Am I going to be ok?

[Zodiac85]

I just got my blood work back in preparation for my first cycle. The problem is I have no idea what I'm looking at. If anyone knows about this stuff, I'd appreciate some input. Previous to this test I had been drinking too much pop. I have since cut it out completely, so maybe that could have affected some of these values. My weak google-fu is suggesting that I'm eating too much protein? Or kidney failure?

Glucose, Serum 100 HIGH 65-99 mg/dL
BUN 28 HIGH 6-20 mg/dL
Creatinine, Serum 1.34 HIGH 0.76-1.27 mg/dL
BUN/Creatinine Ratio 21 HIGH 8-19
Sodium, Serum 149 HIGH 134-144 mmol/L

Testosterone , Serum 362 348-1197 ng/dL
Testosterone,Free 12.49 5.00-21.00 ng/dL
% Free Testosterone 3.45 1.50-4.20 %

The test is what I imagine you'd call low-normal? This is ok? Or should be looked into more? The Free and % look to be good?

Estradiol, Sensitive 6 3-70 pg/mL

That looks good? Too low?

Everything else came back normal, but I can post anything that might be helpful. I apologize if this isn't the proper forum, but this seems to be where the blood work experts hang out. Thanks!

[powerlifterty16]

you shouldnt be running a cycle if you can't read bw...but ill try to help yah man
testosterone is low...not good
e2 is too low...most guys feel good at 20-30
bun and creatinne is high...possible kidney issues
how is your diet? glucose and sodium are high.

[austinite]

Probably eating too much protein. No LH/FSH?

[kelkel]

Lay off the sugar.
Drink more water.
Total T is low but free T and percent are high. Is this ok? It's a relative term and subjective to the individual. How do you feel is the question.
E is to low. Should be kept between 20-30 but again, that's based on how you feel. At that level over time most suffer from joint and libido problems, to name a few. As your T rises, so will your E. E follows T.
I assume your shbg level if low?


Just saw that Austinite. I'm hurt! And my veins are better than your mom's.

[Zodiac85]

you shouldnt be running a cycle if you can't read bw...but ill try to help yah man
testosterone is low...not good
e2 is too low...most guys feel good at 20-30
bun and creatinne is high...possible kidney issues
how is your diet? glucose and sodium are high.

Thanks! I've been really strict on diet until recently. I've cut down to about 12% bf over the last several months (5'10, 175 lbs). I've been in maintenance mode the last few, but still eating very clean. As I said, I had been drinking a lot of pop (diet), but I've since cut that out. Maybe that contributed to the glucose and sodium?

I was surprise by the low test and E. I had no idea. I feel pretty normal, but it's kind of strange to think that I should (could?) be feeling better.

[Zodiac85]

Lay off the sugar.
Drink more water.
Total T is low but free T and percent are high. Is this ok? It's a relative term and subjective to the individual. How do you feel is the question.
E is to low. Should be kept between 20-30 but again, that's based on how you feel. At that level over time most suffer from joint and libido problems, to name a few. As your T rises, so will your E. E follows T.
I assume your shbg level if low?

I have since been drinking a lot more water. I didn't have much sugar other than the pop, but as I said, that's gone too. Do I need to do something about the E level, or that will be ok? I thought I had everything I needed in this test, but I'm not seeing shbg or LH and FSH.

[kelkel]

Some people naturally run low (think lean people) and there's not a lot you can do about it. Well, there are creams, etc but I don't really recommend that route. Examine your BW and get more if necessary. Improve your lifestyle. Do what you can naturally to improve your levels. In the Finding A Doc sticky is a good example of BW to obtain. LH and FSH would be great like Austin said. Comprehensive BW is where you start.

Edit to say micronized DHEA can help elevate your E slightly as well. Know your dhea-s level before you initiate this though.

[Zodiac85]

Some people naturally run low (think lean people) and there's not a lot you can do about it. Well, there are creams, etc but I don't really recommend that route. Examine your BW and get more if necessary. Improve your lifestyle. Do what you can naturally to improve your levels. In the Finding A Doc sticky is a good example of BW to obtain. LH and FSH would be great like Austin said. Comprehensive BW is where you start.

I have everything I need to run my first cycle, but I'm more than willing to wait if there's somethings to work out first. If I run a cycle, my E levels would naturally go higher? Or is this important to get sorted out before cycling? I'm more than willing to get more bw if necessary.

I'm trying to understand if I can cycle now, and follow up with more bw in 5-6 weeks, or if I need to fix some things first?

[kelkel]

You should always, always have complete BW before any cycle. And it should be on the money. If not, sort out any problems before you cycle. BW should also be pulled during and then after pct as well. Read Austinites educations articles at the top of the AAS Q & A Forum. There's one there for cycling and for BW.

Yes, E follows T so if you cycle, it goes up.

[austinite]

Lay off the sugar.
Drink more water.
Total T is low but free T and percent are high. Is this ok? It's a relative term and subjective to the individual. How do you feel is the question.
E is to low. Should be kept between 20-30 but again, that's based on how you feel. At that level over time most suffer from joint and libido problems, to name a few. As your T rises, so will your E. E follows T.
I assume your shbg level if low?


