Androgel Treatment

After being diagnosed with low testosterone levels, my doctor prescribed Androgel (http://www.androgel.com/).  I urge you to visit http://www.androgel.com/ and learn more about the low testosterone, the product, and its benefits/side effects.  As his only 30 something patient with testosterone problems, he was not sure of the best application for me.  My choices for treatment were:

1. Androgel in a pump form (similar to a handsoap pump), applied daily
2. Androgel in packet form (similar to a condiment package), applied daily
3. Androgel shots, given once per month

I chose the packet form for two reasons: (1) a daily application would allow for my testosterone levels to be more consistent, as a shot once a month can allow your levels to surge up or down, (2) the packets are easy to carry and transport because I travel quite a bit on business.

I began applying one packet, one time per day, in the mornings.  The Androgel is slightly sticky and you must apply it to your abdomen or shoulder area for best results.  It only takes a few minutes for it to dry, so you can dress relatively quickly after application.  The tricky part is the clean up.  Because Androgel is a synthetic male hormone, you do not want your wife or children to be exposed to it.  You would not want your wifes chest to have more hair on it than yours!  At least I hope not! LOL.

In my next blog I will share with you the steps that I take to "clean up" without exposing my family to Androgel side effects.  I will also share with you the initial results on my 30 day follow up doctors visit.

Darrin

Warning Signs of Low Testosterone

Over the next several weeks I will be posting life experiences, articles, information, etc. on the topic of low testosterone, of which I have been battling for what I believe to be many years. Here is my story.

There I was, 33 years of age, lying on the floor wrestling with my 2 young sons. It was taking every bit of energy that I had just to move around. Something was definitely wrong. Earlier in the day I struggled to mow the lawn, eventually taking short cuts to finish up, deciding to do the weed eating "tomorrow". For months I had complained to my wife about not having enough energy, feeling exhausted by lunch time everyday. We both blew it off as being out of shape, or maybe it was just a 30-something thing.

Several days past. My energy level was almost non-existent. My attitude was negative and pesimistic. I could not seem to get on top of things. I finally decided to go to the doctor, wondering if I may have diabetes, cancer, or some other terrible illness that was causing my symptoms.

After answering several questions, my doctor said that he wanted to do a blood test, not for diabetes or cancer, but for low testosterone. He said it would be very rare for a guy my age to have that type of problem, but he went with his gut. His gut was right. My testosterone level was at 213. A normal count for a man my age ranged from a low of 250 to a high of 800.

Do some of the symptoms that I had relate to any of you? For years I struggled with several issues that I just passed off as being tired or out of shape:

• Low sex drive


• Erectile disfunction


• Extreme fatigue


• Body aches


• Depression

After being diagnosed with low levels of testosterone all of the struggles that I had been dealing with, both physically and mentally, began to all make sense as I researched the internet on the subject. I believe that I can trace my problem all the way back to my late teen's. I wish that I would have gone to the doctor many years prior. It sure would have saved alot of trouble, embarrassment, and heart ache.

There is good news for those of us dealing with low testosterone. I will cover this in coming articles. I look forward to hearing from others who deal with this problem everyday like I do.