Testim for 5ng/dL Below Range

Hi all,

My gp tested for testosterone, serum:

He’s suggesting Testim, but I’m just slightly below the range.

Should I aks for any additional tests? I’m not really sure what to do. I am fatigued and have some brain fog issues, but nothing terrible.

30 years old
215lbs
5’9"

How do you find the stickies with the new forum design?

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

At your age, TRT before some more diagnostics is incompetent.

Labs needed:
TT
FT
E2
LH/FSH - essential that this be tested before TRT, cannot be done afterwards.
prolactin
CBC
TSH
fT3
fT4 [please not T3, T4]
CBC
AST/ALT

Many here have low thyroid function, often from not using iodized salt to support production of thyroid hormones that are mission critical for energy, mood and libido. However low T has the same effects.

You can self eval overall thyroid function by checking oral body temps as per the thyroid basics sticky. If good, you can skip labs TSH, fT3, fT4.

Testim has very high cost and unsuitable if training, sweating, showering. Not safe around kids as it can transfer. Self injected T is least cost, least E2 potential. Transdermals have highest E2 potential. Transdermals are typically very poorly absorbed if there are thyroid problems and non-absorption is a symptom of thyroid issues.

Thanks @KSman. I’ll read through the stickies.

@KSman I just received the results of my full workup. If you wouldn’t mind taking a look I’d appreciate it. My doc is suggesting I wait on replacement therapy now unless I feel the symptoms warrant treatment:








-Age: 30
-Height: 5’9"
-Waist: 38
-Weight: 214
-describe body and facial hair: Some hair on chest (hasn’t changed since high school). Facial hair grows in full.
-describe where you carry fat and how changed: I’ll just post a pic


-health conditions, symptoms [history]: Some brain fog, some fatigue, and my libido has decreased enough to notice, but not that much. No othe health issues.
-Rx and OTC drugs, any hair loss drugs or prostate drugs ever: None
-describe training [some ruin there hormones by over training]: I had been working up to maxes multiple times a week, but have switched to mostly 5/3/1 and now CT’s strength circuits. Usually 4 days a week w/ light walking 3-4 days and some HIIT (maybe 1-2 days a week).
-testes ache, ever, with a fever?: No
-how have morning wood and nocturnal erections change: Morning wood is less often, but still occurs regularly.

How soon can you post waking and mid-afternoon temperatures.
There can be problems if you have not been using iodized salt.

What are your energy levels like? When you workout, is it natural energy or you have to call up adrenalin?

What are your stress levels like? Major stress takes away your energy?

Your fat levels can be from low T or low T and low thyroid function.

Your HDL is too low:

  • B-complex multi-vits with trace elements and iodine+selenium, without listed iron.
  • EFA’s:Fish oil, flax seed oil/meal, nuts
  • Vit-D3 5000iu
    • do not take above two items with high fiber foods
  • Vitamin C, 1000 - 2000 mg per day

Total serum protein is a bit low, probably from low T.

E2=27 with your low T levels makes you quite estrogen dominant.

Not obvious what is going wrong. Do not have prolactin labs to rule that in or out. Do not have body temps to eval thyroid function. TSH=160 does leave some room for thyroid issues and thyroid issues are frequently seen here with secondary hypogonadism.

AST/ALT may have some mild elevation from training effects on muscles.

You would really do a lot better on TRT, if you can get a doc to do T+AI+hCG.
But at age 30, you probably should look deeper for a cause. No testicular ache can rule out severe some vascular problems with testes. Prolactin is unknown. Any reduction of width of peripheral vision, should be ! 180 degrees.

Your training opens the door for adrenal fatigue induced by over training and low T and low thyroid function would simply pour gasoline on that fire.

It is time for a discussion of your fertility, how many kids you have now and need to preserver fertility while on TRT.

I will try and post temps in the next day or two. I use iodized salt (to taste) usually 2+ times a day.

Energy levels are good. I drink a spike in the morning and usually a 12oz cup of coffee in the afternoon. Workout energy is fine. I don’t have to phyche myself up to lift.

Stress is pretty normal, I guess. Job, wife, kid (15 months), and grad school. My in laws live with us too, but there’s not much stress there.

I will use the HDL recommendations, thanks!

Doc seems fine with injectable T. Not sure about AI and hCG. I haven’t brought it up, yet. I would rather bring my levels up without it, if that’s possible, though.

No vision issue. No teste pain or aches. Fertility seems fine. The wife is pregnant now.

I really appreciate your input!

Thanks,
Chris

Maybe you are missing the point that TRT without hCG will damage your testes.

We’re on the same page. I won’t start replacement therapy without the hCG.

Hi KSman, my afternoon temp was 98.0. I’ll update with AM temp tomorrow morning.

Completely forgot to take AM temp this morning…

Well good luck with getting hCG

1 Like

@KSman
AM: 97.2
PM: 98.0

It’s an ear thermometer if that matters.

Thanks,
Chris

Also, any idea why my total T dropped from 343 to 319 in a month? That seems nuts to me.

Those things are OK for indicating a fever. Created to avoid sticking thinks in mouths of little kids. With a oral thermo, nice to quality by seeing that someone can score 98.6F

I didn’t realize there was such a difference. My AM temp today was 96.8., which it would seem is a problem. I will order Iodoral or something similar and re-check afternoon temps.

Thanks again for all of your input.

-Chris

Read the thyroid basics sticky.
Selenium in your vitamins is essential and critical.

More to the point, get a thermo that you can trust - by seening that others can hit 98.6F with it. You cannot have been talking, drinking, waking etc for a while before using oral thermo, 1st thing in AM is easy.

Remember that iodine is very important for wife and kids too. Iodine intake needs to be higher during pregnancy and breast feeding, prenatal vitamins have higher amounts.

Thanks, KSman. I took the oral temp this morning while lying in bed, but it is an older thermometer so I’ll have the wife test it. I also ordered a thyroid support supplement with Selenium and a small amount of iodine that should be here today. The wife is on prenatal vitamins now. I’m also planning to grab an additional iodine supp since what i bought is only 150mcg (IIRC).

Did you get hCG? If so how?

No, I’m working on losing some body fat and then re-evaluating T levels.

I’m not on TRT.

*Adding an iodine supplement has been huge, though. I’ve been taking the Biotest mineral support daily as well.