fatbiker2012

Good afternoon everyone, I am big cyclist I have been riding for years and have had issues with weight. At my heaviest i was 275lbs. Did the whole P90x lost 58lbs by not eating and working out like a mad man. As life goes on the weight came bake. I eat right with small helpings drink lots of water and still the weight will not go down. Over the past year these are the things that have happened. January 2011 started having ed issues Doc thought it was damaged from riding. So I took some time off of the bike and started some ed medicine. It worked so I stopped taking the medicine and started riding again. No issues with the ed. Around March I met with my GP and we talked about some things and I was feeling a little depressed. So he placed me on Bupropian and this helped pep me up. I continued riding and just felt fatigued all the time but had a smile on my face because of the brupropian. Now its Feb.16, 2012 the ed is back with a vengance no strength in the legs. My doc put me on Phentermine in Jan. to try to help me lose weight.(they say this medicine will cause ED too but I started having issues with ed before I started the weight loss medicine)
So here is the issues
Age 42
weight 244
on depression meds bupropian
on weight loss meds-Phentermin
ED-this sucks to talk about but hey hopes this helps someone else.
Fatigue
After meeting with Urologist he said to many things point to Low testosterone. So he has since sent my blood work out for testing for Low testosterone. After all of this rambling has anyone had the same issues and did the testosterone treatment help. Could you see a big difference in your strength on the bike and endurance levels.
Thanks for reading my rambling post
Andy

Ursa Minor

Hi Andy, I took phentermine to lose weight. I lost a little but the weight loss stopped after 2 months. However
I LOVED how phentermine made me feel (like speed jr. or so) and kept taking it for 2 years. At that time I noticed mood
problems no weight loss and the phentermine really didnt even make me feel good so I quit. I wouldnt recommend phentermine.
No ED issues but I turned to drink (10 beers a day) until a diabetes scare put on a life changing path. I cut out starches and sugar
used portion control quit drinking and started exercising and lost 97 since last May.

Good luck to you Andy. This forum has some of the kindest people and has helped me tremendously when I began to doubt myself.

Charlie

Myosmith

Not going to go into detail, but low testosterone is a real problem and there are effective treatments including testosterone supplementation by transdermal creams and patches, or by injections. Physician supervised treatment of a documented medical condition is a far cry from "juicing" as long as the goal is to bring levels back into the normal range. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.

bassjones

I have low testosterone as well. It's not fun and treatment isn't always effective either. LowT can have serious health effects aside from just weight as well. Are you sleeping well? I've got to get to work, but I'll revisit this thread this afternoon and discuss further

dave5339

46 year old type II diabetic here. At my high weight wise I was at 267 and had low testosterone and ED issues, mainly due to diabetes.

This was finally enough of a wake up call, that I changed my life, I now eat healthy, count calories and exercise 3-5 times a week. The weight is down to 194, blood sugar is under control, and things work like they should.

My doctor also put me on testosterone injections. I believe the testosterone injections have really helped. My energy is up where it should be and I feel great.

Semper Fi

1oddmanout

I've been taking Androgel for a year now (primarily to regain energy lost from heart medications), 59 started at 235 pounds, rode 2049 miles last year, eating healthy, now weigh 242! But, lots of energy!

fatbiker2012

Hey guys thanks for all the responses I am looking forward to what my blood test results will be. I guess I want to find that perfect reason for all these symptoms I dont like being on these drugs. If they find the reason for all of these issues and it leads to the one problem that would be great. I have been on the phentermin for a month and have lost from 258 to 243 thats great. I cut out all soft drinks and and most of the sugars dont eat much red meat but I did this long before I ever started losing the weight with phentermin. All of this moaning I'm doing reminds me that it will be in the mid 60's here in NC today and I will be leaving early and riding my trek madone until it gets dark. Again thanks Im glad I found this site yesterday.

