VARICOCELE...can it effect testosterone?

beckerj said:
Remember to push fromt he pain perspective .... Tell them it is painful, but more of a constant acheing kind of pain .... That is what I told them .... SMILE

Good Luck ! Fingers Crossed for you ....
Click to expand...


Ok, I had a visit to urologist today. My results are here

FSH - 3.6
LH - 0.2
Prolactin - 7.7
Total Testosterone - 222

Doctor says these are normal.I told him I have constant head ache, cannot sleep at night becos of head ache.He said varicoceles dont have to do with head ache,abdominal discomfort and muscle loss. He also told me that he will do surgery ,but it wont improve your testosterone and wont reduce head ache and abdominal discomfort. Before surgery he wants me to take semen analysis. If its not good then he will do surgery. I aske dhim why do i have low testosterone if the results are normal.He said some may have less testosterone depending on stress at that period
Tommrow i have endo appointment, He and Urologist will chat to find the cause for low testosterone after I visit Endo.

Urologist also said Varicoceles cannot happen all of a sudden.They will be there from begining and you will notice it all of a sudden. I told him I did nt have it before, i have it for past 3 months, I gave example of some of you guys having varicocele for 3-4 months . He did not believe and asked to bring the print outs.
 
DarkBlue1 - Your Total T is not normal .... Let me ask you, again, how old are you ? How much hair do you have on your head right now ?
Mine was 293 (241-827) LabCorp
Don't bother with the semen analysis unless you plan to have kids .... I would find another urologist .... I had to go through three to get mine fixed ....
It is true that varicocele does not happen all of a sudden, but there is supporting data that shows that there is a testosterone threshold .... When a person crosses this threshold the symptoms begin to manifest .... For me it was, ED, Libido, Depression, Fatigue, Weakness, HeadAche, Waking in the night to go pee, and a general lack of motivation for even the simple things ....
I finally in September 2007 went to my GP and told her to help me because I was seriously depressed and thinking more and more of suicide .... She put me on Welbutrin 150MG EveryDay, ran blood tests for thyroid, diabetes, B12 and referred me to a Physical Medicine Doctor, and an Urologist .... The physical medicine Doctor did X-Rays and conduction tests for diabetes and to make sure my spine was okay .... All checked out normal .... When I went to the urologist he thought it might be a hydrocele or a varicocele and ordered an ultrasound ....
The ultrasound confrimed the varicocele .... His prescrition was to wear a jock strap for support and to ease the pain and come back in three months .... At this point the varicocele was visible to the eye without ultrasound ....
If I laid down it was reduced - If I stood or sat for a period of time it was noticible and over time became uncomfortable ....

I did not like the way the urologist approached this and sought another urologist ....

This urologist still did not think the varicocele could be causing all the symptoms I was experiencing but was concerned because he thought that the varicocele could have been caused by a tumor in my kidneys or something else internally .... He ordered a MRI and CAT scan which also cam back clean ....
I told him I was interested in embolization, because at that time I did not want yet another sugery, having been through one for my appendix the year before ....
I went to the Interventional radiologist and asked him his opinion on my symptoms and he too said he could not see a connection .... Even though I brought all kinds of studies and data that show that there is a connection between varicocele and hormonal imbalance .... Long story short on the interventional radiologist, he wanted to put 30+ coils in my based on the ultrasound and I told him no thanks ....
The second urologist then referred me to his partner that does the micro surgery to correct varicocele .... I asked him the same questions about my symptoms and he dismissed them as too general but moved forward on getting me into surgery ....
He basically said he had never seen varicocele cause the issues I was reporting .... But we would see what happened after surgery ....
During my pre-op exam he noticed that I had a grade II varicocele on my right side .... HE asked if I want that done as well and of course I said yes ....
After surgery he commented that the left side was VERY impressive .... He ligated 20 veins on my left side and 7 on my right ....
About two or three weeks after surgery I started to feel much better, more energy, libido, depression was lifting, but I was still weak and fatigued .... I asked my GP to refer me to an Endocronologist .... She did .... I went to him and he was supposed to be the Endo of Endos .... Well he had me do the tests for thyroid and testosterone and cortisol .... my thyroid was very low but within the normal range, which is so broad to begin with .... And my Testosterone was there again low but within the normal range .... And he said my cortisol number was fine .... I tried to argue with him on the testosterone front but it was no use .... I had finally given up on being normal again and had just started the Nolvadex 20MG on M-W-F when the Surgeon's office called me and asked why I have not made an appointment for my 3 month follow up .... I did not even know I was supposed to .... So I made the appointment.
The surgeon ordered another ultrasound and it came back that the right side was 100% clear and that the left side still had 25% varicocele .... I was all about to argue with him to get the testosterone replacement therapy started, primarilly based ont he fact that my blood pressure was going higher and higher .... 160 over 83 .... And they say that the heart has the most testosterone receptors in the human body .... When he said that younger guys that are on the low end of normal he likes to give androgel a trial run for a month and see what happens .... So ....

Now it has been a week an a half on androgel and I am really feeling so much better .... I am not taking the welbutrin buspar .... I am still taking the viagra or cialis, but it does not take the high doses to get it up that it did before.
Plus I am actually wanting to .... Which before I was more afraid of having sex because it would not work sometimes and now I am definitely more confident ....

