Open main menu ☰
HealingWell
Search Close Search
Health Conditions
Allergies & Asthma Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety & Panic Disorders Arthritis Breast Cancer Chronic Fatigue Crohn's Disease Cystic Fibrosis Depression Diabetes Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia General Chronic Illness GERD & Acid Reflux Headaches & Migraines Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Parkinson's Disease Prostate Cancer

Chronic Illness Blog »
All Health Conditions »
Support Forums
Anxiety & Panic Disorders Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Chronic Pain Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux
Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Ostomies Prostate Cancer Rheumatoid Arthritis Ulcerative Colitis

All Support Forums »
Log In
Join Us
Close main menu ×
  • Home
  • Health Conditions
    • All Health Conditions
    • Chronic Illness Blog
    • Allergies & Asthma
    • Alzheimer's Disease
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Arthritis
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Fatigue
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Cystic Fibrosis
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Epilepsy
    • Fibromyalgia
    • General Chronic Illness
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Headaches & Migraines
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Parkinson's Disease
    • Prostate Cancer
  • Support Forums
    • All Support Forums
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Pain
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Ostomies
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Log In
  • Join Us
  • Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • LinkedIn
Join Us
☰
Forum Home| Forum Rules| Moderators| Active Topics| Help| Log In

Low testosterone

Chronic Illness Forums
>
Lyme Disease
>
Low testosterone  
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
profile picture
BBN!!
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2018
Posts : 104
Posted 9/30/2018 2:09 AM (GMT -7)
Hey everybody, so this really isn’t that important but it’s just something I wanted to ask you all.

So thanks to Lyme I have the testosterone of a 80 year old man.. ( I’m 21 years old) I don’t believe it will raise until I fix my health problems, which I’m working on but I’m really really wanting to try to get in better shape. Since becoming ill with Lyme I have really let myself go & I wanna change that but the low testosterone really stunts any muscle growth.

One point last year I really worked out hard & done evergbrubf right but wasn’t having progress & that’s when I found out my low twstoesone. & this was actually before I figured out I have Lyme and connected the two.

Basically I was thinking about taking some testosterone supplements to raise my levels but I’m not sure if that’s a good idea considering I do have Lyme disease. & posssibly some mild issue.

What’s your all’s opinion on this?
profile picture
Georgia Hunter
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2012
Posts : 2230
Posted 9/30/2018 3:30 AM (GMT -7)
I am sorry to say that my references on the direct effect of testosterone levels on protozoan growth are on another computer. To summarize, the study shows that lower testosterone levels suppresses protozoan growth. In the body's attempt to get rid of the protozoan, testosterone levels are diminished. That is what the study shows. I kind of disagree with this somewhat but it boils down to a "is it the chicken or an egg situation." Does the body down regulate testosterone to reduce protozoan growth or is testosterone down regulated while attempting to lower protozoan growth. I feel it is the latter but that isn't what the literature showed. The decrease in testosterone as we age could be from our decreased immune response due to protozoal infection. That is very plausible.

I base my opinion on a study shows that onion juice (allium cepa) increases the spermatogenisis in mice. Extrapolating from that, one could see that the decrease in pathogens (both yeasts and microbes) from the onion could allow higher testosterone functioning which allows proper spermatogenisis. I have to pull 3 or 4 references together to make this assumption but I can justify it in my mind.

Long story short, have your LLMD get you on a protozoan protocol.
profile picture
ceebs13
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2018
Posts : 69
Posted 9/30/2018 7:07 AM (GMT -7)
Not that I could come close to the level of research in Georgia's reply, my understanding as always been that high fat foods - especially nuts, seeds and good oils - supplementing zinc, and most effectively, weight lifting (high weight, low rep) where tolerated is instrumental in boosting testosterone.
profile picture
astroman
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2014
Posts : 5764
Posted 9/30/2018 9:08 AM (GMT -7)
My 20 years experience with hashimoto hypothyroid says that low testosterone can also related to low thyroid. Take note: these infections tax the thyroid gland in many people.

At my lowest thyroid levels, test was also low. Took more thy hormone/med and test improved. If your thyroid is low, everything is affected and working out wont overcome that, working out will be more difficult too just like with lyme.

The only way I could differentiate the two "illnesses" symptoms was to take note what improved after increased thyroid med/improved thyroid levels.

[For those possibly confused about thyroid med- unless you stop the thyroid inflammation, you need occasional med increases while the gland slowly dies (which is why I choose a super clean diet tested and tailored to my bodies immune sytem).. ]
Had initial lyme symptoms late 80's, then again and with bullseye early 90's. Ended ABX for Lyme in Jan 2016. Flares ended after, Lyme "B gone" as far as I can tell. Healing the aftermath-Rebuilding / fine tuning / fixing muscles and still improving nutrition via better gut health. 20 years of Hashimoto adds to this journey.
profile picture
oregonhay
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 208
Posted 9/30/2018 1:38 PM (GMT -7)
Hi, My "doctor" who denied me Lyme diagnosis for 3 years jacked me up with TRT (I call him Dr. Lucifer) against my wishes. I told him, low T was a sign of an infection,parasite, and lyme. He ignored me. Then I got back up to normal levels (800) for my age and still felt sick, horrible skin rashes horrible back pain, insomia. Basically now I was jacked up with T and even more sick with lyme. Yes it was nice, I could do pull ups without working out and I lost weight. When I fired Dr. Lucifer and found a LLND (my state banned Lyme Doctors), they told me to stay on it. But one day I decided to stop it, cold turkey. Which is against the advice of everyone I know, and everything was fine.

