Testosterone levels after an orchidectomy

Hi.

How old are you?

8.4 is low on any measure.  Normal range is 9 to 28 which is a huge range but depends on age.  I had a pre op baseline of 17. I dropped to around 15 but managed to get it back up to 18 through weight lifting. I'm 48.  Free testosterone is tricky to measure, but at the level you are at and the symptoms you be are experiencing you need to insist on more investigation.

Best wishes

G

Thanks for your helpful reply. I am 57.

I think that after 5 months, and it having such an obvious impact on your life, you should push for some more investigation.

G

Hi Bilston

If you search some of my posts I have posted a lot about Low T post op, at 8.4 you have the T level of a 75yo, I was at 9.7 post op and I felt 75. The NHS in my experience are  not geared up to deal with Low T. A private blood test would tell you everything you need to know i.e. freeT, total T, prolactin Oestradiol 

Thank you, I will have a look at your posts.
It surprises me that the NHS doesn't really do a lot about low T, especially considering that the symptoms and longer term implications can be so awful.  I wonder why they don't?
I will look into private blood tests. 

Just out of interest, did you only get reports on testosterone after raising the erectile issue? I was diagnosed 7 weeks ago and have had all kinds of bloods but still not had any kind of report on levels of anything as of yet. Thankfully I don’t have any sexual function or urinary issues as of yet and I just wondered if they hadn’t told me anything because I’d not reported any issues of function?

I think that they only tested testosterone because I told them about my problem.

I don’t think they would have told me the actual number if I hadn’t asked. They just said ‘you are normal’ - when it was 8.4.

In my initial set of bloods they did my testosterone levels. That was the only time they did do it without me requesting it. I had to ask them to add it to subsequent bloods. For my surveillance bloods I just tell the person taking them that they must have forgotten to request it, and they just add it at the time. It gives me some reassurance bring able to track it over time.

just how many times do we see these posts - the NHS is really bad at dealing with this - i've been through this as well, i move around a lot with work, and so have seen a number of Oncologists during surveillance , my first one only did Testosterone tests (came back at 11 something) the second, in leeds, also just did Testosterone test (came back around 9.8) and told me "to get on with it, I see a lot worse cancer patients every hour" - finally after 4 years, i was in the GPs office in tears about it, and he suggested a Free Testosterone test, came back at 5! got through to an endocrinologist (took 12 weeks), doing more tests over a period of 6 months on a 30mg dose of replacement gel, still came low at 8 and am now on the full dose - so i'm around the 13/14 mark (still not exactly high!) for the past 6 months and its been really positive. Even the endocrinologist had to reorder a test because she thought she ordered a Free one, but the labs did a normal one - at that point she was going to remove me from the trial ( i got a letter telling me it, i managed to phone her and she double checked the records) 

I'm 49

dont worry about what other people might think - push hard for this until you get a result.

Mine went as low as 9nmol/l. The nhs will not really be bothered about helping you if it’s within the normal range. If your alive, the nhs has done their job as far as they are concerned. They are only concerned with keeping you alive, not making you thrive. I have battled with the nhs for 4 years and they will not help. I’m only 38. I did get my levels up to 22 nmol/l naturally with diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction. But to maintain this, a person would have to live like a monk and have zero stress. So mine is back down again. The only option for us is going private. But your looking at £50 a month or more for testo,