I am putting this here again as I think it really details, as much as I can, the path that I had to travel to get to where I am now .... The journey is by no means over .... I go back at the end of the month to get more blood drawn to see where I am, and I am hoping my PSA comes back clear ....

I hope that this helps all of us in some way to get through the madness ....

It is really something that I think is so unknown that the doctors are too busy covering their asses that they don't look at the whole picture ....

Varicocele is a defective valve that is keep blood moving away from the testicle .... If it is defective and letting blood get backflowed to the testicle then there are toxins as well as heat concerns .... Both of which are documented theories as to testicular dysfunction associated with varicocele as detailed by the World Health Orgranization ....
Even if a doctor does not accept this theory then the fact that there are numbers showing low-normal testosterone and other symptoms should be a splash in the face that it is AT LEAST a possible reason for the symptoms we have when we have varicocele ....

I still have some pain in my left testicle, but because of the Testosterone Replacement I can still get it up and nice and firm ..... My other half even noticed the other day that it looked a bit larger than it has recently ....

I honestly think i can blame the high blood pressure on the varicocele .... And where blood pressure is an issue so can ED ....

I really hope all take a moment and read this post as I think it can help in your journey.
 
beckerj said:
DarkBlue1 - Your Total T is not normal .... Let me ask you, again, how old are you ? How much hair do you have on your head right now ?
Mine was 293 (241-827) LabCorp
Don't bother with the semen analysis unless you plan to have kids .... I would find another urologist .... I had to go through three to get mine fixed ....
It is true that varicocele does not happen all of a sudden, but there is supporting data that shows that there is a testosterone threshold .... When a person crosses this threshold the symptoms begin to manifest .... For me it was, ED, Libido, Depression, Fatigue, Weakness, HeadAche, Waking in the night to go pee, and a general lack of motivation for even the simple things ....
I finally in September 2007 went to my GP and told her to help me because I was seriously depressed and thinking more and more of suicide .... She put me on Welbutrin 150MG EveryDay, ran blood tests for thyroid, diabetes, B12 and referred me to a Physical Medicine Doctor, and an Urologist .... The physical medicine Doctor did X-Rays and conduction tests for diabetes and to make sure my spine was okay .... All checked out normal .... When I went to the urologist he thought it might be a hydrocele or a varicocele and ordered an ultrasound ....
The ultrasound confrimed the varicocele .... His prescrition was to wear a jock strap for support and to ease the pain and come back in three months .... At this point the varicocele was visible to the eye without ultrasound ....
If I laid down it was reduced - If I stood or sat for a period of time it was noticible and over time became uncomfortable ....

I did not like the way the urologist approached this and sought another urologist ....

This urologist still did not think the varicocele could be causing all the symptoms I was experiencing but was concerned because he thought that the varicocele could have been caused by a tumor in my kidneys or something else internally .... He ordered a MRI and CAT scan which also cam back clean ....
I told him I was interested in embolization, because at that time I did not want yet another sugery, having been through one for my appendix the year before ....
I went to the Interventional radiologist and asked him his opinion on my symptoms and he too said he could not see a connection .... Even though I brought all kinds of studies and data that show that there is a connection between varicocele and hormonal imbalance .... Long story short on the interventional radiologist, he wanted to put 30+ coils in my based on the ultrasound and I told him no thanks ....
The second urologist then referred me to his partner that does the micro surgery to correct varicocele .... I asked him the same questions about my symptoms and he dismissed them as too general but moved forward on getting me into surgery ....
He basically said he had never seen varicocele cause the issues I was reporting .... But we would see what happened after surgery ....
During my pre-op exam he noticed that I had a grade II varicocele on my right side .... HE asked if I want that done as well and of course I said yes ....
After surgery he commented that the left side was VERY impressive .... He ligated 20 veins on my left side and 7 on my right ....
About two or three weeks after surgery I started to feel much better, more energy, libido, depression was lifting, but I was still weak and fatigued .... I asked my GP to refer me to an Endocronologist .... She did .... I went to him and he was supposed to be the Endo of Endos .... Well he had me do the tests for thyroid and testosterone and cortisol .... my thyroid was very low but within the normal range, which is so broad to begin with .... And my Testosterone was there again low but within the normal range .... And he said my cortisol number was fine .... I tried to argue with him on the testosterone front but it was no use .... I had finally given up on being normal again and had just started the Nolvadex 20MG on M-W-F when the Surgeon's office called me and asked why I have not made an appointment for my 3 month follow up .... I did not even know I was supposed to .... So I made the appointment.
The surgeon ordered another ultrasound and it came back that the right side was 100% clear and that the left side still had 25% varicocele .... I was all about to argue with him to get the testosterone replacement therapy started, primarilly based ont he fact that my blood pressure was going higher and higher .... 160 over 83 .... And they say that the heart has the most testosterone receptors in the human body .... When he said that younger guys that are on the low end of normal he likes to give androgel a trial run for a month and see what happens .... So ....

Now it has been a week an a half on androgel and I am really feeling so much better .... I am not taking the welbutrin buspar .... I am still taking the viagra or cialis, but it does not take the high doses to get it up that it did before.
Plus I am actually wanting to .... Which before I was more afraid of having sex because it would not work sometimes and now I am definitely more confident ....

