Not a typo, got a test a couple weeks ago, after I had a feeling since I felt terrible all the time. Looking at seeing and endocrinologist ASAP but after a retest it came up a bit too 220ng. Thinking about adding clomid, since honestly I’m not sure if HRT is the best option at this age. What’s crazy, is I was a very successful strongman, power lifter, and collegiate athlete, thinking maybe all the stress implemented in my teen years caused this along with the ridiculous weight cuts I did in college wrestling.
Any opinions will help, and suggestions with clomid usage. Have some bloodwork too, BUN levels really off 32 from 6-20, and creatinine levels off as well. White blood cell count very high as well. Doctor just kind of chugged me off and told me the thinks 220 is “fairly normal”. I know a lot of people come on this board asking these questions, but any help is very much appreciated. Thank you.
OK, first of all your doc is an idiot. 220 is very low for somebody your age. It’s low for somebody 4 times your age. Hopefully the endo is better. You need to get LH/FSH tested before considering clomid versus HRT. If your testicles are not responding to already high LH, clomid is not the answer.
As to BUN/creatine, it is possible you had abnormal values due to excessive protein and creatine supplementation or your muscles were recovering from an intense workout prior to test. Also possible you aren’t drinking enough water. I would get off creatine or any pre-workout, limit protein to “normal” non-athlete intake, drink 10-12 cups of water per day, and retest in a week. Do not train at all for a couple days before test. I’m not saying you are doing anything wrong, but would like to rule out supplements, training, and poor hydration as contributing factors.
If the numbers are still off, it is possible you have an issue with kidneys, maybe some acute illness. As a wrestler, did you ever abuse diuretics? IMO, they are more dangerous than most steroids.
Thanks for he reply, what’s the best way about getting my LH/FSN tested? Endocrinologist appointment isn’t for a couple weeks from now, and every day is a struggle with this low of testosterone. Worried Endo might be non helpful as well. I did use some diuretics, dandelion root, and a couple other herbs but nothing too heavy. I had an eating disorder, and lots of sauna trips which resulted in weight cuts up to 8lbs water cut the morning of the match. (Coach asked too much of me to make a lower weight class) which I talk about in another log that I’m worried affected me as well. What many people don’t realize in the Collegiate,Wrestling, this is not uncommon by any means.
You can get LH/FSH tested by any internist, endo, or primary care doc. You could even get them tested yourself through PrivateMDLabs/LapCorp, but I would rather just go through doc as these labs are pretty routine for considering the cause of low testosterone. Basically they are testing the signals your brain is sending to testicles to produce testosterone and sperm. Read the stickies and educate yourself on other trusted health websites.
An endo is technically an internist. They complete residency in internal medicine, then do endo fellowship. So I don’t know if there is a huge difference which one you see. It’s more a matter of which doc is better, not title IMO.
I’m certainly no expert as to how diuretics or dehydration cutting might have damaged your kidneys, liver, etc. . You could even have infection, which has little to do with that. Assuming the BUN/creatine still come up high, further lab testing and perhaps even an ultrasound or CT scan of the kidneys, etc. are warranted. Your doctor should be able to advise on this matter. Just be very honest with them about your history and note anything that is bothering you, anything that is unusual. Often docs make a subconscious judgment that you look healthy and fit, and do not realize how awful you feel. This is for you to sell to them. Good luck and keep us posted.