So my estrogen results came back! 13.7 pg/ml...good, bad, ok??

**x_SANDMAN_x** · 08-14-2012, 04:07 PM

2 days ago i tested for testosterone . Thats was 387ng/dl.
Today i got my estrogen (estradiol) result...13.7.
So what does this mean?

Stats:

Age: 31

Height: 6'5

Weight: 209

bf: %16

Mind you ive been out of the gym for about 6 months now.

**kelkel** · 08-14-2012, 07:14 PM

Your T level is very low if the scale is similar to labcorps at 348 - 1197. More important is your Free T. When was your last cycle? Assuming your E2 is a sensitive assay then yes, that is low and not healthy long term. Keep in mind that your E will follow your T so when your T elevates so will your E.

You need to give us a little more info here to help you. History, etc. Do you have more blood work available for review? Specifically like to see LH/FSH, Thyroid panel, vit D, DHT. The reason I mention vit D is that almost everyone is low. If you're not supplementing you probably are too. Vit D3 (cheap btw) will lower your shbg level which equals a rise in your Free (useful) T.

Give us a little more info please as those levels are abnormally low for your age, barring cycling or pathologies.

**x_SANDMAN_x** · 08-15-2012, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by kelkel

Your T level is very low if the scale is similar to labcorps at 348 - 1197. More important is your Free T. When was your last cycle? Assuming your E2 is a sensitive assay then yes, that is low and not healthy long term. Keep in mind that your E will follow your T so when your T elevates so will your E.

You need to give us a little more info here to help you. History, etc. Do you have more blood work available for review? Specifically like to see LH/FSH, Thyroid panel, vit D, DHT. The reason I mention vit D is that almost everyone is low. If you're not supplementing you probably are too. Vit D3 (cheap btw) will lower your shbg level which equals a rise in your Free (useful) T.

Give us a little more info please as those levels are abnormally low for your age, barring cycling or pathologies.

First of...thanks alot for your input!
Ive done 2 cycles so far. Last one was about a year ago. The first one was a year before that. Ran proper pct at the end both.
Unfortunately, i have never done a full blood test. This was the fist blood work ive done and it was only for total test and estrogen.
The reason ive done these tests was because i lose weight (muscle mass) very very quickly if i stop going to the gym even for a short period of time! I could easily loose in 2 months what i'd gained in 2 years!. Ppl here suggested i check my test levels as low test could be the reason.
This is not something new. Ive always been like this. Its extremely hard for me to gain muscle but very easy to lose it!
Ive been bodybuilding for about 15 years with hardly any lay offs! Ive always been extremely strict with my diet ever since i started bbing and except for smoking, i lead a very healthy lifestyle.
The clinic where i got tested has a range between 179-762 as the range for "normal test levels" according to the doctor, my results were perfectly normal...according to the bodybuilding community...well you tell me.

Plz let me know what exactly you would like to know!

**kelkel** · 08-15-2012, 11:33 AM

First, I don't like the scale your clinic is using. More mainstream are the numbers I provided. If this has been going on a long time and your numbers are consistently low then you need to find the reason. Full BW is the key here! Take a look at this link and proper BW is in it. You need good baselines. Very important: http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...-TRT-Physician. You should want to see these to determine if everything is working as it should and have a track history, so to speak. Need to rule in/out pathologies, hypothyroid, etc.

Peoples body types as well as diet and lifestyle play a huge role in whether you maintain gains that you make. Judging by your height and weight I'm guessing you're more of an ectomorph by nature? If so, this requires a serious committment to your nutritional intake. I'm basically one myself so I've always struggled gaining weight but what I do gain is quality, so there's an upside!

Visit the nutrition forum and go over your food intake with some of the gurus there. It can make a big difference. Most people think that they eat enough but they really don't. Give that a shot until you pull your BW. Remember to start taking Vit D also please.

**x_SANDMAN_x** · 08-15-2012, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by kelkel

First, I don't like the scale your clinic is using. More mainstream are the numbers I provided. If this has been going on a long time and your numbers are consistently low then you need to find the reason. Full BW is the key here! Take a look at this link and proper BW is in it. You need good baselines. Very important: http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...-TRT-Physician. You should want to see these to determine if everything is working as it should and have a track history, so to speak. Need to rule in/out pathologies, hypothyroid, etc.

Peoples body types as well as diet and lifestyle play a huge role in whether you maintain gains that you make. Judging by your height and weight I'm guessing you're more of an ectomorph by nature? If so, this requires a serious committment to your nutritional intake. I'm basically one myself so I've always struggled gaining weight but what I do gain is quality, so there's an upside!

Visit the nutrition forum and go over your food intake with some of the gurus there. It can make a big difference. Most people think that they eat enough but they really don't. Give that a shot until you pull your BW. Remember to start taking Vit D also please.

Really appreciate your input kelkel!!
Ok so i understand i should do a full blood work to determine why my test levels are low. That means (based on the results ive posted) my test levels ARE indeed low! That sucks!
I will do a full blood work! Would that be whats listed on the link you posted above?
Id like to point out that it is difficult for me to gain "quality" weight. I gain "fat" easily but not "muscle", no matter how clean my diet is or how i tweak it! And like i said, ive been into bodybuilding for 15 years therefore ive gained a ton of knowledge about nutrition and dieting. In 15 years ive never really slacked on diet! I honestly feel i could be a nutritionalist with the amount of knowledge i have! So yeah, its not due to nutrition, its just the way my body is...it defies everything we know about dieting! Now considering this, what else can i do besides vid D3 to increase my test levels before considering TRT?

**kelkel** · 08-15-2012, 08:18 PM

Well it seems you have your bases pretty much covered if your sure your training and diet are spot on. Yes, your current BW shows low test but the reason you need more is to try to determine what is causing it. What is the root problem? Is it low LH/FSH causing low T which can indicate your secondary hypogonadal? At that point you need an MRI to rule in/out pituitary adenomas (not the end of the world, I have one.) If LH/FSH are high and T is low then you may be primary hypogonadal and have a testical issue. Or, as I referenced earlier it could be a simple as hypothyroid, which can cause low T.

So you need to hook up with an astute doc and get a thorough exam and find the problem, then fix it!

**Razor** · 08-15-2012, 08:20 PM

kelkel great job! superb info

**x_SANDMAN_x** · 08-16-2012, 02:23 AM

Originally Posted by kelkel

Well it seems you have your bases pretty much covered if your sure your training and diet are spot on. Yes, your current BW shows low test but the reason you need more is to try to determine what is causing it. What is the root problem? Is it low LH/FSH causing low T which can indicate your secondary hypogonadal? At that point you need an MRI to rule in/out pituitary adenomas (not the end of the world, I have one.) If LH/FSH are high and T is low then you may be primary hypogonadal and have a testical issue. Or, as I referenced earlier it could be a simple as hypothyroid, which can cause low T.

So you need to hook up with an astute doc and get a thorough exam and find the problem, then fix it!

Ok! Im getting the blood work done! Just one more thing...is the list of tests on the link you posted earlier all i need to take?? If not, could you just give me a rundown on what tests to take?
Dont really want to take tests that are irrelevant to the issue as they are EXTREMELY expensive here.
Really really appreciate all your help!