Greetings,
Last week my doctor prescribed Androgel, 1%, 5mg for me because of low testosterone. I'm a 48 year old white male, 40 pounds overweight and taking meds for high bp and high cholesterol. My reason for seeing the doctor was because for the past 8 months, my sex drive, ability to have and keep an erection was almost zero and I needed viagra to have any kind of sex life. After the blood test, my Dr. told me my testosterone level was 215. I have been using the Androgel for nearly a week now and I'm curious how long it will take (approx.) for things to start working again without the help of viagra. My drive and ability has gotten to the point that I think I could be put into a room of the hottest women and still not be able to get an erection or perform. I was divorced a few months ago and have been recently gotten involved with a wonderful woman and I would like to be able to perform. Will the Androgel fix me? Thanks in advance.
Just prescribed Androgel and have been using for a week, how long until I start seeing results?
Question posted by knite on 12 March 2011
Last updated on 21 July 2021 by CaptKeon
10 Answers
This is my personal experience only.! I have been on 2 pumps or 40.5mg of Androgel for 33 days and I feel much better physically and mentally. I was tested about 2 years ago and had a T level at around 280, which is low for a 44yr old straight male. I was also on a large dose of opiates (8 yrs.) which most likely caused my drop in T- production over the years. Opiates, alcohol and other drugs lower T levels in most men over 30. I played a high level of ice hockey and broke my T4-T7 vertebrae and had to take opioids due to the pain.
I am happy to say that I am now 5 Months sober and have been in physical therapy and I feel like I’m 25 again and I’m back on the ice skating with kids half my age. Ha! My erections are back to levels where I am in awe.! My penis actually throbs when I’m having intercourse with my GF’s. Not trying to be funny but it’s true. Also, sticking to a gluten-free diet and moderate exercise will help get your blood panels close to perfect. I am 6 ft. 178lbs, and was close to 195lbs. 2 Months ago. I haven’t returned to my doctor to re-check my T levels but when I do I will update my thread.
I’ve been using Androgel since November 2017. My T levels were just above the low side of normal but I had symptoms consistent with Low T. The most worrisome was libido. I’m 53 and been married for 20 years. Regardless of how tired I was on any given day, if my wife made the slightest move or hint of sex, I was ready. I never said no or turned her away. However that changed. To me it seemed like it changed overnight but really it was over the course of several months. I started on Cialis 5 mg once a day and that helped tremendously for erections but what’s the point of having an erection if you don’t feel like doing anything with it. I would say by January, I was back to bugging my wife every night in bed and waking up every morning with an erection. The last thing had not happened in a long time. Hang in there buddy. A positive attitude will go a long way.
Your best bet to being confident with your lady friend is to making sure things are working before you get into that situation. If you can give yourself an erection, then she most certainly can give you one. Good luck.
We are all overweight, but that is the reason your drive isn't where it should be. Chris Pratt said in an interview that after he lost weight (he wasn't that overweight in my opinion) his sex life improved. Blood pressure and cholesterol will improve too. I know it's not easy to do ,but you can go for a walk once a day and work your way up. I got a dog, mostly for the exercise. She is a sweetheart.
The issue is not that the Testosterone takes a long time to start working, this is not the case as your body responds to the testosterone quite quickly, however, the most difficult is to figure out what is the optimal dose for you. The dose you are on right now might be insufficient and might never start working for you because it is simply not enough testosterone. If you do not see any significant difference in a week or two it is time to consult your doctor and adjust the dose up and wait another week or two. If you still see no results after the increase, repeat this step until you see some changes.
Keep an eye on your blood pressure during this process, because testosterone can increase your BP.
In my personal experience, I saw results within 1/2 day after intramuscular testosterone shots. My mood was almost immediately better, and I changed from a depressed low energy person to a motivated life loving person. This change would be so significant that my family was able to recognize when I got my shot even without me telling them I got a shot on that day. Also, for me this significant change would take place within matter of few hours after the shot.
I also tried the testosterone gel. The Androgel was little slower to act on me, however the gel was much better because, it did not have the up and downs of the testosterone shots. What I mean by that is that I would feel great few hours after the shot for about 2-3 days, but it would gradually wear off and within 7-9 days I would be back to where I was before the shot. It became an emotional roller-coaster. This was not the case with the gel applied daily.
You might want to talk to your doctor and suggest using the intramuscular shots initially as you will see the results much quicker, and it will allow you to figure out what your optimal testosterone level is. Once you establish the correct level using the shots, you can switch to equivalent dose of daily Androgel and continue maintaining the correct testosterone levels.
The testosterone can really work wonders, but it is little tricky to figure out what is the right dose for you. Be patient and try to develop good and open communication with your doctor as his understanding and cooperation with you is key in getting your quality of life back.
Good luck on this journey, you are on the right track, you just need to dial in the dosing and you should be quite well. Do not forget to include some exercise routine as you start feeling better, it will speed up your journey to a better life.
