that's who these are targeted at.

In my mid-50s I find myself with many of the "symptoms" those ads mention.

I've always wanted to look like Sasquatch with a 4 hour erection.

Don't worry--they say they're not so bad when you get used to the smell (and keep your eyes closed).

and Low testosterone affects more than just a sexual desire.

When my levels improve I stop taking it, when it drops my doctor puts me on it again.

and it affects my energy & mood most of all. . .

Let the haters hate first.

Unfortunately I am seeing it.

the Androgel, do you "feel" a spike or anything odd? I remember that some time ago there was an issue of sorts about bioavailability v other creams and injectables. I'm glad it works for you, regardless. Just curious.

Takes my body a day or two to adjust.

How extreme would you say that difference is?

Not really extreme but noticeable.

I inject it weekly and have brought my level up to low normal.
I question the doctor about the side effects one reads about body builders. He told me they use about 400 times the amount I use.

Works great for me when I need it.

Maybe your doctor needs to adjust your amount.

My doctor (who I have entrusted with my life on more than one occasion) has told me the benefits far out weigh the side effects.

Injections work well for me.

For those that wonder, there is no rush or anything you notice in the short term. The effects are gradual.

recently had an unexplained blood clot in the lung. They checked my legs, yada, yada. Nada. Somewhere in all that I decided to go back to the injectable, Androgel too much $. We are checking levels again.

Apparently one of the side effects of Androgel is blood clots in the leg.

Hey doc, did you know..

"I didn't know that".



sigh. I guess I have to add the inserts that come with the drugs to my reading list. Wonder if they make a large type version?

I was a gym rat way back in the day. D-bol was bread and butter, testosterone in various forms (injectables like propionate or cypionate) were very common. Then they became illegal and all of the stories started. I knew lots of guys who cycled, don't believe all of the bs about side effects. They are over inflated, and most doctors don't know diddly crap about anabolics.

I take the shots every week and they have helped tremendously.

Some people have no idea how low testosterone levels can mess with a persons body.

He's an endocrinologist, the book's called The Testosterone Syndrome. There is so much misinformation out there. Witness this thread.

testosterone goes down in their 50s. $$$$$$$

Causes of below normal ranges can be from a problem in the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland or testicular failure from an injury or an infection.

condition. Best not to trivialize it for men that need it. Because it they are not treated their health is at serious risk.

Like all drugs, these can be abused and misused. The cause of the disorder should be diagnosed and treated by a endocrinologist.

-- I normally don't listen to commercial radio, and I don't have a TV -- and I was utterly amazed.

There's a strong parallel here to the hormone replacement therapy women were widely encouraged to take until a few years ago when, surprise, surprise! taking those hormones turns out to be bad for you.

While men don't go through so obvious a change as women's menopause, the truth is that our bodies age. They're designed to change in certain, specific ways as they get older, including decreases in various hormone levels. Pretending that those changes aren't supposed to happen, and trying to replace those hormones isn't necessarily a good idea. I can just about hardly wait until some years down the road we learn what dreadful things result from these products.

In fact it is quite dangerous to his health - cardiovascular system, endocrine system, bones, mental state, and so on and so on.

Male hormone replacement has been around a long time and is safe.

has also been around a long time and is safe. No, wait. It's not safe. It's worse than leaving well enough alone.

I do not know very much about male hormone replacement, but while there may well be men for whom it's a very good idea, I suspect that, given the apparent wide advertizing for this stuff, that certain hormone levels are being re-defined as abnormal. Just as high blood pressure is being redefined to a lower level, high blood sugar is being redefined to a lower level. People are being persuaded that they must constantly be taking drugs to be "normal", when in some cases simple life-style changes would suffice. Or recognizing that our bodies change throughout our lives.

long term negative affects.

Testosterone is severely lacking in today's male population as evidenced by their need to carry handguns in public and chase down unarmed teenagers who frighten them. The NRA crowd is ordering most of these products in large quantities to hopefully quell some of their shakey nerves and misgivings about their manliness.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Presumably, before you can get Androgel, you'd get tested by your doctor to verify that you indeed have low testosterone, and you get monitored as you use Androgel. Androgel is essentially a gel with testosterone you rub on your body.

