If I wanted to get my testosterone level tested, how would I go about doing that? Do I just walk into my doctor's office and say, "Hey, I want to get my testosterone level checked?"
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The reason you don't have big arms is because you're weaker than a baby's fart, not because you don't do enough arm curls. -- Tony Gentilcore, via thefitcast.com
[Your] biceps [comprise] just 3 percent of the amount of muscle mass in your entire body. Remember that number: It's a good way to keep a perspective on how much you train your biceps compared with your other muscle groups. -- from menshealth.com
Yes, I would think your doctor would be the place to get tested. I don't know if it's true or not, but a friend of mine told me that his doctor told him he needed to say something about poor sexual performance or something like that so his insurance would cover the testing.
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"The greatest thing in the world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving." --Oliver Wendell Holmes
If you have signs, make sure to lay them all out. Low energy, depression, loss of strength, fat gain (especially in the belly), etc.
If your doc is cool with you having done research, ask to have your estradiol levels checked, as well. Too much estrogen can lead to T being too low, as well.
It's not always as simple as getting a boost of T. If you have an imbalance, extra T can make things worse, down the road. Even if you suddenly feel better with boosters, it might not last.
Thanks for the replies. I mainly wanted to do it to satisfy my curiosity. I've always believed that my "T" level was low, because growing up I was always the scrawniest and weakest kid in gym class, and I've always found it hard to pack on muscle. It's embarrassing to me, at 34 years old, to come on this board and see kids half my age that can lift twice as much as me!
I don't have any of the signs you mention, LD, but I've read a little bit about the topic and I do have some other signs, such as I'm often very irritable, and I can't grow a decent beard to save my life!
I don't know if I'll actually do it, but I was just curious if you could walk in and ask for the test, or would they make a fuss and make me show some need to have it tested.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this, or personal experience?
__________________
The reason you don't have big arms is because you're weaker than a baby's fart, not because you don't do enough arm curls. -- Tony Gentilcore, via thefitcast.com
[Your] biceps [comprise] just 3 percent of the amount of muscle mass in your entire body. Remember that number: It's a good way to keep a perspective on how much you train your biceps compared with your other muscle groups. -- from menshealth.com
I think it depends on your doctor and your relationship but it shouldn't be a problem. It isn't getting prescribed T. shots (or gel) afterall, it is just getting the levels tested. If nothing else, tell him/her you'd like a baseline level now when you are 34 so that later in life you can see if there is a change. Whether your insurance covers the cost or not, that's a different item.
Certainly, lay out any and all symptoms. To get insurance to pay for it, you need a doctor's order which will require a fasting scheduled appointment. If for some reason your doctor doesn't think you meet criteria, you can offer to pay for it out-of-pocket. Commercial for-profit labs are popping up that you could probably find to circumvent your doctor if desired.
I just had my annual physical last week. When my doctor was sending me down the hall to the lab for my blood tests, I told him I was interested in having my testosterone levels checked. Really out of curiosity. I also have trouble "packing on muscle." He seemed willing to do it (I told him I would pay if my insurer wouldn't) and asked if I was having ED issues. (I am not and told him why I was curious.) He said that my prostate size was normal -- for my age (>50) -- and that my testicles were normal size, so it was unlikely that my T was low. So I didn't get the test. I didn't know that "normal" testicle size was an indicator, but I guess that makes sense. So I skipped the test. But I think I'll insist on it next year. It seems like something good to have a baseline on.
Getting testosterone tested?
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