Low Progesterone, Testosterone, and Estradiol

[tonydom]

Testosterone 10.3 nmol/L reference range (8.3 - 30.2).
Estradiol 57 pmol/L reference range (50 - 150)
Progesterone 1.4 nmol/L reference range (1.2 - 4.8

I have fat on my chest and I have all the symptoms of low T and High Estrogen but my levels are really low. I can't figure it out.

I gather weight easily around my waistline and my chest. Anything sugary makes my man boobs worse. Especially bread.

No exercise in the world helps me lose weight.

My cortisol levels are: 403 nmol/L reference range (145 - 619)

Any clues what could be going on here?
What causes such low hormone results?
I'm 43. Male.

 

[Vince]

exercise and a clean diet would help, are you overweight. I stick to a low carb diet to control my hunger. You should get a full set of labs.
Suggested Lab Tests and Questions Before and After Initiation of Testosterone Replacement
https://www.excelmale.com/forum/sho...-After-Initiation-of-Testosterone-Replacement

 

[CoastWatcher]

Testosterone 10.3 nmol/L reference range (8.3 - 30.2).
Estradiol 57 pmol/L reference range (50 - 150)
Progesterone 1.4 nmol/L reference range (1.2 - 4.8

I have fat on my chest and I have all the symptoms of low T and High Estrogen but my levels are really low. I can't figure it out.

I gather weight easily around my waistline and my chest. Anything sugary makes my man boobs worse. Especially bread.

No exercise in the world helps me lose weight.

My cortisol levels are: 403 nmol/L reference range (145 - 619)

Any clues what could be going on here?
What causes such low hormone results?
I'm 43. Male.

Welcome me to Excelmale. In order to engage in productive discussion, we need some additional information. How tall are you? What's your diet like? How much exercise do you get? Your general health - are you taking any medications/supplements, history of steroid or prolonged opiate use? Sleep patterns?

Some observations - fat on your chest isn't necessarily a sign of anything other than excess fat. Lower estradiol levels are seen frequently with lower testosterone levels. The former follow the latter.

Vince is on the mark with a list of labs you need to get. Based on your post, you're outside the US; the sensitive estradiol test will not be available to you.

 

[tonydom]

Welcome me to Excelmale. In order to engage in productive discussion, we need some additional information. How tall are you? What's your diet like? How much exercise do you get? Your general health - are you taking any medications/supplements, history of steroid or prolonged opiate use? Sleep patterns?

Some observations - fat on your chest isn't necessarily a sign of anything other than excess fat. Lower estradiol levels are seen frequently with lower testosterone levels. The former follow the latter.

Vince is on the mark with a list of labs you need to get. Based on your post, you're outside the US; the sensitive estradiol test will not be available to you.

I run 5 days a week, usually around 8 km each time. I stopped doing any weight training about 6 months ago because more fat seemed to accumulate on my chest. I have also eaten healthy my entire life.. The only supplements I take is Vitamin B and a multivitiman. Extra B12 and B6. No medications or medical supplements. I'm 182 cm tall and weigh 93 kg. It's very difficult to get below that even on 1000 calories a day. The fat on my chest could not be just from obesity as I'm not grosely obese like those around me.. There's definitely a propensity for fat to collect there. Impossible to lose weight. Done several tests for Diabetes, but no sign of it. I shouldn't have it anyway.. I don't drink or smoke. My father had the same issues before he died in his 50's. I feel I'm going the same way. Doing all the right things and watching the deterioration. It's definitely not an unhealthy diet. I'm baffled.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

You need to look into your thyroid (TSH, free T3 and free T4), glucose, and triglycerides.

Low activity level, high calorie consumption, bad sleep habits, low T, high TSH/low free T3, high triglycerides and other factors can make it difficult to lose weight.

 

[CoastWatcher]

You need to look into your thyroid (TSH, free T3 and free T4), glucose, and triglycerides.

Low activity level, high calorie consumption, bad sleep habits, low T, high TSH/low free T3, high triglycerides and other factors can make it difficult to lose weight.

Where do you live and what sort of relationship do you have with your doctor? Is he or she open to the level of blood work that has been suggested?

 

[madman]

I run 5 days a week, usually around 8 km each time. I stopped doing any weight training about 6 months ago because more fat seemed to accumulate on my chest. I have also eaten healthy my entire life.. The only supplements I take is Vitamin B and a multivitiman. Extra B12 and B6. No medications or medical supplements. I'm 182 cm tall and weigh 93 kg. It's very difficult to get below that even on 1000 calories a day. The fat on my chest could not be just from obesity as I'm not grosely obese like those around me.. There's definitely a propensity for fat to collect there. Impossible to lose weight. Done several tests for Diabetes, but no sign of it. I shouldn't have it anyway.. I don't drink or smoke. My father had the same issues before he died in his 50's. I feel I'm going the same way. Doing all the right things and watching the deterioration. It's definitely not an unhealthy diet. I'm baffled.