Just saw that Austinite. I'm hurt! And my veins are better than your mom's.

Sweet. Mission accomplished. I can change it now

great coverage in the thread as usual. Thanks.

[Zodiac85]

You should always, always have complete BW before any cycle. And it should be on the money. If not, sort out any problems before you cycle. BW should also be pulled during and then after pct as well. Read Austinites educations articles at the top of the AAS Q & A Forum. There's one there for cycling and for BW.

Yes, E follows T so if you cycle, it goes up.

Lol, yes, that's a fantastic article. I'm attempting to follow it to the letter. I have every test listed in the article. Everything came back within normal ranges except what I posted. I can list anything else if necessary. So if I were to cycle now, that would take care of the test and E issues temporarily, but is this something that I should find a root cause of first? I would certainly wait and get additional tests if necessary.

And I do plan to do mid and post-cycle bw as suggested in the article, for sure.

[kelkel]

Well, if it were me I'd want to know the issue beforehand and correct it if possible. A cycle is just a temp fix that can sometimes cause more issues as well.

[Zodiac85]

Well, if it were me I'd want to know the issue beforehand and correct it if possible. A cycle is just a temp fix that can sometimes cause more issues as well.

I appreciate your time here, thank you. And just to be clear... the metabolic stuff is not too big of a concern if I cut out sodium and sugar, and get more water (and maybe less protein)? But the lowish T and low E is an "issue" even though they are in the normal range, albeit at the far bottom of the scale?

[kelkel]

I appreciate your time here, thank you. And just to be clear... the metabolic stuff is not too big of a concern if I cut out sodium and sugar, and get more water (and maybe less protein)? But the lowish T and low E is an "issue" even though they are in the normal range, albeit at the far bottom of the scale?

I won't disagree with that assessment.

[crazy mike]

Lay off the sugar.
Drink more water.
Total T is low but free T and percent are high. Is this ok? It's a relative term and subjective to the individual. How do you feel is the question.
E is to low. Should be kept between 20-30 but again, that's based on how you feel. At that level over time most suffer from joint and libido problems, to name a few. As your T rises, so will your E. E follows T.
I assume your shbg level if low?


Just saw that Austinite. I'm hurt! And my veins are better than your mom's.

LMFAO.... ...crazy mike

[Zodiac85]

I won't disagree with that assessment.

Thanks. Going to postpone my cycle and dig deeper.

[Moparman]

Are you taking creatine? I was taking prob 10 to 15 grams a day and my creatinine levels soured. My poop turned a light clay color as well. Stop taking it and my color came back. I go in for bw next month but I feel my levels will be better. Creatine does that to some people. But then again I wag taking a lot.

[Zodiac85]

Ok, I could use some more input if you guys don't mind. Basically I'm not sure how concerned I should be. As the test and E levels are still in the normal range (at the very bottom), maybe its no big deal, or maybe it's my natural level? In this case maybe I should go get shbg, LH and FSH tested and see what's up with them. OR quit fooling around and go see the dr?

Is it possible that these are my "normal" levels?

[kelkel]

Could be. What are your stats, age etc...

[powerlifterty16]

Ok, I could use some more input if you guys don't mind. Basically I'm not sure how concerned I should be. As the test and E levels are still in the normal range (at the very bottom), maybe its no big deal, or maybe it's my natural level? In this case maybe I should go get shbg, LH and FSH tested and see what's up with them. OR quit fooling around and go see the dr?

Is it possible that these are my "normal" levels?

i dont think it's normal or optimal for any male to have such low levels...i often wonder the same thing myself..is it normal for me to be around 370 tt? i think we both could feel better at a higher level.

[Zodiac85]

Could be. What are your stats, age etc...

35 years old.
5'10"
175 lbs at 12% body fat

I've been in martial arts most of my life. I've been lifting seriously for strength, not so much body building, for 3+ years now. I eat very clean and I'm in maintenance mode now trying to decide what to do. I had weighed about 190 at 15+ percent about 6 months ago. I've been slowly cutting since then, trying to preserve strength at the same time. I got down to about 175 lbs at 12% about 6 or 8 weeks ago. At that stage I felt like my continued diet was interfering too much with strength gains. Since then I've been in maintenance, with my lifts going up, doing research.

I feel strong. My libido is good. Energy levels could be higher, but I don't really have anything to compare it to. It's strange to think that I've been grinding so hard for a long time and potentially not at optimal levels.

I talked to a friend on trt and he told me what a lot of you guys say.... That his doc would consider my levels within the normal range and not treat. So I'm not really sure about my next step right now.

[Zodiac85]

i dont think it's normal or optimal for any male to have such low levels...i often wonder the same thing myself..is it normal for me to be around 370 tt? i think we both could feel better at a higher level.

Yeah, and that's kind of strange because as far as I can tell I feel mostly normal. But maybe that's just because there's nothing to compare it to, and I should be feeling better than "normal"?

Gotta say, I'm glad for the intelligent discussion around here. I'm really glad I didn't just do a 6 week cycle of dbol !