Tractortom

I'm a bit older than you (57) and started having low T levels in my 40's. I tried the topical creams, tried the injections, tried the ED remedies (still use those) but finally found a solution. I too suffered with low energy, listlessness, the whole low T thing. I was recommended to a local gynecologist who has been doing a procedure, first on women, and now on men to replace the hormone. She uses a 'bio-identical' artificial hormone made from soy, in a small pellet that is placed below the skin. The treatment lasts 5-6 months, and then I go in and have it done again...in the cheek of my butt. Can't ride my bike for about a week while the incision heals, but works GREAT. When I first had the blood work done, my free Testosterone level was a 13, should be between 400-800 for a man my age. A month after the first treatment, my free T level was 725. I have more energy, I'm not as moody, I can work outside and get through the hot summers here in South Florida without any fuss. The free T level makes all the difference! I sometimes don't need the ED drug either, and as I lose weight, I expect things to just get better. You might check on it and see what you think.

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

indyfabz

Did you get the results of the testosterone level test? Maybe your level is normal.

fatbiker2012

Indyfabz- thats what I am afraid of.

fatbiker2012

Well the Doc just called and asked if I could come in on Monday to sit down and talk. we shall see.....

corwin1968

I suffer from low T with lots of the same symptoms as you. I was prescribed Androgel and find it to be a royal PITA but by doctor prefers it over injections because it's the best way to maintain a consistent level. I think it helps but the main problem I've had (and I've read about many other guys having the same problem) is that once your T-levels are above 300, even if it's like 310, Doctors are satisfied that your T level is "Normal". For many people, including me, a T level that's even remotely that low isn't any different than my initial reading of 209. My prescribed dosage is 4 pumps of gel per day and I know I would do a lot better with 6 or even 8 but since my last T level reading was in the 300's, my doctor said "good enough".

I've read that the "average range" of roughly 300-800 is based on samples from men of all ages and in all physical conditions (ie, 70 year old guys on their death bed's have their T levels averaged in with healthy 20 year-old guys). I don't know if that's true but it seems reasonable to base average T levels on a representative sample of HEALTHY men in a specific age range rather than men at all levels of health.

squirtdad

I am interested to see more, but on a side note I would stay away from phentermine......... It can really become an addiction due to it's the "speed" effects very easily. From observation of a close friend I also think it should be avoided if there are depression issues also, it seems that when the Phentermine high goes away the depression hits harder. This is based on observations I have made with a close friend, so it is obseved opinion, not medical fact.

InTheRain

I had low T. I'm T replacement therapy... injections every 2-3 weeks. I noticed a lack of energy and kind of a down mood and had my T tested. The injections have helped with mood and energy but the injections give you a big boost and then things slowly tail off by the end of the few weeks. I'm also type II diabetic. It's absolute hell to try and lose weight with insulin shots, the testosterone makes you really hungry, and makes you retain water. I exercise a lot more due to the energy. I've been running, walking, cycling, and lifting weights. I am very noticeably stronger than when I started replacement therapy. However, I've put on 15 lbs in the last 6 months... I think a lot is muscle, but I don't think much of the fat is going away.

Prior to replacement therapy, I didn't think I had an ED problem. However, erections are at a whole different level with the T replacement... especially during the night time.

I used the testim gel and the mood level, energy level were much more even. However, the smell, the clothes sticking to my shoulders, and the mess weren't worth it to me knowing that the injections were so much more convenient.

I really want to lose the weight, but it looks like it's going to be extremely difficult with the T and the insulin thrown in on top of that.

dave5339

I hear you, I was the same way, between the insulin, (Lantos), Metformin, Januvia, and a host of other meds every danged side effect was weight gain.

Keep in mind that muscle is twice as dense as fat is and you may be burning fat and gaining muscle. Rather than watch the scale, try taking your measurements and tracking them. You may see the inches decreasing as you loose fat and build muscle.

