Unable to Find Reason for Low T

Hi Gentlemen,

This forum is a gold mine. Thanks for the pouring into this.

My case( Age – 30 years):
I have the following major symptom: something in the center --slightly to the left and up region of brain-- is always in motion like dub,dub,dub and my nerves mostly to the left side of the body also synchronize with the motion leading to discomfort and a feeling that you are not in the body.

                                  Other symptoms I have are: poor memory, poor concentration, low attention span, poor spatial awareness, no libido, extreme fatigue.

I went around with neurologists for 6 years without any significant improvement. Until I met an endochrinologist who asked for testing the testosterone levels and I was found low. My MRI of pituitary and hypothalamus came normal.

Just one day I took an Andriol testocap and the vibration in the center of brain stopped. He asked me to go for HRT right away and Ã?? am scared because the doctor doesn’t tell me why I am low in T. I am determined to know it.Please help me in finding the root cause of low T in my body.

Here are my Lab reports:

1.Lipid Profile

Cholesterol Serum Total 192 [ 130-220 mg/dL ]
Triglycerides Serum 206 [ 60-165mg/dL ]
HDL Cholesterol 53 [30 - 75 mg/dL ]
VLDL Cholesterol 41 [ 5-40 mg/dL ]
LDL Cholesterol 98 [80-130 mg/dL ]
T. Chol/HDL Ratio 3.6 :1

  1. Heamogram

RBC count - 5.23 mill/cumm [4.50-6.50]
Hemoglobin - 14.3 g/dL [13-18]
Packed Cell Volume - 43.1% [40% - 54%]
MCV - 83.0 fL [78-98]
MCH - 28.4 pg [25-35]
MCHC - 34.4 g/dL [31-40]
RDW - 12.2% [11.5 - 14.5]

Leukocyte count, Total - 8900 cells/cumm [4000-10,500]

Differential % Leukocyte Counts:
Neutrophils - 53% [40-75]
Lymphocytes - 39% [20-45]
Monocytes - 5% [2-10]
Eosinophils - 3% [1-6]
Basophils - 0% [0-1]
Platelet count - 304000 cell/cumm [ 150,000- 450,000] Mean Platelet Volume(MPV) 7.8fL [ 7-13]
Platelet Haemotocrit(PCT) 0.23% [ 0.20 - 0.50]
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate(ESR) 05mm/hr [ 1-14]

3.Hormone Related Tests

My MRI of pituitary and hypothalamus came normal.
Albumin 4.6 (3.5-5.5 g/dL)
Prolactin 5.38 (3-14.70 ng/mL)
Testosterone,Total 201. 64 (241-827 ng/dL)
Free Testosterone(Direct) 12.61 (8.69-54.69 pg/mL)
FSH 1.17 (1.4-18.10mIU/mL)
LH 2.46 (1.2-7.8mIU/mL)
Cortisol(AM) 14.16 (5-23ug/dL)

Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy 17.0 (30.0-100.0 ng/mL)

  1. Thyroid profile

TSH 1.169 (0.4-4.2uIU/mL)
Free T3 3.02 (1.4-4.4pg/mL)
Free T4 0.83 (0.80-2.70ng/dL)

what other tests do you recommend to find out the reason for Low T in the body?

Warm Regards.

Eagerly awaiting your reply.

You need to get on 5000 IU of vitamin d3 everyday (taken morning or lunch time with food) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Read this for additional bloodwork.

You have a degree of secondary hypogonadism. There is an issue with your HPTA. Need to find out why. When did symptoms start? Did an important life event happe around that time?

Pay special attention to these labs:

Thyroid labs [basic first line]
-TSH
-T3 no see fT3
-T4 no see fT4
-are you getting enough iodine? probably not! http://tnation.T-Nation.com/...thryoid_problem

Adrenal labs
-Cortisol four sample saliva testing [the gold standard] (4-point cortisol) ->Tired mid-day? Awake at night?
-Pregnenolone [the foundation of the adrenal hormones and all steroid hormones *]
-DHEA [can’t make T without it] no see DHEA-S
-DHEA-S [DHEA Sulphate]

Your Vit-D is pretty low. You could take up to 10,000iu/day.

Never heard of testosterone fixing a “wub wub” sound in the head. Is it possible that you knew you had low testosterone and taking an oral testosterone gave you the “placebo effect”? I’m not doubting you. Just asking you to be honest with yourself.

[quote]Kaynon311 wrote:

Read this for additional bloodwork.

You have a degree of secondary hypogonadism. There is an issue with your HPTA. Need to find out why. When did symptoms start? Did an important life event happe around that time?

Pay special attention to these labs:

Thyroid labs [basic first line]
-TSH
-T3 no see fT3
-T4 no see fT4
-are you getting enough iodine? probably not! http://tnation.T-Nation.com/...thryoid_problem

Adrenal labs
-Cortisol four sample saliva testing [the gold standard] (4-point cortisol) ->Tired mid-day? Awake at night?
-Pregnenolone [the foundation of the adrenal hormones and all steroid hormones *]
-DHEA [can’t make T without it] no see DHEA-S
-DHEA-S [DHEA Sulphate]

Your Vit-D is pretty low. You could take up to 10,000iu/day.

Never heard of testosterone fixing a “wub wub” sound in the head. Is it possible that you knew you had low testosterone and taking an oral testosterone gave you the “placebo effect”? I’m not doubting you. Just asking you to be honest with yourself.

[/quote]

I was referring to free t3 and free t4 only. sorry for not mentioning them.

I will go for iodine, zinc test, DHEA-S, Pregnenolone and Cortisol.I will update the thread soon with lab results. thanks for the pointer given.

I started dosing vit d3 as you prescribed.

Regarding wub-wub effect , i feel its a placebo. I will confirm it by continuing testo caps for 1 week.

I have one serious and important question:

My T is low. The hypothalamus should detect this low condition and order pituitary to produce more LH/FSH. If that happens then my LH/FSH should be more. But mine came low.So one of the below 2 things can happen:

The pituitary is not functioning properly and not producing LH/FSH
The hypothalamus is not detecting low T properly and as a result not alerting pituitary to produce proportionate LH/FSH.

As said my MRI of pituitary and hypothalamus came absolutely normal.
How to find out which of these glands are not functioning properly. How to find out if there is perfect communication going on between hypothalamus and pituitary.

Hope my knowledge: hypothalamus detects low T is correct.

eagerly waiting for your reply.

There is a complex harmony between the thyroid, adrenals, and pituitary. Your pituitary can look normal on an MRI and free of adenomas, but can still be hypo from issues with other bodily mechanisms and cause low T.

Thyroid issues are the most difficult to figure out. Adrenal issues can usually be figured out with the saliva test for cortisol and DHEA. Fixing other issues can often fix low T.

A SERM (clomid, nolvadex, google these) challenge could jump start the pituitary if the other mechanisms ARE, in fact, functioning properly. KSman knows more about thyroid and adrenal issues. Once you get more labwork, ping KSman on his “KSman is here” post.

Read these stickies:

  • advice for new guys, look for other conditions, we need a lot more data about you
  • thyroid basics
    – fT3 and fT4 should be near middle of range
    – iodine, not so important to test that, eval your intake history from iodized salt or vitamins that list iodine
    – post your oral waking and mid afternoon body temperatures
    – feel cold easily, dry skin, hair or brittle nails?