Need Help Interpreting Bloodwork

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

Hi y’all. I have posted a few months ago and in the meanwhile I visited dr Hertoghe anti-aging clinic in Brussels. The doctor there prescribed me various medicines/supplements(including test gel) pretty quickly, purely based on my symptoms and the bloodwork. For me, it just doesn’t feel right taking everything that I was prescribed, and I also did not use the Test gel yet because I’m skeptical.

The bloodwork also revealed some weird deficiencies. I will try to list the most important ones and the ones that I think are a bit off. Here goes:

RBC: 5.17 (4.30-5.70)
Hemaglobine: 15.1 (13.0-17.5)
Hematocrite: 45.8 (39.0-49.0)
MCV: 88.6 (80.0-99.0)
MCH: 29.2 (27.0-34.0)
WBC: 4.2 (4.0-10.5)

Iron: 87ug/dL (70-180)
Ferritine: 101ug/L (60-250)
B12: 757ng/L (250-883)
Erythrocyte Folic acid: 108ug/L (250-800)

Sodium: 135nmol/L (135-146)
Calcium: 2.58nmol/L (2.20-2.65)
Erythrocyte magnesium: 4.88 (4.01-6.44)

Gamma-GT: 13U/L (8-55)
Alkaline-phosphatase: 106U/L (30-120)

Homocysteine: 14.5umol/L (<8.0) I have understood that this isn’t ideal, but that it should be lowered by increasing folic acid intake?

Total cholesterol: 158mg/dL (140-200)
HDL: 62mg/dL (40-109)
LDL: 71mg/dL (0-115)
Triglycerides: 122mg/dL (30-150)

Vitamine D: 40ng/mL (30-100)
Vitamine A: 54 ug/dL (60-110) (This whilst b-carotene is sky high-> 2.38 (0.14-0.93)
Vitamine E: 10.2ug/mL (12.1-20.3)
Problems absorbing fat-soluable vitamines? have had gallbladder issues a few months ago.

Zinc: 1.13mg% (1.0-1.5)
Copper: 96ug/dL (70-140)
Glutathione peroxidase: 41.41Ul/g HB (40.00-76.00)

PSA: 0.62ug/L (0.10-2.50)
TSH: 2.35mU/L (0.35-4.00)
FT4: 11.9pmol/L (9.0-19.0)
FT3: 3.3pmol/L (2.9-4.9)
Total cortisol: 490nmol/L (276-689)
Pregnenolone: >25.6ug/L (1.2-7.7) What does this even mean?
DHEA: 188ug/dL (200-610) Should this be a concern?

FSH: 2.8Ul/L (1.0-15.0)
Estradiol: <24ng/L (12-30)
Progesterone: <0.5ug/L (0.5-1.5)
Estrone: 173.0ng/L (10.0-60.0) Sky-high, is this a problem? what could be causing this?
Total T: 23.6nmol/L (10.4-34.7)
T bioavailable: 59.2 (9.0-139.0)
SHBG: 40nmol/L(20-55), has been 60-70 in the last bloodwork
Androstanediol: 23.6ug/L (3.4-22.0)

I have been feeling like shit over the last few years: Brain fog, no libido, ED, novice/intermediate 1RM’s in the gym after 5 years of proper training, not gaining lean mass at all. This while having a very healthy lifestyle: 8-9 hours of sleep, lots of the right fats, lots of vegetables, lots of low GI carb sources. No smoking, hardly any drinking. For reference, I’m a 27 year old male with 11% body fat at 85kg.

Doctor prescibed me the following:
-Folic acid 2.5mg per day
-Testosterone liposomal cream 10%
-Desiccated thyroid CSD?? 15mg per day
-Vitamine ADE supplement
-DHEA 2.5mg per day

I have only been taking the vitamine ADE, folic acid and thyroid supplement. I’m very skeptical about the test cream/gel and the DHEA. Also a bit skeptical about the thyroid stuff I’m taking.
Looking forward for some insight here. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

PS: please let me know if any important values are missing from the bloodwork.

2

I would take methyl folate over folic acid personally. You might have some genetic mutations that affect conversation of folic acid. I would look into getting an MTHFR test done in that case, working on methylation can be a huge help for a lot of people. I have done that for many years myself though and still ended up having low T, despite a perfectly healthy lifestyle, diet, exercise, etc. I’m not a doctor so none of this is medical advice, but if you feel what he is prescribing is not good for you maybe a second opinion would help? The testosterone is the thing that is going to have the most effects. Everything else he prescribed you can be purchased over the counter.

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Good point. I have actually bought methylfolate because I have read something similar. Instead of doing a test, couldn’t I just keep taking this methylfolate and see what my next bloodwork will say regarding folic acid/homocysteine levels?

Also, I’m not sure if TRT makes sense with my current bloodwork, even though I have every symptom of low T.

4

Also take methyl b12 with it since they are need to be taken together. No need for a test if you want to do it. But if you were double negative you would need it for your general health every day of your life. If you have every symptom of low T and feel you want to try TRT that’s your call. Your doctor clearly felt okay to prescribe it. It could help but keep in mind it’s a life long treatment. Your natural levels at 27 should be at the top end of charts and yours looks low normal if I’m reading correctly. We are all bio chemically different so some people can feel different with different levels. I was low normal range before TRT. And what some doctors would consider “normal” but it wasnt normal for a 29 year old Male. And I felt like shit, a lot better now though.

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