My Lab Results, What Do They Mean?

Hi all 1st a little history for last few years I’ve been feeling low no joy in life and a lack of intimacy with my wife, so my doctor has be treating for depression I’ve packed on 36lbs on my belly in those few shorts years and cannot budge it regardless if I diet or exercise.

So decided time to do my own research and finally had my doctor test my testosterone my 1st test was
Testosterone 8.9 (8.4 - 28.8) nmol/L

Which my doctor said was low normal for me (I’m 58 years Old) but agreed to another test 1month apart so here are the results of the second test
Testosterone LO 7.9 (8.4 - 28.8) nmol/L

Now I see my doctor in another 2 weeks and I want to go in with an understanding of these latest results, so I’m posting here with some hope of someone explaining them to me.
Thanks in advance
Rick_ca

Your lab results mean that you have low T, given your age, I would say that you’re a very likely candidate for TRT, this one measurement is only one piece of the puzzle and more lab work should be done to get a more complete picture.

You have 2 weeks to get as educated as possible on the subject so you can talk intelligently with the doctor and evaluate him to see if he’s gonna work out for you. If you read the stickies you will learn what you need and what you won’t live with.

e.g.

  • if the doc wants to inject once every two weeks in his office - no thanks, find a new doc.
  • if the doc doesn’t feel the need to test estrogen or prescribe an AI - no thanks, find a new doc.
  • if the doc doesn’t want to prescribe HCG - no thanks, find a new doc.

The goal would be to go in to the doc in two weeks and tell him what you want, based on what you’ve learned on the forum.

Do read the stickies. You won’t get much more help until you get more lab work done and do some reading.

In Canada?

Please post all available lab work, the picture needs to be larger than Total testosterone.
Always need lab ranges with lab results.

How old are you?
Affects what advice you should receive.

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

  • advice for new guys
  • things that damage your hormones
  • protocol for injections
  • finding a TRT doc

Part of weight gain can be from low thyroid function.
Thyroid lab ranges are insane, need numbers, “normal” not good enough.
If you have not been using iodized salt, you are iodine deficient.
Outer eyebrows sparse?
Get cold easily?
We see many cases of low-T and low thyroid function here.

Yes I’m from Canada I did post that I’m 58 year old and the only test the doc had on lab form was for testosterone only no other blood work was asked for. I will read the stickies but I’m just trying to get as much info as possible also

Here is bloodwork results from 3 months prior to 1st testosterone test. Hope someone can help me understand these numbers.
Hematology
WBC10.8 4.0 - 11.0x E9/L
RBC4.9 04.50 - 6.00x E12/L
Hemoglobin143 135 - 175g/L
Hematocrit0.420 .400 - 0.500L/L
MCV85 80 - 100fL
MCH29.2 27.5 - 33.0pg
MCHC343 305 - 360g/L
Platelets283 150 - 400x E9/L
RDW13.1 11.5 - 14.5%
Differential
Neutrophils6.1 2.0 - 7.5x E9/L
Lymphocytes3.3 1.0 - 3.5x E9/L
MonocytesHI1.2 0.2 - 1.0x E9/L
Eosinophils0.1 0.0 - 0.5x E9/L
Basophils0.0 0.0 - 0.2x E9/L
Biochemical Investigation of Anemias
Vitamin B12 273 138-652pmol/L
Ferritin190 22-275ug/L
General Chemistry
Glucose (Random)4.1 3.6 - 7.7mmol/L
Sodium139 135 - 147mmol/L
Potassium3.7 3.5 - 5.5mmol/L
Creatinine77 62 - 115umol/L
Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR)95

Your blood is a little thin, but totally as expected for lower T levels.

WBC, lymphocytes, monocytes showing that your immune system was getting or had been active as expected from time to time.

You are perfectly normal, most guys here are unable to answer thyroid related questions without getting nagged.

Labs at your age:
TT
FT
E2
CBC - done
hematocrit -done
AST/ALT
TSH
DHEA-S

Note: DHEA is sold along side of vitamins in USA, was that way in Canada in 1996, then Canada and other Commonwealth countries decided to classify as an anabolic steroid. In Canada, you need an Rx for DHEA. If T levels are low because low DHEA means that DHEA–>T inside the testes is rate limited, oral DHEA can help, but oral DHEA cannot ever create high T levels. Note that DHEA–>T is not spontaneous, it is enabled by LH and enzyme processes that are part of the HPTA feedback loop.

