28 Y/O Help Interpreting Bloodwork

I have gone to a doctor and nutritional specialists for an interpretation of my blood work. They both say that my numbers are fine and within range.

But I understand that “within range” is not necessarily equal to wellness and health.

I am 28 years old, male.

I have low libido, no wood in the mornings, mood swings, depressive states in periods where I feel lethargic and demotivated (I am an optimistic go-getter).

I have a semi-boner when having sex, it’s not rock hard as it used to be.
I lack sex drive and I find it difficult staying somewhat hard during intercourse, my sensitivity to touch is very low, it doesn’t really feel ‘good’ when being touched, I don’t really feel anything and I have to really focus in order to get a soft erection.

My level of feeling ‘happy’ is low despite being a guy with a positive mental attitude and a good life. I am not excited by anything really. I have a feeling of anxiety sometimes - it feels as if I have been drinking loads of caffeinated coffee - (I don’t drink coffee)

I am certain that this isn’t psychological.

I am very tired most of the time and all daily tasks are so difficult to get through as if I am bicycling uphill.

My DHEA is very high, so is my cortisol.

I have googled adrenal tumors are linked to high DHEA.

Could you help me interpret my blood work please?:

                                                         RESULTS:               REFERENCE RANGE:

Somatomedina – C (IGF-1) 154 ng/mL (88.00 – 537.00)

17-beta Estradiol 19.2 pg/mL (<39.8)

Estrone 120 pg/mL (25.0 – 150.0)

FSH / Serum 6,13 mUI/mL (1.40 – 18.10)

LH / Serum 3.81 mUI/mL (1.40 – 18.10)

Prolactin 15 ng/mL (3.5 – 19.4)

SHBG 68.9 nmol/L (13.5 – 71.4)

Total Testosterone / serum 10.53 ng/mL (1.66 – 8.11)

Testosterone free 15.40 pg/mL (3.43 -24.00)

DHEA 35.60 ng/mL (3.00 – 11.00)

Cortisol / Serum 19.80 ug/dL (3.70 – 19.40)

T3 free 3.06 pg/mL (1.71 – 3.71)

T4 free 1.23 ng/dL (0.70 – 1.48)

TSH 1.62 uUI/mL (0.35 – 4.94)

Zinc serum 69 ug/dL (60 – 150)

Iron / Serum 56 ug/dL (38 – 160)

Transferrin / Serum 213 mg/dL (200 – 360)

Ferritin 144.50 ng/mL (20.00 – 425.00)

Hemoglobin A1 c:
(HPLC) / ultraviolet-visible detector
4.6 % (4.3 – 6.1)
27 nmol/mol (23 – 43)

Vitamin D 25-OH 46.80 ng/mL (30.00 – 100.00)

AST – GOT 17 U/L (<50)

ALT – GPT 17 U/L (<50)

GAMMA-GT 11 U/L (<55)

Amylase serum 51 U/L (30 – 100)

C Reactive Protein / Serum 0.40 mg/L (<5.00)

Where are you located? Affects diagnostic and treatment options.

What is the time line for these issues?

How have fat levels progressed?

Headaches?
Panic attacks?
Social avoidance?

DHEA status should be evaluated with DHEA-S lab work and DHEA should not be checked directly as DHEA is released in pulses and has a short half-life. DHEA-S levels are a lot more steady.

Cortisol best checked as ‘AM cortisol’ done at 8AM or 1 hour after waking up. What time of day for your labs.

Please eval overall thyroid function via oral body temperatures, see below. Do you feel cold easily? Have you always used iodized salt to support thyroid?

Exact same range for LH and FSH?

IGF-1 is a bit low for your age, this is a measure of your GH status.

How are you sleeping?
List all medications, Rx and OTC.
What exposure have you had to toxins, fumes etc?
Any exposure to heavy metals or flame retardants?
Bromines?

List supplements.

Have you ever used an oral hair loss drug?

How has stress affected your life?

SHBG is oddly high.
SHBG is made in the liver and scavenges sex hormones. Some liver issues can affect SHBG levels. AST/ALT [both the same?] do not indicate liver issues.

Please double check that you note and respond to all points.


Please read the stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman

  • advice for new guys - need more info about you
  • things that damage your hormones
  • protocol for injections
  • finding a TRT doc

Evaluate your overall thyroid function by checking oral body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky. Thyroid hormone fT3 is what gets the job done and it regulates mitochondrial activity, the source of ATP which is the universal currency of cellular energy. This is part of the body’s temperature control loop. This can get messed up if you are iodine deficient. In many countries, you need to be using iodized salt. Other countries add iodine to dairy or bread.

KSman is simply a regular member on this site. Nothing more other than highly active.

I can be a bit abrupt in my replies and recommendations. I have a lot of ground to cover as this forum has become much more active in the last two years. I can’t follow threads that go deep over time. You need to respond to all of my points and requests as soon as possible before you fall off of my radar. The worse problems are guys who ignore issues re thyroid, body temperatures, history of iodized salt. Please do not piss people off saying that lab results are normal, we need lab number and ranges.

The value that you get out of this process and forum depends on your effort and performance. The bulk of your learning is reading/studying the suggested stickies.

Any muscle or leg cramps? Can you tighten a muscle and have it lock up? This is often a simple case of magnesium deficiency and most are deficient to some degree. Magnesium is needed, in large quantities for proper nerve function.

Heart beat irregular?
Pulse and BP?

