Testosterone levels decreasing

Maybe it was all the weight which was causing a problem. You could have another thread title (not in FWR!). Men's fat levels are increasing. Surely this is quite worrying.

Readyfreddy, I really dont want to sound snarky, no really, but
You keep on about sex and sex drive like these really matter to you. Fine. Have you ever just wondered about women and the drugs we take to prevent pregnancy, and actual pregnancy and the menopause on the womans sex drive and libido?

I can state that at over 50 now, I've had maybe 8 years of my life with a working sex drive. I'm currently 6 years into the menopause, its shit, my sex drive just fucked off and I'm yet again on hormone tablets to treat the rest of the symptoms. No end in sight, and when the end hoves into view I could easily have other problems associated with being old and past it and potentially no bloody sex drive still. But you go on wailing about your 10 years without sex eh. Oh and no one ever is entitled to sex.

This is not a topic for fwr!

I am glad you feel better.

I just really am not sure that testosterone is the be all and end all.

The normal range they all use is I think from a USA study in the 50s.

DH was. Less than an 80 yo. At 30 something.

He never had libido issues.

I think there's something else needs looking at. What is normal? Why are some men miserable??

Etc

I mean loads of women are miserable but we can hide it more.

All this is in the late night conversation thing. I wish you well.

I think it's not a feminist thing though? Start up a group for blokes with this issue etc?

I'm glad it has worked out for you. Genuinely. Feeling crap all the time is rubbish.

I do dispute that the NHS don't pay interest. With DH they were all over it. It was found out by accident.

We have no idea when it may have gone. The jabs etc have no effect on his libido. Everything works. And did when he was lower than an 80yo.

There was no incident. Illness. Nothing. Found by accident. We have 2 kids.

So.

1. Definitely needs more research. Is the male 'normal' range out of whack?
2. If everything is ok. Is a low count enough to mean intervention?
3. I have seen on the telly about men seeking testosterone as a fix all. Shouldn't more be done to get to the root of what's going on? Testosterone is known as mood lifter etc. Is it a cheap fix for modern life?
4. We are on FWR after all. You and DH could compete officially with no intervention. He's 6'1 and built like a brick shithouse. Used to play rugby. Can bench press I don't know what's a lot. 200kg. Yeah I think that was it. Big fella. No testosterone. We have babies...

So. ????

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/24/toxic-america-sperm-counts-plastics-research

Sperm count in men on average are also down. I know plastic is suspected. I wonder if it’s affecting testosterone too.

Horn dogs.

Not hot dogs!

'Not to be argumentative, but I know a lot about this as I've researched it for several years, read loads of research docs and spoken to literally dozens of people about this on dedicated forums - people on both NHS/private treatment, and also lots of hormone specialists'

Not to be argumentative, but...!

So you've researched it a lot then gone private.

That's fine.

I am telling you. That DH got bloods done on the NHS for something else. About 5 years ago. They said testosterone through the floor. They sent him to a specialist. He had a gel. Which didn't sort it bloods wise. Now he gets an injection. All through NHS. And going back 5 years or so.

Have you looked into other reasons for lack of drive? I'm being genuine here. DH, his behaviour hasn't changed pre/ post therapy. I'm not convinced that it wasn't normal for him. Nor is he.

So. In short. Don't think of this therapy as a fix all? Loads of people are a bit miserable. Think life is a bit shit. Testosterone may seem like a magic bullet. But. Is that the real problem?

Have you tried, I dunno. Counselling?

Some men aren't that highly sexed, and that's ok, no matter what the stereotypes say.

I don't think DH has ever had a ONS. He wouldn't like that. Have you had trouble in established relationships.

Some men aren't hot dogs. And that's fine.

Having said that if you are getting better with this that's great.

But the idea that the NHS only give testosterone therapy to cancer survivors and the other stuff you you've said. Is simply not true. I know this first hand.

If it's 5 years he would have been 36.

So it's not NHS policy. Maybe you were unlucky with your doctors that you saw.

That's not true. DH testosterone is compared to 'normal' range for his age.

I've been to some appts with him so I know first hand.

Interesting. I didn't know that but I did read that transgender men maintain ovary function even after one year of testosterone treatment. I wonder how/if 1 year of testosterone treatment would impact the brain development of a fetus carried by a trans man.

Very interesting, Errol, thank you!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternalagee_effect

This is the weird thing.

The studies they use as the standard for 'normal' were done years ago I think and not a very wide group. I've read some stuff that suggests that actually 'normal' may be a much wider range than they realised.

Theres a lot of preconceptions and bias around it all as well as it's THE hormone that 'makes a man a man' as it were.

I think more study is needed.

We have no idea if DH had low testosterone for years and that was normal for him, or if something changed. It was discovered when he had a blood test for something unrelated.

Does falling testosterone have any impact on fertility? I'm embarrassingly clueless about it.

Didn't you have blood tests?

DH is on testosterone through the NHS. His was through the floor. They had no trouble diagnosing it, it's easily measured in the blood.

So you're paying privately for testosterone which you self diagnosed and a private doc agreed with in 10 mins ie with no blood test.

Righty ho.