LAB Results, Please someone expert help..

[supernatural28]

HI. I just got my lab results back..I need someone who has experience to help. I did blood tests and a saliva hormone test. I live in Canada so the units might be different. I hope someone knows how to convert them and confirm if my conversions are correct.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Age:29
Male
5'9"
150 lbs.
I have all the symptoms of low testosterone except low libido. I have low energy, low strength. I can't go to gym regularly. I don't see results. Let's not forget I had severe digestion problems for 10 years..it is better now..but not totally gone...
----------------------------------------------------------

So recently did a blood work for Total testosterone and some other stuff..Here are the results...

Total Testosterone: 12.7 nmol/l 8.4-28.7 (so if you convert 12.7 nmol to ng/dl you get 366) please someone confirm. This is low for my age.

Free Testosterone : 89.9 PMOL/L 15.6-146 (Ok. Something is weird with this....If I convert 89.9 pmol/l to pg/ml, it is 25.9 pg/ml...!!! isn't free testosterone suppose to be between 50-210 pg/ml ?? In that case how come the normal range for pmol says it is normal?

Vitamin D and rbc Magnesium normal surprisingly. Zinc serum is on the low side...I will test RBC zinc along with copper soon. I know I have low zinc.

Thyrotropin (sensitive tsh) 1.37 mIU/L normal range being: 0.35 -5.00


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SALIVA HORMONE TEST REPORT

Estradiol 2.5 pg/ml 0.80-6.6

Bioavailable Testosterone 120 pg/ml 43-150

DHEAS 9.7 ng/ml 4.0-15

Here where the problem is:

Cortisol AM 10.0 ng/ml 2.0-11 (morning cortisol is high)

Cortisol HS <0.20 ng/ml 0.20-1.3 (Bedtime cortisol is very low,,that's why i can't fall asleep easily)

__________________________________________________ ____________________

I will do a test for SHBG, potassium, sodium, vitamin C soon.


When I told my naturopath that my testosterone level is low, He says he disagrees. He wants to fix the main cause which is cortisol...He says when the cortisol is balanced your testosterone should go up..(tho I don't think so)....Is this true..Yes my main problem is stress and cortisol and it steals it from testosterone. But it is kinda hard to imagine it being going up naturally..What do you guys think..Please help..What should I do..What other tests I should run. Do I really need testosterone right away...Or I should just focus on balancing my cortisol...I know lifestyle and diet will help but my job is very stressful and it is tough preparing food and going to the gym with no energy...I hope everything will be ok..

[Allaaro]

Low energy and low strength....point towards lack of sleep and a bad diet first. With those numbers, you look healthy. Free test is more important than total.

How many years have you trained? How many calories you eat? What type of foods? What type of workouts you do? I think these are the issues here. It takes time to build strength.

[supernatural28]

Can someone tell me if the free testosterone is normal. When I convert the 89.9 pmol/l to pg/ml..it comes as 25.9 pg/ml? What is the normal range for free testosterone?

Total testosterone is 366.. i need more answers..thanks..

[kelkel]

Well, first it appears your total is low based on what your giving us. Your Free T is not bad but we really need to see more complete BW to fully assess this. Odd range though. Vit D is normal? Give us the level and range. Just being within the range is not always a good thing. You want to be at the high end of the range for D, not the low end. D will increase your free T by lowering the binding by SHBG. Yours is probably already low. A full thyroid panel would be great as well, even though TSH looks good it is a weak indicator. In the Finding a Doc Sticky is an example of blood work. Post up anything else you have as well please.

Don't know if your estradiol test is a sensitive assay. If not it's not much use to you. DHEA doesn't appear bad but it's always better at the higher end of the scale. You can supplement with a micronized version. Read GD's sticky on DHEA/Pregnenolone.

Cortisol can and will suppress your testosterone levels. Elevated stress = elevated cortisol = lower test levels. Your bodies hormones all work together and when one thing is off it effects others. Inactivity leads to loss of muscle and if you add stress/cortisol to that equation it just makes it worse. So, lifestyle plays a part here. Exercise to decrease cortisol which will also improve T levels. Hydrate well also to keep everything working well.


http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2011/...ortisol_02.htm

[supernatural28]

Well, first it appears your total is low based on what your giving us. Your Free T is not bad but we really need to see more complete BW to fully assess this. Odd range though. Vit D is normal? Give us the level and range. Just being within the range is not always a good thing. You want to be at the high end of the range for D, not the low end. D will increase your free T by lowering the binding by SHBG. Yours is probably already low. A full thyroid panel would be great as well, even though TSH looks good it is a weak indicator. In the Finding a Doc Sticky is an example of blood work. Post up anything else you have as well please.

Don't know if your estradiol test is a sensitive assay. If not it's not much use to you. DHEA doesn't appear bad but it's always better at the higher end of the scale. You can supplement with a micronized version. Read GD's sticky on DHEA/Pregnenolone.

Cortisol can and will suppress your testosterone levels. Elevated stress = elevated cortisol = lower test levels. Your bodies hormones all work together and when one thing is off it effects others. Inactivity leads to loss of muscle and if you add stress/cortisol to that equation it just makes it worse. So, lifestyle plays a part here. Exercise to decrease cortisol which will also improve T levels. Hydrate well also to keep everything working well.


http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2011/...ortisol_02.htm

Thanks kelkel for the answer.

