Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

You should investigate clomiphene citrate instead of testosterone directly. Clomid mutes the brains response to estrogen, the final feedback product of the testosterone cycle. This causes the body to produce more testosterone in the testes rather than front loading the cycle. The primary impact is your testes continue to function, while testosterone over time will chemically castrate you.

This has been in use for 60 or so years but isn’t an FDA approved use of clomid. The primary reason is clomid is cheap to produce and not patented. It’s extremely safe and if you shop around you’ll find a urologist that’s aware of it and will prescribe it - but most urologists get marketing benefits from the rather expensive testosterone replacement products so not all are either aware or are willing to forego the lucrative marketing funds.

I switch to this about 10 years ago after starting testosterone for a few months. I wanted to have kids and I was very worried. I researched the biological processes for testosterone and stumbled on clomid as a relatively well known but unmarketed low T therapy. I went to a top urologist at NYU and he ranted about urologists that don’t use clomid. He gave me a prescription and it worked like magic. Two years later I had my first kid. I still take it at a low dose because I feel great. My testosterone levels are high normal range.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5182219/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clomifene (other uses section)

I'm in my late 40's, and have been thinking about this a lot.

I've definitely noticed changes, but I'm not sure what they mean, if there's a decline, or just a change.

I notice that I tend to think more before doing.

I reply slower, I try to fully form a complete response and think about what was said before I answer. It takes time. My answers are slower, but (I think) higher quality.

I'm less self assured. I'm acutely aware of my limits, and I've long since left behind the pressure to prove myself.

I don't boast anymore, but used to in my 20's and 30's.

I don't feel the need to be "the best" anymore.

I disagree with the "strong opinions, loosely held" philosophy.

I'm better at listening.

I'm not as snappy as the kids in clever conversations. But I also don't do all the dumb things that they do.

I purposefully slow down my coding. I've had to deal with the pain of "stream of consciousness" code bases too many times. I spend about ten times as much time thinking than coding, and I'm ok with it. Sometimes I won't "do anything" for days, and just let my brain gnaw on a problem until a very clear solution presents itself. The result is less complex, higher quality, and better performing code.

I'm approaching 50, and have come to understand that my role in society isn't to compete with the 20 and 30 year olds, it's to think differently, and to support them.

I'm pretty sure the FDA has never denied a drug use application because it's not patentable and that's just a conspiracy theory used by people pushing bogus treatments. If there's peer-reviewed research that it works, it would be prescribed without doctor shopping.

> I can say that it is a complete game changer!

Could this be a placebo effect. I have low testosterone too. I've been doing "natural" ways by changing diet, cardio/weights, sleeping in a lot, trying to have sex regularly. But my numbers just don't seem to budge.

I think my only options now are TRT or just accept and make peace with it. If I do TRT, my impression is that you have stay on it for life. I am not sure i am ready for that kind of commitment.