Lab Results - What to do next?

[albie]

Hi Guys,

Been researching non stop for a couple of weeks now, this low test thing has my head spinning. It first started off my questioning of all the years of ED I had since before I can remember (makes me think I always had low test) and why I was never able to build any muscle at the gym. I my strength goes up but never any real changes to my body. I'm 31 now i been working out off and on (more on than off) for about 2 years now and even during my 20's with no real results. If I tried to bulk I'd gain more fat then muscle and if I cut I loose more muscle then fat (a never ending limbo). I cant seem to get rid of this chest fat for shit (which im told might have a lil tissue back there) and i have a bit of fat on my lower back and my midsection which I cant get rid of. The scale says about 20% bf but thats just crazy I dont look it, maybe 17? Who knows I'm not even that heavy. After Keto I'm about 150 and still the fat is the same on the sale even though I can see less fat still ugly). Since I've been on a search to find out what could be causing this because even with weak genetics there has to be a reason. I feel upon testosterone and the more I researched it the more I came across testosterone. So I ended up finding a testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) clinic who I saw would take a blood test and excepted my insurance. Unfortunately my suspicions where correct a couple of days after I got a call from the clinic and was told that my test score was low, the lab results were pretty vague from what I remember it was:

Total Test: 310ng
E2: 13.3
HG: 16
I don't have it in front of me but the test was conducted by labcorp.

I took the test between 2:30-3pm, I'm sure I ate before the test as well.

Anyways felt like shit after hearing the news and started researching endo's b4 I jumped into the whole testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) thing, found one who's in his 70s figure he could help since he has so many years under his belt. made the appointment showed him the results and he wanted me to take another one and off I went.

So the time between the first test and 2nd test I'd say was 2-3 weeks.

Just came back from the doc and here are the results:

LH 6.1 mIU/ml (1.7-8.6)
FSH 2.9 mIU/ml (1.5-12.4)
Test, Serum 446 ng/dl (348-1197)
Free Test (Direct) 11.0 pg/ml (8.7-25.1)
DHEA-Sulfate 309.6 ug/dl (160.0-449.0)
DHEA, Serum 414 ng/dl (31-701)
TSH 2.170 uIU/mL (0.450-4.500)
Prolocatin 9.0 pg/mL (4.0-15.2)
Estradiol 21.9 pg/mL (7.6-42.6)
Estrone, Serum 47 pg/ml (12-72)
SHBG 19.6 nmol/l (16.5-55.9)

Taken between 11:30am-12pm on empty.

needless the say the doc said im normal and couldnt help me, everything was in my head and that I jumped 100+ ng in test in 2 weeks so i'm probably recovering from whatever mental depression I was having. Then started blabbering about some irrelevant stuff and also told me to eat diet and sleep better (which I already do so..)

anyways just like to get some feedback from people on here who've seen stuff like this, I dont know what answers im looking for just looking for feedback and opinions and comments or whatever. What should I do next...

Should I run a few cycles , should i not do anything, practice yoga... how do i get my body to chnage, i'm just so tired of this whole gym shit with no results and eating and spending hundreds on groceries and this ed problem its like a never ending cycle , I doubt its the low test that has me depressed, its the lack of anything changing that has my mood in the dumps.

 

[albie]

bump?

 

[Megatron28]

Albie: other than the poor results at the gym and higher body fat than you desire what other symptoms are you experiencing?

First of all, you should get your lab tests done first thing in the morning. Your T levels change throughout the day. They are at their highest in the morning. Do a search on this board (or pm me) and you will see where you can get a $50 hormone panel through PrivateMDlabs which uses Labcorp.

Your T levels may be on the lower side of normal but they look normal. Most of the guys here doing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) had Total T levels of 100-200. If you don't have to get on the testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) train, you are better off not doing it. Do you really want your balls to shrink to the size they were when you were 13 years old? Or do weekly self-injections? And spend lots of money on medications and doctor visits and lab tests?

If I were you, I would get my blood work run up one more time between 7-9 in the morning just to make sure it isn't your T. If you are still in the normal range I would then search for a good personal trainer or find a knowledgeable mentor at the gym who can guide you on how to lift weights and do cardio training properly. Learn how to eat a good balanced diet with sufficient protein. Take a multi-vitamin. Start getting 7-8 hours of good sleep a night. Go into this with a reinvigorated attitude and I'll bet that you can accomplish your goals. Don't start testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) if you don't have to. Once you do you are on it for life.

 

[zgx]

Im not an expert by far but his t scores do seem low however you're right about the time of the day they were taken, perhaps they were higher earlier in the day. He also mentioned ED as a symptom... And that he got enough sleep and ate well

Have you ever used a herbal test booster? Any good results?

Explain your ED issues, is it more like performance anxiety or is the Johnson limp pretty much all the time outside of an ED drug? Any morning wood?

What's your stress like at work, etc?

