Need help from the older guys.

Oh I forgot!

The ADAM test/questionaire is a pre-screening test that some doctors use. 10 yes or no questions.

I first saw it in some literature I got from the American Diabetes Association.

ADAM stands for (Androgen Deficiency in Aging Men)

It was developed by John E. Morley M.D., Chief of Geriatric Medicine at St. Louis University

I am not endorsing this website, it is just the first one that came up on GOOGLE that has an interactive ADAM test:

http://adamtest.com/test5.asp

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Natural cures may exist, you can’t just rule everything out. That’s very sweeping of you.

It increases the risk of cancer and, could permanently damage the testicles - so no chance of a repair after that.

Well, I can get tests if there seems to be a problem, but it seems to be mostly a dopamine thing. And I have found a way to sort that now. The only thing that worries me is the thought of being stuck on supplements for ever. And they probably will fail to deliver their kick after a while - so I might need 2 or 3 different protocols to rotate through.

I am in the process of stepping up my weight training. Maybe that will be enough to get everything bubbling. I have a very low metabolic rate, so I probably need to do vigorous exercise for the rest of my life if I don’t want to be fat :D

The medical thinking now is that it does not, although Docs check your PSA frequently anyway. The same with "liver damage" - they have figured out that is associated with high dose steroid abuse, not therapeutic doses. I have never heard of "permanent damage" to testicles. The testicles shut down when on HRT - "Whew he is getting it somewhere else, I can rest now". But they can be "woken" up if say a TRT patient wants to conceive a child.

However I am betting testicular failure is not an issue for you

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Ah yes, I hear you on that. It should help.

Good article from an old Men’s Health, if you haven’t seen it already:

http://www.timi nvermont.com/fi … ss/boosttes.htm

13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

by Ron Geraci, Men’s Health, December 25, 2000

The normal level of testosterone in your bloodstream is between 350 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Like combable hair, those quantities silently start to wane around age 40. You lose about 1 percent a year — a harmless decline in the short term, but a cause of obesity, brittle bones, muscle loss and impotence by the time you reach your 60s — if you live that long. Testosterone levels in the low range (a blood serum score below 350 ng/dl) may increase your chances of dying of a heart attack.

It’s not just an old man’s problem, either. Men in their 30s and 40s also fall prey to low testosterone counts. It’s a disorder called hypogonadism, and it can be caused by an undescended testicle, a testicular injury, a pituitary gland disorder or even prescription drugs. It usually goes undiagnosed until a man hits his doctor with a telltale complaint: "I can’t get an erection."

"If you have reduced levels of sexual desire, have your testosterone level checked immediately," says Dr. Allen Seftel, a urologist at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals of Cleveland. You can replenish your testosterone stores with injections, gels, pills or patches, but these medical treatments are no panacea: Side effects include acne, high cholesterol, shrunken testicles and liver damage. Further, don’t take supplements like DHEA or androstenedione to boost testosterone; they might increase your risks of prostate cancer and heart disease.

"For men with borderline testosterone scores, I advise them to try to raise their levels through exercise and weight loss before going on testosterone therapy," says Dr. Goldberg. And it might pay to start young. "Since your testosterone declines at a steady rate, it’s conceivable that raising your hormone levels naturally in your 20s and 30s could help you maintain higher levels later on," he says. Either way, the reward can be a stronger physique and better bedroom sessions than you’d otherwise deserve. Below are 13 tips designed to get your juice up — safely.

Get Rid of the Flopping Belly

Or you’ll grow a pair of fetching breasts to complement it. Carrying excess body fat elevates your estrogen levels, and that may cause your testosterone levels to sink, says Joseph Zmuda, an epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh. Louie Anderson is proof enough of this. Two or three extra pounds won’t cause this hormonal shift; it really occurs once you’re 30 percent over your ideal body weight. "Unfortunately, that’s pretty common now," says Dr. Dobs.

