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"I have low T. I'm currently on Testopel which is testosterone pellets inserted under the skin every 3 months. I read that testosterone replacement therapy can worsen sleep apnea. I am concerned about this. And I also have to donate a pint of blood every 3 months because my RBC and hematocrit run high. I read that is a side effect of testosterone but can also be cause caused by Sleep Apnea!
Would like some input

I have been on TRT for about 10 yrs and also in a blood products program, they take my platelets, and they test my blood each time I go in. My RBC and hematocrit have never increased with the TRT. I take a bio-identical transdermal product. And as far as I know, TRT has nothing to do with apnea. That has to do with getting older, getting fatter and letting your mouth flop open. Keep your mouth shut, cervical collar works great, and you will be OK.

arete123 wrote: And as far as I know, TRT has nothing to do with apnea. That has to do with getting older, getting fatter and letting your mouth flop open. Keep your mouth shut, cervical collar works great, and you will be OK.

You need to read the monographs that come with all of the TRT products. Whether it be Androgel, Testim, Axiron, whatever. Every single one of them mentions that administration of TRT can cause or worsen sleep apnea. Go to the Androgel 1.62% site, click on "side effects" on the right hand side. And it clearly states " AndroGel 1.62% can cause serious side effects, including: Problems breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea)"

http://www.androgel.com/common-questions.aspx

Eric

JonBoyOhBoy wrote:

Suddenly Worn Out wrote:See what I mean? My male doctor understands what I am talking about, though. Women hate the word, aggressive. Female physicians are poor candidates for properly administering TRT, IMO.

Eric

SleepingUgly wrote:

Suddenly Worn Out wrote:I would not use a female physician for testosterone replacement therapy. Females simply do not understand the essential need for a male to "feel aggressive." Lack of aggressiveness IMO, is a component of clinical depression in males.

Good luck telling any physician that you don't feel "aggressive" enough and that you'd like them to prescribe something to make you feel more "aggressive". Perhaps there's another word you're looking for?

Yes sadly I agree. Aggression is probably not the right term, buy guys do understand. Men need testosterone to feel like a man. That why many middle aged men who are estrogen dominant literally turn into woman. They grow man boobs, get rounder hips, abdominal fat, muscle loss etc.

You guys really should try the pellets. The pellets get me into the 850 range and keep me ethereal with no estrogen spikes like the shots and the creams. It's worth the mild inconvenience of the procedure once every 4 months

I think the word you are looking for is "machismo". You want your mojo back! I can identify with that.

It is just amazing when you are a male and mention you have extremely low testosterone and you dont feel "aggressive" anymore, that some female chimes in and attacks you. LOL Man haters.

Eric

Hose_Head wrote:

JonBoyOhBoy wrote:

Suddenly Worn Out wrote:
I think the word you are looking for is "machismo". You want your mojo back! I can identify with that.

Suddenly Worn Out wrote:It is just amazing when you are a male and mention you have extremely low testosterone and you dont feel "aggressive" anymore, that some female chimes in and attacks you. LOL Man haters.

Maybe the word "aggressive" does suit you, after all.

I was dx because I told my dr that I thought my T levels were low - deminished libido, not caring about much of anything, no energy, just overall blah. Came back at 269, which was not only at the bottom of the range, but WAAAAAY too low for my age.

I am intested in trying Axiron to see if I get better results than I am getting on Fortesta - my last test was just a little over 300, with 4 pumps daily. I want/need something that works better for me than Fortesta.

My numbers were great wiht AndroDerm, but I had "burn" like reaction at the patch sites - even changing and not readministering to a site for over a week.

I dont know. Part of me is like, "I need to feel aggressive again like I used to." It helps in the work world as I am sure you well know. It also is essential if you are male and want to date or have sexual relations, but at 43, Im like "who cares" when it comes to that.

My main concern to be honest, is things like, my bones falling apart. Like, if I got in a wreck and my bones are weak from hypogonadism, Id get thrashed even worse and have more broken bones than normal.

Part of me cares that I am low T, another part of me is like "im tired of messing with testosterone and at my age, who cares?"

Eric

2flamingos wrote:I was dx because I told my dr that I thought my T levels were low - deminished libido, not caring about much of anything, no energy, just overall blah. Came back at 269, which was not only at the bottom of the range, but WAAAAAY too low for my age.

I am intested in trying Axiron to see if I get better results than I am getting on Fortesta - my last test was just a little over 300, with 4 pumps daily. I want/need something that works better for me than Fortesta.

My numbers were great wiht AndroDerm, but I had "burn" like reaction at the patch sites - even changing and not readministering to a site for over a week.

