Hi. I am a 25 year old male and I am experiencing all the symptoms of low testosterone. I am also not one to take prescription drugs. I have used homeopathic remedies in the past and I am a firm believer in the natural healing processes of the body. So I was wondering if anyone knows what I can do to raise my testosterone level w/o taking prescription drugs or other synthetic type "treatments". Are there good all natural products out there that anyone can recommend? Or, are there certain foods I can eat that would help raise my testosterone level? I'd appreciate any help.

Hi Warren,

Are you familiar with homeopathy? We ask an awful lot of questions in order to come up with a remedy for a person. There are 3,000 homeopathic remedies and we try to narrow it down to one.
Lots of the remedies look alike, with maybe one or 2 differentiating features, so it requires a lot of questioning on our part, some of the questions may seem irrelevant, like whether or not you like pickles or lemons, but they're very important to us.

Are you willing to hang around for as long as it takes to answer questions from us? If so, we might be able to help you.

Snoopy

Concerning your question about natural ways to increase the testosterone levels, maybe the following info could be of help to you.

First some informarion about Testosterone.

Testosterone.

Testosterone can be either free or bound within the body. Bound testosterone is not available for use, as it is bound to other substances throughout the body. Most of a man's testosterone is bound. The remaining testosterone is called free or bioavailable testosterone. Normal levels of testosterone are between 350 - 1000 ng/dl (nanograms per deciliter). Of this, 97 - 98 percent is bound.

Most of the binding occurs to a sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). The amounts of SHBG within the blood increase with age. The SHBG traps much of the circulating bioavailable testosterone, making it unavailable to exert its effects on the body. It is the bioavailable testosterone that promotes strength in the muscles and maintains or increases muscle mass, libido and sexual performance. It also improves quality of sleep, increases mental and physical energy, and also promotes improvements in mood and the sense of well-being. Testosterone also plays a role in synthesizing proteins. It affects many metabolic activities, such as the production of blood cells in the bone marrow, formation of bone, lipid (fat) and carbohydrate metabolism and growth of the prostate gland.

Aging Effects

There is a gradual reduction in testosterone levels with increasing age. The main change is a decline in the length and intensity of various phases of the sexual response cycle.

Through a variety of mechanisms, aging men suffer from the dual effects of having too little testosterone and excess estrogen. The result is a testosterone/ estrogen imbalance that can severely inhibit sexual desire and performance. In youth, low amounts of estrogen are used to turn off the powerful cell-stimulating effects of testosterone. As estrogen levels increase with age, testosterone cell stimulation may be locked in the "off" position, thus reducing sexual arousal and sensation and causing the common loss of libido so common in aging men.

The genital/pelvic region is packed with testosterone receptors that are ultra-sensitive to free testosterone-induced sexual stimulation.

There are two mechanisms by which excess estrogen interferes with sex drive in aging males:

a.Aging men sometimes convert testosterone to estrogen. The estrogen is then taken up by testosterone receptor sites in cells throughout the body. When an estrogen molecule occupies a testosterone receptor site on a cell membrane, it blocks the ability of serum testosterone to induce a healthy hormonal signal. It does not matter how much serum free testosterone is available if excess estrogen is competing for the same cellular receptor sites.

b.Testosterone is a hormone responsible for sex drive in both men and women. For testosterone to promote youthful sexual interest, satisfaction and performance, it must be freely available to cell receptor sites in the brain, the nerves, muscles and genitals. As people age, testosterone becomes bound to serum globulin and is not available to the cell receptor sites were it is needed to initiate sex stimulating centers in the brain. The component in the blood that renders free testosterone inactive is called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Excess estrogen can increase the production of SHBG and block testosterone-receptor sites.

For testosterone to produce long-lasting libido enhancing effects, it must be kept in the "free" form in the bloodstream. Bound testosterone is not able to be picked up by testosterone receptors on cell membranes. For aging men, it is desirable to suppress excess levels of SHBG and estrogen while boosting free testosterone to the level of a young man. There is now a natural way of modulating testosterone and estrogen levels in aging men that does not require expensive prescription drugs.

Restoring youthful hormone balance can have a significant impact on male sexuality. To reiterate, the hormone modulation objectives that most aging men need to facilitate sexual rejuvenation involves an increase in "free" testosterone coupled by a decrease in both estrogen and SHGD levels.

Hormonal Dysfunction

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is manufactured mainly in the adrenal cortex, and testosterone mainly in the testes in males. DHEA is regulated by corticotropin and testosterone, by luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (luliberin). These hormones increase sex drive and maintain libido. Lower levels of these hormones may result in loss of libido and abnormal sexual behavior in males.

