Low Testosterone and Depression in Men
I’m feeling pretty down and out at the moment, which prompted me to write this. Right now I’m doing an experiment to try and get my natural testosterone levels back again, but so far it isn’t working. My last test results came back WAY under normal levels for someone my age, and I’m really feeling it.
In fact, I feel JUST like I felt when I decided I’d had enough and was going to see a doctor in the first place, way back several years ago. He diagnosed me with depression and wanted me to take anti-depressants. Having never been “the depressed type” and knowing what I knew from talking to bodybuilders about steroids, I asked him if he would mind running a blood-test to find out what my testosterone levels were at. As suspected, they were very low. So rather than treat a symptom of low testosterone (i.e. depression), we started treating the low test levels with Androgel. Within days I felt like a new man. I was happy, energetic, full of life, sharp at work, more fun in the bedroom…. just like my old self again.
The moral of the story here is that if you’re a man over the age of 30 and you are starting to feel depressed, yet have never really been the type to get depressed before, get your testosterone levels checked before committing to treatment with anti-depressants. It may be that you really do have depression brought on by all the stress that comes with growing up (kids, job, mortgage…) but it doesn’t hurt to check. And it may be that your doctor will want to put you on anti-depressants for awhile anyway in addition to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) but at least you’ll know what is likely the cause of that depression.
So here I am again with low testosterone, feeling completely depressed, but just knowing what is causing that depression makes it so much easier to deal with. I’ll feel better once I get my testosterone levels up into normal ranges again, whether naturally or through medication.
I started testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) at age of 31 after being diagnosed with secondary hypogonadism. Researching hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with testosterone was difficult because all of the info was for women. That's when I decided to create this site for men looking into TRT.
July 17th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Thanks for posting this. I am glad I found your site. Good stuff.
I know exactly what you are dealing with. Testosterone replacement therapy has saved my life. I was on the anti-depressants and all they did was make matters worse, much worse. By the time I asked my doc to check my T levels I was at my wits end. I was fat, drugged up, drunk, depressed and had extremely high blood pressure.
My total T levels came back at 198 on a scale that began at 250. I felt like crap!
Doc started me on Testim gel and within two weeks I felt like a new man! Switched to Androgel for insurance reasons soon after (same thing). I didn’t feel the need to drink anymore and I started weaning from the anti-dep meds. I was on effexor, wellbutrin and clonozapam. By the middle of the second month I was clean and weaning off of the BP meds as well.
That was a year ago. Today I am free of all meds except compounded testosterone cream that I apply once daily.
The stuff really does work and I recommend that any man with the symptoms of low T get tested now and save your own life.
Stats:
Male
43 yrs old
6’2″
BF 20%
Good luck,
Bill