2Flamingos,
I had good results with Axrion. I was on shots before (cost too much). switched to Axrion and my numbers stayed up. You dont get the roller coaster effect with Axrion because you do it everyday. The downside. You put on your deodorant wait for it to dry then pump this stuff that is thin as water in a cup and start rubbing and chasing it down your side to get it applied. I went back to shots and doing them myself at home. Much better.

You need to read the monographs that come with all of the TRT products. Whether it be Androgel, Testim, Axiron, whatever. Every single one of them mentions that administration of TRT can cause or worsen sleep apnea. Go to the Androgel 1.62% site, click on "side effects" on the right hand side. And it clearly states " AndroGel 1.62% can cause serious side effects, including: Problems breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea)"

http://www.androgel.com/common-questions.aspx

Eric[/quote]

You are probably correct re: pharmaceuticals. I don't do them, I take a bio-identical.
Younger men who have high T probably won't get apnea until they are older, indicating a condition not associated with natural T.

I'm on Androgel, was using 4 pumps a day of the regular 1% stuff now on 4 pumps of the 1.62% stuff. What I've not been able to find out is why is the body location it is applied to different for the stronger one?
I find it a little challenging to spread 4 pumps on just shoulders and upper arms. The 1% included those areas and the abdomen, the 1.62% says not to put it on the abdomen..
I can't say I can tell a difference on any of it on a day to day basis- I don't know if it is psychological but occasionally I forget my morning dose. About mid afternoon I'm really dragging and realize I missed the dose that morning. This usually happens on the weekends when I put off my daily morning shower to do some dirty work around the house, get involved in something and finally realize it is mid afternoon and I didn't get my shower or T gel.
One concern I have is the stuff is danged expensive, my current insurance covers most of the cost. If I understand correctly your body shuts down production of T if using the supplements. Something happens and I lose my job/insurance I'm not sure I'd want to pony up $500+ a month for it, but might not have a choice to be functional.

I think most of the TRT ends up turning to E if you dont work out like a bat out of hell regularly while on it. And keep your body fat % low while on TRT. I swear TRT makes me both more muscular but also more fat. I dont need more fat and at my age, dont care about more muscular anymore. Im past that. What I need to be at my age is, lean and mean. Not muscular but also fatter.

Eric

Breathe Jimbo wrote:

BudSky wrote:What I've not been able to find out is why is the body location it is applied to different for the stronger one?

My endocrinologist told me not to apply Androgel to my stomach because that will cause more of it to be converted to estrogen, given the fat pad over my stomach. My shoulders and chest have much less fat.

And, ladies, this thread is for guys.

BudSky wrote:I'm on Androgel, was using 4 pumps a day of the regular 1% stuff now on 4 pumps of the 1.62% stuff. What I've not been able to find out is why is the body location it is applied to different for the stronger one?
I find it a little challenging to spread 4 pumps on just shoulders and upper arms. The 1% included those areas and the abdomen, the 1.62% says not to put it on the abdomen..
I can't say I can tell a difference on any of it on a day to day basis- I don't know if it is psychological but occasionally I forget my morning dose. About mid afternoon I'm really dragging and realize I missed the dose that morning. This usually happens on the weekends when I put off my daily morning shower to do some dirty work around the house, get involved in something and finally realize it is mid afternoon and I didn't get my shower or T gel.
One concern I have is the stuff is danged expensive, my current insurance covers most of the cost. If I understand correctly your body shuts down production of T if using the supplements. Something happens and I lose my job/insurance I'm not sure I'd want to pony up $500+ a month for it, but might not have a choice to be functional.

I'm kind of in that boat now. Been using Androgel for years and the first of September my work changed insurance. Now Androgel isn't available so it looks like I'll have to go to the doctors office every damn month or possibly two weeks for shots. That's going to suck!!

Randy

Maybe not. I have repeatedly heard that the shots of testosterone cypionate are superior in efficacy to the transdermal gels such as Androgel, Testim, Axiron, etc. The old timer TRT guys mostly SWEAR by the injected testosterone cypionate. They say that stuff WORKS!

Eric

Randyp1234 wrote:

BudSky wrote:
Now Androgel isn't available so it looks like I'll have to go to the doctors office every damn month or possibly two weeks for shots. That's going to suck!!

Randy

Breathe Jimbo wrote:And, ladies, this thread is for guys.

Women go on testosterone therapy, as well. But don't worry, I have nothing further to say on the subject. (For now.)

Since going on testosterone, I wake up to a woodie every morning. It's usually up before me.