I am putting this here again as I think it really details, as much as I can, the path that I had to travel to get to where I am now .... The journey is by no means over .... I go back at the end of the month to get more blood drawn to see where I am, and I am hoping my PSA comes back clear ....

I hope that this helps all of us in some way to get through the madness ....

It is really something that I think is so unknown that the doctors are too busy covering their asses that they don't look at the whole picture ....

Varicocele is a defective valve that is keep blood moving away from the testicle .... If it is defective and letting blood get backflowed to the testicle then there are toxins as well as heat concerns .... Both of which are documented theories as to testicular dysfunction associated with varicocele as detailed by the World Health Orgranization ....
Even if a doctor does not accept this theory then the fact that there are numbers showing low-normal testosterone and other symptoms should be a splash in the face that it is AT LEAST a possible reason for the symptoms we have when we have varicocele ....

I still have some pain in my left testicle, but because of the Testosterone Replacement I can still get it up and nice and firm ..... My other half even noticed the other day that it looked a bit larger than it has recently ....

I honestly think i can blame the high blood pressure on the varicocele .... And where blood pressure is an issue so can ED ....

I really hope all take a moment and read this post as I think it can help in your journey.
Click to expand...

Yes, My testosterone is not normal. urologist said that except Testosterone others are normal, how can low LH is normal.
I am 33 years old. It all started all of a sudden. Siince I have very low LH level, that means gonads are working fine but there is problem with hypothalamus or pituitary.Thats why I have severe head ache.The Urologist dont udnerstand my situtation, when i told him I have head ache , he says he dont knwo why I have it? The problem is getting appointment with urologists is very tough , it takes atleast one month to get appointmet and we don't know who does micro surgery, who is expert in this area. If we have varicoceles from birth, then why I got these symptoms all of a sudden. Even i want to commit suicide but, that's not the way. I want to fight this. Let me see what Endo says today,
Regarding my lower abdominal pain, What do you say. Is it becuase of ligaments or muscles weaker in that region, Dont we find this inCT scan, if not I need go for X-ray.
I am scared to go to bed, cos I cannot sleep. And I am scared to get up to go to work.What a life???
 
A really high level of LH and a low level of testosterone often means that the testicles are not working properly. A low LH level and a really low or high testosterone level may mean a problem with the pituitary gland.

Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism can be either a primary pituitary disorder with low LH stimulus and low testosterone levels, or a primary hypothalamic disorder with decreased GnRH release resulting in both low LH and testosterone levels. In this case the testes function normally but the hypothalamic-pituitary functions are abnormal. Although the testes secrete sex steroids, there is no response elsewhere in the axis. Limbic discharges may affect the hypothalamic pulsatile release of GnRH. Decreased pulse frequency leading to diminished LH response and hypogonadism.
 
The thing you need to remember through all this ....

Testosterone is a Hormone ....

What do we as men always complain about women for ?

Their hormones ....

If our hormones are out of wack .... That can cause every symptom you have listed .... And some you may be soon to have ....

Mine started with ED which lead to depression which lead to headaches which lead to etc.

You get my drift ?

I also mentioned that you need to get on a good anti-depressant .... I suggest Welbutrin .... The main reason is it has the least sexual side-effects of any Anti-Depressant .... In some it even raises Libido .... (There have been some limited studies.)

The lower abdominal pain you are feeling, in my opinion, is directly related to the varicocele .... A Doctor will most likely say that it is not ....

My theory is: With the varicocele causing blood to pool in that area, it is creating a pressure of sorts that leads back up to the kidneys .... This pressure builds, which causes the abdominal pain ....

For me, when I laid down or stood (When I could not lay down.) instead of sitting it releived the abdominal pain ....

I also recomend that you get jock strap underwear instead of boxers or commando .... The support from the jock should help with some of the pain ....

Granted the LH issue could be at the root of this for you, but in the scheme of things .... I have my money on the varicocele as that is what I have been through .... But it could very well be a combination of the two .... So an Endo visit is in order for you as well ....

Basically you have to jumpo through all the hoops that the docs put in front of you until the last one is Testosterone Replacement .... That is what my journey has been so far ....

That is the main reason I took the time to write out my story so far .... For you to see that it is not a short journey that you are on .... It is a long and frustrating one ....

GET THE WELBUTRIN OR SOME KIND OF ANTI-DEPRESSANT ....

It was the best thing for me and my journey ....
 