As per the natural alternatives to increase testosterone levels, you have several ways: through your diet, vitamins and mineral supplements, phytotherapy, oligotherapy, and TCM (acupuncture). All these have been tested clinically and their therapeutic possibilities are known. Since, I don't know if your are only interested in the Homeopathic alternative, I am only giving you hints about the Diet.

If you would like to know more about the other natural therapies, let me know and I will post them.

Diet.

·Fat cells are loaded with aromatase storing large quantities of estrogen. The higher your percentage body fat, the more estrogen you can produce and the fatter you will be unless you control your diet and use supplements to lower estrogen production."

·Reduce the use of “dry” carbohydrates, grains, wheat and processed carbohydrates because they tend to bind Testosterone. Good water rich carbohydrates of vegetables and fruits encourage and create the proper balance of estrogen and testosterone.

·Fish is high in L-Dopa and helps release dopamine which greatly enhances testosterone levels.

Good luck,

well Warren - let's start with these;

1. What is your chief complaint (CC)? Tell as much about it as you can, including what is the worst part of it and why it's the worst: the sensations, the kind of pain, the location, how your energy has been affected (for example, has the complaint made you restless, weak, nervous, anxious, irritable, hypersensitive, effected your thirst and appetite, your body temperature, and so on). In other words, how you are different since you became sick?
2. When did this problem begin? What happened in
your life around that time? What do you think
caused it?
3. What aggravates the CC and what brings it on?(for example, certain types of food or weather, movement, light, noise, company, talking,
heat/cold, or anything else that you can think
of; please be specific) and what makes the CC better (for example hot or cold, massage, eating, lying still, music, company...)? In other words, what does it make you do to try to feel better, to cope?
4. At what time of the day or night is the CC the
worst? Specify an hour if you can.
5. What symptoms can you identify that accompany
the CC (whether directly related or not; for example, headache with nausea; or menstrual cramps with diarrhea; a cold with irritability and anger)?

GENERAL QUESTIONS
6. Environment: With regard to the seasons, weather, outdoor temperature, indoor temperature, drafts, air quality, airconditioning, ocean air, mountain air, humidity, the sun/rain/thunderstorms/clouds/fog, etc.: what environmental factors give you comfort and relief, and which ones cause discomfort and distress? Try to give examples.

7. What position is most uncomfortable for you?

8. a)Do you tend to be chilly or warm? Are there parts of your body that are colder or warmer than the rest of you? Is there a special time of day or night when they are colder or warmer? b) Do you perspire a great deal? If so, when? And where on the body? (feet, head, hair, chest, armpits, etc) Does it leave a stain of a particular color? Is there a particular odor?
9. Describe what your tongue looks like.

MENTAL/EMOTIONAL
10. What do you worry about? How do you deal with
worries?
11. How do you keep your house/your desk/your room/your study/your bathroom?
12. How easily do you cry? In what situations?
13. When you are upset, what do you do to help yourself feel better?
14. What makes you angry? What do you do when you're angry?
15. Do you have an emotion that predominates; such as anger, depression, irritability, anxiety, jealousy, joy...or possibly two emotions that tend to alternate predictably?
16. What fears do you have?
17. What have been the most difficult circumstances in your life? How did you cope?
18. What are the greatest joys you have had in
your life?
19. What was your childhood like?
20. What bothers you most in other people? How,
if at all, do you express it?
21. What causes the most problems in your relationships?
22. Do you have any recurring dreams? What are they about?
23. What would you need to feel happy?
24. What do you do for work? Ideally, what would
you like to do?
25. If you were made President for a day, what would you change?
26. When people have criticized you, what were they complaining about? Similarly, when people have praised you, what did you receive praise for?
27. What would you like to change most about
yourself?

FOOD
28. How do you feel before, during and after
meals? How do you feel if you go without a
meal?
29. What would you most like to eat (if you did
not have to consider calories, fat, anything
you've read about the right way to eat)?
30. What foods do you dislike and refuse to eat?
What foods do you react badly to, and in what
way?
31. How much do you drink in a day? Include
sodas, juice, coffee, tea, milk, and
alcoholic beverages as well as water. How
thirsty do you tend to get? What temperature would you like your drinks to be?

SLEEP
32. How is your sleep?
33. Do you do anything during sleep? (speak,
laugh, shriek, toss about, grind your teeth, drool, snore, walk, talk, etc.)
34. Do you have trouble falling asleep? What keeps you awake? Do you wake always at a certain time? What causes you to wake up? What position do you sleep in?

