Fix your Testosterone Crash now!

When your testosterone [T] is seriously low there is no mistaking it - you have a CRASH. 

This is a medical ‘urgency’ as it is harmful and dangerous to your long-term health so needs sorting right now.

How do you know you have crashed?

You feel fatigued; your mood is low [you may even be suicidal]; your sex drive has disappeared; your erection is weak or non-functional; your brain is fuzzy and it is difficult to be decisive. Hell- you are not yourself at all.

Action Stations

First: Get tested

Be decisive about one thing - get a T test urgently. Show this article to your partner - you may need their resolve behind you. Take your partner with you to the consultation, this is critically important to back up your story and help you if the GP is difficult.

In an ideal world

• You are able to access a GP quickly.
• You tell your Dr about the dramatic change in how you feel, say you believe it is low T and ask for a T test - and the GP agrees.
• Your Dr understands how to interpret the result [you need a level of 18-20+ nmol/L at any age to be symptom free and optimal] and is in favour of Testosterone Replacement Treatment [TRT]
• You get TRT, a test shows your T is restored and life returns to normal

You may have problems with any of the above – what to do is below.

What Test?

The test you need is Total T and because the level varies across the day it should be taken in the morning. 

Interpreting the result – this is critical

The graph shows the blood level of T by age from young to old moving left to right across the page.

Range: There is a range in each of the 5 age groups. The top of the range is shown in orange, the middle in red and low end in blue.

Symptom Zone: the blue bar shows the level of low T where symptoms [bad stuff] happens ie below 15 nmol/L.

Young men: have a high T ranging from 18-35 nmol/L with the average around 24 nmol/L [results in the USA are in ng/dL - there are online unit converters].

Older ie 70 year old men: have much lower T with around half being in the Symptom Zone [even though they may not do anything about it.]

Target Zone: this is the ‘functional’ range where you will be well and symptom free, enough T to protect muscle, bone, brain and sexual health. This is say 18-28 nmol/L as it would be in a 50 year old.

What is “normal”: it is ‘normal’ for T to fall with age. Just as it is ‘normal’ for older men to become diabetic, get dementia or die from heart attack. As stated above the functional zone is around 18-28 nmol/L.

This can be an issue you need to handle as the distinction is often not understood by Drs and will not be understood by the administrative staff who will tell you “your test is normal” because a low test falls in the “normal’ range for age.

What are the main problems accessing help?

• Misinterpretation of what T level is needed to be symptom free as described above.
• Prejudice against prescribing TRT. This arises partly because of ignorance – not every Dr is interested in hormone stuff [the same problem hits women looking for menopause help], partly because of indiscriminate prescribing in the USA and partly because of abuse of testosterone in gyms by young men.

How do you get around this?

• Ask the receptionist when you book “Which Dr prescribes testosterone? Can I see that person?” If at first you are refused try a different Dr in the practice.
• See a private GP. There are private GP services now in all the private hospitals including one near you. Check before you book in that the Dr concerned prescribes T [the staff can ask them in advance so you don’t waste your time and money]. When your TRT has fixed your symptoms you can either continue to get prescriptions from the private GP or try to talk to your NHS GP again to say “ I had the treatment it has worked, will you prescribe it ongoing?”
• Contact a TRT clinic. There are several in each major conurbation and are easily findable on line.

For more information on TRT see https://vitalitashealth.blogspot.com/2023/06/testosterone-replacement-for-men.html