I met Endo 2 days back. Here is reuslts from blood report

FSH - 3.5
LH - 0.6
Testosterone - 222
prolactin - 6


He said Low LH may be because of pitutary-Hypothalamus problem. Im going to have MRI scan on tuesday. He said if i want testim or androgel in the mean time he will prescribe. I said I want HCG or Clomid or gnRh. He said he wont prescribe those and will refer me to reproductive endo after MRI scan. He gave me selaxin (not sure) for tension headaches.Its not working well.
Becker,
How much Wellburtin costs ?
 
got my results as follows:

acth: 14,5 pg/ml normal value: <46
cortisol 320 nmol/l normal value: 171-356
fsh 3
lh 2.5
prolactine: 496 uui/ml normal value: 98-456
shbg 44.94 nmol/l normal value: 10-80
testosterone : 23 nmol/l normal value: 9.9-27.8
i`m 19.

dunno what to say, mb some oppinions if possible,
 
andrei said:
got my results as follows:

acth: 14,5 pg/ml normal value: <46
cortisol 320 nmol/l normal value: 171-356
fsh 3
lh 2.5
prolactine: 496 uui/ml normal value: 98-456
shbg 44.94 nmol/l normal value: 10-80
testosterone : 23 nmol/l normal value: 9.9-27.8
i`m 19.

dunno what to say, mb some oppinions if possible,
Click to expand...

hi there guys.. i have a vericosele as well.. getting tested for my test levels. should get results back soon. I have encountered the ed issues you have talked about. the cialas is good but the headaches are tremendous. like taking the ph trenadrol from kilosports. so for that you take hawthorn berry from the health food store. its awesome in making those headaches go away. it can take up to a week to work but once its in your system it will work great.

good luck.
 
How do we fix the whole bedroom situation ....

I can't be the only one that is nervous and scare of going back into the bedroom and making love ....

IT's been over a month and a half since me and the other half have done the actual deed ....

Last night I played with my flesh light and the other half watched .... And kinda helped a little bit .... Later on, about two hours or so i was hard again and playing in the general area and was getting hot and bothered again .... My partner didn't want to so a little later I was able to get it up and off again while being watched ....

Now this morning I'm told let's do it this evening .... I am nervous now ....

HAs this happened to anyone else and how do you overcome it ?
 
MRI pituitary results are in. Its normal.NO problem with Hypothalamus.

So why the testosteorne is low and LH level is low.Does anybody know?

My Endo wants to prescrie androgel first and then wants me to go to reproductive endo cos it takes time to get appointment with repro endo. Repro endo will then give HCG or Gnrh.
 
Well this is a first .... A good Doc by the sounds .... Most of us have had to fight tooth and nail to get the T replacement .... Here I am 6 months later and finally on Androgel ....
Now I have head issues with sex because it has been an ongoing drama of working some times and not at others .... With ED drugs and not with ED drugs ....

Count your lucky stars .... Get the Androgel and skip all what I went through .... I wish to GOD I had been given the Androgel 4 or 5 months ago .... If I had I might be having a better time overcoming the performance anxiety .... Now that it has been over 6 months of dealing with this I have to deal with my mental issues with it and the way my partner looks at me when I start feeling that anxiety just wash over me and make mr happy waste away to mr winkie ....
 
Question

Hey guys...I probably should post this on the thread I started a couple months ago...but I don't feel like looking for it, and this one is about varicoceles, and is highlighted on the first page...so I am guessing more people will see it.

Does Tadalafil (cialis) effect hormone levels or semen characteristics???

Asking because the urologist I am seeing about my varicocelectomy drew some blood for testing and also wants me to do another semen analysis. Before he drew the blood I had taken 5 to 12 mg/day of Tadalafil for 3 days leading up to the draw. He is doing the standard tests for Test, Free Test, Estradiol, FSH, and LH...will they be effected at all by the Tadalafil I took???

Also, I am supposed to go in within the next week to provide a semen sample for analysis...same question as before...are semen tests effected by Tadalafil? Really looking forward to having the operation so I don't want to waste any more time by doing inaccurate tests.

JanSz...you seem to be the resident expert on lab testing...can you, or anybody else who is informed, help me with these questions?

Thanks guys
 
erm about my situation the tests seem fine ,the docs said my prolactine level is high coz of the stress ,not sure really.
anyway yesterday i visited the 8th urologist i think ,this one is a professor so supposedly he is better, the thing is he is the only one who believed me ( regarding my symptoms , the articles i read on the internet , so on ) the other docs didn`t even want to hear what i had to say, this one said it`s possible but unfortunately he told me to wear a jockstrap for 1month and a half and to come back later, even though he said i`ll probably go under surgery he said he just wants to give it a try.

anyway i`m a bit better in my head coz i finally found a doc that listens and agrees with me. hopefully i`ll go under surgery by the end of june.
my only dillema is regarding the ED , why do i have it since my tests look ok.
 
Andrei - 8 urologists ? DAMN ! And the 8th is telling you what the first told me and I dropped him like a hot potato ....

I do have to admit though that the Jock does help with the ache ....

At least this one is listening to all you are saying .... The three I have been to, in addition to my GP, Interventional Radiologist (That does embolization for varicocele), 3 other GP's in the same office as my GP, and a totally different GP in another different office all looked at my labs and said you are within normal range .... You do not need T ....

He most likely wants to cover his bases for insurance .... You know how insurance is .... Least expensive first then move on up the food chain so to speak ....

You need to get the numbers and not let them blow you off with the "You are within normal range."

I was 293 which is within normal range (241-827) but I had all the symptoms of Low T .... The thing you have to realize, which after reading through the posts and the studies is that there is a "Threshold" for T in men .... It is very different for each person .... An 30 year old can be fine and functioning at 400 and another 30 year old can have all the signs of Low T at 400, he might need to be at 500 to feel fine ....

So the numbers are important ....

If you think about it, I think you might be surprised at the other issues that you take for granted that are presenting subtly ....

