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    Almost a quarter of men with testosterone deficiency struggle for five years before seeing a doctor
    United Kingdom

    Almost a quarter of men with testosterone deficiency struggle for five years before seeing a doctor

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    26 Comments

    1. Covert_Cub on

      I mentioned it to my GP and he said we can’t test without a good reason. Except if I have always been under then this state of being is my “normal” and I don’t know any better.

    2. Be-My-Girlfriend on

      I wonder why deficiencies are getting more common, it simply can’t just be the kind of jobs and diet we are having, right?

    3. Lower-Main2538 on

      I asked my GP to test it and he said no…despite being perpetually tired and lacking motivation or energy

    5. Creepy-Bell-4527 on

      I wonder if the reason UK GPs are so reluctant to test people is because the treatment, TRT, effectively acts as a hormonal contraceptive?

    6. VitrioPsych on

      I would recommend 700mg of trenbolone to anyone suffering symptoms of low testosterone.

    7. Happy_Chief on

      Currently going through this (along with some other testicular issues 🙃)

      It’s damn near fucking impossible to get an NHS GP to even consider testosterone, and even once you’ve got them to do a test, the NHS guidelines on healthy levels are so broad (and low) that you can be suffering symptoms that they’ve no interest in treating. It does not take account for a drop from YOUR normal levels.

      Is it any wonder men don’t go to the doctors when we’re constantly dismissed and diminished about everything we raise?

    8. QueefInMyKisser on

      Would adding hormone level tests to the health checks you get every 5 years after you’re 40 be sensible?

      Hopefully mine must be all right as my beard’s growing even faster these days.

    9. ZoninoDaRat on

      Wild that this gets recommended to me while I’m waiting to hear from my own doctor about my low testosterone.

      I’m 41. It’s been about 2 years now since I started noticing issues with libido. It was like… what was once natural had become a general disinterest, something only to pursue once a week, and when I did it felt like an effort to keep things working. I put it down to the fact I had been single for so long, maybe I was just bored? Maybe it was just age? I had had hookups before that where things worked fine after all, so maybe if I found a partner things would be alright?

      Well I did find a partner who I love dearly, and things were not alright. It’s only gotten worse since then. It’s hard to describe, because I don’t think I feel different, but I know something’s off, and I feel less motivated, weaker. It’s harder to concentrate at work.

      I approached my GP about it and they brushed it off. “You’re getting older, things stop working like they should. You’re a bit overweight, and those arteries can be the first to harden”. I didn’t think they were taking it seriously, but they took a blood test and was told me I was within normal levels.

      Still, I have a work colleague who is passionate about this because he was in the exact same boat, and he was pushing me to keep trying. I had been considering going private, but I also had an appointment with a NHS Urologist for another reason (which I now realise is related.) That Urologist told me “I noticed your testosterone was low”. What a relief to hear those words! I wasn’t going mad. They took more blood to test and my results were lower than before!

      To give you values, for my first test, it was at 8.7 nmol/L. The NHS says anything above 8.6 is “normal”. My second result was 6 nmol/L.

      I went right back to my GP, but their response was a telephone consultation in a couple weeks time. The Urologist got back to me with more information which I’m going to brandish at my GP, as he suggests I get on TRT.

      My work colleague had to go private, but tells me that when he spoke to his GP about the changes and how it helped him, it drove her to re-evaluate how they had been assessing middle-aged men, as what they thought was depression may have actually been low testosterone, just like the article says.

    11. namboozle on

      Sounds like my experience is different but I mentioned getting a full testosterone test when I was dealing with chronic fatigue and my GP didn’t hesitate to test it along with everything else. Luckily mine was fine but I had other deficiencies in my blood count.

    12. lauralucax on

      So do women! I’ve had symptoms of low testosterone for 4 years, all while losing my period for those 4 years. All doctors dismissed me, as did a gyno. I’ve only finally found a nurse who prioritises in women’s health who’s finally helping me.

