Opinions requested, not medical advice.

[reflection]

(sorry, I wanted to make that clear to the mods, I am not asking for medical advice. I am asking men what they would personally do in my situation.)

This is as much background as I can think of off the top of my head:

I am a 43 year old male. Married, two children, one teenage child, another close behind. Professional job, work at a desk all day. 5'-11", about 200. I ride my bicycle perhaps 3 nights a week after work for ~5 miles, shoot very light hoops 1-2 nights a week for no more than 20 minutes, just enough to get a little sweat going.

The last month or so I have had a fatigue just sweep over me, so bad that it feels as if I am moving through a fog all the time. Very hard to concentrate. Sometimes it is all I can do to hold a conversation with a co-worker. However, like a lot of people, I am very good at putting on a front, so I just plow through it. My libido is still good, but it used to be great.

But the fatigue was getting so bad I started wondering if there was something physically wrong with me. Went to the doctor, had bloodwork done. Everything was spot on, except testosterone. Reference range for a man my age is 280-1070, I'm at 125. Doctor has suggested T-gel.

This stuff is scary. I realize they have to put all the side effects on the bottle, but some of the stuff is very daunting. Testicular shrinkage(!), male pattern baldness (I have a nice full head of hair), increased risk of prostate cancer. My wife actually does very involved research with testosterone for her job, and she says if I used the gel long enough to get up to normal range, then cycle off for awhile, and come back as needed, that my statistical chance of experiencing these effects is minimal.

So to any men, I am wondering if any of you have experienced this, and if so, what *you* did, not what I should necessarily do. And if you haven't experienced it, what you would do if you were in a similar situation.

I hope I phrased this well enough to avoid a lock. I don't want medical advice. I want to know what other men think, that's all.

[Punkingal]

1. I'm not a man, but my brother takes it with zero side effects.

[handmade34]

2. no medical advice...

just a thought from my partner... he has used the stuff and says that if a person is otherwise healthy, T-gel is a very good solution to problems (energy level, creativity, sex drive, etc)...

my partner has developed other serious health problems (heart, circulation, etc) and therefore opts not to use the stuff but he says he certainly would again if he no longer had the other health concerns... good luck!!

[johnd83]

3. It could be Lyme disease

I have had all those symptoms although I am younger so never had a T test. Lyme (or Babesia also) can mess up hormone levels as well. I think antibiotics are much safer than hormone replacement therapy. You may want to see a Lyme specialist. If it is sudden it may very well be due to a disease. Be careful though, the tests for Lyme are extremely inaccurate because there are new strains that the don't test for. You need to see a doctor who knows how to diagnose it correctly.

[bemildred]

4. I would get several other opinions.

I would be reluctant.

[quinnox]

5. I wouldn't take that

I am about your same age, and I would look into taking herbs. I strongly believe in natural medicine, and there are herbs that are supposed to help your energy level and basic well being. Since you got a physical and everything seemed fine, maybe it is your diet. Of course, a second opinion with a different doctor wouldn't hurt, its something to consider if you really think there is a problem. But the doctors want to give people drugs as often as possible, because they make money from it, and they have agreements with the big pharmacy companies.

[Cronus Protagonist]

6. I know a gay man who is now hetero with his T treatment

Had similar symptoms as described, went on the patch and started noticing women... decided to have a go at it despite never having been interested in sex with a woman before. Now he left his boyfriend and is dating a chick.

Them patches are powerful stuff. He'll be straight now, but bald.

[Kali]

7. ask for an evaluation for a sleep study

but you are probably safe to use as your Doctor has prescribed.

oh I am not a man, sorry

[reflection]

8. Thanks to everyone who posted here and sent DU mail.

I've got a lot of reading to do, and then a lot of thinking. While I can't respond to every single post, your opinions are all well-received and I appreciate your time very much.

[DevonRex]

9. Good urology link.

http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology/index.cfm?article=132

"Roughly 40% of men with high blood pressure and 40% of men with high cholesterol levels will have low testosterone levels. Additionally, approximately 50% of men with diabetes and 50% of obese men will have low testosterone. And we know that 30% of men with HIV and 50% of men with AIDS will have low testosterone. Surprisingly, almost 75% of men with a history of chronic opioid use will have low testosterone levels.
Snip
There are many treatment options for symptomatic low testosterone. Testosterone replacement therapy may be in the form of skin gel, injections, long acting pellets, patches or oral inserts. The most common type of therapy is gel therapy, which is used by approximately 70% of patients. Men simply rub a gel onto their shoulders or upper arms after taking a shower. Roughly 17% of patients are using testosterone injections and 10% of men are using testosterone patches. Approximately 3% of patients are using other forms of testosterone, such as oral testosterone or implantable testosterone pellets.
What to expect after treatment
Testosterone replacement has been shown to improve a man's energy, libido (sex drive), muscle mass, sleep, erections, energy level, and depressed mood. Testosterone replacement has been shown to also decrease body fat in men. There is data now to support that giving testosterone to a patient with low testosterone may increase their bone mineral density and decrease their risk for a bone fracture. It is important to realize that testosterone treatment is considered lifelong therapy, just like in other chronic conditions. Stopping testosterone replacement will result in a decline in a man's testosterone level."
Snip

The article goes on to say there's an increased chance of benign prostatic hyperplasia, which makes you have to urinate a lot. Or does it make you feel like you have to? I don't know. And it says studies don't say treatment increases the risk of prostate cancer. Repeats, so far studies do NOT link treatment to increased cancer risk.

If it were my husband, I'd have him go to the best urologist I could find. First, I'd want to make sure nothing else was causing the condition to begin with. Then, discuss all treatment options. Especially for you, since you have younger children at home. You can even get injections or patches.