Lab results help

[Martinriggz]

I have not started TRT yet, I have been having trouble finding a doctor who knows what they’re doing. I have had low test levels since around 18-20 yrs old. Urologist at that time didn’t do anything for it. Wanted to see if I could get some insight into my numbers male/33 lift 5 days a week

Total-247ng/dl
Free-62pg/ml
SHBG-14
Estradiol- <15
Lh-1.6
FSH-4.6

Essentially want to know if TRT is the way to go or if there’s another avenue to go down first. Any advice would be great

Thanks

 

[Bolan]

Welcome to ASF....
Shitty numbers, find a REAL Doc.
Or start on HRT on your own... but your blood markers will tip off your DR.

 

[Martinriggz]

Welcome to ASF....
Shitty numbers, find a REAL Doc.
Or start on HRT on your own... but your blood markers will tip off your DR.

Thank you.
Is there any threads that help out with recommending doctors in certain states

 

[Bolan]

Thank you.
Is there any threads that help out with recommending doctors in certain states

You could google rejuvenation clinics

 

[Swole_Wes]

Thank you.
Is there any threads that help out with recommending doctors in certain states

Do a search of local Hormone Replacement Clinics in your area. The city i live in only has one. At 247 ng/dl you should qualify for HRT. If you don't have any clinics in your area, you might want to consider an online TRT clinic. Otherwise, as the previous poster suggested, self medicate and monitor your own trt.

 

[Matt88]

Given these numbers and your history of Low T I would say TRT is by far your best option. When you start the TRT it's going to take some getting use to because your body is use to having low T. Expect a ridiculous sex drive, some aggression, mood changes (Likely for the better), etc.

Your Estradiol being that low is a very negative thing as well as estrogen is cardiac and neuro protective, is important for joint health, IGF-1 production etc. Point being is you definitely want to see that raise as well which it will when you start your trt. Just don't let a bad trt doctor drive your Estradiol into the dirt with anastrozole etc. (Some trt docs still believe it needs put in the dirt due to the prostate cancer risk but this has been disproven and there are studies to prove it.

Lots and lots of HRT/TRT clinics out there that you can via zoom or phone calls as long as you don't live in a state that doesn't allow this. Many of them are VERY expensive and insurance won't generally cover these out of state clinics. Generally these are cash services. Just shop around and make sure you're getting the best deal you can. I do my own TRT and monitor it all with lab work so I'm not much help on suggesting a doctor. If you choose to go the route of self TRT there a LOT of things you would need to learn in order to do it safely including reading your own blood work etc. Now of course you can just wing it but that's not the "safe" way to do it imo. Also like Bolan said your primary care doc may see changes in your routine blood work that would have to be explained and telling your doctor you are using a controlled substance isn't always the best way to go. It's a lot to consider obviously.

 

[Xan]

It’s the low end, but might not hit threshold for your insurance company.

But if you have a good doc, you can get a script and use goodrx, etc.

Most supplemts are crap, but have you tried DHEA for example? And won’t shut your balls down.

 

[Martinriggz]

You could google rejuvenation clinics

thank you !

 

[Martinriggz]

Given these numbers and your history of Low T I would say TRT is by far your best option. When you start the TRT it's going to take some getting use to because your body is use to having low T. Expect a ridiculous sex drive, some aggression, mood changes (Likely for the better), etc.

Your Estradiol being that low is a very negative thing as well as estrogen is cardiac and neuro protective, is important for joint health, IGF-1 production etc. Point being is you definitely want to see that raise as well which it will when you start your trt. Just don't let a bad trt doctor drive your Estradiol into the dirt with anastrozole etc. (Some trt docs still believe it needs put in the dirt due to the prostate cancer risk but this has been disproven and there are studies to prove it.

Lots and lots of HRT/TRT clinics out there that you can via zoom or phone calls as long as you don't live in a state that doesn't allow this. Many of them are VERY expensive and insurance won't generally cover these out of state clinics. Generally these are cash services. Just shop around and make sure you're getting the best deal you can. I do my own TRT and monitor it all with lab work so I'm not much help on suggesting a doctor. If you choose to go the route of self TRT there a LOT of things you would need to learn in order to do it safely including reading your own blood work etc. Now of course you can just wing it but that's not the "safe" way to do it imo. Also like Bolan said your primary care doc may see changes in your routine blood work that would have to be explained and telling your doctor you are using a controlled substance isn't always the best way to go. It's a lot to consider obviously.