Ageless Male is an herbal product, and when I googled it, I got a bunch of sketchy-looking herbal product websites that were trying to sell the stuff, and nothing resembling peer-reviewed science that I could find.

Last edited Mon Aug 20, 2012, 10:45 AM - Edit history (1)

Ageless male is not a scam!

so i have decided against being old.
Now that the dreaded half century mark is looming,my M.D. is harping on getting yearly prostate exams and colonoscopes.(shivers)
I've felt the decline for the past few years,trouble concentrating,sleeplessness,higher blood pressure,lower back disc degradation with tingling in the lower forty.
I've held off seeking treatment for low t because i heard it raises the risk of prostate cancer.
Upon reading the posts here,i believe i should have a talk with my Doctor about Androgel or equivalent.

Sooner if their is a history of colon cancer in your family.

Remember the life you save, may be your own.

I shall,my MD is adamant about the nether probings.
With good reason,as my family seems to run in the cancer.

If it turns out you have low testosterone, you need to be treated. Because low testosterone affects your mental function, musculoskeletal condition, is associated with increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and so on.

Only your doc can tell you for sure if you have low testosterone. If you do and you are put on treatment, he or she will check you PSA levels regularly to make sure your prostate is in good shape. It is really not that big of a risk, in spite of ridiculous scare articles in the media and threads like this.

Definitely get your colonscopy done. It is not that big of a deal.

Only a doctor can determine through blood work whether or not you have low testosterone or not.

Here are the normal ranges by age:

AGE 14-15 100-320 ng/dL
AGE 16-19 200-970 ng/dL
AGE 20-39 400-1080 ng/dL
AGE 40-59 350-890 ng/dL
60 and Over 350-720 ng/dL

I came in at 159 ng/dL which is very very low. I was suffering from many of the symptoms below. The worst for me were mental function symptoms, musculoskelatal, and metabolic/disease.


Here are the symptoms of low testosterone from the book I mentioned up thread:

"The Testosterone Syndrome: The Critical Factor for Energy, Health, and Sexuality " by Eugene Shippen, MD

Questions for Treatment:

Do you currently have or ever had any of the following symptoms?

Sex Function
Decrease in spontaneous early morning erections.
Decrease libido or desire for sex.
Decrease in fullness of erections.
Decrease in volume of ejaculate or semen.
Decrease in strength of climax or force of muscular pulsations.
Difficulty in maintaining full erection.
Difficulty in starting erection‐or no erection.

Mental Functions
Spells of mental fatigue or inability to concentrate; feeling burned out.
Tiredness or sleepiness in the afternoon or early evening.
Decrease in mental sharpness, attention, wit.
Change in creativity or spontaneous new ideas.
Decrease in initiative or desire to start new projects.
Decreased interest in past hobbies or new work‐related activities.
Decrease in competitiveness.
Change in memory function; increased forgetfulness.
Feelings of depression.

Musculoskeletal Condition
“Sore‐body syndrome”‐aches, joint and muscle pain.
Decline in flexibility and mobility; increased stiffness.
Decrease in muscle size, tone, strength.
Decrease in physical stamina.
Decrease in athletic performance.
Back pain; neck pain.
Tendency to pull muscles or get leg cramps.
Development of osteoporosis or inflammatory arthritis.

Metabolic or Physical/Disease Problems
Increase in total cholesterol or triglycerides.
Decrease in HDL cholesterol.
Rise in blood sugar level diabetes onset.
Rise in blood pressure/ diagnosis of hypertension.
Unexplained weight gain, particularly in the midsection; “beer belly”.
Increased fat distribution in breast area or hips.
Development of chest pain, or diagnosis of heart disease or blockage of arteries.
Shortness of breath with activities; worsening of asthma or emphysema.
Lightheadedness, dizzy spells, ringing of the ears; new onset of headaches.
Poor circulation in legs, swelling of ankles, varicose veins or hemorrhoids.
Changes in visual acuity focus reading fine print.