The problem with clinics is, they don’t do the prerequisite checks to find the issue first, before starting trt you need a cardiovascular checkup, cancer screening, prostate check etc. a cookie cutter clinic will give you what you want but they won’t find out why your low to begin with, for all he knows he has cancer and taking trt would exacerbate that problem, or maybe he has a cardiovascular condition that taking trt could cause severe complications….. clinics don’t check for any of these things nor will they be liable if you drop dead.
I get it….to many men want immediate results without any of the hoops you should jump through to make sure they are doing so safely, and most men don’t think of their longevity or even have any form of perception of their own mortality….. but these things are important.
Also, because of all the issues these clinics are creating within the health space, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are shut down within the next couple years, or heavily regulated. I’d personally rather get with a physician who cares about my well being, and set up a medical track record so when these clinics get shut down I’m not one of the millions of men waiting in line for an appointment to get prescriptions or being forced into the UGL sector when they feel to meet the threshold for needing medication.
Absolutely agree with finding the main issue first. However, that’s not their job. They’re not cardiologists, radiologists, neurosurgeons, or anything else. And neither are the endos or urologists. Therefore, it is up to the PATIENT to take control of their health and do the dirty work before going to a clinic.
The issue with the urologists and the endocrinologists are that they are not educated on HRT in medical school. I have seen time and time again with endos and urologists refusing to treat a man with a total testosterone level of 300ng/dl because his total testosterone levels are “within the range” and that he’s “normal”. Because it happened to me.
However, I do not think he should go to a cookie cutter clinic. And I didn’t say that he should, either. He should find a reputable clinic that spends time with you, educates you on the effect of testosterone and other medication, and will work with you based on personalized issue.
OP, I think that is your best course of action.
I’ve only met one clinic in the industry that does the things you’re looking for. And that’s the Anabolic Doc, Dr. O’Connor based out of Florida. The rest of the clinics in the USA are garbage chop shops in my personal opinion and I’ve been In the industry for the better part of 20 years in one form or another. If you’re gunna go outside the system and seek private care from a clinic he’s the only credible option in the USA I’ve ever seen. He’s not cheap, and I believe he offers consulting to patients outside of Florida as well, but he’s the gold standard in an industry full of swamp monsters and get rich quick scams.
I’d also suggest picking up the E book from VigorousSteve on TRT, that way you can go onto your medical provider appointment knowing the right information so you can help tailor your care to your specific needs, and it also helps to understand your own blood work that way you can have an educated conversation with your doctor.
I realize it’s very easy to have negative interactions with a provider, but it’s important to find one who’s goals for your personal wellbeing are aligned with, it can be a journey to find that doctor, but they exist and when you get with the right one it’s a wonderful experience.
If your ever in Thailand, I know several wonderful providers and can easily set up consultations if your ever in the Bangkok area! And I’ll be more then happy to do your cardiovascular exam, best of luck and god bless.
Thanks for the discussion!
I’ll have to check out VigorousSteve’s ebook. Sounds like a good read.
Two good clinics in the US are Dr. Keith Nichol’s T1 Health and Wellness, and Dr. Michael Wittmer’s Wittmer Rejuvenation Clinic (my personal choice).
Dr. Wittmer spent an HOUR with me on zoom going over bloodwork, effects, and what the best course of action was.
Highly recommend Dr. Wittmer. He was featured on Mark Bell’s Power Podcast as well as Starting Strength Radio Podcast. Go to YouTube and search “Michael Wittmer TRT” to see what he’s all about. Do the same for Keith Nichols.
Have a great night!
To be fair, this is what’s suppose to be done. He needs to do his due diligence before prescribing a life long treatment, and also making sure you don’t have issues that would be exacerbated by trt and potentially life threatening. I realize because he didn’t immediately give you what you want you probably think he’s an asshole, but reality is, he’s doing the right thing and you should probably appreciate he’s trying to investigate the causation of your lower testosterone and not just assuming your a old man who’s naturally declined.
I agree totally. These clinics fill a critical role at the moment but lax oversight (e.g., put everyone on 200mg with an AI, and access to steroids) might place heavy scrutiny on the industry.
One of two things will happen: TRT will become universally and socially accepted as Marijuana; or the industry will get highly regulated.
I went to a urologist and tested below 250ng/dl in two tests 3 months apart and I still had to twist my urologists arm for him to prescribe me and my insurance does not cover it. Luckily it's cheap enough I can still afford it. I don't know if it's just laziness or the stigma behind testosterone but I feel like these doctors would prescribe a woman wearing a tank top and work boots testosterone before they will a man who is actually hypogonatal.
I get it, people get mad when they don’t immediately get what they want, but it’s a process, and the fact he gave it to you proves he was open to it to begin with or he would have had a hard stance on it. You have to understand, he gets approached by hundreds of unqualified men just seeking enhancement every year, it can get tiring to deal with.
