I am 60 and went to my doctor because of extreme fatigue, loss of strength, low energy etc.
I thought there was something else wrong with me.
I do not drink or smoke and eat healthy and I never thought this could happen to me because am also not overweight and exercise regularly. Or at least I have but had to stop about 6 months ago because of these symptoms.
My doc wants me to get on TRT.
Somehow, I like the idea.
My questions to the men over 60 who are currently on TRT:
What symptoms did you have to get you on TRT?
At what age did you start using TRT?
How long are you on TRT now?
Do you experience any side effect? If so, how do you handle them?
I am 60 and went to my doctor because of extreme fatigue, loss of strength, low energy etc.
I thought there was something else wrong with me.
I do not drink or smoke and eat healthy and I never thought this could happen to me because am also not overweight and exercise regularly. Or at least I have but had to stop about 6 months ago because of these symptoms.
My doc wants me to get on TRT.
Somehow, I like the idea.
My questions to the men over 60 who are currently on TRT:
What symptoms did you have to get you on TRT?
At what age did you start using TRT?
How long are you on TRT now?
Do you experience any side effect? If so, how do you handle them?
The standard starting dose across the board by those in the know is 100 mg T/week or better yet 50 mg T split twice-weekly.
Do not get caught up on that more T is better mentality being spewed by the clueless sheep polluting the kiddie forums littered on the net!
Forget fretting over your TT and pay critical attention to your trough FT.
As I have stated numerous times on the forum over the years.
All that should really matter here is the dose one needs to achieve a healthy trough FT which will result in relief/improvement of low-T symptoms and overall well-being.
Yes symptom relief is what truly matters but when it comes to what FT level is needed one needs to keep in mind the overall goal would be to use the least amount in order to feel well while at the same time minimizing sides and keep blood markers healthy long-term.
Again start low and go slow much easier going up than having to come down!
I am 60 and went to my doctor because of extreme fatigue, loss of strength, low energy etc.
I thought there was something else wrong with me.
I do not drink or smoke and eat healthy and I never thought this could happen to me because am also not overweight and exercise regularly. Or at least I have but had to stop about 6 months ago because of these symptoms.
My doc wants me to get on TRT.
Somehow, I like the idea.
My questions to the men over 60 who are currently on TRT:
What symptoms did you have to get you on TRT?
At what age did you start using TRT?
How long are you on TRT now?
Do you experience any side effect? If so, how do you handle them?
Curated By Nelson Vergel | ExcelMale.com | Updated March 2026
Why Your 'Normal' Testosterone Number Might Be Failing You
You went to your doctor feeling drained, your libido had flatlined, and morning erections were a distant memory. He ran a blood panel, looked at your testosterone level of 520 ng/dL, and said, 'You're fine. That's normal.' But you didn't feel fine. So what's going on? The answer, for many men, comes down to one crucial distinction: total testosterone is not the same as free testosterone, and only one of them...
Curated By Nelson Vergel | ExcelMale.com | Updated March 2026
Why Your 'Normal' Testosterone Number Might Be Failing You
You went to your doctor feeling drained, your libido had flatlined, and morning erections were a distant memory. He ran a blood panel, looked at your testosterone level of 520 ng/dL, and said, 'You're fine. That's normal.' But you didn't feel fine. So what's going on? The answer, for many men, comes down to one crucial distinction: total testosterone is not the same as free testosterone, and only one of them...
Look over his reply I posted below from his other thread.
He has already had blood work done but never posted a full set of labs but with a shitty TT 290 ng/dL it is a given that his FT is subpar.
Even if it turns out that he had low SHBG 10 nmol/L his FT would still fall in the grey zone 5-9 ng/dL where some men can experience symptoms of low-T.
I am 60 and went to my doctor because of extreme fatigue, loss of strength, low energy etc.
I thought there was something else wrong with me.
I do not drink or smoke and eat healthy and I never thought this could happen to me because am also not overweight and exercise regularly. Or at least I have but had to stop about 6 months ago because of these symptoms.
