23 diagnosed with low T started androgel

[esteve101]

I had labs done for the last year all showing that my T is below normal. It would fluctuate from 130-200 ref is 241-827. The doctor offered me shots or gel. After some research I thought it would be safe to start with the gel to avoid a huge boost in T then the slow come down. I am doing one pump daily. Since starting though I have been having water retention, achy joints, and head aches and haven't really felt any positive sides. I know that the transdermal stuff can be converted to estrogen more easily so I was wondering if I should take something for that? Is it the excess estrogen causing these sides?
My stats are 5'9 150lb roughly 8-9% BF solid diet and training program. I box (used to competitively) and lift. I have a good amount of questions and found this site to have alot of answers so any help would be awesome.

 

[mr.enthate]

You should be using an ai even low dose like adex .5 e3d and honestly I would have gone shots gel is crap man

 

[Headholio]

You are not going to hear many positive comments about gel on this forum, but if you search the internet for other reviews on androgel, a lot of people like it. I don't blame you for starting on the gel. How long have you been on it? It takes time. It sounds like you need some AI also.
I agree with isteroids, at your age, I would do whatever I could to avoid trt already, but if you have had several tests and they are always that low, it might be your only good option.

 

[stevesmi]

have you ever used hormones? what is your background besides boxing?

 

[RickRock13]

Give us any history you have with AAS or any hormonal products bro

 

[[email protected]]

I was banging every female within my sight line at your age. The dosages you were taking has shut you down. I wouldn't go on on any replacement therapy, but simply let nature build me back up.
I didn't touch a prohormone or steroid, nor TRT until I turned 50 years old, I'm now 56 with too much stuff that would put me under the jail. My gains fluctuate between 220lb to 240lb. at my age for just one month of training! I would get so heavy that I didn't like it other would say, "You look great". I'm going to try an all-out for the rest of the year, I probably get close to 300lb. by Christmas.

 

[esteve101]

thanks for the input everyone. I have tried natural everything from diet changed to weight gain. I have never used any other proohormones or AAS. Never really messed with hormones. I wanted to try to stay natural but a year of seeing no results just got too depressing. My levels were always low. An MRI showed no masses on my pitutary gland either. If I were to do a anti estrogen what would you suggest and how much? Would my Doc perscribe it? Or is it something I have to get?

 

[RickRock13]

I think you need to be referred to an endo, to have things looked at a little better. It sounds like TRT may be the best option for you, but the endo is the best person to make those decisions

 

[esteve101]

The endo is the one who has prescribed me the androgel. He didn't mention any AI's though. He said one pump a day then recheck your labs. I just want to know what I can do to offset the sides. I've never used anything that actually messes with your hormones (other then prescribed cytomel 25mcg and synthroid 37.5 for hypothyroidism). If a Dr. hasn't prescribed it I haven't taken it. But I really want to see if androgel can help but I have to do something about the side effects.

 

[25homes]

Have you ran hcgenerate, double dose unleashed and post cycle.this would help i'm sure..if it didn't I would have taken the shot for sure

 

[Headholio]

Have you ran hcgenerate, double dose unleashed and post cycle.this would help i'm sure..if it didn't I would have taken the shot for sure

So you choose to use those natural boosters full time indefinitely instead of HRT?

I have thought about that but 2 things keep me from going that route

1. Its expensive compared to insurance covered HRT
2. There really isn't any data on how those supplements effect you long term.

Also, I'm 52, so I figure I'm getting to the age where it seems like HRT is not any kind of rash decision.

I haven't done it yet, but I've got an appointment with my doc to talk about it.

 

[stevesmi]

^^ i think at his age he would be best served going the natty route for now and exhausting all remedies. I had actually lower T levels at his age than I do now in my 30's and I know the reason is cause of my diet today, healthy lifestyle but also my balanced mind..

in your case I wouldn't hesistate to pull the trigger if my natural levels were struggling. I plan on going on HRT in my 50's at some point with or without insurance.

 

[esteve101]

But should I be using an AI? Also what is the deal about not applying to your scrotum, I saw it is bad for your prostate raising DHT, but looking around I saw it doesn't convert to estrogen.

 

[MattJS]

Why do you want to apply it to your scrotum?

 

[moya]

I think you need to be referred to an endo, to have things looked at a little better. It sounds like TRT may be the best option for you, but the endo is the best person to make those decisions

best advice...
go back to your endo and let him know whats going on, whether you are due for an appointment or not... at a TRT dose of gel you should not need an AI, that is just absurd...

 

[esteve101]

After talking to him that's what he said. The dose is too small to need a AI. Does anyone know what the deal is with applying it to your scrotum. I heard the absorption is better but it can increase DHT drastically.

 

[Nelson Montana]

Have you ran hcgenerate, double dose unleashed and post cycle.this would help i'm sure..if it didn't I would have taken the shot for sure

I agree with this. And prescribing androgel to a 23 year old is ridiculous.

 

[Headholio]

But should I be using an AI? Also what is the deal about not applying to your scrotum, I saw it is bad for your prostate raising DHT, but looking around I saw it doesn't convert to estrogen.

After talking to him that's what he said. The dose is too small to need a AI. Does anyone know what the deal is with applying it to your scrotum. I heard the absorption is better but it can increase DHT drastically.

I think the reason is that your skin acts as a reservoir for the T, so that it is released into the blood stream slowly and you maintain a steady level throughout the day. Your skin is so thin around your junk that adsorption would be very fast and not steady. Having a high peak T level like that would also effect the conversion rate to DHT and estradiol, I'm sure. So it makes sense that you heard DHT levels would jump, but I don't know where you got that about estrogen. Estradiol is known to go up when on TRT with gel.

There are some other logical reasons you wouldn't want to:
The skin is probably more suseptible to irritation
If you are in a relationship the risk of transfer would be very high, and that's really bad.
You would probably transfer some to your hands which then could transfer to other people.

Funny how when an instruction says not to do something, everyone wants to do it.

 

[ALIN]

I had labs done for the last year all showing that my T is below normal. It would fluctuate from 130-200 ref is 241-827. The doctor offered me shots or gel. After some research I thought it would be safe to start with the gel to avoid a huge boost in T then the slow come down. I am doing one pump daily. Since starting though I have been having water retention, achy joints, and head aches and haven't really felt any positive sides. I know that the transdermal stuff can be converted to estrogen more easily so I was wondering if I should take something for that? Is it the excess estrogen causing these sides?
My stats are 5'9 150lb roughly 8-9% BF solid diet and training program. I box (used to competitively) and lift. I have a good amount of questions and found this site to have alot of answers so any help would be awesome.

I probably would have gotten at least 3 opinions on this being just 23.

 

[dye1337]

How is it so bad to prescribe if needed? I never touched a hormone and have secondary hypogonadism, mild cushings and mild hypothroidism. Just fixing the test alone made me feel infinitely better and I'm the same age as the op. I even tried a nolva restart which made me feel horrible

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