just got back from the endo!!!

[skinnyguy12]

Well I just got back from the Endo and he is having me try clomid for a week then he said if that doesnt work he would put me on gels. Question for you guys what should I expect to feel when I'm taking the clomid.

[chap]

varies for different people

depends on dose too

I did high dose, felt terrible the first few days, then all of the sudden felt great

it really is similar to pms though, I experienced shortened temper and moodiness

[skinnyguy12]

I think its 50mg twice a day, once before bed and once in the morning.

[toc67guru]

imo 1 week is too short a time frame to try to recover HPTA.
clomid has a 5 days.

[skinnyguy12]

what do you mean "clomid has 5 days"

[DavidZ]

Originally Posted by skinnyguy12

Well I just got back from the Endo and he is having me try clomid for a week then he said if that doesnt work he would put me on gels. Question for you guys what should I expect to feel when I'm taking the clomid.

Sounds like a standard Clomid (Clomiphene) Stimulation Test as per the AACE guidelines. See:

http://www.aace.com/pub/pdf/guidelines/hypogonadism.pdf

I take it your endo has (a) before blood tests, and (b) asked you to draw blood after the last day taking Clomid?

Assuming the above is correct, it's not about how you feel, but rather the differential between your before and after blood tests the counts.

That being said, I recall feeling a little looseness in the scrotal area towards the end of the week.

[marianco]

Originally Posted by DavidZ

I recall feeling a little looseness in the scrotal area towards the end of the week.

Some people get tight in the scrotal area when testosterone is increased. The nerves involved become supersensitive to testosterone when it is gone, causing the tightness. The scrotal tightness is temporary until the body gets used to having testosterone again.

Clomid is fine if testing for primary versus secondary hypogonadism. But that can already be done with blood tests. I would prefer to go ahead with testosterone replacement given the relatively low risk of side effects - compared to the risk of blood clots, etc. on Clomid. Clomid is an alternative, true, however, to testosterone replacement.

[skinnyguy12]

I'm guessing with these test results which the doctor had right in front of him he could have come to the conclusion if it was primary or seconday. not to mention their is a lab in the office which could have done blood work instead of having me go on clomid and then coming back to see him in a month. I can already tell this guy is not going to be the right doctor for me....
FSH: 2.8 (1.4-18.1)
LH: 1.7 (1.5-9.3)
TESTO: 244.75 (241-827)
F TESTO: 5.7 (12.4-40.0)
PROLAC: 4.4 (2.1-17.7)

[DavidZ]

Originally Posted by marianco

Clomid is fine if testing for primary versus secondary hypogonadism. But that can already be done with blood tests.

I agree that his blood tests already indicate that he's secondary.

My understanding is that the Clomid Stimulation Test is not to determine whether he's secondary, but rather to determine whether his hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism is idiopathic or whether there's a knowable cause such as pituitary tumor, etc. IOW, a successful Clomid Stimulation Test can eliminate the need for an MRI.

Originally Posted by marianco

I would prefer to go ahead with testosterone replacement given the relatively low risk of side effects - compared to the risk of blood clots, etc. on Clomid. Clomid is an alternative, true, however, to testosterone replacement.

IMO, Clomid is a useful diagnostic tool, but, due to the heath risks, I would not consider long term use.

[skinnyguy12]

I am losing faith in this doctor more and more as we speak, I have already had an MRI done which said I was fine. and now I am wondering if this clomid could do some serious harm and if its even worth it for me to take it.

[ASaxon]

From what I've read I don't think one week of clomid is dangerous so I wouldn’t worry about it. Your doctor is trying to see if your Hypothalamus and Pituitary are functional and I'm sure he suspects secondary hypogonadism which is why he's doing the test. My only question is not the risks of the test, as I think they are small, but how would the information of that test change your potential treatment?

If the clomid test is successful at stimulating your Hypo-Pituitary then that simply means is that you have some other problem causing your LH and FSH to be low. So what? If it’s not a tumor as your MRI has shown then what else is he going to do? Isn’t the treatment still TRT? If you fail the stimulation test then it only confirms what is already suspected and means you should go on TRT? Either way it seems to me you’d be on TRT so what’s the point?

Of course, once you start TRT then you might give up the chance to possibly gather as much information about your disorder as TRT changes so much of your HPT axis that it might be difficult, if not impossible, to figure it out later. So if you want to know why you may want to gather as much info as possible. If you don’t care than you should probably ask your doctor what the difference in treatment will be depending on the outcome of the test.