Doctors have no clue and don't care at all. Find a good mens health clinic near you or use Marek Health. It's pricey, but it's worth it. Can't give you guidance without more information, but your levels are definitely not fine. It's all about how you feel. Age? Diet/exercise?
How do you feel? Mine was 270 and I was put on androgel because I felt bad and I was 22. 15 years later I get tested again and I am at 91. Felt like shit. 2 months in trt and it has changed so much even my sleep.
It’s a matter of do you need it or not. You are definitely low based on the numbers but do you feel low, are you symptomatic? What kind of doctor? Unless it’s an endocrinologist I wouldn’t take it very seriously and get another opinion. I would say you’re definitely low enough to consider treatment if you think you need it
175 is too low. Hard to say what specific type doc you should change to. (I say "change" because you should). I've seen GPs do a great job and urologists and endos not so good. One patient was seeing urology and for kicks I asked him how TRT was going. He's getting 100 mg IM of T monthly. I mentioned the half life of T and typical dosing and he said "my doc wants to give my body a chance to make it's own". This is physiologically incorrect for a number of reasons. And often I'll see endos not do the correct monitoring either.
New here, just started TRT last week. I was lucky with my pcp. I tested 309 last year he said insurance wouldn’t cover unless three tests below 250. He mentioned he could help without insurance. He does a full exam every 6 months so I know where I stand, prostate out 15 years ago and slight LVH. I decided to go with a clinic to make sure I get everything dialed in and then will go through him for test and labs next year, he felt comfortable with that. Test was 245 almost 12 months later. Second shot 3 days ago, I feel good, present. First time in over 15 years ago. Morning wood for the first time in years.
Fire him. These fucking doctors man have no clue what they’re doing. Get a second opinion. And lose the GP.
Find a new doctor. You definitely qualify
See a urologist or endocrinologist, and get the medical attention you need!
At 175 your insurance will cover TRT in the USA.
I wouldn’t even see a urologist or endocrinologist, at least in the US. Go to a Hormone Replacement Therapy Clinic, OP.
The problem with clinics is, they don’t do the prerequisite checks to find the issue first, before starting trt you need a cardiovascular checkup, cancer screening, prostate check etc. a cookie cutter clinic will give you what you want but they won’t find out why your low to begin with, for all he knows he has cancer and taking trt would exacerbate that problem, or maybe he has a cardiovascular condition that taking trt could cause severe complications….. clinics don’t check for any of these things nor will they be liable if you drop dead. I get it….to many men want immediate results without any of the hoops you should jump through to make sure they are doing so safely, and most men don’t think of their longevity or even have any form of perception of their own mortality….. but these things are important. Also, because of all the issues these clinics are creating within the health space, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are shut down within the next couple years, or heavily regulated. I’d personally rather get with a physician who cares about my well being, and set up a medical track record so when these clinics get shut down I’m not one of the millions of men waiting in line for an appointment to get prescriptions or being forced into the UGL sector when they feel to meet the threshold for needing medication.
Absolutely agree with finding the main issue first. However, that’s not their job. They’re not cardiologists, radiologists, neurosurgeons, or anything else. And neither are the endos or urologists. Therefore, it is up to the PATIENT to take control of their health and do the dirty work before going to a clinic. The issue with the urologists and the endocrinologists are that they are not educated on HRT in medical school. I have seen time and time again with endos and urologists refusing to treat a man with a total testosterone level of 300ng/dl because his total testosterone levels are “within the range” and that he’s “normal”. Because it happened to me. However, I do not think he should go to a cookie cutter clinic. And I didn’t say that he should, either. He should find a reputable clinic that spends time with you, educates you on the effect of testosterone and other medication, and will work with you based on personalized issue. OP, I think that is your best course of action.
I’ve only met one clinic in the industry that does the things you’re looking for. And that’s the Anabolic Doc, Dr. O’Connor based out of Florida. The rest of the clinics in the USA are garbage chop shops in my personal opinion and I’ve been In the industry for the better part of 20 years in one form or another. If you’re gunna go outside the system and seek private care from a clinic he’s the only credible option in the USA I’ve ever seen. He’s not cheap, and I believe he offers consulting to patients outside of Florida as well, but he’s the gold standard in an industry full of swamp monsters and get rich quick scams. I’d also suggest picking up the E book from VigorousSteve on TRT, that way you can go onto your medical provider appointment knowing the right information so you can help tailor your care to your specific needs, and it also helps to understand your own blood work that way you can have an educated conversation with your doctor. I realize it’s very easy to have negative interactions with a provider, but it’s important to find one who’s goals for your personal wellbeing are aligned with, it can be a journey to find that doctor, but they exist and when you get with the right one it’s a wonderful experience. If your ever in Thailand, I know several wonderful providers and can easily set up consultations if your ever in the Bangkok area! And I’ll be more then happy to do your cardiovascular exam, best of luck and god bless.
