Can I get some help in looking over my blood work?

[TLeaf]

I visited my doctor to see if I could have some blood work done in an attempt to determine what was making fat loss so difficult for me. I've dieted and trained diligently for 2 years now and have seen little success as far as body composition is concerned. Strength gains have been OK.

I'm 21 years old.

Total testosterone: 12.3 nmol/L (normal range: 8.4 - 28.7)
Free testosterone: 237 nmol/L (normal range: 200 - 800)
AM Cortisol: 371 nmol/L (normal range: 171 - 875)
TSH: 2.91 mU/L (normal range: 0.30 - 5.50)

I can provide some of the other blood work I had done if that helps in any way. Thyroid function and everything else I had tested looked OK to me but the total and free testosterone levels looked low, so...

I did some research into the effects of low testosterone and it seems quite a few match up with me... Lethargy/fatigue (would describe myself as tired almost all the time), anxiety (I have panic attacks in social situations that should be comfortable), although not a constant feeling I am easily depressed, not sure about a low sex drive but I would say sexual activity once or twice a week is good for me, morning erections are rare, lack of confidence in everything I do, fat accrual mostly in my midsection.

I talked to my doctor and he told me it's in the normal ranges. I talked to a second doctor and he told me the same thing - that there's nothing to worry about, my levels are in the normal ranges. I talked to an endocrinologist and he laughed, telling me my levels were in the normal ranges.

Is what they say true? If not, and none of the doctors I talk with see any problems... Then what are my options? I'm in Canada, if that means anything.

Thanks for any help/advice.

 

[cjw2021]

This idea of normal ranges is so absurd. How can a 21 year old being in the same range as a 90 year old male (who naturally shows up at the bottom of the hormone level spectrum) correlate with a healthy 21 year old body? These are the questions you must ask yourself. Test free testosterone, sHBG, and the other hormones, and find a new competent doc. You must research these docs. Even in the states many docs are not hip at all to hormone replacement therapy. Maybe an Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) test or something is in order...or check if FSH and LH are low. More tests need to be ran. Unfortunately this is the downside to socialized medicine. Doctors don't give a shit because they don't have to.

 

[TLeaf]

This idea of normal ranges is so absurd. How can a 21 year old being in the same range as a 90 year old male (who naturally shows up at the bottom of the hormone level spectrum) correlate with a healthy 21 year old body? These are the questions you must ask yourself.

The second doctor I talked with told me that I was 'around the middle' after seeing the numbers I posted above. I corrected him, saying that I was on the low end of the normal ranges. I also asked him why the normal ranges for a 21 year old and the normal ranges for someone much older (I said 60 or 70) would be the same and he told me that it's a wide range to cover all ages, which doesn't make sense because I am on the low end regardless. However, as he was telling me that, adding in that I shoudn't worry, he was also walking out of the room, ending the conversation.

Thank you for the advice on additional testing. I will be getting that done.

 

[Vigilante]

Bottom of the bracket is bottom 2.5% of all men of any age group including in that are dying old age men of 100+ and cancer patients. So when you are near the bottom of the "normal" range what the doctor is implying is that you are in the same group as the above...a 21 year old in an 100 year old body or you have a terminal illness and your body is fucked.

Why are doctors so retarded?

You have low T dont take no for an answer.

 

[Misc]

seriously i cant stand that shit. normal ranges dont mean shit. my doc called me and left a message. well i didnt listen to it and called him back right away. on the phone he told me i had slight hypogonadism. i listen to his message later that day and he said that i was in the normal range so i should be OK but will do more tests later to see if my Free test would go up to normal ranges too. i was 10 ng/dl above what is considered "normal range" and my free test was well under normal ranges. dudes a fukin idiot. im with max Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) now.