For instance ....

Dreams .... How have your dreams been lately ? Are they as vivid and lively as you may remember ?

Fleeting Thoughts .... Do you have thoughts that run through your mind while thinking of something else ? While I was going through my situation I would only be able to track one thing at a time and rarely had fleeting thoughts ....

Morning Erections .... Do you have them ? Do you wake in the middle of the night with wood ? I didn't .... Many have reported loss of morning erections and nightly erections ....

Imagination .... I know that this one is silly but I will try to describe this as best I can .... When you are looking at a rug or clouds can you easily pick out shapes and forms ? Sometimes I sit on the can and look at the bathroom rug and could see faces, shapes, and forms .... My imagination would create images based on this and I could see a face, or etc ....

Fantasy .... Do you look at your partner or a pretty girl and find yourself taken into a fantasy ? I like watching mine in the shower .... I would then be taken into a sexual fantasy as if on auto pilot .... While eperiencing Low T .... That was gone ....

Creative Thought .... For me i would sometimes see a product or device and all of a sudden I would have this thought of what would make that thing better .... Or hear a song and think this lyric would have been better ....

Stamering .... This was a big one for me .... I am not a hoity toity talker by any stretch .... But I used to be able to finish others sentences very easily .... Low T made me the one that people would finish sentences for ....

Sweet Tooth .... I love my sweets .... While Low T made me crave them less .... Of course this could be chalked up to depression, but even while on the Welbutrin I rarely craved sweets like I had ....

This is probably not all, but I have only been on Androgel for the past three weeks, and these are the things that I am finding that I had been missing, because slowly they are coming back to me ....

Maybe this is just silliness .... But I am an Aquarius and everything that means has been missing from my inner being while experincing Low T ....

I would love to know if those little things that are so private and inside us are diminshed from the Low T .... I think they were for me ....
 
andrei said:
my only dilema is regarding the ED , why do i have it since my tests look ok.
Click to expand...
I can almost guarantee it is caused by your prolactine levels. Lower the prolactine levels and the other problem will correct.
Been there and done that.
 
TXathlete84 said:
Hey guys...I probably should post this on the thread I started a couple months ago...but I don't feel like looking for it, and this one is about varicoceles, and is highlighted on the first page...so I am guessing more people will see it.

Does Tadalafil (cialis) effect hormone levels or semen characteristics???

Asking because the urologist I am seeing about my varicocelectomy drew some blood for testing and also wants me to do another semen analysis. Before he drew the blood I had taken 5 to 12 mg/day of Tadalafil for 3 days leading up to the draw. He is doing the standard tests for Test, Free Test, Estradiol, FSH, and LH...will they be effected at all by the Tadalafil I took???

Also, I am supposed to go in within the next week to provide a semen sample for analysis...same question as before...are semen tests effected by Tadalafil? Really looking forward to having the operation so I don't want to waste any more time by doing inaccurate tests.

JanSz...you seem to be the resident expert on lab testing...can you, or anybody else who is informed, help me with these questions?

Thanks guys
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure I've read studies that claim cialis raises test levels.
 
Hello, i was searching for a possible explanation for my condition before i go to a doctor so i was wondering if someone can shed a light. About 5 days ago when i woke up i noticed a lump above my left testicle that i don't think was there before and it felt strange, not pain but heaviness or pressure... and the strangest thing is that since then i lost my sex drive, i'm 20 years old and i never felt like that in my life. I think about sex like 100 times a day and now...zip, and its really hard to get an erection.

Could it be varicocele, and can loss of libido happen that fast,
one day i was fine and the next ......

I know that some may say its psychological but i have been stressed before and never experienced something like that.
 
Went to the urologist and surprise.......varicocele!
He said that it's not a big deal but i should really do the surgery if i want to have kids some day, but when i mentioned the low sex drive he just gave me a slight smile and said i have been imagining it. Anyway i'm glad he agreed to the surgery.
He told me they were pretty busy with other patients so now i have to wait for a month. :(

The funny thing is that he was convinced these swollen veines were there my whole life.....and a week ago they weren't.
 
Sorry you have been diagnosed with the scourge of men ....

It is true though that you may have had them for a very long time and never really noticed ....

One of the theories that I a subscribe to is the theory that all men have a threshold of T .... Once you hit that you experience the symptoms .... Now I have to be honest and say that your "all of a sudden" could be more subtle than you think .... For me it was a creeping ....

First I had ED issues, then my libido went, then I was tired all the time for no reason, then I would wake in the night to pee, etc .... This is just the physical and there are more .... This doesn't even touch on the psychological .... Trouble concentrating, fleeting thoughts, dreams, sexual thoughts, imagination, able to speak fluently, etc ....

We as men jump on the "What's Wrong" train only when the equipment doesn't work the way it used to .... and 9 times out of 10 we go to viagra or cialis to fix that .... And it usually does for a while .... Like me .... Then "All OF A Sudden" you just do not feel the same as you used to and don't have a clue why ....