My doc wants me to get on TRT.
Somehow, I like the idea.
My questions to the men over 60 who are currently on TRT:
What symptoms did you have to get you on TRT?
At what age did you start using TRT?
How long are you on TRT now?
Do you experience any side effect? If so, how do you handle them?
While you might be a good TRT candidate without labs or knowing anything else, I would recommend you get a good work-up from a holistic/integrative non-mainstream doctor. There are a lot of things which could be causing your issues such as mold exposure, nutrient deficiencies, chronic infection, as well as other hormones like thyroid. If hormones aren't right, everything else downstream of them will be off, however multiple issues can be in play.
I am 60 and went to my doctor because of extreme fatigue, loss of strength, low energy etc.
I thought there was something else wrong with me.
I do not drink or smoke and eat healthy and I never thought this could happen to me because am also not overweight and exercise regularly. Or at least I have but had to stop about 6 months ago because of these symptoms.
My doc wants me to get on TRT.
Somehow, I like the idea.
My questions to the men over 60 who are currently on TRT:
What symptoms did you have to get you on TRT?
At what age did you start using TRT?
How long are you on TRT now?
Do you experience any side effect? If so, how do you handle them?
I started TRT at 68 years old (I'm now 70). My labs were right at the border of low. The symptoms that bothered me the most were fatigue and poor body composition. I was a carpenter before I injured my back at a younger age . . . I then went into white collar work. I was, however, always able to put in a good day of physical work. But then, at 68, my son asked me to help him finish his basement and I was all tuckered out after 4 hours, very bothersome to me. I had also noticed that I wasn't able to ride my bicycle as far or as fast as I used to. I decided to start TRT and within a few months I discovered that my fatigue levels we're quickly improving; being able to ride further, my weight started to come down. I started to lift weights and, after a few more months I noticed improvements in my delts, chest and arms. My weight came down from a somewhat sloppy 250 lbs to about 220. It's great.
Some caveats if you do start . . . I would begin taking 75mg/wk and adjust from there. I have a very good response on 60 mgs/week, but my experience may be unusual. I would also guard against thinking that T will do it all for you. My diet has gotten somewhat sloppy lately and my weight has slowly moved up to my current 235. T will help you, but you have to help it too. If you do that you will likely have a very good response, as I've had. I'll never go off it.
I started TRT at 68 years old (I'm now 70). My labs were right at the border of low. The symptoms that bothered me the most were fatigue and poor body composition. I was a carpenter before I injured my back at a younger age . . . I then went into white collar work. I was, however, always able to put in a good day of physical work. But then, at 68, my son asked me to help him finish his basement and I was all tuckered out after 4 hours, very bothersome to me. I had also noticed that I wasn't able to ride my bicycle as far or as fast as I used to. I decided to start TRT and within a few months I discovered that my fatigue levels we're quickly improving; being able to ride further, my weight started to come down. I started to lift weights and, after a few more months I noticed improvements in my delts, chest and arms. My weight came down from a somewhat sloppy 250 lbs to about 220. It's great.
Some caveats if you do start . . . I would begin taking 75mg/wk and adjust from there. I have a very good response on 60 mgs/week, but my experience may be unusual. I would also guard against thinking that T will do it all for you. My diet has gotten somewhat sloppy lately and my weight has slowly moved up to my current 235. T will help you, but you have to help it too. If you do that you will likely have a very good response, as I've had. I'll never go off it.
Definitely get a comprehensive set of labs done prior to doing anything. The symptoms you describe can be caused by a multitude of factors. Testosterone is one of the possibilities, but not the only one.
Neurotransmitter function declines with age and can cause the same symptoms as you describe. Age related decline in dopamine is also a possible factor.
Get a full work up including a comprehensive hormone panel, vitamins and minerals. Be CERTAIN to include:
Total T
Free T
E2 SENSITIVE
SHBG
Full Thyroid Panel
Without the above, there is no way you should start HRT.