1000 calories/day................your metabolism will grind to a screeching halt, how do you expect to even maintain your muscle tissue let alone build any?

 

[tonydom]

Where do you live and what sort of relationship do you have with your doctor? Is he or she open to the level of blood work that has been suggested?

I'm almost convinced that that you can't have a good relationship with your doctor. I'm in Australia.
The culture is terrible out there. Even the pathologists hate dealing with them.
I'm not sure how to get such a level of tests from a doctor here.. Might have to wait until I'm abroad.

 

[tonydom]

1000 calories/day................your metabolism will grind to a screeching halt, how do you expect to even maintain your muscle tissue let alone build any?

Didn't say that.. All I'm saying is that I have tried it at one stage and could not lose a pound. I think cutting calories to this extent does more damage than good.

 

[tonydom]

Here's something I though it might be.. Can I run this by you all and maybe you can tell me if it's a realistic assumption.
About 8 years ago I went through a serious bout of stress which lasted a few years.. My hands would shake and I could not sleep much at all. I was working horrendously long hours.

That's when I started to gain weight in my chest area (man boobs).. It started to get pretty bad and it scared me a hell of allot. I understand the relationship between Progesterone and Estrogen and Cortisol. I assume what had happened (in hindsight) is that my cortisol levels went through the roof and used up allot of progesterone. This left very little progesterone to oppose my Estrogen levels and hence was Estrogen Dominant for some time. So the fat started to accumulate on my chest and it just didn't stop. Maybe when the fat starts accumulating in an area, it just keeps accumulating there? Would anyone know? My father had this exact same problem.

I have managed to get my stress levels down again and even had to cut exercise for a while but I still can't lose weight. I have done the usual Thyroid panel TSH, Free T4, Free T3 and all are normal. But.... and here's a possibility... I could still have high Reverse T3.

As I understand it after a serious bout of stress Reverse T3 levels go up and halt your metabolism.. This is because the inverted nature of Reverse T3 blocks T3 receptors and stops it from doing it's job. It's your bodies way of putting on the breaks and storing fat (as it things you're in the Fight or Flight condition) which comes about when you're under high levels of stress. The fat on my chest that collected I was under high levels of stress (probably estrogen dominant), won't come off because my RT3 may not have come down. As I understand it, RT3 can stay up long after your cortisol comes down if the stressful period was prolonged enough.

Just about all doctors in Australia won't help you if you have high Reverse T3 levels because they don't know how to treat it... When I asked for all these tests a few weeks ago ...... and this is suspicious..... the pathologist seems to have forgotten the Reverse T3 test. Maybe the doctor / pathologist in charge , strictly adhering to Australian medical culture, just skipped this test because to them it means nothing. I'm not sure, but it sure is suspicious.

I have since had that blood test redone and hope to see if my RT3 is high.. Hasn't come back yet.. Failing that, I'm stumped as to what it could be.

I'm taking on board what you've all suggest though.. More tests are on the books.
My neighbor heads cold pizza in the morning, KFC at night, drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney and 4 weeks ago he decided to go on a fitness kick. He's lost 4 kg's already.. It would take me 5 years to lose that if it were possible at all.

 

[ERO]

I would also get a 4-tube cortisol test as that is the only way to tell of your cortisol is high - or low. It is a saliva test and you test when you get up, noon, early evening and like 11-12 at night. Most guys get a single test from a blood draw in the morning around 8-9AM and it shows top of the range and they and their Doc panic not knowing that at that time of day your cortisol SHOULD be at or near the top of the range. In the US you can order a 4-tube cortisol test online (no doctor prescription required) from Discountedlabs.com and several other places so I would think (but I am only guessing) that you might be able to do the same in Australia.

 

[ERO]

Here is a 4-tube Cortisol test kit in Australia. http://brunswickhealth.com.au/product/stress-hormone-self-testing-kit-cortisol#tab-description

 

[tonydom]

Thanks ERO, that's very useful. I didn't even know they existed. I may get even more tests done through them.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Some of my coaching clients in Australia see this doctor. He travels around the country.

http://www.ipn.com.au/gp/wa-bicton-point-walter-medical-centre/our-doctors/dr-adrian-zentner/