Thanks for the response! I have been looking around at online clinics and comparing reviews/pricing. I checked my insurance and I am below the threshold so it SHOULD be covered but who knows. I wanted to try and get it covered by insurance but didnt want to get a doc that either just throws shit at the wall and see's what sticks. And yeah my E2 being low i can feel all those side effects of it. If I'm not an alcoholic/obese/super sedentary/terrible eater, is there anything else I should check before setting my sights on TRT. I don't mind being on it/injecting just want to make sure I do my due diligence first.

 

[Matt88]

Thanks for the response! I have been looking around at online clinics and comparing reviews/pricing. I checked my insurance and I am below the threshold so it SHOULD be covered but who knows. I wanted to try and get it covered by insurance but didnt want to get a doc that either just throws shit at the wall and see's what sticks. And yeah my E2 being low i can feel all those side effects of it. If I'm not an alcoholic/obese/super sedentary/terrible eater, is there anything else I should check before setting my sights on TRT. I don't mind being on it/injecting just want to make sure I do my due diligence first.

Well, in order to use your insurance, the issue is finding a doctor locally that will do it. It has to be a local provider within your network so your primary care doc or any other local doctor in your network. I'm not going to say "all" as I don't know for sure but all the out of state hrt/trt clinics I've seen are cash only services so they don't accept insurance.

I just don't want you to spend hours looking at out of clinics just to find out when you contact them that they are a cash only service and even if they would bill your insurance it would be out of network anyway.

Yeah there is some other things you could check but it's not gonna change the end result of trt being the way forward given how young you was when it was first discovered. You could check dhea and dhea-s but even it it's low I would supplement it in addition to trt. Not in place of. Could also check vitamin D. If you're going the doctor route for your trt I'd just wait and let them order what they want specifically or else you're gonna have to pay for labs multiple times.

 

[Martinriggz]

Well, in order to use your insurance, the issue is finding a doctor locally that will do it. It has to be a local provider within your network so your primary care doc or any other local doctor in your network. I'm not going to say "all" as I don't know for sure but all the out of state hrt/trt clinics I've seen are cash only services so they don't accept insurance.

I just don't want you to spend hours looking at out of clinics just to find out when you contact them that they are a cash only service and even if they would bill your insurance it would be out of network anyway.

Yeah there is some other things you could check but it's not gonna change the end result of trt being the way forward given how young you was when it was first discovered. You could check dhea and dhea-s but even it it's low I would supplement it in addition to trt. Not in place of. Could also check vitamin D. If you're going the doctor route for your trt I'd just wait and let them order what they want specifically or else you're gonna have to pay for labs multiple times.

Ok yeah most of them were cash that I checked. I believe I may have found a doctor through some reddit researching so I am going to give them a call monday and get an appt with them. But yeah I figured that TRT would probably be my end result(which is fine). And Thank you. I really appreciate your insight and help with this.

 

[Matt88]

Ok yeah most of them were cash that I checked. I believe I may have found a doctor through some reddit researching so I am going to give them a call monday and get an appt with them. But yeah I figured that TRT would probably be my end result(which is fine). And Thank you. I really appreciate your insight and help with this.

I think once you get a few weeks into TRT it will be life changing for you in a good way! Goodluck sir and let me know if you come up with any questions I can answer etc

 

[Martinriggz]

I think once you get a few weeks into TRT it will be life changing for you in a good way! Goodluck sir and let me know if you come up with any questions I can answer etc

Hey, Back again! I got a doc appointment set-up for october so hopefully that pans out well. I had a question about my SHBG, I keep seeing people state how people with low SHBG are poor responders to TRT or have to inject EOD/ED. Would my SHBG be considered low at 14? or would it more so be that its low due to being low in test/E2. I was getting confused as to why my test is 245 but my free T is 62 and if the free T was being pushed up due to low SHBG.

 

[Matt88]

Hey, Back again! I got a doc appointment set-up for october so hopefully that pans out well. I had a question about my SHBG, I keep seeing people state how people with low SHBG are poor responders to TRT or have to inject EOD/ED. Would my SHBG be considered low at 14? or would it more so be that its low due to being low in test/E2. I was getting confused as to why my test is 245 but my free T is 62 and if the free T was being pushed up due to low SHBG.