WOMEN
35. Number of pregnancies, number of children,
number of miscarriages, number of abortions
36. At what age did your menses begin? If you
have gone through menopause, at what age?
37. How frequently do they (or did they) come?
38. What about their duration, abundance, colour,
time of day when flow is greatest; any odour
or clots?
39. How do you (did you) feel before, during and
after menses?

HEALTH HISTORY
40. What medications are you taking at present?
41. How frequently do you get colds and flus?
42. Have you had any childhood illnesses twice,
or in a very severe form, or after puberty?
43. Have you had any vaccinations since the
standard childhood ones? Have you ever had an
adverse or unusual reaction to a vaccination?
44. Have you had any surgery? What and when?
45. Have you had at any time (mention year):
warts, cysts, Polyps, or tumors? Where were they located? How were they treated?

46. Do you tend to have any discharges (nasal,
vaginal, etc.)? What is the color, consistency?

SENSITIVITY
47. a) Do you tend to need a smaller dose of
medications than most other people?
b) Do you need less anaesthesia than others,
or have a hard time coming out of it?
c) Do you tend to react to vitamins and herbs
and/or need hypoallergenic vitamins?
d) Are you sensitive to paint fumes, exhuast,
dry cleaning fluid, fragrances etc.?

48. Family history: Mention diseases, causes
and ages of deaths of father, mother,
sisters, brothers and grandparents on both
sides.

49. Construct a time line: Mention from birth
on to the present day, all IMPORTANT events
(emotional and physical traumas,
heartbreaks, divorces, work-related events,
diseases or traumas your mother had while
being pregnant with you, family stress,
death in the family or of friends,
disappointment, etc.) Mention the symptoms
experienced at those moments or which you
can date to those traumas.
50. When you stand in line at the bank or supermarket, how do you feel?
51. When your family member was last sick, what did you do?
52. How is your sexual energy?
53. How do you react to consolation
54. What part of your life do you have the most difficulty coping with.
55. What are your hobbies?

__________________
Man, do not pride yourself on your superiority to animals. For they are without sin and you in your greatness defile the earth by your appearance on it and leave traces of you foulness after you. Dostoyevsky

Hi Snoopy

Yes, I'm familiar with homeopathy. I've been tested and have taken "energized water" treatments, herbs, etc. I have my B.S. in Biochemistry and I would like to start my own homeopathy practice some day when I get some money together.

>Are you willing to hang around for as long as it >takes to answer questions from us? If so, we >might be able to help you.

Yea, I'll stick around. Ask away.

Warren

Hi Barb. Here's my answers to the questions. I hope this helps. Let me know.

1. I have lower energy levels. low sex drive. that's the biggest.

2. Last summer. Lost my job. Found out my endocrine system was way out of balance. I took an herbal treatment to correct that but haven't been tested since.

3. Junk food
Makes it better: Fruits, vegetables, exercise, sweet beautiful women (which I don't see very often--it's hard to meet women in my area)

4. I think it's worse at night. I don't feel so bad in the morning.

5. Irritibility. Slow erection. Longer times to reach climax.

6. I like warmth. Don't care for the cold. I think it does give me stress. I like clean, fresh, air with low humidity, and lots of sunshine.

7. Standing.

8a. chilly. my hands are usually cold. I often get comments when I shake people's hands that my hands are cold.

b) If I'm just working sitting at a desk my armpits will perspire a little. When I work out everything that should perspire does.
I think the armpit perspiration smells like onions.

9. It's just pink. Typical, I think.

MENTAL/EMOTIONAL

10. I worry about women. One in particular because we are dealing with a long distance relationship and I'm trying to move to where she is (and where I used to live).
I worry about money--obtaining enough to pursue my career goals.

11. I am usually very neat, but lately I have been under a lot of stress and have not had the where-with-all to keep things the way I would like to.

12. Not too easily. I cry in response to great joy or great sadness.

13. I write my feelings down sometimes. If I don't do that I let the feelings stay in my head and I don't think that is good for me because then I keep running those thoughts through my head because I'm afraid I might forget them if I don't.

14. People who change their minds frequently or who don't follow through with their promises. I tell people off if and when I can.

15. Irritability, anxiety. Competition usually brings out frustration when I do poorly or extreme excitement when I do really well.

16. I fear failure, especially in relationships.

17. Death of my father, moving to a different part of the country, and having to change high schools as a result of it. Helping an elderly neighbor for several years. I coped by being depressed, and pretending to be someone I wasn't.

18. When I sing/perform in front of crowds. Being intimate with a girl I really like.

19. Crappy (not sure I'm allowed to use the other word on this site). Lots of ups and downs. Lots of strife b/w my father and I. I was quite isolated, kind of a loner, but always well respected because I was good at sports and academics and singing and most everything I tried (not to be conceited or anything).

