Low free testosterone

**Joachim** · 01-10-2013, 04:23 PM

Could low free-testosterone be the cause of little to no muscle gain, no matter how well the workout and diet?

**Soar** · 01-10-2013, 04:24 PM

Could be. Depends on a bunch of things. Had any blood work done?

**kelkel** · 01-10-2013, 04:31 PM

Soar is on point here. BW is your key and will clue you in on what issue you may need to address. Free T is pretty much where you get the bang for your buck, although there is much more to it than that. If you're not sure what BW to get visit the HRT Forum's Sticky Thread titled Finding a TRT Doc and an example is there. Many things can cause low T that are correctable. Hypothryoid, pathologies, trauma, cortisol and the list goes on. By chance are you coming off of a cycle?

Pull blood and post it up with ranges.

**Joachim** · 01-10-2013, 04:32 PM

Blood work, yes. Everything normal except low vit D and testosterone (18 pmol/l), enough for my Doctor to recommend TRT.

**kelkel** · 01-10-2013, 04:33 PM

Well, some doc's version of normal really isn't. Post up what you have with ranges. Let us look. Also, supplementing with D3 will increase your free T. Possibly start with 5kIU's per day.

**Joachim** · 01-10-2013, 04:39 PM

Been struggling with lean weight gains, low energy, -libido. Never been on a cycle, nor trauma. It's been that way for last two years.

**kelkel** · 01-10-2013, 04:43 PM

Joachim be glad to help more but can't without seeing the full BW.

**Joachim** · 01-10-2013, 04:49 PM

**kelkel** · 01-10-2013, 05:49 PM

Ok, I hate to say this but it's still really incomplete. DHEAS is low and you can supplement with micronized dhea to help. You can get it at lef.com as all theirs is micronized. Probably advise the same for pregnenolone. Both are upstream of test in your hormone pathway and will help, as will the aforementioned vit D.

Really need to see a full thyroid panel including TSH, FT3, FT4, antibodies and RT3. Hypothryoid will give the same symptoms as hypogonadism so it's important. BW including LH/FSH, SHBG, cortisol, prolactin, etc. Basically look at the BW example I referenced before and fill in the blanks. If insurance covers it then do them all.

You need to find the cause first before you treat the symptom. Fix it, don't band aid it.

**Joachim** · 01-11-2013, 09:09 AM

Kelkel, thanks for evaluation and advise. Dhea needs prescription in Canada. Haven't committed to TRT yet as its $2000 a year and whether I should commit to that long term, perhaps for life.

**kelkel** · 01-11-2013, 11:34 AM

Can't you just order it from the company I mentioned on-line?

**Joachim** · 01-18-2013, 03:14 PM

Yes, I can try and have it shipped across.

Question: I had just started a test e cycle only, after PCT can much of the gains be lost because of low free testosterone ? Will Dhea help with that?