I need help interpreting my lab results

[snoozin]

I am 34 years old, 5' 6" with 12% BF. I have done year long trt. I have not been taking any exogenous testosterone in the past 2 years. I don't feel quite right as when I was on TRT. Which is why I wanted to get my levels tested. The doctor will likely just say my lab result was normal (like the last doctor) but I want to see what you guys think. Thanks in advance.

 

[FunkOdyssey]

I am 34 years old, 5' 6" with 12% BF. I have done year long trt. I have not been taking any exogenous testosterone in 2 year. I dont feel quite right as when I was on trt. Which is why i wanted to get my levels tested. The doctor will likely juat say my lab result was normal but i want to see what you guys think. Thanks in advance.

Calculated free T is 9.4 ng/dl which is on the low side but not officially hypogonadal. Your estradiol is very low though, less than 10.9 pg/ml, if that test is accurate. Given the lowish free T and very low estradiol, it does not surprise me to hear that you felt better on TRT.

 

[Systemlord]

I have done year long trt. I have not been taking any exogenous testosterone in 2 year.

Denying yourself healthy hormone levels for the sake of preventing hair loss is never worth the tradeoff. Finasteride isn’t the answer either, DHT is one of the benefits of TRT, even partially blocking it can open up doors to hell.

Don’t make one bad choice after another, because it may lead to life long suffering.

How Merck buried finasteride’s full impact on hormone signaling

Steroid synthesis in the brain

finasterideinfo.org

 

[FunkOdyssey]

Denying yourself healthy hormone levels for the sake of preventing hair loss is never worth the tradeoff. Finasteride isn’t the answer either, DHT is one of the benefits of TRT, even partially blocking it can open up doors to hell.

Don’t make one bad choice after another, because it may lead to life long suffering.

Did I miss something where he previously talked about not using TRT because of hair loss?

 

[madman]

I am 34 years old, 5' 6" with 12% BF. I have done year long trt. I have not been taking any exogenous testosterone in 2 year. I dont feel quite right as when I was on trt. Which is why i wanted to get my levels tested. The doctor will likely juat say my lab result was normal but i want to see what you guys think. Thanks in advance.

Welcome glad to have another Canadian member on the forum.

Were your labs done fasted in the early AM as we want to test at peak?

I can tell that you had your blood work done at Lifelabs as I am familiar with the reference ranges.

If these are your results from an early AM blood draw than your TT 14.3 nmol/L (412.4 ng/dL) is nothing to brag about and more importantly your FT would be far from stellar but not absurdly low.

In order to know where your FT level truly sits you would need to have it tested using an accurate assay such as the gold standard Equilibrium Dialysis or Ultrafiltration (next best).

In Canada FT is done using the cFTV mind you the reference ranges differ from lab to lab.

For the time being you will need to use/rely upon the cFTV.

If we take your sub-par peak? TT 412.4ng/dL, SHBG 27.4nmol/L and Albumin (default) 4.3g/dL than your FT would be 9.38 ng/dL (closer to the lower end reference range cFTV).

Also keep in mind that as of now the cFTV tends to overestimate so your FT level may be even lower if it was tested using an accurate assay (ED/UF).

There would be no comparison between your natty TT/FT level vs your TT/FT level when using exogenous T for replacement therapy as not only would your TT and more importantly FT levels been much higher (peak/trough) but we are also talking steady state as in 24/7.

 

[Systemlord]

Did I miss something where he previously talked about not using TRT because of hair loss?

You may have missed the T-Nation post. My repeat post on the same subject is as much for the OP as it is for someone else in the same situation.

 

[madman]

I am 34 years old, 5' 6" with 12% BF. I have done year long trt. I have not been taking any exogenous testosterone in 2 year. I dont feel quite right as when I was on trt. Which is why i wanted to get my levels tested. The doctor will likely juat say my lab result was normal but i want to see what you guys think. Thanks in advance.

Unfortunately many are still clueless when it comes to labs/assays/cFT/reference ranges.


post #2/4/11

Direct Measurements of Free Hormones Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Methods

Only at Excel, are we gonna take you deep! Clinical Utility and Analytical Aspects of Direct Measurements of Free Hormones Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Methods (2022) Mark M. Kushnir, Heather A. Nelson, and Kelly Doyle Background The free hormone (FH) hypothesis states that hormone...

www.excelmale.com

 

[snoozin]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. I will try and educate my self more on this topic. I'm willing to start TRT preferably with topical finasteride. I have experienced a noticeable amount of hair loss since December. The loss is moslty in the crown within the last 6 months. I am sure its due to stress from a loss in the family. I'm a little hesitant to start TRT with out something that will potentially inhibit dht related hair loss. I thought they're plenty of people that are on TRT with Finasteride that feel great and have more hair.

I fasted for 10 hours before I went for the blood draw at 8AM.

I have a follow up appointment with a Telus health doctor (not my family GP) on Aug 14th.
He told me that if any of my levels were out of range that he would then order more testing.

I want to do gold standard Equilibrium Dialysis or Ultrafiltration test. Is that something that I should specifically request next time I speak with the doctor? How difficult is it to get TRT prescribed from a GP in Canada? My friend who also tried to get TRT from his doctor failed and just had to self administer. Again, thanks everyone for your time.

 

[Systemlord]

He told me that if any of my levels were out of range that he would then order more testing.

