Hi, I’m new here. I’m 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds. I started lifting seriously less than a year ago after a knee injury.
Anyways, I suffer from most of the symptoms of low T, and, according to charts, have the total testosterone of a 90 year old male. I am a 33 year old male. I suffer from SERIOUS fatigue and basically sleep most of the time when I’m not at work. I have two small kids that don’t see enough of me because of this. I am already on medication for anxiety. I carry all my fat in the middle. I find it very hard to put on muscle. I have been able to put on some because I work hard and diet like a mad man.
My diet is almost top notch. I take in 50 grams of protein about every 2-3 hours when awake. I drink tons of water and lift 6 days a week (45 min. sessions).
I am finding doctors are a pain in the rear. I finally saw an endocrinologist that didn’t seem overly concerned with the fact that I had a 281 ng/dl total testosterone that my GP had said was entirely normal.
The endocrinologist sent me for a morning and night Test. blood panel. I just got the morning one back and find that I am 318 ng/dl but 92.7 FT (which appears normal to me).
So do I have low testosterone or not? I still have another blood test to get results on. All of the other blood panels, thyroid, platelets, etc…all are normal.
but a 318 TT and a 92.7 FT doesn’t make sense to me no matter how many websites I look at. My appt. with the endocrinologist isn’t for another three weeks and they suck answering questions on the phone (only let me talk to a nurse who was not helpful). I do have an appt in a month with what appears to be a T-friendly doctor but for now I need some answers, you know.
Meanwhile I’m exhausted but still lifting and eating right. It was TT 318 ng/dL (250-1100) and FT 92.7 pg/mL (35.0-155.0). So can I have low T with a FT that appears normal? Is it normal? Help! This is the best website I can find and you guys seem very knowledgeable. Thank you!
[quote]ReadyNow wrote:
I should be more specific…It was TT 318 ng/dL (250-1100) and FT 92.7 pg/mL (35.0-155.0).[/quote]
My results were pretty similar, I’m 33 and my TT was 315 ng/dl (250-1100)
Free Testosterone 71.8 pm/ml 35.0-155.0
You will find with those values according to a table I posted that yes they are low. As you say of a 80 year old… I have similar results as to you and no doctor will touch me as they say I have plenty. If you are thinking that you would like to be in the 700-800’s gonna be hard to find any doctor that will listen to you.
There are people out there with lower that really do justify HRT. But for us we are probably not low enough to be taken seriously.
Good luck with it, but having more T is no doubt is beneficial. I would also rather be in the 800’s then hover around 400.
But having said all of that the more important value is FREE TESTOSTERONE. If you can have a higher amount free testosterone on a lower TT then a Higher TT you are still better off.
Most likely you have a secondary reason why you have low testosterone (however you will need an lh/fsh test to verify). If you had primary (testicular failure), then TRT would be necessary. You may have other causes of low testosterone…You will need more in depth labs.
LH
FSH
TSH
FREE T3
FREE T4
PROLACTIN
ESTROGEN
CBC W/LIPIDS
VITAMIN D
B12/FOLATE (IF FATIGUED)
CORTISOL
When you got your labs done did you do particularly strenuous lifting the day before? Did you have a good night’s rest? Are you on any medications (propecia, certain antidepressants, etc.)? What are your symptoms?
Just because a value is “in range” doesn’t mean it’s healthy. 318 is not ideal–why not fix it? Every study out there consistently shows that for overall health and well-being, more T is better (to a point, of course). Plainly put, it’s just better to be “high-normal.” Having “low-normal” T is in fact a chronic illness which is linked to a whole host of other diseases. This is preventive, holistic stuff and western medicine does not value those concepts as much as it could. Be your own advocate, educate yourself and find someone who will treat you.
Totally agree if you can keep test around 6 to 8 hundred that is ideal, according to reading and what my Endo says… Get over that level not so good for you, and 318 is low as hell, shit I didn’t stop feeling fatiged till over 550. I am also 45 and kill it in the Gym and feel great!!!