I never did a clomid test because after discussing it with my doctor we determined that it wouldn’t have made a difference in my treatment as my MRI was clean as well. Plus, from what I understand, stimulation tests aren’t entirely conclusive but do add to a weight of evidence.

Anyhow, food for thought.

[ASaxon]

From what I've read I don't think one week of clomid is dangerous so I wouldn’t worry about it. Your doctor is trying to see if your Hypothalamus and Pituitary are functional and I'm sure he suspects secondary hypogonadism which is why he's doing the test. My only question is not the risks of the test, as I think they are small, but how would the information of that test change your potential treatment?

If the clomid test is successful at stimulating your Hypo-Pituitary then that simply means is that you have some other problem causing your LH and FSH to be low. So what? If it’s not a tumor as your MRI has shown then what else is he going to do? Isn’t the treatment still TRT? If you fail the stimulation test then it only confirms what is already suspected and means you should go on TRT? Either way it seems to me you’d be on TRT so what’s the point?

Of course, once you start TRT then you might give up the chance to possibly gather as much information about your disorder as TRT changes so much of your HPT axis that it might be difficult, if not impossible, to figure it out later. So if you want to know why you may want to gather as much info as possible. If you don’t care than you should probably ask your doctor what the difference in treatment will be depending on the outcome of the test.

I never did a clomid test because after discussing it with my doctor we determined that it wouldn’t have made a difference in my treatment as my MRI was clean as well. Plus, from what I understand, stimulation tests aren’t entirely conclusive but do add to a weight of evidence.

Anyhow, food for thought.

[ASaxon]

From what I've read I don't think one week of clomid is dangerous so I wouldn’t worry about it. Your doctor is trying to see if your Hypothalamus and Pituitary are functional and I'm sure he suspects secondary hypogonadism which is why he's doing the test. My only question is not the risks of the test, as I think they are small, but how would the information of that test change your potential treatment?

If the clomid test is successful at stimulating your Hypo-Pituitary then that simply means is that you have some other problem causing your LH and FSH to be low. So what? If it’s not a tumor as your MRI has shown then what else is he going to do? Isn’t the treatment still TRT? If you fail the stimulation test then it only confirms what is already suspected and means you should go on TRT? Either way it seems to me you’d be on TRT so what’s the point?

Of course, once you start TRT then you might give up the chance to possibly gather as much information about your disorder as TRT changes so much of your HPT axis that it might be difficult, if not impossible, to figure it out later. So if you want to know why you may want to gather as much info as possible. If you don’t care than you should probably ask your doctor what the difference in treatment will be depending on the outcome of the test.

I never did a clomid test because after discussing it with my doctor we determined that it wouldn’t have made a difference in my treatment as my MRI was clean as well. Plus, from what I understand, stimulation tests aren’t entirely conclusive but do add to a weight of evidence.

Anyhow, food for thought.

[ASaxon]

From what I've read I don't think one week of clomid is dangerous so I wouldn’t worry about it. Your doctor is trying to see if your Hypothalamus and Pituitary are functional and I'm sure he suspects secondary hypogonadism which is why he's doing the test. My only question is not the risks of the test, as I think they are small, but how would the information of that test change your potential treatment?

If the clomid test is successful at stimulating your Hypo-Pituitary then that simply means is that you have some other problem causing your LH and FSH to be low. So what? If it’s not a tumor as your MRI has shown then what else is he going to do? Isn’t the treatment still TRT? If you fail the stimulation test then it only confirms what is already suspected and means you should go on TRT? Either way it seems to me you’d be on TRT so what’s the point?

Of course, once you start TRT then you might give up the chance to possibly gather as much information about your disorder as TRT changes so much of your HPT axis that it might be difficult, if not impossible, to figure it out later. So if you want to know why you may want to gather as much info as possible. If you don’t care than you should probably ask your doctor what the difference in treatment will be depending on the outcome of the test.

I never did a clomid test because after discussing it with my doctor we determined that it wouldn’t have made a difference in my treatment as my MRI was clean as well. Plus, from what I understand, stimulation tests aren’t entirely conclusive but do add to a weight of evidence.

Anyhow, food for thought.

[ASaxon]

Darn server lag! :-(