I am 60 and went to my doctor because of extreme fatigue, loss of strength, low energy etc.
I thought there was something else wrong with me.
I do not drink or smoke and eat healthy and I never thought this could happen to me because am also not overweight and exercise regularly. Or at least I have but had to stop about 6 months ago because of these symptoms.
My doc wants me to get on TRT.
Somehow, I like the idea.
My questions to the men over 60 who are currently on TRT:
What symptoms did you have to get you on TRT?
At what age did you start using TRT?
How long are you on TRT now?
Do you experience any side effect? If so, how do you handle them?
Good evening. I am 63 and started at 55 due to similar symptoms you mentioned plus bad anxiety attacks and not being able to function mentally clearly. No energy, just watched TV and low libido.
I have been at this a long time and have tried many protocols, also as I seem to get dialed in for a year or so, I age and the body changes resulting in a need for a small tweak here or there.
Madman is correct, free T is what matters not total. I strive for a low to mid 20's on free T and then you will need to pay attention to E2, estradiol. For me it it gets too high I get numb dick and can not feel enough to orgasm.
My only negative side effect is high red blood cell increase, hematocrit is the lab test you will see here. Too many red blood cells and your blood can be thick, as you can imagine that is not a good thing.
There is a ton of great information on here wit a lot of fellas willing to help out. Ask your questions, but post labs and your will get more and better answers.
It can be life changing for sex life, energy levels, anxiety, strength....
I would say get labs and post here. Let's see what is going on and if your DR actually orders al lets correct tests. It is common that a lot of Drs don't really have a handle on this.. Use Defy medical tele health out of Florida.
Welcome!
Definitely get a comprehensive set of labs done prior to doing anything. The symptoms you describe can be caused by a multitude of factors. Testosterone is one of the possibilities, but not the only one.
Neurotransmitter function declines with age and can cause the same symptoms as you describe. Age related decline in dopamine is also a possible factor.
Get a full work up including a comprehensive hormone panel, vitamins and minerals. Be CERTAIN to include:
Total T
Free T
E2 SENSITIVE
SHBG
Full Thyroid Panel
Without the above, there is no way you should start HRT.
For the last 9 months I was taking 63mg/wk (9mg/day). I take enanthate and injected 36mg every 4 days. I like to inject in the morning and had a bit of a problem with 7 day weeks, so I just mark every 4 days on the calendar, and it works great. That got me a FT of 530 pmol/L (170-475). That FT is pretty high so 3 weeks ago I cut down to 8.5mg/day or 59.5mg/wk. I know it's a very low dose, but I've always been extra sensitive to any drugs (lucky me?). Anyway, it works pretty well . . .
For the last 9 months I was taking 63mg/wk (9mg/day). I take enanthate and injected 36mg every 4 days. I like to inject in the morning and had a bit of a problem with 7 day weeks, so I just mark every 4 days on the calendar, and it works great. That got me a FT of 530 pmol/L (170-475). That FT is pretty high so 3 weeks ago I cut down to 8.5mg/day or 59.5mg/wk. I know it's a very low dose, but I've always been extra sensitive to any drugs (lucky me?). Anyway, it works pretty well . . .
For the last 9 months I was taking 63mg/wk (9mg/day). I take enanthate and injected 36mg every 4 days. I like to inject in the morning and had a bit of a problem with 7 day weeks, so I just mark every 4 days on the calendar, and it works great. That got me a FT of 530 pmol/L (170-475). That FT is pretty high so 3 weeks ago I cut down to 8.5mg/day or 59.5mg/wk. I know it's a very low dose, but I've always been extra sensitive to any drugs (lucky me?). Anyway, it works pretty well . . .
That got me a FT of 530 pmol/L (170-475). That FT is pretty high so 3 weeks ago I cut down to 8.5mg/day or 59.5mg/wk.
Bad move here cutting your dose down further.
