[quote]KSman wrote:
Other than low-T, this stands out:
ALT/SGPT
10 - 44 U/L
50
Any muscle soreness or injuries at time if lab work?
Thyroid looks good, but with low body temperatures and IR completed, I have to wonder if rT3 is blocking fT3. If that were so, I would expect some higher TSH levels which you do not have.
Have you looked at stress and adrenal fatigue issues in thyroid basics.
DHEA–>DHT is very unusual. Cannot explain, but DHT is HPTA repressive and might be a factor, but I don’t think that it would be the primary cause of low-T. But if so, the solution is TRT to get T levels up. One could try a low dose 5-alpha reductase inhibitor [5AR] and watch interplay of lower DHT on LH/FSH and T; but that does entail some significant risks for the few who are vulnerable.
I have read claims that progesterone reduces 5AR activity. If this was a factor for you, this might imply that progesterone levels are low. Unfortunately, many?most progesterone labs do not resolve the low levels of males very well.
So you can see that I am looking at some odd possibilities and none may be valid. The only sure solution is TRT. With more T, there will be more FT–[5aR]–>DHT and DHT levels will increase. You may have more 5AR or an altered 5AR that is more effective.
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Thanks for your response! I didn’t have any major soreness or injuries. My Dr was slightly concerned about that marker as well and indicated that my blood was slightly acidic, more than likely due to food choices + stress which he indicated could also turn the body acidic.
I’m going to attempt to reduce stress and increase alkaline foods in my diet. I picked up Wilson’s book on adrenal fatigue and am about half way through it. My Dr also indicated he thought I did have some signs of adrenal fatigue indicated by my PM cortisol level, which he said he typically liked to see at half my AM levels. Mine was lower than that.
I was able to convince him to start TRT with me. He initially wanted to go to a sublingual bio-identical T replacement but because I wasn’t sure about insurance, I asked him if we could start with injection, which he agreed to. Any opinions on the sublingual bio identical T?
The first injection was 100 mg test cypionate. He indicated that most of his patients only need one injection per month, some every two weeks. My follow up appointment is 2 weeks from the day of my first injection (Thursday 2nd) , where he wants to talk about how I feel and assess from there.
The more research I do, I’m concerned about the valleys and peaks associated with TRT. I’m confident I can get him administer an every two week injection, but obviously I’d prefer at least once per week and ideally, self administered, to save time going in once per week, potentially injecting twice per week.
My Dr is open minded and reasonable, so I believe once I gain his trust over time, I’ll be able to get him to accommodate me, however is there anything anyone else has done to help speed the process? I know he wants to be cautious and conservative, but I’m tired of suffering and the idea of feeling even worse than before (via the “valleys”) is a bit daunting. This is one article I’ve found that supports at least once per week injection:
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/endocrj/53/3/53_3_305/_pdf
It’s also worth mentioning that perhaps it was placebo, but I felt substantially better the same day of the injection. Fatigue decreased, mental clarity increased, sex drive increased, anxiety decreased. I’m hopeful that this has been the missing link these past few years. Thank you again for any help and insight!