Just my little rant ....
 
darkblue1 said:
Ok, I had a visit to urologist today. My results are here

FSH - 3.6
LH - 0.2
Prolactin - 7.7
Total Testosterone - 222

Doctor says these are normal.I told him I have constant head ache, cannot sleep at night becos of head ache.He said varicoceles dont have to do with head ache,abdominal discomfort and muscle loss. He also told me that he will do surgery ,but it wont improve your testosterone and wont reduce head ache and abdominal discomfort. Before surgery he wants me to take semen analysis. If its not good then he will do surgery. I aske dhim why do i have low testosterone if the results are normal.He said some may have less testosterone depending on stress at that period
Tommrow i have endo appointment, He and Urologist will chat to find the cause for low testosterone after I visit Endo.

Urologist also said Varicoceles cannot happen all of a sudden.They will be there from begining and you will notice it all of a sudden. I told him I did nt have it before, i have it for past 3 months, I gave example of some of you guys having varicocele for 3-4 months . He did not believe and asked to bring the print outs.
Click to expand...
darkblue1 said:
I met Endo 2 days back. Here is reuslts from blood report

FSH - 3.5
LH - 0.6
Testosterone - 222
prolactin - 6


He said Low LH may be because of pitutary-Hypothalamus problem. Im going to have MRI scan on tuesday. He said if i want testim or androgel in the mean time he will prescribe. I said I want HCG or Clomid or gnRh. He said he wont prescribe those and will refer me to reproductive endo after MRI scan. He gave me selaxin (not sure) for tension headaches.Its not working well.
Becker,
How much Wellburtin costs ?
Click to expand...

I would not use anything, any medicine, anything except:

500iu HCG EOD, every other day

within a month check

T, SHBG, Albumin, E2, DHT

better go to Quest and have these tests done:

Estradiol, Free, LC/MS/MS (36169X)
Estrogens, Fractionated, LC/MS/MS (36742X)
Testosterone, Free, Bio/Total (LC/MS/MS)
Dihydrotestosterone, Free, Serum (36168X)

If you see improvement, keep adding HCG.
750iu EOD
up to
1000iu EOD
as you are reaching limits, change to 50iu increments HCG dose increases.

I would say that the limit on amount of HCG would be reached when:

#1 BAT reaches upper limit (575)
BAT- BioAvailableTestosterone

or

#2 if E2 is higer than 29 and cannot be controlled with Arimidex dose of no more than 2mg/week,
or FreeE2 is more than about 0.75
.
.
Use tight briefs to control varicocele.
Any surgery can wait, comfort comes first, tight briefs should help with comfort.
.
.
 
Well .... my next question is - will the surgery fix all this, because i can deal with a one month wait but looking at a girl and feeling like i'm looking at a tree is not something i want to live my life with.

How long have you been like this?
 
For me .... The surgery releived the pain and helped a little, but as you have read through the posts here you will find that most of us end up on some type of HRT after varicocele ....
 
JanSz said:
I would not use anything, any medicine, anything except:

500iu HCG EOD, every other day

within a month check

T, SHBG, Albumin, E2, DHT

better go to Quest and have these tests done:

Estradiol, Free, LC/MS/MS (36169X)
Estrogens, Fractionated, LC/MS/MS (36742X)
Testosterone, Free, Bio/Total (LC/MS/MS)
Dihydrotestosterone, Free, Serum (36168X)

If you see improvement, keep adding HCG.
750iu EOD
up to
1000iu EOD
as you are reaching limits, change to 50iu increments HCG dose increases.

I would say that the limit on amount of HCG would be reached when:

#1 BAT reaches upper limit (575)
BAT- BioAvailableTestosterone

or

#2 if E2 is higer than 29 and cannot be controlled with Arimidex dose of no more than 2mg/week,
or FreeE2 is more than about 0.75
.
.
Use tight briefs to control varicocele.
Any surgery can wait, comfort comes first, tight briefs should help with comfort.
.
.
Click to expand...

I am on Androgel. Looks like its not working for me. I dont feel any difference.I feel more muscle weakness.
How can i get HCG? I have appointment with reproductive endo on June3rd.Thats too long.
Can i directly go for blood tests at Quest? Will it be covered by insurance?If not covered by insurance, how much will it cost?

Since i didnt see any improvemtn in testim or androgel. I am thinking there is some kind of nerve compression at that (lower abdomen or pelvic area). I am planing to go see neurologist
 
Remington said:
Well .... my next question is - will the surgery fix all this, because i can deal with a one month wait but looking at a girl and feeling like i'm looking at a tree is not something i want to live my life with.

How long have you been like this?
Click to expand...


It depends, Since you are 20, It may improve a bit more.
 
darkblue1 said:
I am on Androgel. Looks like its not working for me. I dont feel any difference.I feel more muscle weakness.
How can i get HCG? I have appointment with reproductive endo on June3rd.Thats too long.
Can i directly go for blood tests at Quest? Will it be covered by insurance?If not covered by insurance, how much will it cost?

Since i didnt see any improvemtn in testim or androgel. I am thinking there is some kind of nerve compression at that (lower abdomen or pelvic area). I am planing to go see neurologist
Click to expand...
You posted:

LH - 0.6
Testosterone - 222

was that on Androgel?

==============================
Lets clarify that first, before we talk more.

I need to know your LH and TT when you were totally clean.
.
.
Forget nerve compression theory.

Post a link to a post that have your complete history and all tests that you have had, clearly decribed.
If there is not any, make it now.
.
.
 