This comment is bad news, because doctors believe that your hormone levels need to be outside the range for you to have low testosterone, which is simply not true.

It’s very difficult to get TRT in Canada, because a lot of the doctors are just not up to speed on sex hormones.

 

[madman]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. I will try and educate my self more on this topic. I'm willing to start TRT preferably with topical finasteride. I have experienced a noticeable amount of hair loss since December. The loss is moslty in the crown within the last 6 months. I am sure its due to stress from a loss in the family. I'm a little hesitant to start TRT with out something that will potentially inhibit dht related hair loss. I thought they're plenty of people that are on TRT with Finasteride that feel great and have more hair.

I fasted for 10 hours before I went for the blood draw at 8AM.

I have a follow up appointment with a Telus health doctor (not my family GP) on Aug 14th.
He told me that if any of my levels were out of range that he would then order more testing.

I want to do gold standard Equilibrium Dialysis or Ultrafiltration test. Is that something that I should specifically request next time I speak with the doctor? How difficult is it to get TRT prescribed from a GP in Canada? My friend who also tried to get TRT from his doctor failed and just had to self administer. Again, thanks everyone for your time.

Most would not be willing to pay out of pocket due to the absurd cost for testing FT using the most accurate assays (ED/UF) as they are not covered by insurance.

For the time being you are going to have to use/rely upon the cFTV.

Testosterone Therapy in Canada

@Marcel https://www.excelmale.com/forum/threads/the-dea-wants-to-limit-your-access-to-trt-telemedicine.27274/page-6 We have always been far worse off than the US when it comes to the treatment of men for testosterone deficiency. Although there has been some improvement in certain areas we...

www.excelmale.com

There is a lot of fear mongering when it comes to the use of 5-ARIs.

Can they cause sexual/mental sides most definitely.

It is not a given that you will experience such.

Some may experience negative short/long-term sides when using 5ARIs.

No one can say for sure if you will be one of the unlucky ones.

Personally I would not use 5-ARIs or AIs but that is me though!

Learn as much as you can and do what you feel is best for you.

We need to tread lightly when trying to manipulate testosterone metabolites estradiol and DHT as they are needed in healthy amounts and are critical to our overall health.

Estradiol and DHT are needed in healthy amounts to experience the full spectrum of testosterones beneficial effects on mood, energy, libido, erectile function, cardiovascular health, brain, bones, tendons, immune system, body composition, and recovery.


*Natural testosterone is viewed as the best androgen for substitution in hypogonadal men. The reason behind the selection is that testosterone can be converted to DHT and E2, thus developing the full spectrum of testosterone activities in long-term substitution

Managing Hair Loss: Comprehensive Review

A review discusses various treatments for androgenetic alopecia (AGA), the most common cause of hair loss. Traditional methods like minoxidil and finasteride have mixed results. Newer treatments, such as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), microneedling, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and others, are...

www.excelmale.com

Finasteride and Antidepressant Induced Sexual Dysfunction in Men

Maria Uloko, MD, discusses symptoms, causes, and treatments for post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) and post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) in men. She explains the controversy behind the PFS diagnosis and discusses the attention it has gathered in urology, citing the NIH’s inclusion of PFS in its...

www.excelmale.com

Oral minoxidil in alopecia

Comprehensive review of oral minoxidil in alopecia (2022) Jay D. Modha MD | Yashdeep Singh Pathania MD Abstract Background: There have been various treatment modalities available for alopecia in the form of topical and systemic with a variable response. The compliance of the patients is...

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*Considerable evidence exists in the contemporary literature regarding the physiological role of 5a-reductases in the peripheral tissues and CNS and the pathophysiological implication of inhibiting this family of enzymes and blunting biosynthesis of neurosteroids, which are critical biological mediators in the CNS, and contribute to altered mood, cognition, and libido (23–50). Also, significant pre-clinical evidence exists demonstrating that inhibition of 5a-RIs contributes to erectile dysfunction (16–22) and may also contribute to neurological symptoms (Fig. 4 (36)

 

[snoozin]

I'm thinking I would like to try out some enclomiphene as apposed to pinning cyp twice a week.

 

[Systemlord]

You can dose Clomid everyday, every other day and even every 3-4 days.

 

[tareload]

Most would not be willing to pay out of pocket due to the absurd cost for testing FT using the most accurate assays (ED/UF) as they are not covered by insurance.

Cheap as hell.

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Basically charity. Americans are spoiled by Nelson.

cFTV

Awesome tool that still rules the land as has been posted here over and over. Undefeated and typically 10 to 20% higher than FT measured by LCMS+ED. Long may you reign cFTV.

 

[FunkOdyssey]

Cheap as hell.

Testosterone, Free (Equilibrium Dialysis) and Total, MS - Most Affordable and Accurate Test

Get an affordable and accurate testosterone test results with our Total Testosterone, M and Free (Equilibrium Dialysis) test. Visit DiscountedLabs.com for more information.

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Basically charity. Americans are spoiled by Nelson.



Awesome tool that still rules the land as has been posted here over and over. Undefeated and typically 10 to 20% higher than FT measured by LCMS+ED. Long may you reign cFTV.

I've noted before that it's actually more expensive to order total testosterone and SHBG to perform a calculation for free T than to get the equilibrium dialysis free T test via discount labs. The era of relying on calculated free T to save money is over.