I think a combination of Alinia and the 5-6 herbs I take, that plus the antibiotics, for my treatment helped me the most. Perhaps my T levels went back to normal with the Lyme protocol and I no longer need to inject T, or maybe I am very low -- I have not done any tests. But I feel fine now. I do not think I will go back to T now that I've fully stopped. It kills your sex drive and changes your personality. After I finish treatment with Lyme, I will look into this. I am hoping everything goes back to normal.

Now my sex drive is insane without T and I am symptomatic with lyme. I have to deal with it. I tried MACA pills, thinking it would help, but this made it even worse because it works really well. I bet if you start lyme treatment, after 6 months, your T will go up -- but like I said I never did any tests so I don't know. High fat, fiber, protein, and high fat -- did I say high fat, plus Maca can help. The Pro-T herbs you buy contain Turmeric, Maca, Selenium, and Zinc which I already take as part of my lyme (minus the Maca)
profile picture
borrelioburgdorferii
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2017
Posts : 352
Posted 9/30/2018 1:47 PM (GMT -7)
So...Low-T huh. I can't speak to the causes of it, but I know of a supplement called Longjack that may or may not help. I've taken it from time to time and it seems to restore some of that vigor and fearlessness and all things testosterone related, at least in theory and I'm pretty sure there is some science that attests to Longjack's effect.

I say this with the feeling that my own T-levels are likely low, I just haven't got the test yet. I know my vitamin D levels are low for sure. And I'm more than double your age but I pretty much can't tolerate exercise and have also "let myself go" to levels of non-fitness like never before, and I hold out on the hope that once I can get my illness cleared up, I can begin to be fit (ie healthy and athletic) again. I don't know if that's realistic or not, but I certainly hope so, for both your sake and mine.

The top LLMDs seem to suggest light weight training, lifting, rather than cardio. That might get your T-levels up.
profile picture
6Hypnone
Regular Member
Joined : May 2005
Posts : 280
Posted 10/12/2018 10:10 PM (GMT -7)
I was actually dx'ed with low Testosterone. My LL put me on Tribulis. I have not started it yet however. I have gained 15 lbs over 6 mos w/no change in diet or exercise. Most of my hormones were jacked but she only said to take Tribulis. I'm also hypothyroid.
I'm hoping that, along with the increase in T3 will help the weight issue.
I don't give a darn about libido. Just want to get rid of this darn nerve pain.
profile picture
gfields
Veteran Member
Joined : Oct 2015
Posts : 1044
Posted 10/13/2018 10:50 AM (GMT -7)
I would not recommend using TRT. You will grow man boobs.
profile picture
borrelioburgdorferii
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2017
Posts : 352
Posted 10/15/2018 7:57 PM (GMT -7)
Well be mindful that there a quite a few so-called supplements that are sketchy. Be thorough with your research before taking. I only take the ones, usually in low test sampling quantities, from reputable sources with no extra ingredients. I've only found a handful that work for me. I look at the ingredients of pills supplements (like Onnit brand stuff) and buy small quantities of what's listed in its main ingredients, like for focus, stamina, energy, cordyceps, lions mane, siberian ginseng etc.

Well anyway listen to gfields because things can get fouled up if you take the wrong stuff. Case in point: I had taken Green Tea Extract (very strong stuff!) for a bit, to lose weight, until I found out it might have been killing my liver! As there was a young man that took that stuff and destroyed his liver, even had to have a transplant etc!! he was one of those wrestlers or weightlifters trying to "cut weight" or something. Just be careful.

and none of those "miracle" pills, gas station viagra type stuff!

Like I had taken Yohimbine and even Ephedrine way back to have energy to work out...but that REALLY jacked up my already high blood pressure...this was before I knew about my Lyme & Co. & Friends' MSIDS disease complex.
profile picture
6Hypnone
Regular Member
Joined : May 2005
Posts : 280
Posted 10/23/2018 5:42 PM (GMT -7)
I agree. I got just pure tribulus, nothing else. Not many brands carry just that. Organic as well.
profile picture
mudshark
Regular Member
Joined : Aug 2017
Posts : 127
Posted 10/31/2018 7:17 PM (GMT -7)
I had low T and ended up on TRT before figuring out I had Lyme and co. After a period of time (16 months or so) on the testosterone gel we decided to start weaning off of it, and by then I had been treating lyme for many months. My testosterone levels stayed within the normal limits for my age and well above where they were before treatment, long after stopping TRT completely. It was only when getting off the TRT that I learned that lyme can cause lower T levels. It all seems to make sense now, but I played sports regularly and lifted heavy weights 2-3/week and could never figure out why I had such low T.
profile picture
jb1994
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2018
Posts : 328
Posted 10/31/2018 7:43 PM (GMT -7)
@oregonhay (it won't let me quote for some reason)

I am going on Alinia. How did it help you? I've got unrelenting gut issues that are causing weight gain and I'm not sure why, but someone suggested it cleared up theirs. I know it is for parasites.
profile picture
Aerose91
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2016
Posts : 848
Posted 10/31/2018 7:46 PM (GMT -7)
Have you considered DHEA? It's way safer than test in the sense that it doesnt raise your estrogen levels to compensate
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply

Forum Information

Currently it is Friday, February 22, 2019 2:07 PM (GMT -7)
There are a total of 3,042,888 posts in 332,488 threads.
View Active Topics

Who's Online

This forum has 163291 registered members. Please welcome our newest member, RJT2000.
162 Guest(s), 8 Registered Member(s) are currently online.  Details
alephnull, 81GyGuy, mattamx, Girlie, MainerMikeBrown, Tudpock18, Jerry_Delaware, dencha




HealingWell

About Us  |   Advertise  |   Subscribe  |   Privacy & Disclaimer
Connect With Us
FacebookFacebook TwitterTwitter PinterestPinterest LinkedInLinkedIn
© 1997-2019 HealingWell.com LLC All Rights Reserved.