But Lose Only One Pound a Week

When you want to trim down quickly, you probably starve yourself while exercising like a madman. One of the many reasons this stops working in your 30s, when your natural testosterone levels start dropping, is pretty simple: Cutting your calorie intake by more than 15 percent makes your brain think you’re starving, so it shuts down testosterone production to wait out the famine. "There’s no need to reproduce if you’re starving," explains Thomas Incledon of Human Performance Specialists in Plantation, Fla. Ironically, this dive in circulating testosterone stops you from burning body fat efficiently, so you’re actually thwarting your hard efforts to melt that tire off your gut.

Skip the Atkins Fad

Research suggests that eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can cramp your testosterone levels. High amounts of dietary protein in your blood can eventually lower the amount of testosterone produced in your testes, says Incledon, who observed this relationship in a Penn State study of 12 healthy, athletic men.

Your protein intake should be about 16 percent of your daily calories, Incledon says. So, if you’re the average 170-pound man who eats 2,900 calories a day, you should eat about 140 grams of protein daily, which is about the amount in two chicken breasts and a 6-ounce can of tuna.

Have Morning Sex

German scientists found that simply having an erection causes your circulating testosterone to rise significantly — and having one in the morning can goose your natural post-dawn testosterone surge. It’s a sure bet you’ll burn a little fat, too.

Stick With Tough Exercises

To beef up your testosterone levels, the bulk of your workout should involve "compound" weight-lifting exercises that train several large muscle groups, and not just one or two smaller muscles. For example, studies have shown that doing squats, bench presses or back rows increases testosterone more than doing biceps curls or triceps pushdowns, even though the effort may seem the same. This is why doing squats could help you build bigger biceps.

Make Nuts Your Midnight Snack

Nuts are good for your nuts. Research has found that men who ate diets rich in monounsaturated fat — the kind found in peanuts — had the highest testosterone levels. "It’s not known why this occurs, but some scientists believe that monounsaturated fats have a direct effect on the testes," says Incledon. Nuts, olive oil, canola oil and peanut butter are good sources of monounsaturated fat.

Squeeze Out Five Repetitions per Set

Throwing around 5-pound dumbbells won’t help you effect a rise in testosterone. Start off by using a heavy weight that you can lift only five times. That weight is about 85 percent of your one-repetition maximum. A Finnish study found that this workload produced the greatest boosts in testosterone.

Do Three Sets of Each Weight-Lifting Movement

Researchers at Penn State determined that this fosters greater increases in testosterone than just one or two sets. Rest a full minute between sets, so you can regain enough strength to continue lifting at least 70 percent of your one-rep maximum during the second and third sets.

Rest Harder Than You Work Out

If you overtrain — meaning you don’t allow your body to recuperate adequately between training sessions — your circulating testosterone levels can plunge by as much as 40 percent, according to a study at the University of North Carolina. The symptoms of overtraining are hard to miss: irritability, insomnia, muscle shrinkage, joining the Reform Party. To avoid overtraining, make sure you sleep a full eight hours at night, and never stress the same muscles with weight-lifting movements two days in a row.

Drive Home Sober

To maintain a healthy testosterone count — and titanium erections — cut yourself off after three drinks. "Binge drinking will kill your testosterone levels," warns Incledon. Alcohol affects the endocrine system, causing your testes to stop producing the male hormone. That’s one reason drinking often causes you to go limp at the moment of truth.

Have a Sandwich at 3 p.m.

As any sensible woman knows, the way to put hair on a man’s chest is to fill his stomach. Your body needs a ready supply of calories to make testosterone, so regularly skipping meals or going for long stretches without eating can cause your levels of the hormone to plummet. Then again, that’s probably the warden’s plan.

Buy the Fried Tortilla Chips

If you want to raise your testosterone score, eat a diet that includes about 30 percent fat, and not much less. Your body needs dietary fat to produce testosterone, so eating like a vegetarian aerobics instructor will cause your testosterone levels to sink drastically. This is bad, unless you actually are a vegetarian aerobics instructor.

Stop Surfing for Porn at 2 a.m.

Sleeping less than seven to eight hours a night can screw up your circadian rhythm. That’s why it’s no wonder your testosterone levels are higher in the morning after a good night’s sleep. So if your work or social schedule keeps you stooped in perpetual jet lag, don’t be surprised if you stop craving sex. At least that’ll make it easier to stay out of bed.

