Blood work is in

[hardgainerx]

I am 38 and active but feeling old, sex drive has plummeted, numbers are off in the gym, tired all the time; to me this looked like andropause.

I found an anti aging clinic in NJ and scheduled an appointment, they ordered a laundry list of lab tests.

Here is the upshot

Free Test - 11.8
Total Test - 774
LH - 5.3
Estradiol - 31.5
IGF - 119
Reverse T3 - 15.8
TSH - 3.69
DHEA - 227

Based on everything I have read these are relatively normal results, but I am totally new to this. Last thing I want is for me to waste $400 to see a doctor who will tell me the same thing, or worse get me on something that will mess me up.

I have never taken any steroids before but under the right circumstances would.

Thoughts?

[FlemSnopes]

I am 38 and active but feeling old, sex drive has plummeted, numbers are off in the gym, tired all the time; to me this looked like andropause.

I found an anti aging clinic in NJ and scheduled an appointment, they ordered a laundry list of lab tests.

Here is the upshot

Free Test - 11.8
Total Test - 774
LH - 5.3
Estradiol - 31.5
IGF - 119
Reverse T3 - 15.8
TSH - 3.69
DHEA - 227

Based on everything I have read these are relatively normal results, but I am totally new to this. Last thing I want is for me to waste $400 to see a doctor who will tell me the same thing, or worse get me on something that will mess me up.

I have never taken any steroids before but under the right circumstances would.

Thoughts?

Your Total Testosterone is good but your free T is modest in comparison. Since Free T is what matters, hopefully a doctor would notice that discrepancy before declaring you fine.

11.8 isn't "bad", I guess. It's nearer to the bottom of the usual reference range for guys your age than to the top though (8.7-25.1 being the range referenced for 30-39 year olds in one of the stickys here). I know that when my Free T measured at 17 I felt 100x better than when it measured 10.5 and 7.0.

LH isn't bad.

My guess is that many doctors would tell you you're fine-to-great because of your total t score. Some doctors care more about subjective symptoms than just dry reference ranges, though, so you may find someone willing to listen to how you feel.

You didn't happen to pull SHBG, did you?

[hammerheart]

Total Test is something many young member here would be envious of.

Take a further look into thyroid function, TSH is tad above normal. You need FT4, FT3, and thyroid antibodies (abTPO, abTG).

IGF-1 also is a bit poor.

[hammerheart]

Your Total Testosterone is good but your free T is modest in comparison. Since Free T is what matters, hopefully a doctor would notice that discrepancy before declaring you fine.

11.8 isn't "bad", I guess. It's nearer to the bottom of the usual reference range for guys your age than to the top though (8.7-25.1 being the range referenced for 30-39 year olds in one of the stickys here). I know that when my Free T measured at 17 I felt 100x better than when it measured 10.5 and 7.0.

LH isn't bad.

My guess is that many doctors would tell you you're fine-to-great because of your total t score. Some doctors care more about subjective symptoms than just dry reference ranges, though, so you may find someone willing to listen to how you feel.

You didn't happen to pull SHBG, did you?

SHBG is probably high. Some supplements might be considered here: Vit. D3, Zinc, Boron, fish oil.

[hardgainerx]

Thanks for the thoughts. There is a ton of lab work and it doesn't all correlate to what you requested.

Thyroxine (T4) - 5.7 ug/dl (4.5-12.0)
Triiodothyronine (T3) - 89ng/dl (71-180)
Insulin - 3.3 uIU/ml (2.6-24.9)
Dihydrotestosterone - 85 ng/dl (no range given)
DHEA Serum - 227ng/dl (31-701)
PSA .2ng/ml (0-4)
They ran 2 other codes but called them "Ambiguous test codes" and asked the doctor to call for confirmation.

[hammerheart]

Thanks for the thoughts. There is a ton of lab work and it doesn't all correlate to what you requested.

Thyroxine (T4) - 5.7
Triiodothyronine (T3) - 89
Insulin - 3.3
Dihydrotestosterone - 85
DHEA Serum - 227
PSA .2
They ran 2 other codes but called them "Ambiguous test codes" and asked the doctor to call for confirmation.

Add ranges/units pls.

[hardgainerx]

Done

[hammerheart]

Done

Free ranges would be more useful but imho you can benefit from low dose replacement. It might be hard to convince a doc to prescribe it whilst elevation is still marginal, though. See if you can give the supplements listed above a try.

Does your diet include valuable sources of Iodine? Do you use iodized salt?

That DHT is on the high side. That's as much as I have on ultra-physiological levels of (exogenous) Test. How strange. Must be from the testes.

[hardgainerx]

Diet is very well rounded, plenty of Iodine from salt and shellfish. I take vitamins and used to use fish oil but stopped a year or two ago. Maybe time to get back on it.

Any recommendations for a high quality brand that can be bought in the US, cost isn't an issue.

[Mr.BB]

Cant you post the whole bloodwork? kinda hard to be up and down in the thread, plus is very incomplete.

The best way is to post a pic of it erase any personal info.

[kelkel]

Diet is very well rounded, plenty of Iodine from salt and shellfish. I take vitamins and used to use fish oil but stopped a year or two ago. Maybe time to get back on it.

Any recommendations for a high quality brand that can be bought in the US, cost isn't an issue.