    13. 2JagsPrescott on

      When you do want to see a doctor, its difficult to get an appointment. Then when you do eventually get an appointment they tell you they can’t or won’t help. Most of the struggle is getting access to the facilities you need and the inevitably sluggish pace the NHS moves at. Of course private is an option for some, but that isn’t possible for everyone.

    15. classicicepop on

      Hormone tests in general aren’t done for both genders upon request and it’s a huge issue.

    16. 1plus1equals8 on

      Guess what is part of that…. Waiting to see the endocrinologist for 12+ months after the initial testing.

      The only reason I finally got in was because I kicked off about it… But it has been almost 6 months since my initial appt with the endo.

      There is loads more to discuss, but they are just too busy dealing with elective referrals left, right and centre.

    17. Leestomper on

      Could anyone recommend a private way to get tested?

      There’s a lot of this stuff around now, supplements & the like, just don’t want to get scammed/bad info.

    18. National-Height8816 on

      If your levels are 12 nmol/l or above that’s classed as ‘normal’ and they won’t treat you.

      However, according the guidelines, the aim is to bring those being treated up to 15 nmol/l.

      How does that work?

    19. Wondering_Electron on

      Talking about medical conditions not being treated in good time.

      Sleep aponea.

      I have endured for decades before deciding to see a doctor. The CPAP is an absolute life changing experience.

      If you snore badly, get it checked out. As I have discovered, it isn’t normal.

    20. Discopants180 on

      You can’t expect the NHS to look out for you with things like this anymore, they’ve pretty much become an emergency only service.

      Get your own test and pay for TRT if you need it, better than spending years on a waiting list.

    21. Kwinza on

      I have a friend suffering from this.

      The avergage test level for a man is 10nmol/L to 30nmol/L

      My friend is at 9nmol/L

      So logically he should get TRT to bring him back up to like 15 or 20, right in the middle.

      But no, the NHS wont touch you until you are below 6.4nmol/L

      The NHS is dumb as fuck on this because 6.4nmol/L is suicide levels of low energy/depression.

    22. unlucky311 on

      I’m 28, been on trt for 2 years after testing below 300ng/dl. Went through the normal nhs process, was tossed aside due to my age even with test results. Decided to self administer and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Bloods all look good, lost a bunch of fat and gained muscle, more motivation and no midafternoon crash, much better libido.

      Pretty sure the ssri’s I was put on as a teenager caused the issues, but who knows. Never looking back now, feel whole again

    23. actonarmadillo on

      Do your own blood test and buy your own testosterone. TRT in this country is a joke

    24. TheNickedKnockwurst on

      Me: can you do a t test please

      NHS gp: no

      Me: can you do a t test please, I’m tired so the time

      Nhs gp: no

      Me: can you do a t test, I’m tired all the time, emotional and low libido

      NHS gp: no

      Me: Can you do a t test please, I’m tired all the time, emotional, have low drive, it’s affecting my relationship, feel weak 

      NHS gp: no

      Me: Can you do a t test please, I’m tired all the time, emotional, have ed, it’s affecting my relationship, feel weak and irritable

      NHS gp: no

      Me: can you test my t levels please, I’ve got low libido

      Private GP: of course, says here you’ve got t level of 90 mg/dl

      It’s extremely hard for men to get help with men’s specific issues on the NHS we’re just expected to suck it up.  I know people who have been told that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them and they’ve known that there was but because they’ve been repeatedly told there isn’t they’ve just given up with a couple of them dying from the issues

    25. Yezzik on

      Part of the problem is doctors are wedded to the “normal range”.

      I was in the “normal range”, right at the bottom of it, and felt like shit. I felt best when my levels were “too high” for the doctors’ tastes, and every time they lower my prescription, they bring me closer and closer to the level I felt like shit at.

      They won’t be happy until they’ve micromanaged the benefits of it out of existence.