Testosterone recovery after long term alcohol abuse

Medical Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi Jordan and Austin,

I’m a 30 yo male, 6’2", 228lbs, 15-20% body fat estimated (but only by a quick google search based on sight).

Just watched both of your older episodes re: testosterone found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8De3Eww3Bc

I have been considering TRT due to symptoms getting worse as I neared 30, and are definitely noticeable now (just turned 30 yo). I want to fix the issue without going on TRT if I can.

I’m am positive my history with alcohol has severely affected my T levels, I’ve been drinking every day for the past 8 years, and it has been 10+ drinks a night for at least 6 years, though since I turned 30 in April I’ve tried to go 4-5 days a week (weekdays) without drinking several times.
I also use tobacco both in smoke and smokeless form if that calculates into the equation. No illicit or RX drugs ever.

I’m planning to go cold turkey for 30 days if I can, but I’m curious how much of a difference that should make on my levels in general. Is an alcohol history like mine something that can be recovered from as far as Testosterone level goes at my age?

Symptoms have mostly been low libido, mood, and focus, desire to go to the gym (I go anyway), as well as muscle soreness and joint/ligament pain increasing over time. I did have two tests 3 years ago that came back in the high 300s and low 400s and symptoms are worse now.

Weirdly enough my symptoms are not related to performance in the gym (with the exception of much more joint/ligament pain and muscle soreness than I had when I was younger). I have had pretty good results since starting strength training in earnest 3 months ago on a LP, bringing my bodyweight from 195lbs to 227lbs, bench from 150 x5 to 250 x5, My strict/military press from 135 x 5 to 190 x 3, my deadlift from 305 x 5 to 365 x 5, and my squat from 135 x 5 to 250 x 5 (bad knees have slowed that one down). That said, my genetics for putting on muscle are pretty good and always have been, even just working blue collar jobs in the past, or spending a month or two messing around in the gym in my 20’s

Aside from cutting the alcohol back severely, how would you suggest working to clear these symptoms without going on TRT? I already eat very clean, little to no processed foods, and I don’t feel much different after 5 days off alcohol,

Also, any idea on what else aside from T-levels may be contributing given my symptoms and performance in the gym?

Thanks!

2

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about this challenging situation. To be clear, I would be cautious about assuming that the symptoms you are describing are necessarily related to testosterone. They could be related to the alcohol use independent of testosterone, or related to some other undiagnosed issue entirely.

First, I agree that eliminating alcohol use, while certainly easier said than done, should be a high priority here.

Working up the symptoms you describe is a fairly detailed process and would require a consultation to flesh out in greater detail, but other things to consider include your current body composition (e.g., getting waist circumference down to < 37 inches), screening/evaluating for obstructive sleep apnea, and may involve certain other lab evaluations such as thyroid function and certain blood counts/chemistries, among others.

3

Thanks, it’s been a while since I have slept without either alcohol or a bunch of “natural” sleep supplements (melatonin, Gabba, and otc sleep aid combined) and without alcohol I wake up dozens of a times a night even with the supplements so sleep apnea has been on the back of my mind. I just bought a fitbit that is coming in next week to see if I can catch anything that would indicate sleep apnea.

As far as body composition goes my waist is around 35" and I wear either size 34" or 35" jeans depending on the brand.

Do you all do initial consultations or would you just recommend going to a GP?

4

We can certainly consult with you to discuss your case, however we would not be able to provide you with orders for labwork or prescriptions.