Marky you should definitely look into supplementing with Nettle Root extract(95% content of the active ingredient). It can increase your free(usable) testosterone by almost 60% in 4 weeks. It does need to be cycled though, with either 4-on 4-off, or 4-on 2-off 4-on 6-off.

If you want I can hook you up with the labs in China that produce the organic raw material, so that you can buy it cheap instead of buying the ridiculously priced branded stuff(that is the exact same thin literally/from same factory).

sta-kool-
Very good information - and all in one package :)

man-of-10-
Sure, hook me up!

It’s the biggest producer in China so they have loads of sites. Here’s one:

An option to chat with the assistants will appear; just hit “Message”(although they usually aren’t online until midnight). Then tell them your interested in their product Nettle Root Extract/
3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran.

The only thing is, they usually only sell to big companies who create products using this pure extract. So officially the minimum amount you could buy would be 1kg. Having said this they should allow you to order 0.5kg.

Even that amount will last you for about 18 months, and ends up being around £7 per month(as appose to £35 a month with the same stuff from bodybuilding products).

I don’t think age has anything to do with it. I’m 39 and I’ve been able to maintain my erections for many hours, having total control over my orgasms, since I started masturbating. I always can maintain an erection after orgasm, as long as I’m still mentally stimulated ( which has everything to do with her state of excitement).

Recently, since I changed GFs, I have found it nearly impossible to cum during sex. In 8 months I’ve cum not more than 8 to 10 times during sexual activities with her. She cums every time ( a first for her) but feels bad that I don’t. I reach outlandish levels of excitement but can’t cross the line. Even when she’s blowing me, I can’t relax my muscles enough to cum. I even had many multiple orgasms, without ejaculation, during one amazing 2 hour blow job, but, while I’ve never felt anything more intense, no ejaculating orgasm, which bothered her somwhat despite the fact that I told her about the multiples. She really desires to make me cum as much as I desire her to cum.

But, I think it’s mental conditioning. She’s not on the pill and we are not using contraceptives (and I am fertile and she is 20). I don’t want rug rats so I believe that my subconscious won’t allow me to relax even when I want to. It’s a mental thing because I can cum when I masturbate. I just can’t easily allow myself to cum with her. It sometimes bothers her because she wants to be able to “please” me, although she knows that my orgasm is not anywhere the most important part of sex for me.

Probably, you will find that it is a mental issue.

devilknight666, that’s pretty interesting. Do you kegel?

Actually, I reckon both views are right. Heaps of evidence is out there showing that we produce less testosterone (TT) each year as we get older. Initially, that doesn’t matter. Eventually, a level is reached though when it does and all sorts of symptoms show up. For some guys this happens in their 30s or even their 20s, especially if major stress has been a part of their lives (e.g. PTSD). For others, they’re fine into their 80s. Most guys, though, will be showing some signs of low TT in their late 50s or 60s. These might or might not include ED. I can give you references if you want them.

However, ED is not only a result of low TT and many other conditions can cause it, chief among which it diabetes. I agree with you, though, that it can also be “in the mind” and fully understand your problems with your GF vs masturbating. They might be in the mind, but they are real and addressing them can be very hard. In fact it can be a catch 22 situation — the harder you try to address it the worse it becomes because you are focussing on it.

If it comes down to a fear of having children, have you thought of only masturbating for a season. Each masturbating in front of the other can be a massive turn on. If you can cum OK with this, then swap to masturbating each other. See where that leads. However, whatever you do, enjoy it, don’t worry. Cumming is not essential to good sex — read the posts here on edging. Above all, relax. (I’m preaching to myself here).

I’m 63, Marky. Before HRT, I couldn’t cum 4 times a week either for the same reasons as you. Add headaches. But these are gone now with HRT and I can easily do it 5 to 6 times a week. After that, the interest flags a bit. I might add, I reckon that supplementing with zinc also helps the depression and headaches. Surf the web on prostate and zinc and you’ll see what I mean.

I totally agree sta-kool. However, Marky’s problems might not be hormonal – only a blood test showing both total and free testosterone can prove that.

