Bloodwork results from Quest...any thoughts?

[Jredwine]

ok so I got my results back from my bloodwork.

I am a 33 yo male 185 and lift 3-4x per week and have for about 10 years.

(Blood was drawn fasting and at 11 am)

My total Test was 481
Free Test 57.2
Bioavailable was 127.6
DHT was low @ 24
LH was right in the middle @ 4.8
SHBG was 37
Prolactin was 6.4
DHEA Sulfate was 193

My Dr has prescribed me HCG @ 250iu (Ithink 3x per day) She also prescribed T3. Any thoughts???

[GotNoBlueMilk]

You need to post ranges. We don't know them by heart.

If she prescribed T3, post the thyroid results too.

[bass]

^^^ what he said!

[steroid.com 1]

Post your entire blood work with ranges.

HCG only? She's trying to get your levels higher through natural production...hit or miss.

T3 meds? Need to see complete Thyroid panels including TSH, T4, T3 and RT3 at a minimum.

Explain your symptoms...

[DaNKahoLIc]

well said need to know all levels

[Jredwine]

Sure thing guys, I appreciate the help. I thought they all did their ranges approximately the same. (ie normal test range was 250-1100) Is that not the case with the different labs?

I bolded the only truly low item on the lab (DHT) I didnt mention much on the T3 as I am not sure I am going to take that. Maybe stash it for later, but I am more concerned about my symptoms of the lower T. I have a very low libido and have trouble putting on size. I understand genetics play a role, but my body will just not put on muscle without gaining fat no matter how good my diet is. It came to a point where I was measuring all of my food to make sure my macros were on par for the goals i was setting and I still gained fat along with muscle. And typically more fat than muscle. For seriously working out for over 12 years and heavy free-weights at that, i simply havent seen the gains other have.

I rep out 225 about 8-10 times max on bench, i have patellar tendonosis from playing basketball so I dont hit above 225x10 for 5 sets on leg day (although i probably could hit 315 farily easily for reps), that's it for my big muscle groups. Not bad, but for as dedicated as I am to getting 250-300 grams of lean protein in a day while maintaining a lean diet, eating every 2-3 hours, 6 times per day, i believe I should see better.

I am also looking to get off the ssri I have taken for the last several years on and off. Back in my early 20's I took 250mg of Test Enanthate EW and I can honestly say it was a miracle drug for me. I felt absolutely amazingf for those months.

With a higher level of Test showing very promising results for the treatment of depression in men at the lower end of the T spectrum, I am all about trying it out. If you have a choice of a naturally occuring hormone or an SSRI, I am choosing TRT any day of the week.

My biggest concerns are my low libido and lack of performance that have only occurred over the last 2 years. Yes, I know SSRI can cause this, but I have been around the block with these SSRI's being on them since 18 yo, albeit only on for about 3 of those 15 years, but when i quit, my libido comes back in days. I took off 3-4 months several times with no change and the low libido issue hanging around.

Additionally I have had chronic daily tension headaches since 25. They aren't terrible but I take the SSRI just to deal with the madness that comes with a chronic low level of pain. (from 18-25 I was on nothing but vitamins and an assload of protein)

So that's my story so maybe some of it relates, maybe not, but I really can tell there is just something wrong with my libido. I have never had this problem in my life.

And on to the labs...

(Quest Labs)

Estradiol = 11 Range <or= 29

(Totat Test was measured by LCMSMS)
My total Test was 481 <250-1100>
Free Test 57.2 <46-224 pg/mL>
Bioavailable was 127.6 <110-575 ng/dL>
DHT was low @ 24 <25-75 ng/dL>
LH was right in the middle @ 4.8 <1.5-9.3mIU/mL>
SHBG was 37 <10-50nmol/L>
Prolactin was 6.4 <2-18 ng/mL>
DHEA Sulfate was 193 <110-370mcg/dL>

TSH, 3rd Gen .66 <.4-4.5 mIU/L>
T4, Free 1.5 <.8-1.8 ng/dL>
T3, Free 2.9 <2.3-4.2 pg/mL>

[bass]

each lab has it's own ranges based on age!

[Jredwine]

Oh i got ya. Didnt know that.

[boxingfan30]

I don't know much about looking at total bloodwork, but I know that we are the same age and my total is at 647 which is surprising since you can still lift, while my shoulder won't let me do so.

I'm not familiar with that way of free test though. Mine was 1.7 and the following was 1.6. I believe that is percentage?

[Jredwine]

boxingfan funny you mention it, I just had an AC joint cortisone injection today. Havent been able to do any pressing at all aside from some low rep push ups and even those hurt. Doc says bench form needs to be adjusted and no overhead/military press any more. Deinfitely NO DIPS! I guess some can get away with going past 90 degress in the elbows and others just cant. I guess 10+ years was my limit.


