Hi everyone,
I have some test results that I believe point to secondary hypogonad. I’m hoping you guys can check it out and advise a next course of action. I know there is something wrong, but I’m not sure what it is. I’ve just recently come to the point where I can’t take it anymore and I’ve done every non-pharma / medical option for losing weight.
age: 24 (nearly 25)
height: 5’ 10"
waist: 35 inches
weight: 208
describe body and facial hair: Have all my hair, it’s considered very “light”, “fluffy”, or “dry” by most. Just started growing a mustache this year (24), but could grow a beard at 15. Though, some things have happened between.
describe where you carry fat and how changed:
I carry fat in my lower stomach mostly. Minorly in my chest and love handles.
I have some decent stretch marks/ skin so it’s tough to tell if the skin is stretched or there is fat in certain areas.
health conditions, symptoms [history]:
Asthma, Allergies (all environmental), depression, anxiety
A quick history:
I was about 300 lbs in high school. Dropped 150 my senior year (17 yo), mostly 100 in 6 months to 150 to start college. Did that by basically fasting/ eating only vegetables. Constantly would black out, zero energy, etc. but I was young and stupid. Interestingly I would stop losing weight for weeks and when I eventually uncontrollably binged for a night I would lose weight very fast again.
In college I entered freshmen year a skinny fat 150-160 lb. Went up to 190 my freshmen year with the all you can eat cafeteria. Really, I actually started eating again…
Started lifting the end of freshmen year and through the rest of college. Took my squat from 135 → 385, bench 95 → 245, and dead 135 → 405 (rarely trained dead).
in college I had an incredibly clean diet and was always focused on getting down to abs. Sprints 2x a week, hockey or some sport 2x a week, and good lifting programs 4x week.
Ended college at 210 ish. Weight fluctuated throughout, but could never get down to abs or really even close.
Quick lifting aside: post undergrad I’ve lifted a 450 squat, 535 DL, and 315 bench. That was when I allowed myself 2600 cals/ day for 3 months. I also gained 30 lbs in those months. I’m way stronger post college, but not being able to eat hinders me massively.
I’ve worked with some good coaches to try to get lean since and they’ve all essentially gotten me down to 200 body weight and had some success, but after a while we get down to 1800 cals/ day and the progress is so slow that everything fizzles. Eventually they don’t feel right taking the money and I don’t want to pay for no progress. I usually bring my calories back up to 2200 and balloon up in weight. I can gain weight FAST.
Recently I decided that I’d really try to get lean. I have brought my calories down to an average of about 1500 cals/ day and I’m stalled here. I can try to go lower, but at this point I realize that with at least 12% body fat at these cals/ day there is something wrong.
I also have had a bunch of trouble sleeping and splitting headaches/ brain fog. Between the two it’s given me some ability to see a doctor.
Rx and OTC drugs, any hair loss drugs or prostate drugs ever:
Nope
real dangers! see this propeciahelp.com/overview28:
None listed.
lab results with ranges:
- the doctor said she would run everything I asked for. She didn’t. Here is what I have:
Lutenizing hormone (Lh) 2.9 mIU/mL (1.4 – 7 .77)
Follicle Stimulating Horm (FSH): 2.8 mIU/mL (2.5 – 17.7)
Prolactin 9.86 ng/ mL (2.64 – 13.13)
Testosterone (total) 443 ng / dL (240 – 950)
Testosterone (free) 13.3 ng / dL (5.25 – 20.7)
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH): 29 pg/ mL (15 – 66)
ACTH test:
Baseline cortisol: 12.6 ug/dL (5- 25)
60 min cortisol: 23.6 (5 – 25)
Triiodothyronine (T3) total: 117 ng/dL (80 – 178)
rT3: 20.2 ng/dL (9.2- 24.1)
TSH: 2.44 uIU/ mL (0.34 – 5.66)
Thyroxine, free (t4) 1.09 ng/dL (0.52 – 1.21)
*Added rT3 on 8-25-16
Cholesterol (total) 156 mg/ dL (< 200 mg / dL, 200 – 239)
Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL): 102 mg/ dL (<100, 100 – 189)
HDL 42 mg / dL (<40 - >60)
Triglyceride 59 mg / dL (< 150)
Hemoglobin A1C: 4.8% (<6.5%)
Average Blood Glucose: 86 mg/ dL
Ferritin: 91 ng/mL (11 – 204 ng/ mL)
Vitamin B12: 438 pg/ mL (123 730 pg /mL)
Vitamin D total (25- OH): 50 ng/ mL (30 – 100)
Iron 134 ug/ dL (50 – 160)
Total iron binding capacity 359 ug/dL (261 – 478)
Percent Transferrin Saturation 37% (15 – 55)
Hepatic function panel (HFP)
protein, total: 7.4 g/ dL (5.8 – 7.8)
albumin 4.5 g / dL (3.5 – 4.8)
bilirubin, total 2.5 mg/ dL (0.4 - 1.5)
bilirubin conjugated 0.3 mg/ dL (0.1 – 0.6)
Alkaline phosphatase 65 U/ L (24 – 110)
General blood (CBC) and all looked good. No E2, rT3, or SHBG
(I asked, and did not recieve. She messed up entering into the computer and it was a mess anyway)
-------------------- edit --------------------
Estradiol, serum 29 pg / mL (8 - 35)
Free Estradiol 3% (1.7 - 5.4)
Free estradiol, serum 0.87 pg / mL (0.2 - 1.5)
SHBG 36.3 nmol/ L (16.5 - 55.9 )
Thyroid stimulating immunoglob <1.0 TSI index (<1.3 TSI index)
Alpha Subunit (free) 0.29 ng/ mL (< 0.55)
-------------------- end edit -------------------- JC 8-24-16
describe diet [some create substantial damage with starvation diets]:
My guess is I did my damage in late high school and it’s never been fixed.
I could fill diet in to a T every day. And I track it all. Honestly it’s pretty much, chicken, cheese, butter/coconut oil, and rice when that’s part of the plan.
describe training [some ruin there hormones by over training]:
Very powerlifting style 4x a week. I basically run 5/3/1 with a medium amount of accessories. I haven’t done any “bodybuilding” or really even reps above 10. I just started doing bodybuilding accessories in the last 4 months and I LOVE it. Mostly just arms and back work for now, but I’ll transfer to legs and chest soon.
testes ache, ever, with a fever:
my balls do hurt sometimes… I never knew that would be related.
-how have morning wood and nocturnal erections changed:
I haven’t gotten morning wood since I was 16… so I guess it’s changed quite a bit. I get an erection is I decide to jerk off or if my lady initiates, that’s pretty much it.
Well, that’s my story. I think I might have some form of secondary hypogonad. I’d love to know what you guys think and what tests I should ask for moving forward.
Really thank you guys for the service you provide to everyone. I’ve loved reading through these cases and enjoying the thought process and results for people.