Lab Results-are they as bizarre & worrisome as I think they are?

[SpinalFusion2011]

Thanks!

 

[Megatron28]

That is the longest first post I have ever seen! Sorry to hear that you are not feeling well.

Your T doesn't look that bad at 550. Not probably where you were at when you were 17 years old, but definitely in the normal range. You may feel better if you got it up higher. But I don't know if testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is the first place you should be looking given your recent history with opiates. You may still be suffering the ill effects of being on them for so long. They are known for causing problems with your T. You may be able to try "dynamic therapy" and get your testicles restarted. An Endo could help you with that if needed.

Your fsh looked high indicating that if you do have a Low T problem that you have primary hypogonadism. Again, possibly indicating that your testicles are not running at full capacity.

If it were me, I would repeat some of the lab tests and make sure you do them first thing in the morning when your T is at its peak. Get Total T, LH, FSH again. And if you want to spring for the Free T test that would be nice too.

I'll be curious to hear what other people think as well as what your theory is.

 

[SpinalFusion2011]

Thanks Megatron, I realize it is long, I put it there "if you wanted to look at it". I think i was compelled by a sticky I saw on TNation to "be complete or be useless. "

The one question I think for sure is a good debate is My Lab Data on Total T vs. Free T vs. Bio-available T and SBHG.

TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL,
LC/MS/MS 550 250-1100 ng/dL

TESTOSTERONE, FREE 68.2 46.0-224.0 pg/mL

TESTOSTERONE,BIOAVAILABLE 164.0 110.0-575.0 ng/dL (I consider that LOW given the potential mid point)

SEX HORMONE BINDING
GLOBULIN 35 10-50 nmol/L

I have see a lot of content that values Total T, but not enough that values Bio availbe T, unless I am getting it all confused. When i read this, it makes me wonder why we don't focus on Bioavailable T mostly?

Bio-available Testosterone
The amount of testosterone a man has in his body means little if it cannot be utilized. At BodyLogicMD, we test men for the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), the main protein that testosterone binds to when traveling through the body. The bio-available testosterone is the testosterone that is not bound to protein and is therefore accessible for your body to utilize. Even if you have high levels of testosterone, if too much is bound to protein, it is practically useless and can still cause low testosterone symptoms. "Normal range" for bio-available testosterone is around 150ng/dl to 575ng/dl. BodyLogicMD's physicians define optimal levels between 350ng/dl to 575ng/dl, though it is different for every individual.

That said, i have no idea if that paragraph is worth the paper it is written on....

 

[Megatron28]

I agree that you are on the lower side of the spectrum, but you aren't at the bottom either. I still think you should repeat some of the tests and make sure you do it first thing in the morning when your levels tend to be at their peaks. And then talk to your doctor about trying a restart -- sometimes referred to as post cycle therapy or post cycle therapy (pct) -- to see if you can get your natural production up after prolonged opiate use. Then if that doesn't work consider getting on test cyp injections. What do you really have to lose by looking into post cycle therapy (pct)?

 

[NateDEEzy]

It's difficult to say since you never had your levels measured before any of your problems. But I will say that opiates have been known to reduce testosterone levels, and I'd be willing to say they are the reason some people are on TRT. Anyway, with your history of opiate use (with good reason, I will say, as back pain is no fun), and the reduced feeling you once had of being an "alpha male", I'd be willing to say lowered testosterone is a potential good culprit for your lessened feeling of well being. Most alpha males have high testosterone, so if this was the case(this is hypothetical), and you were in the higher levels of the testosterone range (or even above) and dropped to 550, a loss of 50 % of your testosterone, although leaving you in the normal range, could definitely be the cause of your mentioned problems. This is what is so frustrating, everyone is different, and so where someone might feel good another might feel bad. The only difficult thing is, like I mentioned before, we dont know what your normal baseline testosterone level was before all this happened. BUT, I'd definitely look in to low testosterone being the cause for your lessened alpha male and well-being feelings.

 

[HumbleMuscle]

Well....No one can accuse you of not being thorough thats for sure...LOL...
I actually wish more people would be as thorough as you when asking for advice...
I cant say for sure if you would qualify for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) but if you are seriously thinking about it I would definitely suggest using Increase My T...I was having all of the tale-tale signs of low T and I finally went and had bloodword done and I was floored when I saw how low my levels were...I contacted IMT and am now waiting for my medication to arrive...It was really simple and they give you a personal representative that you can contact anytime. I could call my guy at 8pm and he will answer every time. The great thing about these guys is they dont push you to go one direction or the other, they really do leave it up to you. They give you all the facts and they lay everything out for you and YOU make the decision...not some arrogant doctor trying to give you some cream that doesn't work. And no I am not on the IMT payroll I really am a satisfied customer. Feel free to PM me if you have anymore questions about them, I will be glad to get you in touch with the same guy that helped me