TRT in Canada and other Commonwealth countries is a problem. State run medicine seems to foster doctors who are unwilling to see the larger picture. You should be seeking health optimization, but doctors are disease management centric. In all countries, the problem is the doctors. You need to know enough to cut through the BS.

Note that injected T is the gold standard [and least cost] and in Canada you can be pushed into some flaky delivery systems.

Thanks all I can do is research as much info as possible and hopefully my doctor can help or at lease refer me to someone, from some reading Ive done it look like the preferred treatment is the gel. If the doctor does prescribe injection is it something I can do or is it for medical personel only.

You can definitely inject yourself. I do (or actually my wife does for me, but i’ve done it hundreds of times myself). Alot of guys here advocate using insulin needles.

You can inject T with insulin needles. Do diabetics inject?

T gels and creams are 10% absorbed at best and thus are costly. Often absorption is poor which is often seen with low thyroid function.

Speaking of thyroid: Have you been using iodized salt to support thyroid hormone production?

This is the third time I am asking you questions re thyroid, see my first post in this thread.

My doctor did test my thyroid when I 1st started feeling low a few years back but my lab where I get results has only just offered the patient the findings so I cannot say anything about the results, I do remember the doctor say the results were fine and that’s when I was started on antidepressants which I want to get off as if I cross reference my symptoms it pointed to LowT

So you are incapable of knowing that you use iodized salt?

The problem is that doctors do not do a good job with thyroid issues. You need to request the lab results and stop been passive.

iodized salt means to me “table salt” I can tell you this I do not cook with salt or use salt on my food, I’m new at this so I’m not being passive I’m just getting info 1st no point going to battle without any ammo. I will phone my lab and see if they have any thyroid results they can send me and if not I will request my doc test again.

OK I looked at my lab results here somethings I found is this what your looking for??
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone [TSH] 3.34 0.32-4.00
Sodium 139 135 - 147

Iodized salt was started in Canada in 1920’s. You have excluded yourself from this program.

Salt does not cause heart or arterial disease.

You have not been using iodized salt, you are iodine deficient.
Outer eyebrows sparse?
Get cold easily?
Thyroid function is vital for energy, mood, libido and proper functioning of all tissues and organs.

The best evaluation of thyroid function status is to check oral body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky.

There used to be iodine in bread as a dough conditioner, that is gone. There used to be more iodine in dairy from iodine teat wash which is used less often now. The [misplaced] pressure to reduce salt intake reduces iodine intake, but you are zero on that source. Note that restaurants typically do not use or present iodized salt and commercially prepared foods do not either. More and more, the only refuge from iodine deficiency is one’s salt shaker.

Please get a high potency B-complex multi-vit that lists iodine+selenium with other trace elements that also does not list iron. This would cover about 1/2 of your dietary needs. You should also find an iodine supplement. Kelp caps with 1/2mg [500mcg] are available. You do need selenium as is protects thyroid tissue from free radical damage and thyroid autoimmune disease. Is there a Bulk Barn store near you? - they used to have a good selection of vitamins.

Ok so I saw my doc the other day he looked at the last two results the 8.9 again he said low normal the 7.9 was low but not enough to start treatment, so I push a bit more we both agreed on a third testosterone test in a few weeks.

Looking at TT alone is so wrong.
TT may be inflated by elevated E2 or SHBG.

FT?
LH/FSH?
Bio-T?

It was the best I could get doc to do, otherwise he didn’t feel the need for treatment

I did follow your on a supplement the best I could find in my area was “exact essentra forte” which has most of what you listed, I will check out popeyes supplements store when I next get into the city

Hi Just a quick update I go for a third blood test Thursday this week lab sheet says “total testosterone” in checked box, is there anything I should be doing prior to test to make sure accuracy is there ?. Hopefully it proves why I’ve been feeling so low/rundown/depressed and maybe explain why my libido has been at zero for the last year.

TT
FT
E2
LH/FSH
AST/ALT
TSH
DHEA-S

This was all available above.