I would venture to say your SHBG being low has to do with your Test/E2 levels. I would not feel comfortable making a judgement call like this until your test and e2 are brought up. I would not worry about this atm. Just to cover all bases.....Do you take a multi vitamin that contains boron? Boron can lower shbg but it doesn`t work for everyone. It does work very well for a lot of people though.

I would not start out with ED shots. Being new to TRT you will quickly burn your self out and grow to hate your shots. Once giving your self shots becomes part of your routine then perhaps but I would wait till you get going. I`d start out with a 2 or 3 day a week pinning schedule. I personally like Mon, Wed and Fri bc that is where I feel my best opposed to 2x a wk. I do not personally feel a benefit with ED vs EOD (or in my case Mon, Wed and Fri). I like my shots to fall on the same days each week and I am a creature of habit.

Everyone respond differently and you may have to play around with your pinning schedule to find what works best for you but this is a minor thing atm. It`s a thing I would not concern my self with atm. Keep that knowledge in the back of your mind though and keep reading and researching! The more you can learn the better.

Come back with any other questions you think of

 

[Martinriggz]

I would venture to say your SHBG being low has to do with your Test/E2 levels. I would not feel comfortable making a judgement call like this until your test and e2 are brought up. I would not worry about this atm. Just to cover all bases.....Do you take a multi vitamin that contains boron? Boron can lower shbg but it doesn`t work for everyone. It does work very well for a lot of people though.

I would not start out with ED shots. Being new to TRT you will quickly burn your self out and grow to hate your shots. Once giving your self shots becomes part of your routine then perhaps but I would wait till you get going. I`d start out with a 2 or 3 day a week pinning schedule. I personally like Mon, Wed and Fri bc that is where I feel my best opposed to 2x a wk. I do not personally feel a benefit with ED vs EOD (or in my case Mon, Wed and Fri). I like my shots to fall on the same days each week and I am a creature of habit.

Everyone respond differently and you may have to play around with your pinning schedule to find what works best for you but this is a minor thing atm. It`s a thing I would not concern my self with atm. Keep that knowledge in the back of your mind though and keep reading and researching! The more you can learn the better.

Come back with any other questions you think of

ok Awesome, will do. thank you!

 

[Martinriggz]

Hey @Matt88

I recently got some more bloodwork done as I am hopefully going to be going through insurance/urologist.

My prolactin levels came back high in the bloodwork , my prolactin level is 24.1ng/ml.

Is this something that would be a byproduct of the low test/low e2 or causing either one of those? Or could it be something that points to what may be causing the whole issue?

 

[Matt88]

Hey @Matt88

I recently got some more bloodwork done as I am hopefully going to be going through insurance/urologist.

My prolactin levels came back high in the bloodwork , my prolactin level is 24.1ng/ml.

Is this something that would be a byproduct of the low test/low e2 or causing either one of those? Or could it be something that points to what may be causing the whole issue?

There are some things I look at/look for with elevated prolactin so I need to ask some questions before we determine a cause.

Are you any antidepressants such as an SSRI?

Smoke weed or use THC products?

Use kratom?

What all (if any) medications are you on?

If you don't want to dicuss any of this openly you can send me a DM but if you don't mind then an open conversation is good as it could help someone else later down the road

 

[Martinriggz]

There are some things I look at/look for with elevated prolactin so I need to ask some questions before we determine a cause.

Are you any antidepressants such as an SSRI?

Smoke weed or use THC products?

Use kratom?

What all (if any) medications are you on?

If you don't want to dicuss any of this openly you can send me a DM but if you don't mind then an open conversation is good as it could help someone else later down the road

Yeah I don’t mind keeping it open. So no weed/thc and no kratom. I do take Wellbutrin/propranolol and generic lexapro.

However they are all fairly new in the last year, well after my first low t test back when I was younger, however this was my first prolactin test, so then I’d assume the lexapro is what’s shooting it up? Propanolol is 20 mg and lexapro is 10 mg

 

[Matt88]

Yeah I don’t mind keeping it open. So no weed/thc and no kratom. I do take Wellbutrin/propranolol and generic lexapro.