 

[David1963]

Depending on when your blood was taken, you do seem to have low T, especially for your age. I too suspect my T was low all of my life, but never investigated until I was 48. You're fairly young, and there are a few things that might cause your low T that you should rule out before you make a commitment to a lifetime of TRT. I suggest giving IMT a call or email and see what they suggest. If you can find a testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) clinic that will take your insurance, then you're lucky. Most won't (either the clinic, or the insurance).

Good luck, and please let us know how it works out.

 

[Megatron28]

Im not an expert by far but his t scores do seem low however you're right about the time of the day they were taken, perhaps they were higher earlier in the day. He also mentioned ED as a symptom... And that he got enough sleep and ate well

Have you ever used a herbal test booster? Any good results?

Explain your ED issues, is it more like performance anxiety or is the Johnson limp pretty much all the time outside of an ED drug? Any morning wood?

What's your stress like at work, etc?

I missed the ED comment. That was a lot of reading to find it slipped in there at the very end.

I would still try to do everything else I could first before starting testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) at that young of an age with T levels still falling on the low side of the normal range (tested late in the afternoon).

 

[albie]

Im not an expert by far but his t scores do seem low however you're right about the time of the day they were taken, perhaps they were higher earlier in the day. He also mentioned ED as a symptom... And that he got enough sleep and ate well

Have you ever used a herbal test booster? Any good results?

Explain your ED issues, is it more like performance anxiety or is the Johnson limp pretty much all the time outside of an ED drug? Any morning wood?

What's your stress like at work, etc?

I've had the ED problems since I was young I doubt its anxiety. C or V usually wakes it up for me if taken in advance, morning wood is seldom only the day or two after the C pill do I notice any real morning wood. Stress is definitely there, from work, home, financial and then to top it off is the ED problem and body fat that doesn't want to go away and muscles that don't want to stay.

I've tried Formadrol Extreme, it was pretty expensive and I ended up returning them because I didn't feel they were doing anything but it could have been too soon to tell.

 

[albie]

Depending on when your blood was taken, you do seem to have low T, especially for your age. I too suspect my T was low all of my life, but never investigated until I was 48. You're fairly young, and there are a few things that might cause your low T that you should rule out before you make a commitment to a lifetime of TRT. I suggest giving IMT a call or email and see what they suggest. If you can find a testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) clinic that will take your insurance, then you're lucky. Most won't (either the clinic, or the insurance).

Good luck, and please let us know how it works out.

Such as? Also i'm not familiar with IMT. There is a testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) clinic that accepts my insurance but like I said I went to see an Endo before jumping into anything.

 

[albie]

I missed the ED comment. That was a lot of reading to find it slipped in there at the very end.

I would still try to do everything else I could first before starting testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) at that young of an age with T levels still falling on the low side of the normal range (tested late in the afternoon).

What exactly would you try to do before starting TRT?

 

[albie]

I was thinking maybe starting testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to recomp my body, lose the weight, gain some muscle and then stopping and restarting, perhaps that could increase natural testosterone levels? But I dont know how viable that is. Also any opinions on the other numbers such as LH and FSH, etc?

 

[zgx]

I'm 31 too and started testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) a few months back. I've had mainly possitive results but I am still trying to get dialed in. Don't expect for your body to restart on its own due to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), as you will often read in this forum testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is for life.

 

[albie]

I've read several threads in which people claim to have restarted their natural production after stopping testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) with the use of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and other pcts. But thats good to know that your my age, what changes have you noticed since starting, physically and mentally, hows your hair doing? What were your T/E levels prior to starting?

 

[zgx]

You can also do clomid I suppose. im surprised your endo didn't suggest that. Clomid is used to try and boost your own testosterone production but you do that instead of TRT.

Good gains at the gym, super increased in libido, better mood/outlook/confidence, morning wood, bacne, hot flashes, increased body odor. Nothing as far as hair goes. The negative sides are due to my E being high I believe. I will get a lab done next week.

 

[albie]

Does anyone know if I should be looking into any other of these numbers. Not sure what FSH does but it seems low. What about the e2, seems high for such low testosterone.

LH 6.1 mIU/ml (1.7-8.6)
FSH 2.9 mIU/ml (1.5-12.4)
test, Serum 446 ng/dl (348-1197)
Free test (Direct) 11.0 pg/ml (8.7-25.1)
DHEA-Sulfate 309.6 ug/dl (160.0-449.0)
DHEA, Serum 414 ng/dl (31-701)
TSH 2.170 uIU/mL (0.450-4.500)
Prolocatin 9.0 pg/mL (4.0-15.2)
Estradiol 21.9 pg/mL (7.6-42.6)
Estrone, Serum 47 pg/ml (12-72)
SHBG 19.6 nmol/l (16.5-55.9)

 

[Megatron28]

What exactly would you try to do before starting TRT?

