I recently had lab work done for testosterone because I basically felt all the signs and symptoms of having it be low. The results are as follows; Total testosterone is 103 and Free Testosterone is 18.5. These are extremely low for my age (36). My doctor wants to wait 3 months and do lab work again because levels can fluctuate. He originally told me I was probably just depressed when I wanted the lab work done. I have fired him. I refuse to sit and wait any longer. My body has drifted from healthy and firm to marshmallow status. I have just about any symptom that you can have for low testosterone. I just want to be fixed. It seems that the anti-aging clinics are only about money. They do not take insurance and want me to pay out of pocket to have labs done again through they're contracted lab. The cost just for the labs is $300. I am fully insured and refuse to pay out of pocket for a legitimate medical issue.
I would like your suggestion on what steps to take and any recommendations on who to talk to. I would also Like a recommendation on a new doctor.
I'll start by saying that I don't have much faith in lab tests, especially blood tests for hormones. They are of little value if you don't start with a baseline value. Basically, what were your values when you felt great, and how do the values today compare with them? The idea that somehow there are actual standard levels for hormones is foolish. Everyone is different and blood values changes dramatically throughout the day - even hour by hour. To make matters even foggier, there are no standard values between laboratories. Yes, they may be similar, but high at one lab might mean normal at another. The only way to even have a chance to make some sense from the numbers you offered would mean I'd need to know the normals and ranges for the lab that did the work.
Symptoms of Low Testosterone are also the symptoms for other imbalances, and lifestyle choices. "Low T" is just getting the press these days - and it isn't accurate or relevent.
The only rational approach is to step back and make adjustments in lifestyle before downing more pills or slapping on hormone creams - especially for someone as young as 36. Let's consider the following;
- Everyone is estrogen dominant (from environment and food sources).
- unless handled properly, testosterone can become estrogen in the body.
- estrogen makes a person jittery, puts on weight - plus a whole host of other problems.
Exactly WHAT to do depends on age, level of activity, diet, complaints, drugs being used, and so on. It is perhaps a better decision to look at the other elements before starting any hormone replacement, especially with testosterone. I understand that the media is aggressively promoting "Low T" as one of the new diagnoses especially for men, but that isn't always the cause. Heck, it is actually rare. It's good advertising and makes big bucks for the drug companies (and the labs who do the tests), but doesn't get to the root of the problems - and often causes more. It is very unlikely that someone age 36 would actually have low testosterone. Your doctors knows this and is probably why the reluctance to do something you think will fix your symptoms. A person should know why testosterone is low before blindly prescribing it - especially for a young man.
Improved health starts with healthy living. That means a lot of work and attention - two things that most of us avoid. We'd rather take the pill, get the shot, or cut it out than do what we need to do. Everyone wants to be fixed, but few of us are wwilling to do what it takes in the messed up world we have today. Some thing just can't be fixed. Nobody cares about your health the way you do., Nobody. No, the doctor could care less. The doctor is a service provider that has to serve hundred or thousands of people - and it is impossible to actually care for that many. Sure, we'd like to believe our soctor give a hoot, but he/she just can't. It is 100% up to use to do what is necessary for our own health and well being. I wouldn't worry about finding the one doctor who will fix you. Therefore, I find it difficult to recommend anyone.
I wouldn't demean the anti-aging clinics because they are interested in money. That's what every business wants. The fact that they don't accept insurance suggests that their business decisions are sound and prices are probably more legitimate than places that take insurance. I would prefer to pay cash for health assistance rather than look for benefits from an insurance plan.
Here's somethng you probably won't like, but health insurance is a huge rip off and depending on it merely makes a person expect someone else to pay the bills. That's counterproductive to good health. We used to take insurance in our pharmacy and it almost put us out of business - twice. We will never accept any form of third party payment (Medicare, Medicaid, Insurance). Never again. I'm offering my ideas at no charge and with no expectations. That's how we operate our business. Doctors and labs - and most pharmacises - have become little more than just another small business - instead of the health professions they once were. The basic difference between a service station and a doctor (or pharmacist or lab owner) is that the service station operator is probably better at running her business - especially if she takes cash for service. What about all the premiums paid to the insurance company? Count them as a down payment for help when you really need coverage - when you're hit by a truck or shot by an arrow. Until then, forget you have health insurance.
If you really want to be healthy and energetic you have to take responsibility for it yourself. I can't fix any health problems but I will offers suggestions that I know work. Here are some first steps:
- no soda pop,
- no sugar,
- no artificial sweeteners,
- no fast food,
- no canned food,
- no packaged food,
- no cereal,
- more good fat,
- more salt,
- a lot more water,
- no estrogen-laced milk,
- no soy products,
- reduced flour (other glutens as well),
- reduced meat intake,
- take a daily probiotic,
- eat fermented foods (sauerkraut, Kefir, Kim Che, etc.)
- eat organic,
- minimize caffeine,
- drink filtered water (remove fluoride),
- remove chlorine from bathing water,
- exercise three days a week,
- no drugs,
- minimal alcohol (especially beer and some wines that have estrogen-like action)
- daily meditation
After a few weeks/months, consider adding progesterone supplements in small amounts for men (more for women). Use herbal supplements (prostate specific supplements are excellent), multi-vitamins (especially B vitamins and vitamin D3), minerals.
Yes, this is an outline for a complete lifestyle of healthy living. A lot of us would prefer a magic bullet - a pill - that would take care of our problems and make us trim and fit. That isn't available and I am certain it will never be available. The drug makers continue to search and make promises, but they will always fail. I could write volumes on why it's a lost cause, but it is easier to trust my words than to hope for magic.
Naltrexone seems to offer numerous health benefits, particularly at low doses. For years, we've been making naltrexone HCl capsules. We can make any strength the doctor orders, but the most common are 3.0mg and 4.5mg. Lower strengths are often ordered so the patient can adjust their dose to find one that's best for them. These oral doses are taken at bedtime and seem to offer great symptom relief for many people with immune disorders (multiple sclerosis, arthritis, psoriasis, irritable bowel disease, Crohn's, and so on). Dr. Bernard Bhari (one of the original prescribers of LDN) once told me that he'd suggest trying LDN for any and all conditions that are associated with the immune system. It is safe and there have been limited reports of side effects - which is to be expected in that the daily doses are in the range of 1% of the standard approved amounts.
I have recently become aware of studies in Korea where naltrexone is made into a cream and applied to burn patients to relieve itching. The authors report relief in about 40% of the patients and claim that scratching is reduced in 44.5% of the users. This suggests that naltrexone topical cream would also be helpful for relieving itching from any cause - from bug bites, to severe topical rashes, such as eczema.