20. See #14

21. Me. Girls always like me right away and it frightens me because I think I'm going to screw it up somehow and they will not like me eventually, so I either withdrawl or repress my feelings for them. And then they usually don't like me because of that...I'm too slow in reciprocating my feelings.

22. When I was a child I would have a recurring dream about a thunderstorm and all the power was out and it was very dark and I would go to every room to try to turn on the lights but there would be no light. Sometimes I still dream that I turn on a light to a room (and I know the light is on because I look at the light and it is on) but the room is still dark. That one freaks me out. I also dream about the first girl I ever loved on occasion. Sometimes I'll see her and there will be an address or a phone number associated with her but when I wake up it makes no sense. I think I am obsessed with her. It scares me.

23. Live in Jersey and sing the songs I wrote in front of thousands of people and sing the national anthem at sporting events and be financially stable and live in a nice house.

24. I grade exams. I would like to sing professionally and/or help people feel better physically and spiritually.

25. I would lower taxes. Probably institute a flat tax.

26. My girl in Jersey says I'm proud/conceited. Other people think I'm confident. I think I'm confident. Some people say I don't listen. They are probably right. But I listen to homeopathists and other people who I think make a lot of sense. Bottom line is: If I think you're intelligent, I'll listen. Some people say I am funny. Other people say I don't talk enough. Most everyone says I sing very well.

27. I'd like not to be pissed off and irritible so much.

28. Sometimes I am hungry before meals. I feel fine during meals. I feel fine after meals. Sometimes I feel fine skipping a meal.

29. Chocalate Chip Mint Ice cream. Nestle Crunch Bar.

30. Fast food ie...McDonalds, Burger King. I usually react badly to candy such as M&M's, Nestle Crunch Bars, and potato chips. I believe they make my skin oily and give my zits.

31. I rarely drink soda. I drink some OJ, usually at night. I drink coffee once a week. I drink about 3 to 4 cups of tea a day. I drink milk w/ my cereal and probably a glass in the evening. I drink a lot of water. Probably about 4 to 5 glasses a day (maybe more). I drink any where from 1 to 3 alcoholic beverages a week. I don't get very thirsty. I like my beer cold, my water room temp, my milk cold and my OJ cold.

32. I sleep fine. I usually don't have a problem getting to sleep unless something is weighing heavy on my mind or the room is too hot or too cold. Probably need a new mattress though.

33. the Dentist says I grind my teeth. I may a little. When I was about 8 years old till about 16 I would talk in my sleep and sleep walk (only a couple instances that I remember). I am not aware of doing any of that now. I think I drool less than I used to. I don't snore. I toss when I am awake. I am not aware of tossing while sleeping.

34. If I can hear a TV or people moving around in other rooms while I am trying to get to sleep I will not get to sleep very quickly. I sometimes come up w/ big ideas and/or plans and that can keep me awake. I usually wake up to the alarm clock. I sleep on either side. I usually fall asleep on my right side.

40. None. I take some Shaklee vitamins.

41. Less frequently after changing my diet and using vitamins.

42. I had severe chicken pox. I had a very high fever and fainted before the onset of the pox. I had pox covering most of my body. It was bad. But it didn't bother me psychologically. I took it all in stride.

43. I think i had a flu vac once. I don't bother w/ vacs anymore (especially flu vacs) unless they are required for something. I don't believe I've ever had an adverse reaction to a vaccination.

44. No. I have never had surgery. Unless getting wisdom teeth pulled is surgery.

45. I had a wart on my lower middle finger when I was little (1985-1990?). But I was tired of it being there so I bit it off and I've never had a wart since.

47c.
I think vitamins and herbs help me feel better. I usually stick w/ high quality vitamins (I don't buy them from any store)

47d. I don't like breathing fumes. I think they give me headaches.

48. Father and mother had/have diabetes and heart problems. Father died at 62. My grandparents did not live past 80 I believe.

49. Death of my father. Moving when I was 16. Falling in love w/ a beautiful girl (when I was 16)and having to move away and not being able to be w/ that girl. Seems like history repeated itself this past year with a different girl but the same state and same distance between us. I sprained my right ankle three times over the past 9 years. I get very frustrated about the girl thing. I fall in love and something happens. Like I can't be w/ the person because of certain circumstances.

50. I'm anxious. I don't like waiting in line. It's the same with traffic. I like to keep moving.

51. I made sure she had everything she needed to feel better.

52. Horrible. I don't think I have any. It sucks.

53. I think I'm o.k. with it. I don't tell people that they don't need to say anything. I let them say their peace and take it in and thank them for their words of comfort and sincerity.

