22 yr old 20.5 free testosterone....thyroid issues? -Tired of being tired

[drewdunkin1992]

After years of speculation (and suffering)I have just gotten my numbers back , and boy do they seem bad.

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Greetings forum i was wondering if you could give me some advice concerning my blood markers.

I am only 22 years old and have never touched anything more anabolic than a chicken breast, any suggestions on what my current course of action should be?? i am currently going in for follow up blood work in 2 weeks. but my primary (whom i love) seems entirely uninformed on the subject matter, or the severity of my levels.

I feel as tho i have done everything in my power to 'optimize' my living conditions.

-Zero smoking ,drugs , or alcohol, i eat a consistent micro-nutrient dense diet, get to be early (no screens or electronics) i monitor my stress levels (Pilates..etc)
but i still feel disconnected with the world around me, and for the past few years have been getting progressively weaker in the gym.
i have zero libido, no interest, to care, no morning wood, or erections for 3+ weeks at a time. and generally feel like crap.

i used to be energetic, ...horny..(forgive me).. loud fun guy. and STRONG to boot former
Now i am tired moody and frustrated at my complete reversal in gym progressive and general many traits...if needed i can go on forever making a symptoms list if needed.

overall you could say that i am a little desperate for advice, beyond that of my uninformed doctor.

-Andrew

 

[Megatron28]

What time of the day was your blood work drawn? That makes a difference.

But your results are pointing towards Secondary Hypogonadism. You need to try and figure out what is causing it and/or treat it.

Read the Basic TRT Overview sticky thread found at the top of this forum.

 

[drewdunkin1992]

blood work was drawn at 8:05 A.M, i will read said stickies, thank you for the reply Megatron


Having read the stickies, secondary hypo seems likely as i have low LH 2.7 and moderately low FSH 5.1 (i had lost most of my leg and all my arm hair,,, stopped shaving) but hair growth has slowly increased with my high fat diet

Too be entirely honest the benefits of TRT sound like a life saver at this point

 

[Megatron28]

Can you tell me more about your diet in terms of calories per day and grams of protein, fat and carbohydrates? How long have you been on this diet?

 

[drewdunkin1992]

for the past year i have been on a diet consisting of 2750-2950 calories per day, i get a minimum of 165g protein. 65g fat and fill in the rest with carbs.. and hit my fiber everyday. i use If it fits your macros but with only whole/natural foods + plus some processed dairy products

recently i have been doing a keto diet at 2400kcals (trying to reduce my water retention and fat gains), and it has me feeling better mentally, i get all of my fats and protein from whole food sources. and make sure to get plenty of potassium.

-my carbs come from veggies, spinach, cauliflower, brusslesprouts, avacado, kale...etc
currently i am 5' 10 and a measly 160 lbs, over the past 2 years my body composition has changed dramatically for the worse.. i am softer and much weaker cant attain a pump in the gym,, currently i am sitting somewhere between 10-14% bf


I noticed that my SHBG is very high, would you happen to know if this is due to some sort of genetic precursor or if it can be an environmentally triggered response?

 

[Megatron28]

Caloric restriction can affect your Testosterone levels. You may want to come of the ketogenic diet and go back to your IIFYM diet for a few months. Then get your blood work rechecked. I am not saying this is likely what put you into hypogonadal territory, but at your age, I think you need to rule everything out before going on TRT. It very well could be lowering your TT to some degree.

You should also talk to a doctor about doing an HPTA Restart. Clomid is commonly used. hCG as well if you have experienced testicular atrophy. But they are not used at the same time.

Your SHBG may be affected by your thyroid function which in turn is may be affected by your caloric restrictive diet. Unfortunately, everything is all interconnected.