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I am located in Spain, malaga - this is where I have gotten my bloodwork done.
I am going to Denmark shortly, staying there for a while but I am able to travel.

I noticed the start of all of this 3-4 years ago. The first year or so I didn’t notice it has been worse and diet, sleep, sunlight, healthy training etc has improved on it over the past couple of years focusing on it but it does not seem to clear it up further.

I also wonder whether or not this is something I have had my whole life, since thinking back at my teenage years, I have had periods like this with tiredness and panic attacks when I was 16-17 - nothing major in my life but I remember vaguely having a down period in those years.

I have also had stubborn fat on the lower back on each side (love handles) - that stick.
I have professional experience with diet and training and have been ‘ripped’ and lean all over my body except for that place - it looks ‘unnatural’ and they stick out like ‘humps’. I have had that my whole life.

It’s funny that you ask because I have had them recently- I have had severe headaches. This is not normal to me and I have never suffered from headaches or migraines but The past 4 weeks I have had headaches.

Mild ones especially when I haven’t eaten for a good while.

Yes, especially in periods where it flares up then I don’t even want to go to the supermarket.

So I go to the lab where I went and ask for DHEA-S and they will know?

I did it within 1 hour of waking up around 9AM

I am going through the sticky now to understand what you mean here, there’s a lot to read.

Yes, more towards night time obviously but I get really cold. Cold hands, cold feet. This is on and off in periods during a normal year for me.

I also have had night sweats. Especially during these past 3 months, I wake up soaking wet and If I don’t turn the heater on and sleep with a hoodie, sweatpants, an extra cover and fully covered by the blankets without turning over during night, I wake up shivering.

I have never paid attention to it - I don’t eat much salt - I rarely salt my food. I guess I should start consuming some and Iodizes?

My mistake - FSH: 6.13 LH: 3.81

What can I do about it? Is there a sustainable longterm solution/drug/herb/remedy for this?

I rarely feel well rested after sleep as in “as good as new”. I have had 4-5 times during the past 5 years where I woke up and felt absolutely well rested, thinking to myself this is how sleep should be every day.

I sleep at the right hours between 22-2300 and I sleep at least 8 hours/day, (I don’t wake to an alarm clock but by myself) I don’t eat a couple of hours prior to sleep.

I don’t use any and I have never regularly used them in my life. If I have had an exceptional sore throat (which is very uncommon for me, I very rarely get ‘sick’ then I would use some ibuprofen.

I used to smoke cigarettes as a teenager for 4-5 years
I have tried recreational drugs as a teenager 10-15 times, amfetamines, cocain, and marijuana.
I have gotten really drunk around 10 times or so having ‘blackouts’ as a teen.

I don’t think so, not that I know of and I don’t work or live in a hazardous environment.

I used to drink protein powder shakes for 3-4 years in my teens - I don’t do that anymore.
That’s the only supplements I have taken

No

I have had some stressful event 4-5 years ago that I think helped as a precursor to these things flaring up. But I don’t think they are the cause. Other than that I experience stress like ‘most people’ - normal stress I guess - but I try to manage it and destress when I can.

Can I do something about it? can I lower it?
Yes AST/ALT are both the same.

If I really try or if I haven’t been drinking enough fluid over a period while exerting myself through exercise I get cramps - otherwise on a regular day, no.

I have very tense muscles especially in my neck, I have to do a full body stretch every 3 days if not light stretches every day in order combat it. but I think working sitting down has something to do with it - but I also notice that I am extra tight compared to so many others.

I also feel that the fascia around my muscles - especially in my forearms, upper arms, shoulders and upper back are tight, and I can stretch my upper back/shoulders and feel it run all the way down my arms to my finger tips but I don’t feel the stretch in the muscles, but around or beneath them. No muscle is tense or under strain, it’s as if it’s my facia or tendons.

Not that I know of or feel on a daily basis - I have had a day or two every month or so where I might feel an irregular heartbeat (as if my heart is beating a little faster and jumping for a couple of seconds) but I deem that as a common/normal thing?

I don’t have that right now (I can figure it out) but when I went to get my blood drawn for the blood analisis she measured both Pulse and BP and said that everything was normal.

Please find a zinc+magnesium supplement, see ingredients for ‘ZMA’ sold in this site’s Biotest store for a reference.

You could easily be iodine deficient. Then introducing iodine creates some real risks if also selenium deficient. Please find a high potency B-complex multi vitamin that also lists trace elements including 150mcg iodine and 150-200mcg selenium. Essential fatty acids are, well … essential. Please take fish oils and/or flax seed oil/meal. I assume that you are getting lots of olive oil.

I also have ‘irregular unsolid stool’. It is very rare that I have a pleasant solid experience on the toilet. It seems to always be fluid-ish or paste-like, despite a good fiber intake.
(didn’t use to be like so)

Thank you for your response and time.

Digestive problems can have major effects and the digestive issue can be a cause. Please find a product that has this in it: Bismuth subsalicylate - Wikipedia and take it for two days. Expect it to turn your shit black. If if works, great. If it does not, we know what the problem is not. The product is not a prescription medication. After this, find a good probiotic, should have many different types of bacteria and some probiotics may be found refrigerated in health food stores.

Did you have a problem where you were taking antibiotics before this problem started.

Do you have problems with bread and pasta?

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symptoms include gastrointestinal problems such as chronic diarrhoea, abdominal distention, malabsorption, loss of appetite
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