The thing I found that finally worked for me was counting the calories and exercising more. I use My Fitness Pal to track all the calories I consume during a given day and I live within that budget. If I want to eat more, I have to exercise more. I'd also look at the type of exercise and duration you are doing. Your body won't really start consuming fat stores during exercise till you've went past that 60-90 minute window, anything less than that and you are buring glycogen stored in the blood, muscles, and liver. A bicycle is a great way to to be able to exercise for that type of time frame or longer as it is low impact.

I started last June at around 267, currently I am down to 194. My Lantos dose has went from 60 units to 10, my Metformin has went from 3 1000 mg tablets/day down to 1, and I've been taken off the Januvia.

Keep at it, heck, if I can do it, anyone can!

Semper Fi

BigUgly

FWIW, I was having issues this time last year. I was guessing it was because my weight was up to 260 which is probably the heaviest I ever was. Went to the doc for checkup. My T was borderline from being normal. There was just a lot of weird stuff going on. Started keeping track of what I ate, started exercising, lifting weights. Dropped 35 pounds and felt great, lots of energy. Things went back to normal. I don't like taking medicine so I researched what foods help with low T. Broccoli was one, nuts were another. Even found one place with the saying "Nuts are good for your nuts". I ate a lot of natural almonds. Also, while working out make sure to do squats and/or leg presses.

fatbiker2012

UPDATE!
Well met with the ol nut doctor today to get my testosterone results. PSA was perfect and my prolactain was good. On the actual testosterone my level was 228.20 L this is the range they go by 250-890. As my doc said I think we found your problem. He has me starting on Andro testosterone gel at 1.62%. So as soon as the insurance approves it I should start my treatment for low T. I know some of have said that you have used the gels before so how long did it take until you started noticing any changes.

exile

Sounds like you have a lot of things going on at once so I don't know how much help I can be. You really want to know your total T levels and Free T levels to really gauge if you need treatment. But since you are taking something that can affect ED it might not really give an accurate reading.

Even though you state you are eating "right" its not always the case. For increasing Testosterone red meat is actually pretty good for it, but in moderation (2 -3 times a week at most). And I am not talking about a Double Quarter Pounder either . You actually want some fats and cholesterol in your diet to help with T production. Aerobic exercise can also help with ED, and depending on your commute you may not be doing enough.

Best of luck to you and let us know how you are progressing.

fatbiker2012

Where I work we have a 2 mile loop in the business park I ride at lunch or after work and will do anywhere from 20 to 25 mile each day. I walk on the treadmil in the morning at about 3mph for 2.5 miles. Drink only water and I have to stay away from red meat with the kidney disease I have. High protein contents are hard for your kidneys to filter. I will post my progress. The thing I am curious about is if will help my endurance at a higher level than I am used to. During the summertime I will average around 16.5 mph on century rides( 63 miles) But I know my limits if I go out to hard I can burn myself out and suffer the rest of the ride.

corwin1968

I can't remember how long it took but it's not a whole lot of time, maybe a few days to a couple of weeks. I did an injection for my first treatment and if I remember correctly that took 24-48 hours before I felt a major difference so I'm guessing gel might take a bit longer.

fatbiker2012

Update third day on AndroGel and it has been uneventful so far the only thing I have noticed is being very tired in the evening. Not getting any rashes or any of that. My wife still freaks out that she might get some on her or the kids. I'm it takes a while for your body to adjust to going from hardley any T to have this abundant amount rubbed into the skin.

andy

fietsbob

I no longer get exited in the rutting season, in the late autumn.
Teen hormones long in remission. 64

chandltp

There was an interesting PBS video about this a while back. They talked about reversing kidney disease with high fat, low carb diets (which are typically medium protein)

I found it on Fat-Head

Myosmith

I tried the Androgel and it didn't do a good job for me. My level never rose past the very low end of the "normal" range and varied widely from test to test. As always, talk to your doctor about what is right for you, but I've had much better results with injections. My level stays in the top half of the "normal" range for my age and is fairly steady. Mood and other symptoms have all improved, and there is no risk of transfer to spouse or family members. So far no undesireable side effects at a moderate dose.

Good Luck