Help understanding blood results

[FenrirGrey]

Finally got my GP to do blood test after years of symptoms that I believe are hormone related.

Results came back with " no obvious abnormality" and GP offered antidepressants again.

Can you give me advice about interpreting the results.

Testosterone 11.4 nmol/L
SHBG 33 nmol/L
Free Androgen Index N/A
Free Testosterone 225 pmol/L

I'm 48 years old.

 

[Belekas]

Finally got my GP to do blood test after years of symptoms that I believe are hormone related.

Results came back with " no obvious abnormality" and GP offered antidepressants again.

Can you give me advice about interpreting the results.

Testosterone 11.4 nmol/L
SHBG 33 nmol/L
Free Androgen Index N/A
Free Testosterone 225 pmol/L

I'm 48 years old.

Welcome to EM.

Thats a standart practice what I hear and read in these forums and TRT fb groups. I assume your FT is calculated and not tested using the most accurate assay. Just from a glance your numbers are low and barely in range. Also have you done the test in the morning? Even considering these numbers are low I would try to exhaust all options to get healthier and raise your testosterone, give it some time, retest and then take another good look at them, preferably with a more complete panel not from GP but from another payed lab. Your cFT pretty much the same as I had pre treatment, just I had bigger TT and nearly 2x SHBG, which results in nearly identical cFT. So anyway context matters and if you decide to share some more- I'm sure there will be plenty of experienced folks to help you along the way.

Regards,
Bel

 

[Systemlord]

Finally got my GP to do blood test after years of symptoms that I believe are hormone related.

Results came back with " no obvious abnormality" and GP offered antidepressants again.

Can you give me advice about interpreting the results.

Testosterone 11.4 nmol/L
SHBG 33 nmol/L
Free Androgen Index N/A
Free Testosterone 225 pmol/L

I'm 48 years old.

When your medical problem isn’t in your doctors top 10 greatest hits, your experience will be exponentially worse and you’ll either get the wrong treatment or none at all.

This Free T level you qualify for TRT according to the british sexual medicine guidelines.

It is very common for GP’s to offer antidepressants when the problem is low-T, especially in the UK. A lot of men with low-T go the private clinic route for TRT because of experiences like yours.

Here are 2 TRT clinics, Men’s Health Clinic or Balance My Hormones.

 

[FenrirGrey]

Welcome to EM.

Thats a standart practice what I hear and read in these forums and TRT fb groups. I assume your FT is calculated and not tested using the most accurate assay. Just from a glance your numbers are low and barely in range. Also have you done the test in the morning? Even considering these numbers are low I would try to exhaust all options to get healthier and raise your testosterone, give it some time, retest and then take another good look at them, preferably with a more complete panel not from GP but from another payed lab. Your cFT pretty much the same as I had pre treatment, just I had bigger TT and nearly 2x SHBG, which results in nearly identical cFT. So anyway context matters and if you decide to share some more- I'm sure there will be plenty of experienced folks to help you along the way.

Regards,
Bel

Thanks for your advice and support.

 

[FenrirGrey]

When your medical problem isn’t in your doctors top 10 greatest hits, your experience will be exponentially worse and you’ll either get the wrong treatment or none at all.

This Free T level you qualify for TRT according to the british sexual medicine guidelines.

It is very common for GP’s to offer antidepressants when the problem is low-T, especially in the UK. A lot of men with low-T go the private clinic route for TRT because of experiences like yours.

Here are 2 TRT clinics, Men’s Health Clinic or Balance My Hormones.

Thanks for this advice, especially for mentioning the british sexual medicine guidelines. I have now read these and feel more prepared when I speak to my GP.