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I've noticed a couple threads where young guys (early 20s) have asked your opinions on what to do about naturally occuring (non-gear induced) low testosterone levels. Many of you, I've noticed, have urged them not to seek HRT (hormone replacement therapy) stating that they are too young to start on a regiment of that nature. I would ask you all not to do that but the fact is that I'm new and I have no clout to make such a demand of any of you. I also highly respect the opinions of other people as differing opinions have done much in terms of new ways of thinking about things, not just in the sport, but the world over. So instead I'd like to share with you guys my story hoping that the next time someone younger comes around telling you about their low testosterone levels you will think twice before telling them that HRT is a poor idea.
I was 20 years old working in NYC at an I-banking internship when I got mono. Believe it or not, that is an important part to this story. Over the 6 months after my doctor said I was better, I gradually felt worse and worse. My energy was depleted, my sex drive was non existant, my muscle was wasting away as I was gaining 10 lbs a month all the way up to a plateau of an 80 lb weight gain. I could barely think anymore, I would wake up in a fog not being able to think for about half the day and even then the thinking after that point was so poor, I decided to avoid difficult thinking altogether. If I ate a sizeable meal, I needed to sleep. This was the opposite of who I was 8 months prior.
I saw some doctors and, as you may have guessed, my test levels came back low. My first endocrinologist told me it was nothing to worry about as I was too young for any sort of HRT and that some people have a natural hormone balance with low levels of test. Long story short, I went back a few times, had some words with the guy as I did more and more research which ended with me getting kicked out of his office as I was told no doctor would ever prescribe me HRT.
Something that not a lot of people realize about these testosterone blood tests is this: the scale they give you for the normal range on this test is not agumented for age groups like most tests are. What this equates to is that even if you land in the low-normal range in your early 20's, the values set for the acceptable range are determined by a gross average between a group of men between the ages of 18-80+ years old. Low normal on a test scale like that essentially means you have the testosterone levels of a 65 year old man. And believe me, that is exactly how you feel at those levels of testosterone. My 54 year old father had 3x the amount of testosterone that I had when tested to give you some idea. The ranges are also fungable between different lab companies so that even if someone is boarderline low-normal, given another lab's test they'd be low.
Two endcrinologists after that, I found one that was willing to treat my low total testosterone. He also found out I had low growth hormone and borderline low thyroid levels and cortisol levels. Did more research and found out that in some cases, illnesses such as mono and the other herpes viruses as well as periods of prolonged stress can have a permanent effect on your HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal).
Today I'm 22 and am about 6 months into my HRT for just testosterone and the effects of the treatment have been phenomenal. My mental clarity is back, my sex drive is back, I don't need to nap all day, I'm not fatigued to the point where I feel like not doing anything, and I'm starting to finally make strength and lean mass gains again as the fat I gained after having the mono is starting to go away. I have big goals and without HRT there is no way I would have been or would be able to achieve any of them.
Again, you are all welcome to your opinions on such a matter but I am speaking from first hand experience on this one. If someone has low testosterone, it should be treated. Discriminating treatment based on age makes absolutely no sense in this context as a young man should have more test than an older man. Therefore, to say that a young man with low test shouldn't be given HRT becomes doubly incorrect. Please do not encourage people not to seek help for this, we all know how important testosterone can be.
To anyone out there that has low test and is having trouble getting treatment my advice to you is not to stop looking. Keep going until you get it, even if that involves seeing 25 different doctors. Its your life, not theirs. You're not looking for an edge, you're looking for normalcy and there is absolutely no crime in that. My heart truly goes out to all of you who are currently in the shoes I was two years ago. Best of luck.
I was 20 years old working in NYC at an I-banking internship when I got mono. Believe it or not, that is an important part to this story. Over the 6 months after my doctor said I was better, I gradually felt worse and worse. My energy was depleted, my sex drive was non existant, my muscle was wasting away as I was gaining 10 lbs a month all the way up to a plateau of an 80 lb weight gain. I could barely think anymore, I would wake up in a fog not being able to think for about half the day and even then the thinking after that point was so poor, I decided to avoid difficult thinking altogether. If I ate a sizeable meal, I needed to sleep. This was the opposite of who I was 8 months prior.
I saw some doctors and, as you may have guessed, my test levels came back low. My first endocrinologist told me it was nothing to worry about as I was too young for any sort of HRT and that some people have a natural hormone balance with low levels of test. Long story short, I went back a few times, had some words with the guy as I did more and more research which ended with me getting kicked out of his office as I was told no doctor would ever prescribe me HRT.
Something that not a lot of people realize about these testosterone blood tests is this: the scale they give you for the normal range on this test is not agumented for age groups like most tests are. What this equates to is that even if you land in the low-normal range in your early 20's, the values set for the acceptable range are determined by a gross average between a group of men between the ages of 18-80+ years old. Low normal on a test scale like that essentially means you have the testosterone levels of a 65 year old man. And believe me, that is exactly how you feel at those levels of testosterone. My 54 year old father had 3x the amount of testosterone that I had when tested to give you some idea. The ranges are also fungable between different lab companies so that even if someone is boarderline low-normal, given another lab's test they'd be low.
Two endcrinologists after that, I found one that was willing to treat my low total testosterone. He also found out I had low growth hormone and borderline low thyroid levels and cortisol levels. Did more research and found out that in some cases, illnesses such as mono and the other herpes viruses as well as periods of prolonged stress can have a permanent effect on your HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal).
Today I'm 22 and am about 6 months into my HRT for just testosterone and the effects of the treatment have been phenomenal. My mental clarity is back, my sex drive is back, I don't need to nap all day, I'm not fatigued to the point where I feel like not doing anything, and I'm starting to finally make strength and lean mass gains again as the fat I gained after having the mono is starting to go away. I have big goals and without HRT there is no way I would have been or would be able to achieve any of them.
Again, you are all welcome to your opinions on such a matter but I am speaking from first hand experience on this one. If someone has low testosterone, it should be treated. Discriminating treatment based on age makes absolutely no sense in this context as a young man should have more test than an older man. Therefore, to say that a young man with low test shouldn't be given HRT becomes doubly incorrect. Please do not encourage people not to seek help for this, we all know how important testosterone can be.
To anyone out there that has low test and is having trouble getting treatment my advice to you is not to stop looking. Keep going until you get it, even if that involves seeing 25 different doctors. Its your life, not theirs. You're not looking for an edge, you're looking for normalcy and there is absolutely no crime in that. My heart truly goes out to all of you who are currently in the shoes I was two years ago. Best of luck.
