I finally got my lab results back. My doc sends them by mail so I haven’t had a chance to discuss it with him. He gave me no scripts yet and I will give more info on the appointment in a follow-up post. For now I want to get these stats posted. I gave a lot of personal info at beginning of this thread, but here will give basic info requested in stickies, etc, along with my recent labs.
On TRT for approx 8 years: Testim 1% gel, 50mg daily
Age: 58
Weight: 160
Waist: 34" (was always approx 30-32 until around age 50)
Height: 6 ft.
Where you carry fat: Stomach (very front only, around navel) and obliques (love handles). These are the only places. Very little anywhere else. Strangely, after starting TRT I lost some fat everywhere, but actually gained it here.
What supplements do you take: Multi vitamin/mineral supps, whey protein, flax oil, digestive enzymes.
What meds to you take, Rx and OTC: Testim 1% gel, 50mg daily.
What other illnesses, history of infections or surgeries [not in detail] has implications for adrenals: The only thing I’m aware of that may be a factor is exposure to insecticides. A long story so will just say that it resulted in severe sensitivity to many substances: bleach, ammonia, gasoline, certain plastics, etc. Diagnosed as MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity). Fortunately over the last several years I’m much less sensitive.
Do you feel cold easily: No
Do you use iodized salt or have iodine in your vitamins: Yes
How do you react to major stress: Fairly well.
Any extremes of diet: I eat about a pound of cottage cheese (fat free) every day, and about 2 oz of raw, unsalted almonds. Otherwise a fairly moderate balanced diet. I eat about 5 very small meals daily.
Fasting cholesterol levels: Total cholesterol 112 mg/dL (Q 125-200 mg/dL). Doc says my levels have been consistent for years, very low, the best I could have. Don’t know if he’s right about it being the best.
Fasting serum glucose: 78 (on 11/24/2011); 94 (on 2/29/2012) Quest range 65-99 mg/dL
Labs:
I have a few specific questions/comments concerning the labs but will put them at end of lab results, as footnotes*.
Blood drawn on 2/24/12, approx 2 p.m.
Chemistry Panel (Metabolic panel with lipids): All in normal ranges. Can give specifics if needed.
Complete Blood Count (CBC): All in normal ranges. Doc often writes notes next to my results, and for most of my CBC he wrote ‘perfect’, including Hematocrit (for what it’s worth).
Prolactin: 15.1 (2.0-18.0 ng/mL)
Free Testosterone: 77.6 (35.0-155.0 pg/mL) see footnote*
Total Testosterone: 619 (250-1100 ng/dL) see*
Prostate-Speci�c Antigen (PSA): 0.4 (0-4.0 ng/mL)
Estradiol: 33 (0-39 pg/mL) see*
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) and T4 (?): my lab says:
TSH W/REFLEX TO FT4: 3.02 (0.40-4.50 mIU/L) Doc wrote ‘good’.
I requested everything suggested in stickies, etc, but obviously I didn’t get it all, mostly because insurance would not cover it. I would definitely pay out-of-pocket if possible, it is not.
- Footnotes/questions:
My main problem regarding my labs is with the ranges. Many are different this time from those I’ve had for years, making it difficult to observe any changes and make comparisons. Also, from reading the stickies and many posts, I at least knew what numbers to look for, especially for E2 and TT/FT. But now I find the ranges are all different. For E2 I know that 22 pg/mL is optimal in the former range but what about this new range (0-39 pg/mL)? VTBalla34 wrote that his Quest district has also changed to this reference range for their Estradiol test, but I cannot find any data for optimal levels. Same thing basically on the TT and FT numbers. I suppose I should be able to translate the numbers but I’m really not sure, so any help is appreciated.
I have a few more details & questions but don’t want to go overlong here so will address them in follow-ups. Thanks!