Yes, of course, you’re correct. You should look at ALL options and not just some. And if you can “solve” your problems with natural remedies for a season, go for it. However, somewhere down the track you just might find that dwindling testosterone (TT) is not fixable anymore and more stringent measures are required – or just live with it – most guys do.

Sorry, Marky, here I strongly disagree with you. If you supplement with bio-identical TT (I.e. Identical to normal human TT in all respects), there is NO increase in the risk of cancer. For this reason, the Australian Government puts TT (where it is supported by a doctor’s script) on what we call the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Our PBS almost stopped us signing a free trade agreement with the US – they didn’t like it. What it means is that I can purchase a month’s supply of TT for $65 instead of the full price of $368 – the government covers the gap.

Unfortunately, the stuff body builders use is often not bio-identical and this can cause cancer problems. Further, much of it is taken orally and this can screw up the liver as well. The stuff Aussie doctors proscribe comes in one of three forms: a gel rubbed on your upper arms and shoulders each day (this is what I do), a regular injection, or an implant into the flesh of your buttocks each three months. Also, bodybuilders take much more than is necessary to just overcome andropause — they want muscle, more than is “normal”. My doctor keeps my TT levels close to the top of the “normal” human range.

As for permanent damage to the testicles, I guess that it is how you look at it. As you age, your balls virtually stop making TT and that is why we have HRT to make up for it – we make about 1.5 to 2 percent less each year from about age 25. However, there is a feedback cycle in our bodies – the higher the TT, the lower the luteinising hormone (LH) and vice versa. LH causes our balls to make more TT. Because I’m supplementing with TT, my LH levels have fallen through the floor. Therefore, my balls stopped making even a little TT and, initially, shrunk in size because they weren’t doing anything anymore – if you don’t use it, you lose it. However, what good are my balls if they aren’t doing their job anyway – see my separate post on symptoms of this at RickM - Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Sites starting, “By my mid 50s, my age-related problems had reached a point where … “. And note, it’s not necessarily to do with ED – that might or might not be a symptom. The only advantage of not going onto HRT is to stop my balls shrinking. But, they’re no good anyway.

To offset my pride – shrunken balls – I am now injecting myself with Pregnyl (chorionic gonadotropin). Pregnyl does the same thing as LH and my balls are now nearly a “normal” size, but not quite. I’d reckon you would not notice anything unusual in their size, but I do – I know what they used to be. The one disadvantage of Pregnyl is that it’s not on the PBS and I have to pay the full cost – $128 per month, a lot to pay to cover a bit of pride, eh? I acknowledge that using Pregnyl is a bit like flogging a dead horse because my balls don’t work anymore — well not very well anyway.

Yes mate, it’s a bit of everything, good nutrition, physical exercise, supplements and, somewhere down the track, maybe HRT. However, some or, even all these are not for everyone and they take discipline to stick with them. You must find out what’s best for you and within your budget. You’re unique and no-one can tell you what’s right. Even so, I would get a blood test for both total TT and free TT to see where you’re at. You’ve nothing to lose. Further, it could show that something else is the cause of your “problems” – lots of things can result in your symptoms, not just low TT. Whatever, my strong advice is find out – don’t just take stuff because it makes you feel better. Approach your remedies based on a firm foundation.

Thanks RickM— interesting points.

Very good, RickM.

As I “think” I said a while back I am guessing that Marky777’s are not hormonal. Like you say only a test will show for sure

I think it is worth getting tested anyway.

I think all men should get their Free and Total T tested — just so you have a baseline reading about what is “normal” for you.

Then if you do have a problem later on the doc will be able to see what your numbers were when all was working well and the two of you could shoot for that.

Some people are naturally low normal, some function well at mid normal, some are high normal. Just depends on how God made you what testosterone level is right for your body.

I wish I had done a baseline reading when I was younger.

Instead the first time I had my free and total testosterone checked I was 48 or 49. I was surprised to find that I was producing less testosterone than an 85 year old man.

Well, that certainly explained how shitty I felt mentally and physically, how tired and depressed I was, and why I had no interest in living life anymore.

However it took over a year to get the dosage just right. If I had a BASELINE reading, it would have been much easier to get the dose correct quickly.

So guys, get tested.