Remember we went through this before as I told you that even though the go to testing method in Canada is the calculated linear law-of-mass action Vermeulen (cFTV) the reference ranges are different depending on what lab as they are not standardized.
Dynacares reference range for FT 18-49 yrs is 160–699 pmol/L (4.6–20.1 ng/dL).
≥50 yrs 155-558 pmol/L (4.5-16.1 ng/dL).
Top-end FT healthy young male would be 20.1 ng/dL.
Most doctors truly in the know even the ones in Canada would be aiming for a trough FT 15-25 ng/dL or 522-869 pmol/L if the goal was to hit a healthy/high trough FT 15-25 ng/dL.
As I stated previously your trough FT is not as high as you think even though the lab (Lifelabs) you had your blood work done has your trough FT high for your age range.
You need to use online calculator which is available to the general public for free.
You need to use the reference range for the cFTV which is 6.5-25 ng/dL.
As I stated in our PMs would not fret over where your current TT and more importantly trough FT sits as your previous TT 640 ng/dL only increased to 697 ng/dL which is not a big jump and more importantly your trough FT only went from 488 pmol/L to 531 pmol/L which is no big deal.
Remember although your FT was calculated using the go to linear law-of-mass action Vermeulen the reference ranges used by Lifelabs and Dynacare are not the same as the cFTV reference range which is 6.5-25 ng/dL.
So in order to see where your FT sits based on a healthy young male you would need to use the online calculator (cFTV) as I pointed out in some of your older replies.
You need to know where your TT, SHBG and Albumin sit in order to calculate your FT.
If you do not have Albumin you can just use the default 4.3 g/dL.
On your previous labs you were hitting a robust TT 640 ng/dL, did not test SHBG and Albumin was 4.6 g/dL.
If we use your previous SHBG values say low 30s nmol/L which is where it most likely sits then with a robust TT 640 ng/dL, normal SHBG 32 nmol/L and Albumin 4.6 g/dL your trough cFTV 13.8 ng/dL is healthy and far from high.
If we take your most recent results with a robust trough TT 697 ng/dL, normal SHBG 32 nmol/L and Albumin 4.7 g/dL your trough cFTV 15 ng/dL is healthy and far from high.
Keep in mind most healthy young natty males are hitting a healthy cFTV 13-15 ng/dL mind you this is a daily short-lived peak.
So your trough FT only increased from 13.8 to 15 ng/dL.
Yes your peak TT, FT and estradiol will be higher but far from really high.
As I have stated numerous times on the forum the majority of men will do well with a trough FT 15-25 ng/dL.
Yes some can get away with running a lower trough but if you want to take advantage of the beneficial effects of FT then I would not drop your trough FT below 12-15 ng/dL.
Your FT tested using the cFTV at Lifelabs has your true trough 4 days post-injection 530 pmol/L reference range (170-475) so high for your age range yet if you plug in your TT, SHBG and Albumin using the go to online calculator your trough FT 15 ng/dL would fall where a healthy young natty male would sit mind you at peak but far from high (25 ng/dL) as again the top end of the reference range for cFTV is 6.5-25 ng/dL.
What is even more concerning here is cFTV tends to overestimate slightly so chances are your trough FT is <15 ng/dL.
If you had your FT tested using the most accurate assay the gold standard Equilibrium Dialysis it would most likely come back <15 ng/dL.
Forget using the lab to test your FT as you would be far better off using/relying on the go to online website calculator and use the reference range 6.5-25 ng/dL.
Otherwise start getting your FT tested at Dynacare and use the reference range for age range 18-49 yrs which is 160–699 pmol/L (4.6–20.1 ng/dL).
If you feel good overall are not experiencing any sides and blood markers are healthy then I would not even consider lowering your trough FT 15 ng/dL any further!
You are moving in the wrong direction here if you plan on lowering your dose!
That got me a FT of 530 pmol/L (170-475). That FT is pretty high so 3 weeks ago I cut down to 8.5mg/day or 59.5mg/wk.
