He is 44, not overweight and does not smoke. He is on 5 mg. of Testim and still his blood level of testerone is 400. The doctor says that is normal, but we don't think that is normal for a man of his age and he has trouble functioning. He has been on testerone replacement for 5 years.
2006-10-28 05:21:15 · 7 answers · asked by pennypincher 7 in Health ➔ Men's Health
He has tried exercising regularily and lifting weights and it has not helped.
2006-10-28 05:32:38 · update #1
My husband only weighs 155 lbs. and the Testim is a creme similar to Androge.
2006-10-28 08:11:49 · update #2
Please understand some facts:
Mens' dysfunction is not absolutely related to serum testosterone levels PER SE.
what matters is not simply testosterone levels - but FREE testosterone levels. But as men age, after 35, the body starts to produce large amounts of SEX-HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN which binds & inactivates the testosterone he produces from his gonads. the older he gets, the more SHBG he produces. this substance, also grabs & inactivates any exogenous testosterone he receives from injections or whatever. So only a fraction of hormones he takes will be effective at all.
Plus, as the man ages, the cellular receptors which react and respond to free testosterone begins to lose their sensitivity to the hormone, even when serum levels are adequate. this also happens with thyroid & other hormonal cellular receptors.
And THERE ARE NO MEDICINES AVAILABLE WHICH DESTROY SEX-HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN & NONE WHICH RESTORE SENSITIVITY OF ANDROGEN RECEPTORS IN THE TARGET CELLS OF A MAN'S BODY. nOT YET, ANYWAY.
Also , as men age, the levels of their own electricity in the nervous system decline - & the sexual response depends entirely on an adequate level of electrical impulses for erection, orgasm & functioning.
so don't expect miracles from testosterone. He's typical for his age. Also , arteriosclerosis impedes blood flow into the penile artery & this impairs erection, also.
MANY FACTORS BESIDES TESTOSTERONE ARE INVOLVED IN MEN'S SEX DYSFUNCTION.
Remember all of this & leave your husband alone. he's going through his andropause - change of life. And that's that.
2006-10-28 06:15:48 · answer #1 · answered by blackbird 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great question. The test for testosterone does have established normal ranges and I do believe that even though a man’s testosterone result falls within the normal range he still may not be as sexually active as he should be so we either increase the testosterone and I would recommend AndroGel - which is just rubbed on the skin about 3 hours prior to sex and once a day routinely. Have your Dr measure both the bound and free testosterone after trying the AndroGel along with the Testim. You did not mention it but I would also assume that at his age and weight he may have an elevated glucose and could be in for Type 11 Diabetes and that will cause additional sexual dysfunctional problems. Get his weight down and increase or change the type of Testosterone he is using so we can get a higher level of both free and bound Testosterone. He should have his prostate checked quarterly just to make sure we are not creating cancer of the prostate.
You did not define how he was having troubles functioning but if it is maintaining a an erection look at adding in Viagra or Cialias as long as he is not on heart medication which could be deadly. If his functional problem was: not achieving and orgasm then have him take Sudafed about an hour prior to sex and then will help him achieve an orgasm. Discuss all of this with your family Dr and have your husband see a urologist. They may have other ideas that will help him.
2006-10-28 05:39:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
400 is very normal for a man his age - it would fine for a 20 year old. His "functioning" problem is caused by something else physical or psychological. It is something to talk over with the doctor. There is nothing to be embarrassed about or wrong with thinking about using Cialis or Viagra. If he is capable of getting aroused, he will do fine. BTW my testosterone levels are in the 200's I'm in my 50's and I "function" 2-3Xweek. Good Luck. I have used Cialis in the past when I went through a very stressful period in my life. It definitely helped. Remember, the most important sex organ is the brain.
2006-10-28 05:38:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay this might be out in left field for you but I swear by it...I am young but I really hadn't had much of a interest in women for a while for a variety of reasons. Well I started working out like a demon, lifting a lot and in the process I swear the old testosterone started flowing again. Now I am actually interested. Now this is probably not something the is medically sound, but if all else fails I would give it a shot.
2006-10-28 05:28:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You/he needs to see an endocrinologist. The answer to your question isn't just simply the right medication. Testoserone isn't always the problem. Sometimes it's the body's ability to absorb it and use it. You will need to spend alot of time on google researching and visiting an endocrinologist(a good one) (and there aren't that many). This is a very complicated problem to solve. Your doctor is correct however, 400 is in the normal range. I myself am below 400 and want sex everyday.
2006-10-28 05:41:12 · answer #5 · answered by hairyleggedspider 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The main problem is the brain is not signalling the gonads to produce more sperm.
Testosterone given as a patch or via injection is the way to treat the problem. If you feel the levels are still too low, my advice is to get a second opinion.
Jake Nelson, BS, MS, NASM-CPT
http://www.thesportsclubla.com
2006-10-28 05:32:18 · answer #6 · answered by Jake N. BS,CPT, PES, CES 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I AM SORRY FOR BOTHERING YOU BUT IF YOU HUSBAND IS TAKING TESTOSTERONE PILLS , HE COULD GET WHAT IS CALLED A "CHEMICAL HEPATITIS" THIS WAS TOLD TO ME BY A UROLOGIST , DR. JOEL RACH , M.D THANKS
2006-10-28 06:27:25 · answer #7 · answered by SWM 38 _4_ YOUNG GF 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