54. I have a hard time coping with my present situation. I feel my life is and should be so much more than it is. I feel I have so many gifts and talents that are not being utilized to their fullest and I feel like I can't get a break. It's a constant struggle right now to get where I want to be--in Jersey w/ a beautiful girl and singing my songs for everyone to enjoy.

55. Singing, playing guitar, writing songs, playing basketball, tennis, running, recording music.

Warren,

Thanks a lot, this was a long questionnare! After studying your answers, we may have follow-ups for you; so give us a little time and we'll be back to you soon.

Snoopy

OK, here's your first question: speaking of onions, how do you feel about them? Can you eat them? Do you like them? The same question about garlic.

Snoopy

Dear Warren,

I read all your answers and first of all, let me just reassure you that as homeopaths, we are totally nonjudgemental; in fact, if we should ever offer an opinion or try to give advice,
Father Hahnemann, from up in the sky, will personally cause lightning to strike!
(Does anybody know the remedy for that?) All we're trying to do, in asking these questions, is find a remedy that matches your symptoms and state of mind.

The remedies are known for their physical complaints, their food cravings, their personalities, and a whole host of things you don't normally associate with a "medicine", which is why we ask so many seemingly irrelevant questions. I just don't want you to think we're prying or being judgemental. OK, here we go:

With regard to your low energy, I'm very anxious to find a cause for it. What about the job loss?
How were you before the job loss? In fact, tell us when the last time was that you felt you had a normal amount of energy, both sexual and otherwise.

Other than sexually, how does this lack of energy affect you?

You lost your job last summer, how have you filled the time since?

You say you're worse from junk food. Did you perhaps have a long period of indulging in such food? Could you tell us which foods those were. Is it possible that such an indulgence is what brought your energy down?

You say that along with the low energy is irritability. How does this manifest itself, as we are all irritable sometimes.

You say that you are worried about women and especially the one in New Jersey. What is the worry with regard to this woman?

You say that when you're upset, you write your feelings down, that if you don't write your feelings down, you keep rehashing the incident in your mind so that you won't forget what happened.
Why is it important for you to have a record of what happened?

You say you tell people off when they don't follow through with their plans. Would this be virtually anybody--inferiors, peers, superiors?
When it's over do you have regrets? Apologies?
How do you feel after telling a person off for not following through or changing their mind?

It seems that there were 2 really hard times for you--correct me if I'm wrong--one was your father dying. Was that hard because you missed him or because you had to move and leave your girlfriend? Do you feel that you ever bounced back from that? Second was the taking care of the neighbor--was that before or after moving to the midwest? What were your duties and how did you get roped into doing this? Could you have said no? Do you feel that you have bounced back from this? What lasting effect has this had?

You say you have a fear of failure; do you have stage fright? How are you before you go on stage?
Are you in a band or a solo artist? What kind of music do you play?

What was the strife between you and your father all about?

You say girls always take to you right away, and this makes you nervous because you think you'll blow it at some point and they'll reject you; so, tell me what happens here: you try to retard your enthusiasm about them so when they let you down you won't be hurt? You revert to your loner ways from childhood, a role you feel comfortable in? It's funny that you desire the limelight, the attention of thousands, but the attention of one person frightens you.

Warren, I see that you are really into chocolate, do I exaggerate? On a scale of 1-10, how much does chocolate mean to you. Do you make sure it's in the house? Do you feel deprived if you've forgotten to buy it?

You say that your life ought to be so much more than it is. What's standing in your way of moving forward?

Tell me what the problem is with standing in line.
Is it the idea of standing, which you say is your worst position? If you could lean on something, like a supermarket cart, would you still hate standing in line? Or is it something other than having to stand? What feeling comes over you?

You didn't answer the question on discharges.
Any discharges? Nasal, etc.? Is there a color, consistency or odor to them?

What's keeping you from moving to New Jersey, after all, we'd be neighbors! (There's an incentive for you!)

Finally, yes, we do object to the word "crappy", especially Barb, who, I am told, is very young, and probably has never heard this word. I just hope she doesn't start smoking and covering her body in tatoos because of this! Maybe you could edit your post to read,
"Unpleasant" or "Distasteful".

Snoopy

[ 21. February 2003, 05:12: Message edited by: Snoopy ]

I covered my eyes - don't worry my sweet innocent mind is still intact

__________________
Man, do not pride yourself on your superiority to animals. For they are without sin and you in your greatness defile the earth by your appearance on it and leave traces of you foulness after you. Dostoyevsky