JanSz said:
You posted:

LH - 0.6
Testosterone - 222

was that on Androgel?

==============================
Lets clarify that first, before we talk more.

I need to know your LH and TT when you were totally clean.
.
.
Forget nerve compression theory.

Post a link to a post that have your complete history and all tests that you have had, clearly decribed.
If there is not any, make it now.
.
.
Click to expand...

That was a week after I stopped taking testim.
After taking Androgel, I have not gone for any blod workI will post other test results soon
 
darkblue1 said:
That was a week after I stopped taking testim.
After taking Androgel, I have not gone for any blod workI will post other test results soon
Click to expand...
Ok, week after Testim, most likely most Testim was out.
So lets assume that you were (mostly) clean and tested:
LH - 0.6
Testosterone - 222

In my book that is secondary.

I would not touch any testosterone but would first investigate capability of testis to deliver (natural) testosterone, with all its beautiful daily variations and all.

.
.
I would follow what colkurtz_spf is doing.
 
JanSz said:
I would not use anything, any medicine, anything except:

500iu HCG EOD, every other day

within a month check

T, SHBG, Albumin, E2, DHT

better go to Quest and have these tests done:

Estradiol, Free, LC/MS/MS (36169X)
Estrogens, Fractionated, LC/MS/MS (36742X)
Testosterone, Free, Bio/Total (LC/MS/MS)
Dihydrotestosterone, Free, Serum (36168X)

If you see improvement, keep adding HCG.
750iu EOD
up to
1000iu EOD
as you are reaching limits, change to 50iu increments HCG dose increases.

I would say that the limit on amount of HCG would be reached when:

#1 BAT reaches upper limit (575)
BAT- BioAvailableTestosterone

or

#2 if E2 is higer than 29 and cannot be controlled with Arimidex dose of no more than 2mg/week,
or FreeE2 is more than about 0.75
.
.
Use tight briefs to control varicocele.
Any surgery can wait, comfort comes first, tight briefs should help with comfort.
.
.
Click to expand...

The tight brief thing is not a good idea. A Varicocele is already producing a ton of heat at the testicle, wearing tight briefs is going to cause even more heat and its going to damage the testicle even more and cause the Varicocele to become worse. The pain can be bad, but it is not crippling. I would say get the surgery ASAP.
 
I agree, but there are times that the jock really helps with the pain/ache .... I would just wear a jock when the pain/ache is too much .... Not an everyday thing ....

Isn't it funny though that the Docs tell us to wear tighty's or jocks .... Don't they tell their fertility patients NOT to wear them ....

CRAZY
 
beckerj said:
I agree, but there are times that the jock really helps with the pain/ache .... I would just wear a jock when the pain/ache is too much .... Not an everyday thing ....

Isn't it funny though that the Docs tell us to wear tighty's or jocks .... Don't they tell their fertility patients NOT to wear them ....

CRAZY
Click to expand...

Are you going to get the varicocele fixed?
 
I did get it fixed December 13 2007 .... Over 3 months later .... Androgel is my new best friend .... almost a month on it and I feel like I have not in 6 months .... OR more .... I am at 6 pumps a day ....

The first week I went through the "WOW" and Crash .... I found some support over on Yahoo Newsgroups Androgel and hypogonadism2 .... Seems like the WOW and Crash is normal .... When you crash you are supposed to up your dose of Androgel to compensate ....

ED issues are still lurking but my fantasy world in me head is a live and kicking to a soft tune .... I can't wait till it is the rock concert I remeber .... I have heard it sometimes takes a lot longer on the ED issues .... Cialis and Viagra are helping a bit .... L-Arginine too .... SMILE

I have to say yours and megazoid stories REALLY helped me get through this ....

THANK YOU !
 
I'm wondering if there could be some other reason for the swollen veines. The urologist didn't do any tests, he just examined me and said it was varicocele but i noticed something new - when i get an erection (with some effort) the lump gets a little bit smaller and there is a slight pain in the lower abdomen just above it. It's like the blood is draining from the varicocele and going up....i'm not sure...
 
The varicocele causes backflow of blood .... Back to the testicle .... So the pain you are feeling is part and parcel of the varicocele .... The blood flows up to your kidney I beleive ....
 
beckerj said:
The varicocele causes backflow of blood .... Back to the testicle .... So the pain you are feeling is part and parcel of the varicocele .... The blood flows up to your kidney I beleive ....
Click to expand...

I am also feeling the same thing, But doctor says it has nothing to do with varicocele.
 
JanSz said:
Ok, week after Testim, most likely most Testim was out.
So lets assume that you were (mostly) clean and tested:
LH - 0.6
Testosterone - 222

In my book that is secondary.

I would not touch any testosterone but would first investigate capability of testis to deliver (natural) testosterone, with all its beautiful daily variations and all.

.
.
I would follow what colkurtz_spf is doing.
Click to expand...

How do we investigate that?Docotr there is nothing problem with testis, but problem with hypothalamus not working properly.Scrotum is alsways hot 7 warm, duno why?
What is colkurtz_spf doing?
 
darkblue1 said:
How do we investigate that?Docotr there is nothing problem with testis, but problem with hypothalamus not working properly.Scrotum is alsways hot 7 warm, duno why?
What is colkurtz_spf doing?
Click to expand...

colkurtz_spf is using HCG only to raise his testosterone levels.

