Analyze My Testosterone Results

Can i get some insight on these? From what I understand my SGHB could be halved and I need to get total T and albumin tested to get a rough calculation of free T. Doctors gave comments about high prolactin, saying it may be caused by a range of things including hypothroidism, stress etc, but that the level is just outside of normal range and nothing to get alarmed about. Left side is my level right side is reference range. All advice/insights appreciated.

FOLLICLE STIM. HORMONE 3.5 IU/L 1.5 - 12.4

LUTEINISING HORMONE 3.8 IU/L 1.7 - 8.6

TESTOSTERONE 19.2 nmol/L 7.6 - 31.4

Reference Ranges apply to adults

SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOB 42 nmol/L 16 - 55

Testosterone/SHBG Ratio 45.7 24 - 104

PROLACTIN *346 mIU/L 86 - 324

We need more info, you too! See the advice for new guys sticky.
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Your prolactin is high. In younger males, we are concerned that this might be from a prolactin secreting pituitary adinoma. If so, typically easily managed with 1/2mg per week Dostinex/cabergoline. The adinoma can otherwise become large and press on the optic nerves [risk] where one might notice a reduction in width of peripheral vision which would otherwise be near 180 degrees. A MRI is used to access the size/progress of the problem/risk.

Both E2 and prolactin are strong inhibitors of the HPTA. Your SHBG suggests that E2 is elevated. So you have both working against you.

Doctor(s) suggesting that you might have a thyroid problem, what else is there to this story. There is a lot more going on than your testosterone levels and T-tunnel vision is not going to be helpful.

Labs: - you have some now
TT
FT
E2
prolactin
DHEA-S
fasting cholesterol [night be too low]
fasting glucose
CBC
A1C if obese
TSH
fT3
fT4
rT3 if body temperatures low.

If you do not have a deep history of using iodized salt, you could be iodine deficient.

Is your thyroid enlarged, asymmetrical or lumpy?
You get cold easily?
Dry skin?

Please read the thyroid basics sticky and check your oral body temperature when you first wake up AND in mid-afternoon.

The goal is to find out why your T levels are low and fix the causes. This requires some diagnostic effort and doctors rarely do that. Low-T is the symptom, not the disease. Lowering E2 and prolactin will improve T and SHBG will drop and FT will increase from that as well. If thyroid function and body temperatures are low, that promotes weight gain which increases T–>E2 aromatization rates.

Serum protein is albumin+globulin. Which was high? Were you dehydrated for fasting labs? You should be drinking water.

Thanks for the indepth reply!

Well they still have the sample and I have the option of further testing for up to 7 days with same sample. I’ll try and give as much info as I can while not giving too much detail.

Test was at 8 am. At 7am had cocoa tea with usual stack - Magnesium L-T, D, C, Oxceloacetate, Tumeric + Bioperin, Cod Liver Oil 2 grams, Optineuro, B complex(this taken every other day), b12 (cyloabalamin). I drank lots of water(usually do tbh) and felt fantastic, bar perhaps the last 3 I’m pretty happy with these supplements. I always feel great for the first 3-4 hours on waking and assume it due partly to the supps and sleep, but also possibly due to a Testosterone spike, in the evening, when I feel crap. So i was going to assume the T would be higher than normal it being the morning and account for this, but I have no idea how to interpret the 19.2 nmol/l, expecting to get back for example 400 ng/dl.

I am going to get more tests to get TT and Abulin, so I can then calculate Free T.(I’m open to correction,I’m new to this). From your post I will be able to obtain globulin from this. How exactly did you deduce me having low T?
I can get a Thyroid bundle measuring TSH, fT3,fT4 along with Thyroid Stimulating antibodies.
I will also try to get E2 from this same sample.

RT3 is just too expensive at present. I can get it next month, which unfortunately means a different blood sample.

Will read sticky, check temp. 60 kg, active and good diet(IMO),24. Would not say I have dry skin or get cold easily, but don’t really have a frame of reference, I have never been anyone else:)

Thanks for the info, I’ll try to get as much data as possible, but testing isin’t cheap :frowning:

Wow thanks for indepth reply.

Had a long detailed reply but internet timed out ffs.

24y/o, 62 kg, good diet and active(IMO). Would not say I have dry skin or get cold easily.

Test taken at 8 am. In morning had usual stack of Mag L-T, d,C, Optineuro, Tumeric and Bioperin, Cyaloabalamin, with cocoa tea. Drank a glass of water and usually do drink a lot.

Will get a thyroid profile(fT3,Ft4,T4, Thyroid antibodies). rT3 is too expensive unless I have ruled everything else out.
Could you elaborate a little on how you deduced I have low T?? I don’t know how to interpret 19.2 nmol/L v what I was expecting, something like 500 ng/ml. (I always feel good first 4 hours of waking and attribute quite a lot of this to a high T level which reduces in the evening, aside from a 6 o clock spike). I intend to do further tests to obtain Abulin and TT, from which Free T can be calculated.
I will also look into getting E2 from the same sample, which along with the above is all i can afford this month.

In meantime I’ll look into thyroid and take temperature regularly, as well as reducing proclactin and see how much E2 costs.