I started taking it May 2011 and it took 3 days for the first effects to happen... and WOW what a change. My Total Testosterone was 159.0 ng/dL and my free level was 36.4 pg/mL... Back then I did 4 pumps from AG 1% in the AM of my day. 3 days... WOW I couldnt stop touching my wife, I had energy abounding and was losing the foggy head I had for about 4 years... amazing. Also erections came back in the 3 days, but the low semen volume took a few months to come back. Other stuff like muscle mass and losing weight happened over the next 6 mos to a year. Now into the third year... great STUFF!
I have been on the gel for a couple of months. I had the same problem as you with erections. It started to work in a couple of weeks. Some of it has to do with emotional issues. Erections are not as hard or long. But it is good enough to perform. 56 year old here. Maybe it will never be as good as it was. But at least it works!!
Hi it will most likely take longer than a week for you to notice anything . In particular your dose may be insufficient for you to see any benefit. I am 51 now but when I was 42 I discovered that my testosterone levels were very low. My free testosterone was .31 and my total was 156 and I was like you but worse off. My sex drive had always been very low and I even asked my doctor when I was 16 to test my hormone levels as I thought I was not making enough. He said I was fine but as I discovered years later I have always been very low on testosterone . Upon age 42 I was walking in my yard and slipped and broke my tibia , my fibula and my talas ( ankle ) bones. I found out I was osteoporosis with very weak bones. The number one cause of this in males is having testosterone levels to low.
On top of this I have been a type one Diabetic for 46 years and it turns out that diabetic children do not form bone properly and will never get a normal bone density if the diabetes occured before puberty . Anyway I started out on 5 g dose of Androgel and felt no different and after a month my levels had not changed so I was increased to 7.5 g dose and felt a little better but still had low testosterone levels . So my doctor increased my dose to 10 g per day and after 6 months my levels were had increased up to a normal level but still on the lower end of normal.
The point being that your dose of androgel is very important as many men do not get helped with the 5 g dose. If after a month you still feel the same get your doctor to recheck your testosterone levels . Make sure he is checking the free testosterone level as this is the one that really matters . Total testosterone levels will not be sufficient even if normal as your body can't use this testosterone as it is bound up with a binder . Your body can only utilize free testosterone . This level needs to be mid to upper normal range for you to get the benefits of the treatment.
I have found that having normal testosterone levels for the first time in my life is truly amazing . Before the Correct dose of Androgel I had no sex drive and my wife thought I was very weird as I never wanted to have sex. Now I can't get enough sex and I feel so cheated at not having a normal level most of my life as I feel so much better , stronger , happier , my bones have reversed and have dramatically increased density no longer a danger to me. I hope this long winded story helps.
It took a couple of months for me and I had to increase the dosage from 2 pumps to 3 per day as per my doctor. Big difference. I now have very hard erections several times a day and sex is like it was when I was 20!
I hope your increase in dosage (from two pumps to three) was with your doctor's informed consent. It is critical that he stay informed of your treatment and the impact it is having on you physically, mentally and sexually.
Can I please a pic of your erect penis?
I agree with the other person, you need to give it 1-2 months for the effects to show. I am 58, 250 lbs, 5' 8", and my score was in the low 100's. I have been using it for about 4 months now and it was about two months ago that I noticed my libido was improving. That and my non erect state was a bit more like my old self rather than very shrunk up.
It has been another couple of months, how are you doing now?
Wow! You have a lot going on and a lot to deal with on your plate. A divorse, a new relationship, high BP, Low T and cholesterol as well.
Most doctors recommend waiting about two months before trying to evaluate a testosterone replacement therapy. Many men don't SEE any results for three weeks or more as the levels rebuild in your system.
Some men expect that testim or androgel will immediate produce errections for them and sex with be wonderful instantly. Their expectations are unrealistic, though some men report increased erections with testosterone replacement.
Some continue with Viagra or Cialis as well as their low T therapy in order to resume a robust sex life. You need to speak with your doctor to report your feelings, expectations and/or lack of erections.
Don't discount the impact of your divorse on your sex drive. You've been for an emotional rollercoaster ride, and it may take some time before you're "back on the horse" again. Patience.
Started on gels anout a year ago. FIrst 6 months not much happening. My labs greatly improved vs shots. Last latest lab results had my testosterone at 869 and my free testosterone at 177. Reference upper level free max is 155 at the lab I use. Hematocrit at 45.4 and HGB at 15.4 Cutting to 3 pumps per day. Skin is mostly clear and joint pain is less. Injections side affects were all over.
I just got my levels checked and I'm 116 I do not want the injections so doctor prescribed me to testosterone cream 20% or 200mg. What can I expect my levels to go up to?? Please help
Try using lotion after application and if you have a fat belly don't put it on your stomach.
I was going to put on inner thighs, but I would think mine should go up a good amount since its 20% and not 10%
Related topics
androgel, high cholesterol, weight loss (obesity/overweight), hypogonadism - male, testosterone, doctor
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