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If someone shows up with a testosterone level of 700 you can (and should) explain that low testosterone is not the explanation for whatever they’re suffering fr

If someone shows up with a testosterone level of 700 you can (and should) explain that low testosterone is not the explanation for whatever they’re suffering from. The TRT clinics are ignoring levels or even not testing at all. They’ll find an excuse to prescribe to someone even who has clinically high levels because they want the monthly recurring revenue from keeping that customer for life.

chimeracoder 1y ago
> If someone shows up with a testosterone level of 700 you can (and should) explain that low testosterone is not the explanation for whatever they’re suffering from. I'm not going to say TRT clinics are the best actors here, but to an actual endocrinologist, diagnosing hormone issues isn't so simple as looking at single point-in-time measurement of total testosterone. Testosterone levels naturally vary even for a given individual - two readings at the same time of day on different days even a short period apart can be dramatically different - and that's not even taking into consideration the fact that total testosterone levels aren't the sole (or even primary) mechanism for diagnosing androgenic endocrine issues.
- the_real_cher 1y ago
  Have no idea why you're getting down voted for actual literal scientific fact that any doctor would agree with.
- apple4ever 1y ago
  Yup that's right. I had multiple low (<200) tests over 3 years, and finally was able to get on it (haven't actually started it yet to be fair). Now I am worried about the long term effects, but it's been so long that if I am on it for the rest of my life and it does help me, that's good enough.
gadders 1y ago
What if the person complaining had spent all their life at a base level of 1000? Diagnosing off population base levels is a very blunt tool. I don't disagree that there are some bad actors out there - the bar to getting it under 40 or 50 should be very high. But honestly, I think everyone's levels should be checked before being put on an SSRI for depression. HRT is also a life-long treatment, no?

chimeracoder 1y ago

> If someone shows up with a testosterone level of 700 you can (and should) explain that low testosterone is not the explanation for whatever they’re suffering from. I'm not going to say TRT clinics are the best actors here, but to an actual endocrinologist, diagnosing hormone issues isn't so simple as looking at single point-in-time measurement of total testosterone. Testosterone levels naturally vary even for a given individual - two readings at the same time of day on different days even a short period apart can be dramatically different - and that's not even taking into consideration the fact that total testosterone levels aren't the sole (or even primary) mechanism for diagnosing androgenic endocrine issues.

the_real_cher 1y ago
Have no idea why you're getting down voted for actual literal scientific fact that any doctor would agree with.
apple4ever 1y ago
Yup that's right. I had multiple low (<200) tests over 3 years, and finally was able to get on it (haven't actually started it yet to be fair). Now I am worried about the long term effects, but it's been so long that if I am on it for the rest of my life and it does help me, that's good enough.

gadders 1y ago

What if the person complaining had spent all their life at a base level of 1000? Diagnosing off population base levels is a very blunt tool. I don't disagree that there are some bad actors out there - the bar to getting it under 40 or 50 should be very high. But honestly, I think everyone's levels should be checked before being put on an SSRI for depression. HRT is also a life-long treatment, no?