Hypogonadal recovery time?

[JackBauer]

How long will it normally take for erectile health / quality to return once T levels are raised back to real levels?

Is it a matter of weeks, months? I've had low T levels for over 3 years, and I think I'm just getting them back to higher levels... I'm not yet seeing it in the erectile area though.

Thank

[marianco]

Originally Posted by JackBauer

How long will it normally take for erectile health / quality to return once T levels are raised back to real levels?

Is it a matter of weeks, months? I've had low T levels for over 3 years, and I think I'm just getting them back to higher levels... I'm not yet seeing it in the erectile area though.

Thank

If total testosterone is at least 650 ng/dl and erectile problems are still present, then there are other factors causing erectile problems.

This includes thyroid hormone deficiency, cortisol and other adrenal hormone deficiencies, excess or deficient estradiol, circulation problems, diabetes or insulin resistance, nervous system problems, etc.

Assuming there are no other health problems or other neurotransmitter, hormone, or immune system cytokine problems, then correcting testosterone levels can increase sex drive in a matter of hours or a few days.

The problem is when total testosterone is low, there are usually multiple health problems present which either contribute to low testosterone or are results of low testosterone (which then further contributes to low testosterone). Thus for many men, testosterone replacement alone will not solve their problems. It is important to at least examine the entire endocrine system to determine where problems lie.

[JackBauer]

Thanks Doc - I appreciate the reply.

My IGF1, Free T3, and TSH were tested and are ok.

From Page 77 of the Testosterone Syndrome:

"Be patient and persistent. Hormonal treatment is not a lightning bolt. It took you a long time to lose the sexual function with which you began. It may take as long as a year to get it back"

There are other places in his book that he suggests it is not an immediate fix, but can take the body time to get back to working order.

My T levels have risen - how much I don't know yet as I haven't had a test done... But I'm having more morning erections and I am able to get up in the morning a little easier than previously. I was just wondering when I might see significantly improved (non-morning) erectile function.

Thanks again!

[Megazoid]

Good to hear Jack. How are you finding your erections in general? Are these to maintain and of good strength? What age are you if you don't mind me asking?

[JackBauer]

Hey Megazoid,

I'm 35. Lost almost all function in one testicle about 3.5 years ago. My pituitary apparently didn't notice although the rest of my body did. I immediately went hypogonadal - specifically erection quality degraded substantially... But over the next 3 years, it got worse, and I started having a lot of trouble getting up in the morning. It got to a point where even PDE5 inhibitors don't work well (not that I'd want to use them - they give me massive headaches)

Anyway - I'm on 25mg clomid sustained release and topical selegiline, for about two weeks now. And while erection quality has improved slightly, I don't believe at this time I could have successful intercourse. I'm hoping with more time that my T levels will continue to go up, and with more time, as Dr. Shippen said in his book, that the rest of my body would recover.

But I could also be at a point where my T levels aren't high enough yet, and possibly clomid will not be enough - and I'll have to go to hCG injections. I was just hoping that someone could give me a feel for how long it might take for my body to recover - versus me wondering for the next four weeks until I do some blood work (to actually see if my T levels are really at a much better level or not)

Thanks

[marianco]

[QUOTE = Anonymous]As you will know from seeing my most recent thread, i went downhill pretty fast. Is free testosterone the most important value to monitor when on TRT? To the best of my knowledge this is responsible for maintaing flaccid penis size and the ability to get erections.

Have you ever dealt with a man who has low testosterone and a varicocele? Have you ever witnessed a man having this repaired and seeing improvements in testosterone levels (both total and free)?

What controls the ability to "maintain" these erections and control the recovery time between orgasms? My penis feel's numb for a while (hour's infact) while in the past (when i had a large functioning testicle) it would only take maybe 20/30 minutues before i could "go" again and get another erection. Now it seem's like almost a day is needed.

When my testicle started shrinking, the problems started. The first thing i noticed was lack of morning erections and also reduced erection strength. Everything started going downhill from that point. I am not even sure what caused the actual testicular shrinkage other than the varicocele and blockage of the spermatic cord. I am seeing a urologist this week who is going to look into varicocele surgery as an option to restart my own system. Because both testicles have atrophied (and underlying problem still isn't fixed) would you recommend HGC as a way to quickly restore testicular size or would you simply wait and see if my own system would restart on it's own? I feel it might be best to stop putting more chemicals into my body and just wait to see if nature take's it's course.

I started on TestoGel (AndroGel) but i have been getting a bad full body itch and skin irritation (full body - lots of rashes, etc). For the time being i have stopped TRT to see if this reaction will clear. How long does it take (on average) for the TestoGel to "flush" out of your blood stream/system? I am going to stay off everything (even if i feel bad) to see if this skin reaction clears up.

I have been told to try Testim instead (which has a different formula) and shouldn't give as bad a reaction (fingers crossed).

Is it more dangerous to come off of TRT all together to see if these problems "heal" or is it best to switch to Testim right now to help my immune system get more testosterone to "fix" the problems?

Any advice you can give on the above would be great.[/quote]

I can't give you advice since you are not a patient or client of mine.

1. Total testosterone is the most important value to monitor when on TRT. Bioavailable testosterone is second.

2. I have not yet dealt with varicoceles.

3. Maintaining an erection is a complex process involving having an adequate parasympathetic nervous system tone (i.e. a greater brain emphasis on resting functions over fight-or-flight functions - and sex is a resting function), adequate balance between testosterone and other reproductive hormones, adequate energy, a patent nervous system to the penis, adequate circulation in the penis, and intact smooth muscle function in the penis.

4. The recovery time between orgasms is determined primarily by dopamine levels, which drop after an orgasm, causing an increase in prolactin and prolactin’s neuroendocrine cascade/consequences.

5. HCG, by acting as an LH analogue, helps maintain testicular size when LH production is reduced.

6. Androgel or Testim provides an external supply of testosterone to the body. How long Androgel or Testim lasts depends on the person’s ability to metabolize testosterone. Usually by about the third or fourth day, after stopping its use, the testosterone level is close to baseline.

7. Androgel and Testim have other ingredients to which some people may be allergic.

8. Using an external supply of testosterone will reduce LH production by the pituitary, as the brain senses the extra testosterone levels. This results in atrophy of the testicles.

Outside of sexual problems and atrophied testicles, what other problems are you experiencing? This may help determine if it is more than testosterone deficiency that is the problem. Often, it is a multi-hormone/neurotransmitter problem that is occurring to cause a person's problems. When one hormone becomes deficient, there are often other hormones also causing problems.