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Major Nikon

(36,917 posts)
4. Here's my $0.02 worth
Mon Jul 22, 2013, 02:44 PM
Jul 2013

Right now the medical evidence for the efficacy of testosterone hormone replacement therapy is still very much in question. It's also possible you may not have low-T at all. One test for blood testosterone is not sufficient to make a diagnosis of low testosterone because levels vary greatly from one day to the next. This means that A) you may not have low-T at all, and B) even if you do the therapy may not work.

As far as the therapy goes, I'm not convinced all the listed side effects are really all that prevalent. Guys with male pattern baldness and prostate cancer are no more likely to have higher testosterone levels than anyone else. This does not necessarily mean that guys undergoing hormone replacement therapy fit that same situation, but it does mean that the connection between testosterone levels and those things is not as cut and dried as you might think.

If your libido is good, I would be suspect that testosterone is the cause of your fatigue problems given your description. As scary as it sounds, the first thing I would do if I were in reasonably good shape and was having those symptoms is have my heart checked out thoroughly. Did your doctor perform an EKG on you? If not, ask for one (if you came to your doctor with those symptoms and they didn't perform one on you it might be time to find a new doctor). If your insurance covers it, you may also consider going to a cardiologist and having a stress test performed. It takes just one office visit and gives you a wealth of information about your heart. Is your blood pressure normal? Do you have a history of heart palpitations? Diabetes or irregular blood sugar? Rule out the big stuff first, then move down to things like low-T.

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