Try some of the strategies to "reboot" your testosterone levels. Someone suggested going on clomid for example. Read the following guide for endocrinologists and that will help you understand some of your available options for treatment. Don't think of going on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) like one does with a cycle of steroids to get big at the gym. If that is what you are looking for there are different forums on this website for that. testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is about getting your T levels back to what a normal level is and keeping it there for life.

https://aace.com/files/hypo-gonadism.pdf

 

[albie]

But i've never been on a cycle nor in an accident, how would a restart help me. Also i'm confused since my LH seems to be above normal and my test is below normal. I've usually noticed people with low test have low LH, am i missing something?

 

[Megatron28]

But i've never been on a cycle nor in an accident, how would a restart help me. Also i'm confused since my LH seems to be above normal and my test is below normal. I've usually noticed people with low test have low LH, am i missing something?

Read about Primary or Secondary Hypoganadism in the article I shared with you or elsewhere on the internet. There are basically two ways to be T deficient.

Primary means your testicles aren't functioning properly. One way of determining this is by testing LH and FSH. If your pituitary is screaming for more LH and FSH (i.e. your lab results indicate high levels) then your testicles are not working properly. The signal is being put out but they are not responding to it adequately.

Secondary means that your pituitary is not functioning properly. You can again determine this by testing LH and FSH. If those levels are normal or below normal it indicates that the problem is NOT with the testicles but with the pituitary. The pituitary is not recognizing that there is not enough testosterone being made.

You should talk to an expert to find out what is going on with you. Your LH and FSH are both in the normal ranges. Your T, while on the lower side for your age, is technically in the normal range. And I still think you need to get a lab test done first thing in the morning. And you can't go off just one lab test for a diagnosis.

There can be other causes of Low T. Maybe you have sleep apnea? Maybe you aren't sleeping enough? Maybe your diet is poor? Maybe you are depressed? Maybe you are stressed out? Maybe you just need to try "kick starting" up your body again with something like clomid (referred to as dynamic therapy in the article I shared with you)? Doctors or a clinic like IMT can help you go through this all and get to the bottom of the problem. This is what I mean by exploring everything before you jump right into TRT. Study up and try to become as knowledgeable as possible on this so you can make informed decisions. There are lots of variables at play here.

 

[albie]

Diet is pretty good i mean not he best but good i don't eat junk food and when I try to bulk or cut i try to stick to that diet. And as I said I did talk to an expert (endo) and was told I'm healthy and to keep it moving (meaning no more visits). I can admit I am depressed a lot and stressed but that's mostly because of these results and body composition. I've never really had a healthy libido either.

 

[luckydev1lme]

albie, I'm going to jump in here because I have a very similar experiance to yours. Young age ED that I tried to ignore and deny because it wasnt "always". I work hard in the gym, reasonably strong, decent physique in my shoulders, arms, and legs. But the body fat is persistent. Chest, love handles, and abs that are affraid to expose themselves. This is on average with 7-8 hours in the gym (wk) with weights and cardio. I never ever gain size. I could quote your intro basically.
After my wife finally got frustrated enough with the ED issue, I pursued and answer. More trips to the doc than I can remember, and I have been tested for everything in their little book of reasons. Mental/emotional, cardiological, cholesterol, thyroid, gonad, on and on and on and they could only contribute my low T to the issue.
Finally went down for a CT w/contrast for the peni and they found that all of the branches that are supposed to supply blood flow have atrophie (closed off) which is why there is no flow. Yes, it got to the point where ther was NOTHING happening. C/V/L, nothing would make the sun shine.

I have always lived a fairly healthy life. No drugs (slight drinking), no smoking, eat well, excersize regular, did not use suppliments etc. My low test was completely unexplained (and still is.) I am on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for 3 years now. Still not any better. I took a break from therapy for a while and followed my docs directions for natural recovery = NG and back on the Test Cyp every 7 days. By day 6 im down to 150~200 range again. My body just destroys T and they have no idea why.

As far as the ED goes, my last resort was surgery. Either reconstructive or prosthetic. I went prosthetic 2 years ago after dealing with this for 13 years. I'm 36 now. The funny part is, after the surgery to have the horrible stupid chambers installed, my BLOOD flow is back!. (The surgeon said I would never have a natural erection again... WTF do they know?)

Good luck! Keep your chin up. That crap is depressing and will take your sense of being a man from you, if you let it.

Now, my wife and I have fun almost nightly, and its better than ever!

 

[Megatron28]

Diet is pretty good i mean not he best but good i don't eat junk food and when I try to bulk or cut i try to stick to that diet. And as I said I did talk to an expert (endo) and was told I'm healthy and to keep it moving (meaning no more visits). I can admit I am depressed a lot and stressed but that's mostly because of these results and body composition. I've never really had a healthy libido either.

Albie: You are on the right track to figuring out what is wrong with you so you can start feeling better. Give the guys at IMT a try if the Endo you talked to didn't seem to have answers for you. See it they can help you out. I haven't used them personally, but lots of guys here vouch for them. And you can see by their participation on this board that they know what they are doing.