not the only one around here that had to look up "hypothalamus"

http://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinolo ... pothalamus