Blood test says the free testosterone is normal 89.9..but when i convert this from pmol to pg/ml it is 25.9..The normal levels for free test is 50 to 120. Something is wrong here..

25-Hydroxy VITAMIN D: 103 nmol/L 75-250

Magnesium RBC: 2.05 mmol/L 1.70-2.70

Vitamin B12 866 pmol/L (high) 198-615 (i tested b12 5 months ago and it was only 398, so the supplement i took probably worked)

zinc serum 13 12-19 ( I will test for RBC zinc and copper...I know i have low zinc.)

I will do some other blood tests..SHBG and other minerals..

So the question is this...if I balance my cortisol..will my testosterone go high..or it is not very easy? I just don't have enough energy..too much stress on my body,, i feel exhausted..Those adrenal support supplements might not even work..My appetite is not great as well..This is one of the main cause..as well as weak digestion.

[HRTstudent]

Well crap, I had a more in depth reply but lost it lol.

Cliff notes are...

You are better off measuring some vitamins and minerals in the cell where they are stored rather than in the blood. For example, your zinc test is in the serum, where this would be able to tell you if you had toxicity, but not necessarily if you had healthy/optimal cell levels of zinc. To test this, unfortunately, might be expensive and not covered by insurance. Spectracell offers such a test.

That D test has a different range than what you see in the states. But on that test, you are on the low end! If I had those numbers I would start taking 5,000IU of D3 with breakfast. It's a cheap supplement. Sunlight works too.... but I guess good luck getting sun in Canada in January!

Finally, in regard to your free test. You can't readily compare different tests to different labs. They all have their own intricacies, accuracy, and precision. So, take what info you have and use that. But if you try to convert that into some number and compare it to a range done on different equipment... you are probably doing yourself more confusion than anything. When I look at your numbers I see your testosterone total appears to be low for your age, but your free testosterone is Okay. What does this mean? Well, that's a good question because the significance of free testosterone is debatable. Some GOOD doctors don't even use free testosterone and instead focus solely on total testosterone.

[kelkel]

Who knows how high it can raise it but it's obviously worth the effort. Lifestyle plays into this greatly as well. Do what you have to do to minimize the stress in your life, supplement properly and see what happens.

[supernatural28]

Well crap, I had a more in depth reply but lost it lol.

Cliff notes are...

You are better off measuring some vitamins and minerals in the cell where they are stored rather than in the blood. For example, your zinc test is in the serum, where this would be able to tell you if you had toxicity, but not necessarily if you had healthy/optimal cell levels of zinc. To test this, unfortunately, might be expensive and not covered by insurance. Spectracell offers such a test.

That D test has a different range than what you see in the states. But on that test, you are on the low end! If I had those numbers I would start taking 5,000IU of D3 with breakfast. It's a cheap supplement. Sunlight works too.... but I guess good luck getting sun in Canada in January!

Finally, in regard to your free test. You can't readily compare different tests to different labs. They all have their own intricacies, accuracy, and precision. So, take what info you have and use that. But if you try to convert that into some number and compare it to a range done on different equipment... you are probably doing yourself more confusion than anything. When I look at your numbers I see your testosterone total appears to be low for your age, but your free testosterone is Okay. What does this mean? Well, that's a good question because the significance of free testosterone is debatable. Some GOOD doctors don't even use free testosterone and instead focus solely on total testosterone.

They say Red blood Cell Zinc (RBC zinc) is the most accurate. I meant to test it last time.. But the doctor forgot to write rbc on the sheet. I ll test it in couple days along with SHBG.

I have been using Vitamin D 5000 IU supplement since last month..couple times a day..may be around 20.000 IU a day.

I also have this to add;

HEMATOLOGY

Hemoglobin 149 135-180
hematocrit 0.444 0.37-0.54
wbc count 7.3 4-11
rbc count 4.85 4.50-6.50
mcv 91.6 80-97
mch 30 27-32
mchc 335 320-360
rdw 13.9 11-14.5

platelet count 188 150-400
neutros 3.7 2-7.5
lymph 2.8 1.1-3.3
mono 0.5 0-0.8
eos 0.2 0-0.5
baso 0.0 0.0-0.2


Everything looks good on the above chart?

Do you think a naturopath can prescribe testosterone injection? I kinda think he wouldn't, he even thinks 366 is ok...Or do you have to talk to a hrt doctor. There is one around here but the next appointment is next year...

[kelkel]

Looks fine. I can't imagine you need 20K IU D per day. Not familiar with naturopath's at all and know of no onw who sees one. It doesn't have to be a specific HRT doc. Just a doc who understands hormonal health and will work with you as a person, not a number.

[supernatural28]

Ok. Thanks. If I use a cycle to bring my testosterone levels back to normal. After finishing the cycle..is my testosterone levels will go back to where it was or will stay normal? How does it work?

[kelkel]

Real bad idea. It doesn't work that way. If you cycle your endogenous production shuts down (HPTA shutdown) and your living off the injected testosterone. Yes, your levels can be as high as you want them but it comes with a myriad of issues to deal with such as estrogen, RBC, Hematocrit, testicular shrinkage. Take it from a TRT-er, nobody wants to be on TRT unless they have to.

Then to come off properly you will need to run a proper pct protocol to hopefully get your system back to the level it was prior to the cycle. IF, and I emphasize IF, you are lucky.

Simply put, you go back to where you were before or possibly less.

[HRTstudent]

ditto on: Real bad idea. It doesn't work that way.