However they are all fairly new in the last year, well after my first low t test back when I was younger, however this was my first prolactin test, so then I’d assume the lexapro is what’s shooting it up? Propanolol is 20 mg and lexapro is 10 mg

Yes I would venture to say the lexapro is the cause. No way to know that for sure but it's a strong possibility.

 

[Fletcher]

I have not started TRT yet, I have been having trouble finding a doctor who knows what they’re doing. I have had low test levels since around 18-20 yrs old. Urologist at that time didn’t do anything for it. Wanted to see if I could get some insight into my numbers male/33 lift 5 days a week

Total-247ng/dl
Free-62pg/ml
SHBG-14
Estradiol- <15
Lh-1.6
FSH-4.6

Essentially want to know if TRT is the way to go or if there’s another avenue to go down first. Any advice would be great

Thanks

You are so low brother.

Ive been at this for 30+ years. If you want help. Pm me.



Side note to veteran members: WTAF is going on lately??? Are you guys seeing the insanity of these new posts lately. I know we always have some but holy shit man... its getting really common.

 

[Fletcher]

Thank you.
Is there any threads that help out with recommending doctors in certain states

Doctors will give just enough to charge you insane prices for it.

Take your health in your own hands.

 

[Glycomann]

You are so low brother.

Ive been at this for 30+ years. If you want help. Pm me.



Side note to veteran members: WTAF is going on lately??? Are you guys seeing the insanity of these new posts lately. I know we always have some but holy shit man... its getting really common.

Our medical system is totally out of control. That's part of it combined with toxins, inactivity, fucked up social reconstruction.

 

[ruffus]

Women can get estrogen like it is candy with little testing. Yet testosterone is treated like it is an additive drug and needs close scrutiny.

 

[Matt88]

Women can get estrogen like it is candy with little testing. Yet testosterone is treated like it is an additive drug and needs close scrutiny.

Given how much the nautral testosterone levels are declining overtime it is obvious they want us all to be unicorns that fart rainbows

 

[ruffus]

Given how much the nautral testosterone levels are declining overtime it is obvious they want us all to be unicorns that fart rainbows

They changed the laws on testosterone back in the 90's before it was well documented about the falling rates. women were very vocal about getting laws changed in their favor decades ago as politicians did not want to loose votes and still do today with pushing their agenda.. Men just roll over and take it. I find.

 

[JJB1]

The government wants the people to be weak, pliable, easily controlled and manipulated. Fuck them! Some TRT docs will bring you up to 800, and some as high as 1,200, on testosterone levels. I have no faith in doctors! I like controlling my own fate by taking the hormones I feel I need to be at my best.

 

[Matt88]

They changed the laws on testosterone back in the 90's before it was well documented about the falling rates. women were very vocal about getting laws changed in their favor decades ago as politicians did not want to loose votes and still do today with pushing their agenda.. Men just roll over and take it. I find.

I agree completely sir. I also think that this has been in the works for decades. I think they have a very specific timeline and that they plan ahead. Decades ahead.

I am not disagreeing with you by any means but I do think that there are many layers to this cake.

 

[ruffus]

I agree completely sir. I also think that this has been in the works for decades. I think they have a very specific timeline and that they plan ahead. Decades ahead.

I am not disagreeing with you by any means but I do think that there are many layers to this cake.

Maybe they do. But i remember when Bidens son was whining about how unfair it was trying to make the college football team because everyone was on steroids but him. And daddy quickly jumped into the get those unfair substances made illegal. And they were harming out youth. There was not much push to change the law till Biden stepped in. The AMA came forward and said that testosterone by definition didn't qualify to be made into the classification that the government placed it. And men put up with it. And Dr went along worth it as government often sets the medical policy in the US.
I think the noisy wheel gets the grease. Women stood up for themselves and started voting different and got their way.

 

[Valdosta]

what are your symptoms from low t? some people function totally fine at those levels. if its not actually a problem, then it doesnt need correcting

 

[Martinriggz]

what are your symptoms from low t? some people function totally fine at those levels. if its not actually a problem, then it doesnt need correcting

at this point too many to count. LIbido issues/energy issues/low motivation, emotionally blunted, nothing changes my mood, no excitement/happiness. Irritability/annoyed/Overheating/sweating at night for no reason. and just a general lack of wanting to do anything, if im not working all i want to do is be horizontal. I still force myself to workout 4 days a week, but its just a drag each time that just feels like im going through the motions.