Noob here: getting labwork for baseline testosterone level?

[jcdenton]

Noob here. I have a lot of stickies to read before I can start asking detailed questions, but there is a pretty basic question that I haven’t found an answer to yet.

What specifically do I need to look for in a lab test to get good testosterone lab values (at reasonable cost)? There’s a Labcorp location not too far from me, and this is what they offer:

070195 Testosterone, Free (Direct) With Total Testosterone, LC/MS-MS
144980 Testosterone, Free (Direct), Serum
140103 Testosterone, Free (Direct), Serum With Total Testosterone
143255 Testosterone, Free and Weakly Bound
070282 Testosterone, Free and Weakly Bound, With Total Testosterone, LC/MS-MS
070038 Testosterone, Free, Equilibrium Ultrafiltration With Total Testosterone, LC/MS-MS
500726 Testosterone, Free, Mass Spectrometry/Equilibrium Dialysis (Endocrine Sciences)
081786 Testosterone, Free, Serum (Equilibrium Ultrafiltration) With Total Testosterone
004226 Testosterone, Total, Serum
070001 Testosterone, Total, Women, Children, and Hypogonadal Males, LC/MS-MS

I’m assuming I need something with FSH and LH levels?

I strongly suspect my testosterone levels have dropped a lot in the past few years (and it probably wasn’t that high to begin with considering how scrawny I’ve been most my life and how little body hair I have).

When I started training I was 20 years old, 5’ 6” 119 pounds and single digit body fat percentage. Training hard and eating a lot (no supplements or anything) I was able to get up to 140ish pounds and still had very low body fat. Unfortunately, personal illness, family illnesses and school schedules have sabotaged me for several years, and now I’m 27 years old, 5’ 7” about 145 pounds and 18% body fat.

My sex drive has plummeted over the past two years or so and my overall energy levels seem down (even before I started the work hours I detail below). I’m having a lot of trouble with joint pain and strain fairly easily if push myself training. I’ve tried bulking and cutting, and it’s really hard to get any noticeable results lately; I just feel like I’ve gone completely soft and my joints and tendons are really fragile.

To make matters worse I work as a casual in healthcare (there are no full time jobs anymore) and I’ve spent most the year being flipped back and forth between days and nights. I just finished working eight weekends in a row, alternating between day and night shift every weekend. Several times earlier this year I left work at 7:30 am Monday morning and arrived at work 7:30 am Tuesday morning. I feel like its trashed my whole body, and I know sleep deprivation reduces testosterone levels.

I want to figure out what’s going on with my hormone levels, and then figure out what do to from there.

Thanks in advance for answers. I've been impressed with the in depth posts I've seen here and look forward to learning.

 

[ozzyozzy21]

Noob here. I have a lot of stickies to read before I can start asking detailed questions, but there is a pretty basic question that I haven***8217;t found an answer to yet.

What specifically do I need to look for in a lab test to get good testosterone lab values (at reasonable cost)? There***8217;s a Labcorp location not too far from me, and this is what they offer:

070195 Testosterone, Free (Direct) With Total Testosterone, LC/MS-MS
144980 Testosterone, Free (Direct), Serum
140103 Testosterone, Free (Direct), Serum With Total Testosterone
143255 Testosterone, Free and Weakly Bound
070282 Testosterone, Free and Weakly Bound, With Total Testosterone, LC/MS-MS
070038 Testosterone, Free, Equilibrium Ultrafiltration With Total Testosterone, LC/MS-MS
500726 Testosterone, Free, Mass Spectrometry/Equilibrium Dialysis (Endocrine Sciences)
081786 Testosterone, Free, Serum (Equilibrium Ultrafiltration) With Total Testosterone
004226 Testosterone, Total, Serum
070001 Testosterone, Total, Women, Children, and Hypogonadal Males, LC/MS-MS

I***8217;m assuming I need something with FSH and LH levels?

I strongly suspect my testosterone levels have dropped a lot in the past few years (and it probably wasn***8217;t that high to begin with considering how scrawny I***8217;ve been most my life and how little body hair I have).

