Lab Test Results

[Eric Peterson]

I have recently moved from California to the DC area. The new PCP was not really comfortable with TRT and after some struggle I was able to identify a urologist who is testosterone friendly. I had my first visit with him last week and he is comfortable with my current management.

He did order some new labs (I had complete labs in September during an annual visit which included PSA and hematocrit (both fine).

Here are the new labs. What I have pasted below is from the patient portal of the practice site. The tests are LabCorp but for some reason they do not yet appear on the LabCorp patient site. The values are without reference range:

Lab Results

[TH="class: chartexporttableheader, bgcolor: #E6E6E6"]Date[/TH] [TH="class: chartexporttableheader, bgcolor: #E6E6E6"]Name[/TH] [TH="class: chartexporttableheader, bgcolor: #E6E6E6"]Result[/TH] [TH="class: chartexporttableheader, bgcolor: #E6E6E6"]Description[/TH] [TH="class: chartexporttableheader, bgcolor: #E6E6E6"]Status[/TH] [TH="class: chartexporttableheader, bgcolor: #E6E6E6"][/TH]

[TD="class: chartexportbackground"]06/03/2014[/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground"]Testosterone, Free + Total, Serum[/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground"][/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground"]Testosterone, Serum: 873 NG/DL[/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground"]Final[/TD]

[TD="class: chartexportbackground"][/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground"][/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground"][/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground"]Comment:: TESTM[/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground"]Final[/TD]

[TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadbot"][/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadbot"][/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadbot"][/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadbot"]Free Testosterone(direct): 10.4 PG/ML[/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadbot"]Final[/TD]

[TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadtop chartexportpadbot"]06/03/2014[/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadtop chartexportpadbot"]Estradiol, Serum[/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadtop chartexportpadbot"][/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadtop chartexportpadbot"]Estradiol: 27.5 PG/ML[/TD] [TD="class: chartexportbackground chartexportdashed chartexportpadtop chartexportpadbot"]Final [/TD]

Does Free seem low to you? I don't know what to make of the Estrodiol. I believe that for males it should be <50 pg.ml which should mean I'm OK I realize that the ultrasensitive is what he should have gotten, so I don't know what the value of this is to management. My previous doc didn't test for estrodiol. If free is low, what is the usual approach to correcting it? Escalating the dose?

FYI : I am 51 and have been on TRT for nearly 3 years. I am using a compounded cream (MedQuest 200 mg.ml lipo cream). My current dose is 3/4 gm both am and pm. I am not using hcg.

I am generally feeling quite well. Strong libido and good sexual function. I am feeling some fatigue.

Thoughts?

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Your total T and estradiol are OK. It seems that you used the regular estradiol test,not the ultrasensitive one. Ultrasensitive usually shows a lower value than the regular E2 test, so your E2 may actually be very low. Are you taking zinc?

Your free testosterone is lower than 2 percent but you have good libido and sexual function. That is all that matters at the end of the day!

 

[Eric Peterson]

This does appear to be the regular E2 test rather than the ultrasensative. I am not supplementing with zinc. Should I be? If so, how much, and what is its role?

Thanks for your comments.

Eric

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Eric

Zinc may lower estradiol. I would not take it if I was you.