 

[drewdunkin1992]

perhaps i will try the diet advice.. my symptoms started long before my dietary shift tho.


in the past few years i have experienced loss of most body hair, and testicular atrophy, no libido at all. no interest really lol
my father suffers from low T/ bad sperm production... (test tube baby here) so i think there may be a genetic component aswell

 

[drewdunkin1992]

sorry to be bumping.. but i have a question/concern

i have scheduled another blood draw for 2 weeks from now, and am hoping to see some improvements. dialing in sleep/recovery/de-stressing/

im currently on break form University, and have cut back my work hours significantly in an attempt to correct/heal as much as i can.
Currently i am resting for up to 14 hours per day + naps, while i do feel slightly better i am still extremely tired and fatigued/no libido/erections at all.

my worry is that i will see so much of an improvement over my last bloods (but still remain feeling tired/weak/emasculated) that my doctor wont want to continue pursuing answers.
while i am enjoying essentially doing nothing but eating training and sleep while on this short break, it is not even close to how my life is 90% of the time(i live a very hectic busy life generally)...any suggestions??

i dont want to overtly skew my results, but am afraid that i might be doing so in the other direction by taking this reprieve from life.

am i being a worrywort about this??

ty for the understanding

 

[Megatron28]

If making lifestyle changes over a two week period has a dramatic effect on your blood work results, that would be very useful information. It would indicate that something about your current lifestyle is causing your hypogonadism. I would let I play out. Your goal should be to avoid TRT if possible. TRT will be there for you if you need it, but at your age try to find and fix the underlying cause.

 

[drewdunkin1992]

Thanks megatron!! if i have to keep lounging about for the next several week i will ;p




-EDIT- there will be about 50 days (of rest/vacation) between labs so i am hoping for the best

 

[Megatron28]

Keep exercising. Try to get on a soccer team or whatever sport your like. Just don't hang out after the game drinking a bunch of beer.

 

[drewdunkin1992]

haha, i havent had a drink for nearly 3 months,,,(averaging maybe >50 drinks a year) i have been doing everything to try and improve my quality of life.

i currently am running canditos periodized powerlifitng/hypertrophy program with added assistance work , i jog and ride my bike a few times a week as well participate in Pilates( helpful for relaxing and maintaining my mobility for weightlifting)
i makesure that im eating back estimated calories burned beyond my standard tdee (based on my heart rate) so i dont unintentionally under-eat for my activity level

i try to minimize my cardio in order to prevent over extermination on my cns/recovery

 

[drewdunkin1992]

another question (forgive my eagerness) prior to my keto diet i had an extremely high fiber intake,, i was thinking that this could cause fat malabsorbtion and vitamin deficiency, while all my current symptoms where fully present prior to the last year's diet could this potentially exasperate the problems

any and all input is welcome -Andrew

 

[Megatron28]

I woukd think your lipids look so good due to your high fiber intake.

 

[drewdunkin1992]

perhaps your right just trying to attack from all angles without being a hypochondriac, something easier said then done

 

[Alpin]

5.1 FSH is not really low for sec hypogonadal diagnosis. ...

 

[drewdunkin1992]

5.1 FSH is not really low for sec hypogonadal diagnosis. ...

so what could that mean APOLLON?


could this point towards something like cushing's syndrome
or a combo of primary and secondary (my father has severe fertility issues) and is a very passive man?


-Side note- i have been taking bee propellis which i realize is a very earthy feely not entirely scientifically backed up product,, but since then my arm hair has been slowly regrowing?
-Side note- i have taken triazole before and felt a noticible (beyond placebo) improvement in my general well being, still no libido o strength, but a slight mood increase??

 

[drewdunkin1992]

Could there be some validity to this idea???

This is from the TRT forum on anabolic minds,,,,sorry guys double dipping

no ken, the only "hormonal "thing i have used is ds sports triazole, which did have a very positive impact on my general well being, but no exogenous products of any kind.
I have managed to stay clear of it all so far but relying on my natural production is not going so great

Could there be some validity to this idea???

 

[drewdunkin1992]

hey johnfromeurope, i see you lurking down there!

thanks for the message of encouragement the other day, i liked the marc lobliner quote?

i have been researching mildly for a little over a year now, adn have been taking hormonal/bio psych courses at university this past semester, as well as researching on my own each day. its nice to have a place where other people have at least a semblance of what your going through..

have you ever had any issue with depersonalization?

 

[Megatron28]

5.1 FSH is not really low for sec hypogonadal diagnosis. ...

LH was clearly at the low end of the normal range. FSH was in the normal range. Neither are above normal. To me this points towards Secondary. Are you interpreting the results differently?