Bad move here cutting your dose down further.
Remember we went through this before as I told you that even though the go to testing method in Canada is the calculated linear law-of-mass action Vermeulen (cFTV) the reference ranges are different depending on what lab as they are not standardized.
Most doctors truly in the know even the ones in Canada would be aiming for a trough FT 15-25 ng/dL or 522-869 pmol/L if the goal was to hit a healthy/high trough FT 15-25 ng/dL.
As I stated previously your trough FT is not as high as you think even though the lab (Lifelabs) you had your blood work done has your trough FT high for your age range.
You need to use online calculator which is available to the general public for free.
As I stated in our PMs would not fret over where your current TT and more importantly trough FT sits as your previous TT 640 ng/dL only increased to 697 ng/dL which is not a big jump and more importantly your trough FT only went from 488 pmol/L to 531 pmol/L which is no big deal.
Remember although your FT was calculated using the go to linear law-of-mass action Vermeulen the reference ranges used by Lifelabs and Dynacare are not the same as the cFTV reference range which is 6.5-25 ng/dL.
So in order to see where your FT sits based on a healthy young male you would need to use the online calculator (cFTV) as I pointed out in some of your older replies.
You need to know where your TT, SHBG and Albumin sit in order to calculate your FT.
If you do not have Albumin you can just use the default 4.3 g/dL.
On your previous labs you were hitting a robust TT 640 ng/dL, did not test SHBG and Albumin was 4.6 g/dL.
If we use your previous SHBG values say low 30s nmol/L which is where it most likely sits then with a robust TT 640 ng/dL, normal SHBG 32 nmol/L and Albumin 4.6 g/dL your trough cFTV 13.8 ng/dL is healthy and far from high. View attachment 56528
If we take your most recent results with a robust trough TT 697 ng/dL, normal SHBG 32 nmol/L and Albumin 4.7 g/dL your trough cFTV 15 ng/dL is healthy and far from high.
Keep in mind most healthy young natty males are hitting a healthy cFTV 13-15 ng/dL mind you this is a daily short-lived peak.
So your trough FT only increased from 13.8 to 15 ng/dL.
Yes your peak TT, FT and estradiol will be higher but far from really high.
As I have stated numerous times on the forum the majority of men will do well with a trough FT 15-25 ng/dL.
Yes some can get away with running a lower trough but if you want to take advantage of the beneficial effects of FT then I would not drop your trough FT below 12-15 ng/dL.
Your FT tested using the cFTV at Lifelabs has your true trough 4 days post-injection 530 pmol/L reference range (170-475) so high for your age range yet if you plug in your TT, SHBG and Albumin using the go to online calculator your trough FT 15 ng/dL would fall where a healthy young natty male would sit mind you at peak but far from high (25 ng/dL) as again the top end of the reference range for cFTV is 6.5-25 ng/dL.
What is even more concerning here is cFTV tends to overestimate slightly so chances are your trough FT is <15 ng/dL.
If you had your FT tested using the most accurate assay the gold standard Equilibrium Dialysis it would most likely come back <15 ng/dL.
Forget using the lab to test your FT as you would be far better off using/relying on the go to online website calculator and use the reference range 6.5-25 ng/dL.
Otherwise start getting your FT tested at Dynacare and use the reference range for age range 18-49 yrs which is 160–699 pmol/L (4.6–20.1 ng/dL).
If you feel good overall are not experiencing any sides and blood markers are healthy then I would not even consider lowering your trough FT 15 ng/dL any further!
You are moving in the wrong direction here if you plan on lowering your dose!
My apologies to the OP, I don't mean to hijack this thread.
The main reason that I wanted to reduce my dose slightly was because I lack penile sensitivity, and I had read here recently a post that suggested that higher T levels could be associated with that occurrence.
However, I don't like the reduced dose. I don't sleep as well, and I can't push as much weight as I did. Penile sensitivity hasn't changed. Given that I'll likely return to my standard dose soon.
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