Worth adding this article, originally from ABC NEWS

By Supinda Bunyavanich, M.D.
June 2007 | ABC News Medical Unit

Low Levels of Male Hormone May be More Dangerous Than Previously Thought

Low testosterone may lead to a greater risk of death, according to a study presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Toronto.

Men with low testosterone had a 33 percent greater death risk over their next 18 years of life compared with men who had higher testosterone, according to the study conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor and colleagues at the University of California at San Diego.

“It’s very exciting and potentially a groundbreaking study,” said Barrett-Connor. “But it needs to be confirmed.”

The study tracked nearly 800 men, 50 to 91 years old, living in California. Their testosterone level was measured at the beginning of the study, and their health was then tracked over the next 20 years.

How Low Is Low?

Testosterone normally declines as men get older. However, a clear definition of “low” testosterone does not yet exist.

“No one knows what low really is,” said Dr. Joel Finkelstein, endocrinologist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. “The study authors defined it at 250 [nanograms per deciliter], which is a definition, but no one has figured out what low is.”

Barrett-Connor and her colleagues found that nearly 30 percent of the men they studied met their criterion score of 250 or lower for low testosterone. They noted that many men with this definition of low testosterone were “healthy men in the community who would not know that they had low testosterone.”

Men With Hot Flashes

Symptoms of low testosterone depend on how low the level is. At the lowest levels, men will have hot flashes, much like those experienced by women during menopause.

“At levels not quite that low, men have decreases in their libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue and physiological changes many will not immediately recognize,” Finkelstein said, adding that these could include loss of strength, decrease in bone density and decreased muscle mass.

However, absent symptoms, there is no reason to get testosterone treatment.

“The indication for testosterone is having a low testosterone level in the presence of symptoms, or physiological consequences such as low bone density,” said Finkelstein.

“Doctors should not prescribe testosterone because a level is low, or because patients think it will make them live longer.”

Barrett-Connor agrees. “Don’t take testosterone just because you want to feel like you’re 30 again.”

And higher levels of testosterone aren’t necessarily a good thing, either. The study authors found that for those with medium to high levels of testosterone, there was no added benefit for those with boosted levels.

Some of the side effects of testosterone treatment include sleep apnea, thickened blood and a possible increase in prostate disease for certain patients.

For those who actually need testosterone treatment, though, the hormone can be given in a few different ways, including injection and a in gel absorbed through the skin.

“Testosterone injections are given every one to two weeks and can be administered by the patients themselves,” said Dr. Larry Lipshultz, professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine. “Gels are applied daily.”

Low Testosterone May Hit at the Belt

Men with low testosterone in the study were also more likely to have larger waist girth. These men also appeared to be at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

How testosterone would cause these effects is not yet well understood.

“I don’t know that anybody has worked that out at the molecular level yet,” said Finkelstein.

Researchers say that caution is warranted, as many other factors still remain unknown.

“Men are going to be very excited by this news,” said Barrett-Connor. “But I want people to realize that it’s only an epidemiological study. It’s very good but not definitive.”
Indeed, the study suggested a statistical link — what scientists call an association — between low testosterone and mortality, but it did not prove that one caused the other.

“The next step will be a clinical trial,” said Barrett-Connor. She and her colleagues hope to recruit men with low testosterone to participate in a more rigorous study over the next year.

For now, doctors agree that they still would not prescribe testosterone to patients who are otherwise well.

“It certainly will not change my practice,” said Finkelstein. “I see it more as a challenge to the scientific community to determine if low testosterone really is a cause of increased death and if so, how that occurs.”

Barrett-Connor agrees in proceeding with caution.

Copyright © 2009 ABCNews Internet Ventures

Guys, I think I’m OK.

I don’t know if this is part of low T, but seem to be looking younger and younger despite the stress. Maybe it’s the fact that since September I walked 4 days a week to university and back, and for the last two weeks I have cycled. 3 1/2 mile round trip per day.

Sin starting the supps, I feel like a million dollars. Thanks all who contributed, especially BigDreams09 for shoving the dopamine thing right under my nose. OK, so maybe I only bought myself 5-10 years. So what, I’ll take it :D