# Low T and depression after cancer



## Moby_Medic (Apr 28, 2009)

Long story short back in 2014 I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. I had an orchiectomy performed to remove the cancerous testical. Due to a birth defect the other testical never really devloped. So after the surgery my urologist tested my testosterone levels. They were pretty much non-existent. So he started me on Testosterone.

One of the biggest concerns I've had is with my mood. Back before my insurance would cover the daily gel I was on weekly injections. Which I can not do ever again according to my wife. She described me as what she was like when she was a teenager and it was "that time" of the month. Only in my case it was a weekly rollercoaster not just a once a month thing.

Now that I've been on a daily compounded testosterone gel for almost a year now I'm still concerned about my general mood. There are days where I'm just very down and depressed and barely feel like functioning, Other days I do okay. I've also noticed that when I'm around certain people and friends I tend to become even more depressed. 

I know from some research I've done that low levels can cause depression and mood issues. But I'm wondering also how much of this is just depression and how much is hormonal. The friends that we now only see very rarely just had a baby. Something me and my wife tried for almost two years without even a false positive.

Thanks to the cancer we will never have children, we lost most of our savings that was going to be a down payment for a house. I've also lost a few friends just because of my mood and not really wanting to be around them. So I really do think that maybe I do have a right to be a little depressed.

I know my situation is different from most. I don't have low T. I have none to really speak of. Plus I've just had a hell of a life experience at 30. When most of our friends are having kids and buying houses we are paying for oncologists and treatments, while avoiding baby showers and birth announcements.

I'm just hoping someone who has been here and gotten through to the other side can give me a hand. I don't know if it's lack of hormones or need for antidepressants. I just want to feel somewhat normal again.

And to anyone else that is dealing with Testosterone replacement/treatments. Any advice or reading suggestions would be welcome. I'm learning it's more than just a simple lab test every couple months.


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## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

I've been on TRT for years. I do the shots, but I do my weekly dose, divide it in half and inject that 2x per week. I find that keeps my levels very stable. I will not do the gels because I have young females in the house. I don't want to risk them being exposed by touching skin I put the gel on. I know it is relatively easy to prevent that, but I have no problem with shots, so just go that route.

You need to find a Dr that is addressing your entire HPTA axis. Due to your history, you could also have dysfunction in the thyroid and adrenal axes. All of these endocrine hormones are intimately related. Addressing just one issue may lead to problems with others.

Also, you may have higher levels of estrogen which causes major changes in mood. You may need an aromatase inhibitor to slow the conversion of test to estrogen. I know if my E2 gets high, my moods are way off.

Good luck in your treatments. Sorry to hear all of the crap you have been through!! Hang in there, man!


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