[kelkel]

Well, glad we can all contribute to your decision making process and help you avoid mistakes along the way. You've got plenty of time to cycle later if you choose. Find the root cause and fix it if possible. If that can't be done then you know what course of action to take and what a proper protocol looks like. And yes, it's hard to compare how you feel at different levels when you slowly adapt to whatever your body produces. Been there, was at a 59 T level once. Never again.

Update THIS thread with how things go for you please.

[powerlifterty16]

kel do u feel way better now? u felt normal at 59 i thought?

[Zodiac85]

Scheduled a Dr. appointment for tomorrow. I'm going to specifically ask to test shbg, LH and FSH. Anything else I should ask about? I'm a little concerned that they'll just say it's normal and everything's ok.

[crazy mike]

OP, you've gotten a lot of help on here and that's what we are here for as well we remain teachable ourselves. Do this forum justice and let us know what happens. ..Good luck ...crazy mike

[Zodiac85]

OP, you've gotten a lot of help on here and that's what we are here for as well we remain teachable ourselves. Do this forum justice and let us know what happens. ..Good luck ...crazy mike

Will do. Dang! I was SO ready to start too.....

We'll see I guess. Thanks.

[Zodiac85]

So I saw our family Dr. today. She was surprisingly cool. This was my first time seeing her personally and she didn't bat an eye on me doing blood work privately. She agreed (obviously) that the levels were low, and said that she's open to discussing trt. I told her that I wanted to narrow down the cause first, and that I wasn't quite ready to jump on that yet. She apparently doesn't believe in just getting people up to the minimum levels, but believes that some people have symptoms even at my levels. She admitted that she's not real knowledgeable on the underlying causes but ordered the additional tests I asked for and offered to send me the full lab results. So... good start anyway.

[Moparman]

Are you taking creatine? I was taking prob 10 to 15 grams a day and my creatinine levels soured. My poop turned a light clay color as well. Stop taking it and my color came back. I go in for bw next month but I feel my levels will be better. Creatine does that to some people. But then again I wag taking a lot.

You never answered this. What supplements do you take?

[Zodiac85]

You never answered this. What supplements do you take?

Sorry about that. Yes, I'm taking creatine. And looking back I'm positive that because I was fasting for the test, I hadn't drank enough water that morning. I'm thinkin that the creatine and dehydration caused some/most of the elevated levels on the metabolic panel.

[Zodiac85]

So I've got my latest results back. This is exactly one week after the first BW discussed above:

LH 1.2 1.2-10.6
FSH 1.8 0.7-10.8
shgb 29 10-50

So the nurse on the phone initially said everything normal (that was not the Dr that gave me the results), but it sure seems like FSH is pretty low and LH is at the very bottom of the chart.

I'm googling like mad now to see if I can understand what that means. Any input is much appreciated.

[powerlifterty16]

nurse should not be anywhere near a dr's office.

[Vettester]

Your HPTA is suppressed. Unless you know specifically the cause (AAS, trauma, narcotics, etc.) you should seek a physician to order an MRI.

Your SHBG value is spot-on. Expected a lower score due to your free test %, but no biggie in that department. Might be a low albumin level contributing to it. Regardless, if you sustain that level of free testosterone , you could essentially do quite well with a testosterone serum level in the 600ng to 700ng range. Just depends on how you feel, and how other variables upstream and downstream balance out.

[Vettester]

Also, would suggest complete and thorough thyroid panels, B12, D3, DHEA, Iron and Ferritin. One of my original HRT physician's is pretty certain that high ferritin contributed to my secondary diagnosis, also causing hypothyroidism and other issues. Donating blood keeps that in check, but I didn't get this figured out til my early 40's.

[Zodiac85]

Thanks for the help.

LH is secreted by the pituitary gland? So the MRI is to rule out any tumor or other abnormality that could be causing this?

And the thyroid, B12, D3, GHEA, Iron and Ferritin tests are just to cover all bases and see what's up? I did have thyroid included in my initial blood test which included TSH, T4, T3 Uptake and Free Thyroxine Index. All were normal (close to the middle of the range), but I can post the values if it would be useful information. Are there other thyroid tests that would be useful or is that sufficient?

The doctor was pretty cool about ordering this last set of tests. I guess we'll see how open she is as we go deeper down the rabbit hole.

And just to be clear, when you said I'd do well at 600 or 700, you're not implying that I would be ok to run a cycle? :-) I'm anxious to do it, but I'm trying to do everything right.

Edit: I can't think of any reason why LH would be low, ie AAS, trauma, narcotics, etc.

Edit 2: You mentioned Albumin. That was also included in my original test.

Albumin, Serum 4.7 3.5-5.5

[Zodiac85]

Also, I understand Clomid stimulates LH which seems to be my issue here. Is that on the radar yet? I imagine you're going to say figure it out first. But I thought I'd ask.

[powerlifterty16]

yup clomid is a good option

[Zodiac85]

yup clomid is a good option

Clomid would just be a temporary solution though, right? Meaning it might help while I take it, but I'd just revert back when I stop?