I’m glad you like the article. And good for you and your health over the years. As you can see, most people who find this article are really struggling.
As far as getting off of hormones, it sounds as if you’re on the right track with diet and exercise.
It’s good that you got so many thyroid tests done. Hopefully all the values were within the functional normal range. The reference range for normal on lab tests is often way too wide. For example, the range for TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) is often 0.45-4.5. That’s a whopping 10-fold difference, which implies that it would be normal if one person had 10 times the hormone level of another.
I would also look into adrenal gland function via salivary hormone levels, as well as “sex” hormones via saliva.
Obviously weening off would be better than going cold turkey…
You should monitor yourself regularly, via blood and saliva tests, as relying on symptoms may not be the best route. And of course, bone density and quality needs to be assessed.
Lastly, I would certainly recommend you do everything under the supervision of a competent, licensed healthcare practitioner.

Keep up the good work,
Dr. Rob D’Aquila

I’m sure the anxiety attack was just a coincidence after receiving the bio-identical treatment. (please realize I’m being facetious) To be fair, anything is possible…perhaps it was a coincidence or related to a fear you may have had about the treatment. Although, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if it was a result of the treatment.

For help on diet, click the “sugar” tag on the right of this site. Also, read the “Weight Loss and Detox” articles I recently posted.

Being that you had a hysterectomy, bHRT may very well be appropriate for you. But it is also important to eat properly and live in a way that avoids unwanted inflammatory reactions in the body. AND, it’s important to get the proper hormones replaced in the proper dosage.

Good luck,
Dr. Rob D’Aquila

It’s very hard to be able to help you without knowing the entire story. After 13 vials of blood, I would expect some tests to be out of range – at least out of a functional range. If testosterone was the only treatment offered, I think it’s an incomplete treatment at best, and unnecessary at worst. Again, it’s hard to say without knowing the whole story.
Another thing I don’t understand is why your body suddenly stopped absorbing the gel after it had been working fine previously- that makes little sense to me…I don’t think your levels dropped because you weren’t absorbing it.
The irritability can definitely be a result of the treatment, esp. because you make it sound as if it was never a problem before – and the same goes for the volume of your ejaculate.
The alternatives to your treatment depend on exactly why you had the low testosterone to begin with.
I would have to evaluate all your tests and take your complete history to guide you better.
I offer phone consultations if you’re interested.

Take care,
Dr. Rob D’Aquila

I’m glad you enjoyed reading the article. Yes, in many cases endocrinologist’s and alternative practitioners prescribe HRT too quickly, and without other types of support.

The patient I mentioned mostly had blood sugar problems contributing to his low testosterone. The blood sugar issues were very much caused by being a vegetarian for years. Obviously he had receptor site down-regulation from the HRT as well.

Thanks for reading,
Dr. Rob D’Aquila

Please read all the comments above for my input. I recommend people find out the cause of their hormone imbalance before simply taking BHRT; esp. at age 30.

Good luck,
Dr. Rob D’Aquila

I am 30 years old and noticing that every month my periods get worse. Not worse in Menstrual flow, but fatigue, cramps, headaches, and mood swings. I can cry at the drop of a hat and 10 minutes later want out of my own skin. The feeling is horrible and wondering if BHRT would help? Hope you have some input.

Thanks so much
Debbie