Cheers.

Can’t remove double post. 19.2 is 544 ng/dl, not the worst, but could do with an increase, especially with SHBG of 42.

Anyway POA: I’ll try Zinc Orotate supplementation to tackle Prolactin and SHBG.
I will get E2 numbers and supplement Nolvadex if necessary, to ensure SHBG is taken care of (Estrogen raises SGBH). Nolvadex also raises LH and FSH which should increase TT.
Will also obtain Thyroid figures to test for Underactive thyroid.

Aim is to cut SGHB and Prolactin in half, see what that does. No option to test for abulmin so will have to work with what I have. Aim is to get TT to 800 with SHBG between 15 and 25, a reduction in Prolactin and E2 in an optimal, not upper normal range. So i think I could get by naturally except except for the SERM(Nolva).

Summary:

Get E2 and Thyroid

If thyroid irregular NDT
Unless E2 is very low Nolvadex will be supplemented, as it will increase FSH and LH leading to more TT.

Meantime Zinc, more research. After above has been completed, complete same tests except with albumin so a roughly accurate free T and bio T level can be deduced. If a strong upper normal level of T is not noted after this, and Thyroid issues have been taken care of, then TRT may be necessary. If the effects of T are anything short of magical then it will be swiftly discontinued.

RT3 remains the elephant in the closet with its prohibitive cost.

Results came back - E2 was actually very low at 44, half the lower end of the reference range. A win for actually getting labs done and not guessing, this was surprising. I guess(pardon the pun) that I will be holding off on the Nolvadex. Only way forward is to reduce SHBG and increase T, E2 levels should rise with increased T levels.

ENDOCRINOLOGY

THYROID PROFILE 2

TOTAL THYROXINE(T4) 103 nmol/L 59 - 154

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.12 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.2

FREE THYROXINE 17.7 pmol/l 12.0 - 22.0

FREE T3 5.2 pmol/L 3.1 - 6.8

IMMUNOLOGY

THYROID ANTIBODIES

Thyroglobulin Antibody 11.5 IU/mL 0-115(Negative)

Method used for Anti-Tg: Roche Modular

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 5.0 IU/mL 0 - 34

Method used for Anti-TPO: Roche Modular

ENDOCRINOLOGY

17-Beta OESTRADIOL *<44 pmol/L 99 - 192

So, after I get rT3 checked I think I should be in the clear for Thyroid, will be time to move on to adrenals and after that should be golden. Will get rT3 and also re-test next month to see if I have raised T and decreased prolactin and E2.

TSH should be nearer to 1.0

Please [edit] above and ad lab ranges.

You seem to miss a lot of details from my posts.

Edited above.(Hope it appears soon)

Re missing the points from your post - Wanted to do as much naturally as possible, even if Cabergoline is relatively benign, that’s why I want for Zinc. Don’t see much of a difference as long as the job gets done??

An MRI is expensive

Have no idea why Estrogen is so low, I eat Brocolli practically nearly everyday in large quantities.

I thought the following was a miss post

"Labs: - you have some now
TT
FT
E2
prolactin
DHEA-S
fasting cholesterol [night be too low]
fasting glucose
CBC
A1C if obese
TSH
fT3
fT4
rT3 if body temperatures low. "

Or can the above be calculated from the Hormone results given originally?

I can’t do much about iodine as of yet, until I get another round of testing to check if I am iodine deficient.

Low T is the symptom, not the cause, I thought I arrived at a logical conclusion of lowering proclactin and SBHG, the only things that seem to be elevated and thus the most probable determinants for low T?

Will be end of month before retesting T levels and will look more into Thyroid. Ranges are really skewed if 1 is the optimal level for TSH.

Thanks

“How many times to I need to ask a guy here before he checks his temperatures? Very often three times. Maybe there is a learning disability as a symptom of hypothyroidism”

hahaha somewhat relevant.

Fine I’m reading the sticky. Will post temp next week when thermometer arrives. Save’s me an rT3 test aswel :slight_smile:

I was under the impression that a PRL-secreting adenoma would typically result in a very high PRL. What’s the point in worrying the guy about a prolactinoma when he’s just borderline high? Typically, repeat bloods are desired for any endo diagnosis because hormones do fluctuate in response to many things.

And why worry him about thyroid? I don’t see what’s so bad about his labs. And his anti-TPO was negative, making Hashimoto’s (the main hypothyroidism culprit) very unlikely.

I’m not saying that prolactinoma/hypothyroidism are impossible, but you’re worrying the poor guy about what would be zebras in the context of his labs.

On the topic of context, giving the guy medical advice online is absolutely insane. Especially when we don’t know the context of why he’s even having these labs done in the first place! It is irresponsible and downright dangerous to try and claim a pathology from such limited information.

I really hate this subforum. All it does is perpetuate fear-mongering, highly questionable medical advice, and the notion that people who have spent many years devoting their lives to studying and treating endocrinopathies are totally incompetent and that you should instead listen to some guy online who sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. A little bit of medical knowledge really is a dangerous thing.

OP, please do not take medical advice from here. Listen to your doctor.