Would HRT help me? (Labs)

[Paopao]

28 year old male here. Here are my labs (some of them, anyway), I don't understand how my hormones can seem to be fine yet still feel like I do. I am posting this in the hopes of getting more insight, and wondering if I should consider HRT. Honestly I don't know of any other option.

A handful of years ago my libido plummeted to near zero, machinery stopped working correctly, and I loss most of my interest in my hobbies. I also began experiencing random attacks of fatigue, even though I didn't physically get weaker and somehow manage to stay in great shape.

When I say my machinery stopped working correctly, I would like to note that I could still have kids if my life depended on it. But it feels extraordinarily ... anti-climactic. Sex has gone from something I wanted most to something I avoid at all costs.

I am also almost constantly irritable.

I've tried basically every single antidepressant you've ever heard of. I eat fine; as I said, I appear to be perfectly healthy, and have been since long before this. So when I mention these problems to doctors they generally insinuate that I should see a shrink. Been there, done that. They just want to prescribe me more of the same stuff my past doctors have, which usually doesn't do much except worsen the sexual problems (if that's even possible).

I have never messed with steroids or prohormones. Other things occasionally, but nothing crazy, and I don't see how that could have affected me for so long.

TSH3	3.93	mIU/mL	0.34 - 5.6
Free T₃	4.0	pg/mL	2.5 - 3.9
Free T₄	1.13	ng/dL	0.60 - 1.50
SHBG	23.2		13.3 - 89.5
Testosterone	440.7	ng/dL	168.0 - 781.0
Free Testosterone Percent	66.1	Calculation based on results for SHBG and Total Testosterone
DHEA-S	610.7	ug/dL	85 - 690
hGH2	1.119	ng/mL	0.003 - 0.971
Luteinizing Hormone	6.50	mIU/mL	1.24 - 8.62
Estradiol	20.8	pg/mL
Progesterone	1.84	ng/mL	0.14 - 2.06
Prolactin	18.71	ng/mL	2.64 - 13.13
Cholesterol	122.9	mg/dL	0.0 - 200.0
Triglycerides	53.1	mg/dL	0.0 - 200.0
HDL Cholesterol	49.5	mg/dL	> 40
LDL	62.9	Calculation

Prolactin and Human Growth Hormone are marked "High" on the report by the way.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. My main motivation for posting here is that I saw on Reddit a lot of people praising the benefits of HRT even though they had normal labs. Life is pointless without a libido. I never understood how true this is before.

[Test Monsterone]

I'm not sure what your free testosterone "percentage" means. When I get labs, it's usually a number... the normal range is between 8-25 pg/ml. And again, for the growth hormone, they typically test IGF-1, not "HGH." HGH is what you can take exogenously, but in the body, it's IGF-1 that is measured.

Usually when you get your labs back, they include a range. Because various labs/countries report levels using different units of measurement, it's important to include these ranges when asking for advice.

With that said, I'll tell you what my levels were with the average ranges:

Total T: 470 ng/dl (264 - 916)
Free T: 11.6 pg/ml (8.7 - 25.1)
IGF-1: 330 ng/ml (88 - 264)

As you can see, my total T was similar to yours, but my Free T was on the lower side of normal. I suspect this is the same with you. My IGF-1 was higher than the normal range. I don't know, we may be suffering from the same thing. I did this bloodwork on my own and didn't go through a doctor to verify why my levels were the way they were, so I can't give you any diagnostic advice. It could be pituitary related because of the increased IGF and decreased testosterone. Some men have small benign tumor on the pituitary that causes an increase in growth hormone and this is often related to gigantism. I would say that most giants (think Andre the Giant) have this tumor. For many, however, the effects aren't noticed until later in mid-life in the form of increased finger width, brow, jaw line, nose, etc. Anyway, don't want to get side-tracked here, you can read more about it.

Now, although your Total T is within the normal range, albeit on the lower side of normal, it's Free T that actually counts. The rest is bound and cannot be used. If you have low free T, it very well could lead to the symptoms you describe.


I feel pretty good on TRT. I didn't have issues with libido, however, but I did have some erection problems (not getting completely hard), and that didn't change. I suspect it's a combination of my blood pressure medicine and physiological phenomena that existed since I was a teenager (never had really hard erections without some form of "help," ie cialis/viagra). My mood has improved since beginning, but it's hard to say that it was 100% from the TRT. Mind you, I do my own TRT, not with a doctor, and I have played around with various doses, including full-blown steroid cycles. I will say that I do best at around 125 - 150 mg/week with around 1000 units of HCG, split up in two doses. I take my HCG the day before my testosterone shot.

I'm sure you're aware, but antidepressants are known to cause erectile dysfunction, even after quitting the drugs. I don't know the concept of not using sexual performance enhancers, as I've been using them since I was 20, which mostly helped when I was on citalopram or BP meds, but they still don't always work.


There is a ton to learn, and 3 years in, I still have a lot to learn. I read a lot before jumping on TRT. The side-effects, possible complications, etc. Do your research, buy some books on steroids/TRT. There's a lot of info out there.

[Paopao]

I'm not sure what your free testosterone "percentage" means. When I get labs, it's usually a number... the normal range is between 8-25 pg/ml. And again, for the growth hormone, they typically test IGF-1, not "HGH." HGH is what you can take exogenously, but in the body, it's IGF-1 that is measured.

Usually when you get your labs back, they include a range. Because various labs/countries report levels using different units of measurement, it's important to include these ranges when asking for advice.

I've updated the table with ranges from my labs. I don't understand what "66.1 Free Testosterone Percent" means either, can anyone decipher this? I found this:

About two-thirds of testosterone circulates in the blood bound to sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and
slightly less than one-third bound to albumin. A small percent (less than 4%) circulates as free testosterone. The
free plus the albumin-bound testosterone is the bioavailable fraction, which can act on target tissues.

My free testosterone percent is 66.1, or two-thirds. That seems backwards?

I feel pretty good on TRT. I didn't have issues with libido, however, but I did have some erection problems (not getting completely hard), and that didn't change. I suspect it's a combination of my blood pressure medicine and physiological phenomena that existed since I was a teenager (never had really hard erections without some form of "help," ie cialis/viagra). My mood has improved since beginning, but it's hard to say that it was 100% from the TRT. Mind you, I do my own TRT, not with a doctor, and I have played around with various doses, including full-blown steroid cycles. I will say that I do best at around 125 - 150 mg/week with around 1000 units of HCG , split up in two doses. I take my HCG the day before my testosterone shot.

I'm sure you're aware, but antidepressants are known to cause erectile dysfunction, even after quitting the drugs. I don't know the concept of not using sexual performance enhancers, as I've been using them since I was 20, which mostly helped when I was on citalopram or BP meds, but they still don't always work.

Thanks for throwing that out there, it does somewhat confirm my suspicions. I didn't have ED as a teen. But I didn't have it while on an antidepressant either though, only after. And you'd think after several years there wouldn't be a single antidepressant molecule left in my body, based on the half-life.

I think I have a lot to read up on, so again, thanks for the advice.