Question: Libido

I've been using androgel for about 5 weeks now, how long has it been for most to notice a change in libido. I have notice a big change in night time wood, very strong and harder than in a long time in that it wakes me up at night...is this normal? what have others noticed in this area?

Answers:

A: I prefer nocturnal erections to wood *Staying medical to keep it wife and SO friendly ;-) but... If you've lost nocturnal erections and see them coming back thats a bit rare but excellent. I've spoken to a number of people about how HRT (Hormone Replacement) relates to erection quality. One of the points was that the penis does not often fully recover from the insult of low testosterone so you may have caught this early enough to regain natural erections. However its been reported by a number of men that the ED comes back so... Either way do NOT panic. The primary reason for taking Androgel and getting the dose right it to restore your sex drive, your overall mood, the energy and mental focus and in short all things healthy / male.

In my case and in many guys I've spoken to the mood, depression problems and energy come back pretty fast. Many of us have this "wow" moment in about 3 days after going on Androgel where we get a bit euphoric. Happy, mood problems gone, lots of energy, smiling a lot.

Then many of us "crash" because the dose is too low and when our testicular supply shuts down the HRT is not enough to keep us in the normal range. Thus its a good thing to keep notes on how your feeling and get feedback from your SO. They often see things we don't.

Anyway, once you get the dose "right" things seem kind of even for a while. Then the long term changes start to come back. For me it was months (2 or 3?) and the sex drive starts to come back (roar back) along with the brain fog finally burning off. This btw was pretty great for me since with the fog I found it difficult to read books etc.

When your sex drive really comes back it can get complicated. Its like having fallen off a bike years ago then suddenly jumping back on the seat. Your wife/SO may be both happy and have her head spinning around because its all seeming so "odd" for you to be normal again.

Anyway, try to keep track of your behavior and report symptoms in detail to your doctor so you can dial in the right dose. Don't expect everything to come back (or at least not right away) and if you get ED again its easy enough to solve (Pills, Veds, etc) don't assume HRT will fix that.

- James

A: I recently was upped from 5 to 7.5 a day but I'm seeing some side effects and not sure if they are related to this or other factors, family issues etc. I've been more depressed, frustrated, angry and my head just doesn't seem to be there. I have been in a "fog" almost and I feel like I can't snap out of it. Has anyone had any similar experiences. Thanks.

Joey G

A: It maybe that your dose is still not high enough to work right. Make detailed notes on your symptoms and report them to your GP. Many of us start on Androgel feel ok at first then crash. HRT takes over the job of supplying your bodies testosterone and when your testes shut down the Androgel (alone) may not be enough. So, you need to keep adjusting until you find the spot where it completely supplys you. I was upped more then once then had to dial down one pump to get it exactly right. This process takes a while and can be annoying (because it takes time and you want to feel right ASAP) Hang in there! Be proactive with your doctor. Tell him/her whats going on and keep at it.

- James

A: Thanks James, I appreciate that, not sure what happened but I'm fine now physically.......my mind has been whacked though....working on that....