Thanks for the discussion! I’ll have to check out VigorousSteve’s ebook. Sounds like a good read. Two good clinics in the US are Dr. Keith Nichol’s T1 Health and Wellness, and Dr. Michael Wittmer’s Wittmer Rejuvenation Clinic (my personal choice). Dr. Wittmer spent an HOUR with me on zoom going over bloodwork, effects, and what the best course of action was. Highly recommend Dr. Wittmer. He was featured on Mark Bell’s Power Podcast as well as Starting Strength Radio Podcast. Go to YouTube and search “Michael Wittmer TRT” to see what he’s all about. Do the same for Keith Nichols. Have a great night!
I disagree because my urologist is all about TRT and takes his time with me to explain everything.
Marek Health is a very comprehensive mens health clinic. I would suggest checking them out.
My urologist had me sent to my general practitioner to run a bunch of blood tests on my thyroid and whatnot before starting trt.
To be fair, this is what’s suppose to be done. He needs to do his due diligence before prescribing a life long treatment, and also making sure you don’t have issues that would be exacerbated by trt and potentially life threatening. I realize because he didn’t immediately give you what you want you probably think he’s an asshole, but reality is, he’s doing the right thing and you should probably appreciate he’s trying to investigate the causation of your lower testosterone and not just assuming your a old man who’s naturally declined.
I agree totally. These clinics fill a critical role at the moment but lax oversight (e.g., put everyone on 200mg with an AI, and access to steroids) might place heavy scrutiny on the industry. One of two things will happen: TRT will become universally and socially accepted as Marijuana; or the industry will get highly regulated.
Thank God for your post. A voice of reason.
I went to a urologist and tested below 250ng/dl in two tests 3 months apart and I still had to twist my urologists arm for him to prescribe me and my insurance does not cover it. Luckily it's cheap enough I can still afford it. I don't know if it's just laziness or the stigma behind testosterone but I feel like these doctors would prescribe a woman wearing a tank top and work boots testosterone before they will a man who is actually hypogonatal.
I get it, people get mad when they don’t immediately get what they want, but it’s a process, and the fact he gave it to you proves he was open to it to begin with or he would have had a hard stance on it. You have to understand, he gets approached by hundreds of unqualified men just seeking enhancement every year, it can get tiring to deal with.
Thanks your response was what I needed to hear and very sensical.
175?? Jetson you're fired!!!!
Switch Docs... 175 is NOT okay, and if he thinks it is, he clearly knows nothing about TRT and his advice is dangerous.
Doctors have no clue and don't care at all. Find a good mens health clinic near you or use Marek Health. It's pricey, but it's worth it. Can't give you guidance without more information, but your levels are definitely not fine. It's all about how you feel. Age? Diet/exercise?
That is very low, your “doctor” should be fired or at least dont give advice on something he knows nothing abut
How do you feel? Mine was 270 and I was put on androgel because I felt bad and I was 22. 15 years later I get tested again and I am at 91. Felt like shit. 2 months in trt and it has changed so much even my sleep. It’s a matter of do you need it or not. You are definitely low based on the numbers but do you feel low, are you symptomatic? What kind of doctor? Unless it’s an endocrinologist I wouldn’t take it very seriously and get another opinion. I would say you’re definitely low enough to consider treatment if you think you need it
175 is too low. Hard to say what specific type doc you should change to. (I say "change" because you should). I've seen GPs do a great job and urologists and endos not so good. One patient was seeing urology and for kicks I asked him how TRT was going. He's getting 100 mg IM of T monthly. I mentioned the half life of T and typical dosing and he said "my doc wants to give my body a chance to make it's own". This is physiologically incorrect for a number of reasons. And often I'll see endos not do the correct monitoring either.
Always.
New here, just started TRT last week. I was lucky with my pcp. I tested 309 last year he said insurance wouldn’t cover unless three tests below 250. He mentioned he could help without insurance. He does a full exam every 6 months so I know where I stand, prostate out 15 years ago and slight LVH. I decided to go with a clinic to make sure I get everything dialed in and then will go through him for test and labs next year, he felt comfortable with that. Test was 245 almost 12 months later. Second shot 3 days ago, I feel good, present. First time in over 15 years ago. Morning wood for the first time in years.
Mine was 130 😅 Dr was like "you're okay"
Bro mine was in the same range. (150-200) and there was no problem starting trt. I’m 200mg eow and I’m 23 for reference
Mine is at 11ng/dL. 😭😭😭
My doc wouldn't even test me after previous said it was low. (He retired before he could get me started) I tested at 266.