Did you get on any TRT or the like? I was hoping to save TRT for my 40's, but if HCG alone doesnt work, I'll be getting either pellets or injections. Luckily my doc is all good with AI's, hcg, and TRT. She's def in "in the know"

Good luck with the shoulder!

[boxingfan30]

I'm actually working on talking to the doctor about it over the next few weeks as I just have a lot of symptoms that point to my test being "normal" but apparently not normal enough to feel good like I did a year or so ago.

Are you pressing with a bar or were you or just doing dumbell presses? I will NEVER do another press with a bar again... it's shown to be VERY bad for the shoulders. I just want to get everything fixed and not lose any more muscle that took me a LONG time to gain

[Jredwine]

Yeah I do most presses with a bar, but like you, it hurts many times worse than if doing dumbbell work. That's not a bad thought to stick with dumbbell. Keeping a wider rather narrower grip does seem to help too.

I know it's likely temp, but that AC joint injection has made my shoulder feel almost normal today.

They say it's a low cure rate with injection (liek 20-30%), but it's worth a shot (no pun intended) to see if it works before trying surgery. (Which I will do if this continues)

the biggest thing it appears is to never get your elbows behind your body and never bring your hands too close on any excercise, at any point in the range, so i am going to adjust all of my excercises with a limited range of motion.

Good luck!

[steroid.com 1]

[QUOTE=Jredwine;5757146]
(Quest Labs)

Estradiol = 11 Range <or= 29

(Totat Test was measured by LCMSMS)
My total Test was 481 <250-1100>
Bottom quartile range and can present some symptoms along with high E2 (which you don't present).

Free Test 57.2 <46-224 pg/mL>
Bottom quartile and will present symptoms.

Bioavailable was 127.6 <110-575 ng/dL>
Bottom quartile and will present symptoms.

DHT was low @ 24 <25-75 ng/dL>
Low and makes total sense given the above. This is why your libido is in the tank.

LH was right in the middle @ 4.8 <1.5-9.3mIU/mL>
Looks like you may be Primary. You should be producing more with this LH level.

SHBG was 37 <10-50nmol/L>
Ok. Not overly binding.

Prolactin was 6.4 <2-18 ng/mL>
Slightly low and another reason why libido is in the tank.

DHEA Sulfate was 193 <110-370mcg/dL>
Ok

TSH, 3rd Gen .66 <.4-4.5 mIU/L>
Perfect.

T4, Free 1.5 <.8-1.8 ng/dL>
High range is what you want to see here. Nice.

T3, Free 2.9 <2.3-4.2
Poor conversion of T4 to T3 and why she wants to bump T3.

Did you get an IFG-1 panel? If so, please post.

You are a good candidate for TRT and probably HGH protocol.

[Jredwine]

Thanks gdevine. When you say primary do you mean this is primary hypogonadism? I wonder what would cause such a thing? I'll have to look and see if she ran an IGF profile. She was pretty thorough so I am guessing she did. I appreciate the help.

[Jredwine]

gdevine wouldnt this be secondary given the low TEST but median LH levels? I would assume either the Hypothalamus or Pituitary wasnt responding to bump LH to produce more TEST.

[steroid.com 1]

gdevine wouldnt this be secondary given the low TEST but median LH levels? I would assume either the Hypothalamus or Pituitary wasnt responding to bump LH to produce more TEST.

Primary = Testes not functioning
Secondary = Pituitary (or something further upstream) not functioning

[Jredwine]

yeah i get that, but I guess it could be argued wither way. With LH being normal one could say the Hypothalamus or Pituitary is not producing LH to get the Testes to produce TEST which at a lower level like this you would think it would. I could see if the LH was high it would make sense to think of it as Primary, but being right in the middle seems tough to say.

But i think you're right too in possibly saying it could be Primary as the LH is enough that you would think the Testes would be producing more than what they are of TEST.

Can you (or anyone) think of any diag test i should have run to see if there is an issue with the Testes or Hypo/Pituitary? Maybe and ultrasound of the Testes or MRI of Hypo/Pit?

[boxingfan30]

Yeah I do most presses with a bar, but like you, it hurts many times worse than if doing dumbbell work. That's not a bad thought to stick with dumbbell. Keeping a wider rather narrower grip does seem to help too.

I know it's likely temp, but that AC joint injection has made my shoulder feel almost normal today.

They say it's a low cure rate with injection (liek 20-30%), but it's worth a shot (no pun intended) to see if it works before trying surgery. (Which I will do if this continues)

the biggest thing it appears is to never get your elbows behind your body and never bring your hands too close on any excercise, at any point in the range, so i am going to adjust all of my excercises with a limited range of motion.

Good luck!

Yeah man I actually layed down one day and was just doing a pressing motion and your hands want to naturally go toward the center and the bar inhibits that, putting pressure on the shoulders.. obviously I don't have to tell you that, but it was an interesting find for me and something I had never noticed.