See my post #7 where he gives practical advice.
Invalid Link Removed

I would add that I feel that one of the limits on HCG dose would be need to control E2.
I would think that max weekly dose of Arimidex should be no more than 1.5mg, possibly 2mg outmost.

I have a good track using LiquiDex, much easier to divide dose.
I use small (3/10cc) insuline syringe with cut out needle.
.
.
 
This can't be happening. This morning out of nowhere i felt a strange pain but this time on the right and the veins just swell up before my eyes!!!! Now i got the same lump and the same heaviness above both testicles.....
 
Remington said:
This can't be happening. This morning out of nowhere i felt a strange pain but this time on the right and the veins just swell up before my eyes!!!! Now i got the same lump and the same heaviness above both testicles.....
Click to expand...

Make sure you are not dealing with testicular cancer.
 
DragonRider said:
I can almost guarantee it is caused by your prolactine levels. Lower the prolactine levels and the other problem will correct.
Been there and done that.
Click to expand...

errm dragonrider , how can i lower those prolactine levels ?the endo blew me off said it`s stress.



and beckerj yes everything you described ( dreams , fleeting thoughts , no morning wood , etc ) hit the spot, but how can the T be responsable when i got 23 nmol/l and normal value is 9.9-27.8 ( so i am on the high spot ) don`t really get it though .
 
Sorry Andrei .... I don't know .... Maybe your E2 or Estradial (SP) is wrong ?

Have you had your thyroid checked as well ?

Didn't you say that you had a varicocele ?

If you have a varicocele and it is rather new .... maybe the hormones are advancing and retreating ? Kinda like a roller coaster type thing .... MAybe when you get the tests done you are on the high side .... Just a guess here though ....
 
what is E2 or Estradial ? and what tests should i get for the thyroid coz i didnt get any tests done for that. anyway i read a bit just now about high prolactine levels and it seems that also may cause my problems but i don`t quite understand how can the varicocele can cause prolactine levels to go up.
 
I've done some reading and found out that varicocele is sometimes
connected to "the nutcracker syndrome" .... anyone heard of that?
...."compression of the left renal vein between the abdominal aorta and superior mesenteric artery" and somehow it causes high pressure which leads to varicocele. I'm really confused cause in my case it was very fast - one day i'm fine and the next ..... i had varicocele for no reason. And if it is caused by high pressure and not the veins won't it appear again after the surgery ....
 
Beckerj,

Where are you and whats your status. Did you try HCG ? What are your levels now?How do you feel now?
I could not get a doctor at my place who prescribes HCG treatment
 
Sorry been a while .... I am just about 2 months into my Androgel Treatment .... I started at 4 pumps a day and after a week I experienced the Crash .... I self medicated up to 6 pumps a day .... I have to admit, at 6 pumps a day I seemed too "Randy" so I dropped down to the 4 pumps a day after a 3 day off .... I am so happy with the Androgel treament .... My head is 100% better .... The ED issues are all but a memory .... I still have that fear that it won't work in the back of my mind, but is MUCH more manageable than it was .... I am still taking Viagra or Cialis, although I am working up the nerver to go it without soon .... Just have to conquer the fear ....
My energy level, thought processes, and just life in general is GREAT !

I hate that I had to wait as long as I did to get the Androgel .....

I am going to ask my urologist about the HCG when I see him on the 2nd .... I hope he gives it to me .... I have yet to have any issues with my ejactulate except for that it is more goopy than liquid ....
 
beckerj said:
Sorry been a while .... I am just about 2 months into my Androgel Treatment .... I started at 4 pumps a day and after a week I experienced the Crash .... I self medicated up to 6 pumps a day .... I have to admit, at 6 pumps a day I seemed too "Randy" so I dropped down to the 4 pumps a day after a 3 day off .... I am so happy with the Androgel treament .... My head is 100% better .... The ED issues are all but a memory .... I still have that fear that it won't work in the back of my mind, but is MUCH more manageable than it was .... I am still taking Viagra or Cialis, although I am working up the nerver to go it without soon .... Just have to conquer the fear ....
My energy level, thought processes, and just life in general is GREAT !

I hate that I had to wait as long as I did to get the Androgel .....

I am going to ask my urologist about the HCG when I see him on the 2nd .... I hope he gives it to me .... I have yet to have any issues with my ejactulate except for that it is more goopy than liquid ....
Click to expand...
I have just taken Androgel injection (200mg) on Wednesday (because I did not feel anything on pump) . Even now I don’t see much improvement,but can concentrate little better on work. Brain fog is still there. Eneregy levels same. Only nocturnal erections.
Do you think these are still there becos of varicoceles. Doctors are reluctant to remove it.
 
Androgel injections ? I never heard of them .... I know of Different Testosterone injections .... How long were you on the pump and at what dose ?

What was your T level again ?

If you have read through the posts you know that the recovery is not quick .... Here I am after 2 months and I am still not 100% .... I am very close to be what I would call normal again, but not quite there yet ....

You have to tell them that the varicocele causes you pain and discomfort .... What country are you in again ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top