When I started training I was 20 years old, 5***8217; 6***8221; 119 pounds and single digit body fat percentage. Training hard and eating a lot (no supplements or anything) I was able to get up to 140ish pounds and still had very low body fat. Unfortunately, personal illness, family illnesses and school schedules have sabotaged me for several years, and now I***8217;m 27 years old, 5***8217; 7***8221; about 145 pounds and 18% body fat.

My sex drive has plummeted over the past two years or so and my overall energy levels seem down (even before I started the work hours I detail below). I***8217;m having a lot of trouble with joint pain and strain fairly easily if push myself training. I***8217;ve tried bulking and cutting, and it***8217;s really hard to get any noticeable results lately; I just feel like I***8217;ve gone completely soft and my joints and tendons are really fragile.

To make matters worse I work as a casual in healthcare (there are no full time jobs anymore) and I***8217;ve spent most the year being flipped back and forth between days and nights. I just finished working eight weekends in a row, alternating between day and night shift every weekend. Several times earlier this year I left work at 7:30 am Monday morning and arrived at work 7:30 am Tuesday morning. I feel like its trashed my whole body, and I know sleep deprivation reduces testosterone levels.

I want to figure out what***8217;s going on with my hormone levels, and then figure out what do to from there.

Thanks in advance for answers. I've been impressed with the in depth posts I've seen here and look forward to learning.

Didn't read your whole post but what you need to do is log on to privatemdlabs.com and click on hormone panel for females. Yes that's right FEMALES. I always get this as it's much cheaper and you get more for your money. Don't forget to google discount code. This saves you 15% and gets the said test to about $50. I've attached an example blood test to show you all it includes. Hope this helpsView attachment 554136

 

[DreDay187]

Ozzy is right on the money! Read this too:

http://www.steroidology.com/forum/anabolic-steroid-forum/652231-how-get-accurate-testosterone-level-results.html

 

[jcdenton]

Ok Ozzy, think I found it. It's $60 before coupon and Includes:
-Estradiol, serum;
-Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH);
-Luteinizing Hormone (LH);
-Testosterone, serum;
-Complete Blood Count (CBC): Hematocrit; hemoglobin; mean corpuscular volume (MCV); mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH); mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC); red cell distribution width (RDW); percentage and absolute differential counts; platelet count; red cell count; white blood cell count; immature granulocytes.
-Comprehensive Metabolic Profile (CMP): A:G ratio; albumin, serum; alkaline phosphatase, serum; ALT (SGPT); AST (SGOT); bilirubin, total; BUN; BUN:creatinine ratio; calcium, serum; carbon dioxide, total; chloride, serum; creatinine, serum; globulin, total; glucose, serum; potassium, serum; protein, total, serum; sodium, serum.


Correct?

 

[DreDay187]

Ok Ozzy, think I found it. It's $60 before coupon and Includes:
-Estradiol, serum;
-Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH);
-Luteinizing Hormone (LH);
-Testosterone, serum;
-Complete Blood Count (CBC): Hematocrit; hemoglobin; mean corpuscular volume (MCV); mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH); mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC); red cell distribution width (RDW); percentage and absolute differential counts; platelet count; red cell count; white blood cell count; immature granulocytes.
-Comprehensive Metabolic Profile (CMP): A:G ratio; albumin, serum; alkaline phosphatase, serum; ALT (SGPT); AST (SGOT); bilirubin, total; BUN; BUN:creatinine ratio; calcium, serum; carbon dioxide, total; chloride, serum; creatinine, serum; globulin, total; glucose, serum; potassium, serum; protein, total, serum; sodium, serum.


Correct?

That's the one! Look for an online coupon code to save money. Also at checkout make sure to indicate you want male reference ranges. It'll give you the option to choose

 

[ozzyozzy21]

Looks like it. It's number 1 on the top 10 View attachment 554137

 

[Swole78]

This is what I use as well. They will also store past results in your account that you can download at any time later.

 

[SicVic]

or just go to your doctor.

 

[halfwit]

or just go to your doctor.

For pre-cycle bloods, sure. For mid-cycle bloods? NOOOOOOPE.

 

[jcdenton]

Thanks for the quick replies everybody.