# OTC booster supplements..?



## 3Xnocharm (Jun 22, 2012)

Have any of the men here tried testosterone boosting supplements that you can buy at nutrition stores? I am curious if any of them actually work to help improve, um...performance issues...?


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## Forest (Mar 29, 2014)

Just how low is your OTC?


:scratchhead:

Bad joke. I sure here these men's clinics on the sports radio non-stop. Some of the ads seem to say that the drug store stuff doesn't work, but these guys have their niche to protect.
I'd be skeptical, for sure.


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## norajane (Feb 7, 2012)

I'd be highly skeptical. Supplements aren't regulated, so there is no way of knowing what is in them, how much is in them, and whether it is actually harmful. There is even less information on whether they really do anything, certainly no peer reviewed studies that show that supplements are effective at anything.

Don't be a guinea pig in order to line someone else's pockets from your problems.

If you think testosterone could be an issue, go to a real doctor that has actually studied medicine and the human body, who can give your H the real thing, and can work with your H to get to the right dosage.


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## Methuselah (Nov 24, 2014)

You're more likely to suffer placebo effect from these "supplements" than anything else.

I listen to the radio quite a bit these days. If you listen closely on several ads, you can tell its the same woman reading the same ad copy with the name of the product changing depending on which station you're listening to.

That alone should tell you all you need to know.

Stick with the little blue or yellow pill. They work wonders. Trust me


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## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

I'm sure the OTC stuff will raise test levels. However, if you raise from 300 to 302 ng/dL, is it a significant raise? 

I would never use the OTC stuff to try to get test levels up. You can get TRT prescription from just about anywhere these days. Get yourself tested. If levels are not optimal, get therapy. It is crazy easy.

If you don't want to go through your own doc to get tested, go to privatemdlabs.com and you can order your own blood work. You have to pay for it without insurance, but it is a way to go.


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## Pollo (Oct 17, 2014)

bbdad said:


> I would never use the OTC stuff to try to get test levels up. You can get TRT prescription from just about anywhere these days. Get yourself tested. If levels are not optimal, get therapy. It is crazy easy.


Doesn't TRT stop your body from producing it naturally, which would prevent you from having kids in the future?


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## Methuselah (Nov 24, 2014)

Pollo said:


> Doesn't TRT stop your body from producing it naturally, which would prevent you from having kids in the future?


TRT can have the effect, depending on the dosage, of reducing your sperm count. When your brain determines you have low T, it releases a hormone, GnRH, to stimulate T production in your testes, which also produces sperm.

When you are on TRT, your brain does not "see" your T level as low, so does not release GnRH, which means you do not produce testosterone/sperm as you normally would biologically.

The effect is not permanent. If you are on TRT and try to conceive, you should have a semen analysis to determine your sperm count, and determine if you have levels that would prevent/inhibit conception. If your sperm counts are low as a result of the TRT, you can simply discontinue TRT and your sperm counts will return to "normal" as your brain starts to release GnRH again. 

(I say "normal" because if you have low T to start with, chances are you also have a low sperm count, since there is a direct relationship between producing T and sperm production. So without TRT you may find your sperm count is still too low to conceive, in which case you may have to undergo gonadotropin injections to facilitate sperm production. )


None of this was an issue for me since Edna has long ago gone through "The Change" so I was never worried about conception anyway


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## Mr. Nail (Apr 26, 2011)

I used Tribulus terrestris (sp) for a few years helped quite a bit but in the end I had to go to testosterone injections. Interestingly the trib helped performance the testosterone is just keeping my moods level (except yesterday).
MN


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## Mr. Nail (Apr 26, 2011)

BTW the tribulus costs as much per month as testosterone Cyp.


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## 3Xnocharm (Jun 22, 2012)

Well, this isnt for MY testosterone levels, guys! lol!


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## Thor (Oct 31, 2011)

First try the basics. Zinc, Vit D, Vit E. All the vitamins are important, as are of course minerals etc. But those 3 can boost performance. Also, exercise. Weight lifting or body weight exercises which build muscle mass will increase T. Squats, pull ups, pushups, planks etc are all good for muscle mass.

If that fails, one could go to DHEA or other supplements but I don't know enough to say if they are safe.

I was on T for most of a year and it made me feel like superman. Like an 18 yr old superman! The cost was prohibitive (not covered by insurance) and my doc was not very expert. T should be prescribed by a real specialist in hormones, not a general doc or even a urologist (imho).


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## Deejo (May 20, 2008)

Test did nothing for ED in my case.

Is there a reason you want to avoid a prescription?

Why not simply get Viagra or Cialis?


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## ThirtyYearsIn (Sep 20, 2014)

Check out Testosterone and Men's Health Blog

There are various supplements and foods to take or avoid that may help.

If you go to a doctor the site will help you figure out how to locate and identify a good one and what questions you need to ask.


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## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

I can't tell you how many guys I know on "juice" that have ended up with girls getting pregnant. Sure, exogenous test will cause your body to reduce normal test production. If you and your spouse want to try having kids in the future and it doesn't happen right away, the guy can go off TRT and do a restart protocol - typically hCG and/or clomid to get the body to produce more endogenous test.


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