Low Testosterone

[Spinnaker]

Does anybody know if Low Testosterone can manifest in other areas besides low libido? I'm curious if it can effect other aspects of a relationship, perhaps like heightened insecurity?

I know I have absolutely no reason to feel insecure, my girlfriend cares about me, she abhors infidelity just as much as me and we're both busy people. Yet I can't help that once in a while (okay, maybe once per week) I have a grim day where I feel really insecure. I know that kind of thing can't do anything but cause unnecessary stress and tension. I'm wondering if my testosterone levels were to increase if maybe I'd feel more secure and generally be a healthier contributor to the relationship?

 

[Bobinator]

Low testosterone is a major factor in the development of prostate cancer. To suggest it is the cause of insecurity is like saying all women are prone to it. I believe your insecurities are related to something else. Could be psychological. Could be spiritual. Could be a nutritional imbalance. Could be a combination.

 

[Bobinator]

I forgot to add one more. It could also be caused by parasites in the blood and/or brain.

 

[rockybashful]

Low testosterone can also be caused by either Kallmann Syndrome or Klinefelters, but those conditions also include having "tiny stuff" if you know what I mean. I know because I have Hypogonadism. Testosterone replacement therapy didn't work for me and I also ended up with concentration problems and anxiety issues.

 

[Received]

Does anybody know if Low Testosterone can manifest in other areas besides low libido? I'm curious if it can effect other aspects of a relationship, perhaps like heightened insecurity?

I know I have absolutely no reason to feel insecure, my girlfriend cares about me, she abhors infidelity just as much as me and we're both busy people. Yet I can't help that once in a while (okay, maybe once per week) I have a grim day where I feel really insecure. I know that kind of thing can't do anything but cause unnecessary stress and tension. I'm wondering if my testosterone levels were to increase if maybe I'd feel more secure and generally be a healthier contributor to the relationship?

Definitely. I was recently diagnosed, and about a month before I was absolutely miserable with anxiety, severe depression, severe fatigue, insomnia, and other symptoms (including libido). Cognitive impairment was a really big deal as well: I also had severe brain fog; words simply wouldn't form quickly enough for me, which made daily conversations very difficult, and made work impossible. Total T registered at 158 ng/dl, which puts me easily in the 1st percentile for *all* ages. Good symptoms to check for also include high bodyfat (which might also be a sign of high estrodial) and low muscle mass. Ask your doctor for free and total T levels, LH, FSH, and if he's down prolactin, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and estrodial. There are two main types of hypogonadism (low T): primary (where your testes aren't producing testosterone on their own), or secondary (where there's something up with your pituitary gland). While you're at it I also highly recommend getting your TSH, free T3 and free T4 thyroid hormones checked.

See this site for an excellent summary of research-supported findings relating to Low T (trust me, aside from slogging through journal articles yourself, this is hard stuff to find online): Testosterone and Men's Health Blog. Getting on testosterone is a pretty big deal, given that your body shuts down its own production once you're consistently on synthetic replacement, so this usually (but not always) means you're on it for life. The biggest problem with testosterone replacement is infertility, but many people get over this by getting on HCG, which kickstarts your own production again.

I'll be on testosterone injections for one month tomorrow. Definite reduction in symptoms, but there's plenty of room for improvement. A big mistake people (and their doctors) make with testosterone replacement is not giving enough time for the process, and not checking up on things like estradiol if no improvements seem to be made -- or if symptoms get worse.