Blood test - opinion?

Hello.

Age: 35 years
Diet/food, training (enduracne), supplements, sleep - everything is OK.
Low % of bodyfat (stored only in the lower abdomen)

I haven’t used anything in a few years

SIGNS: Mood swings, less energy, periods of depression (leads to overeating), low libido, sometimes poor erections, etc…

BLOOD RESULTS (hormone):

TSH: 0.35 - 4.94 (1.65 mIU/L)
PSA: < 4.0 (0.083 μg/L)
ESTRADIOL: 11 - 44 (11 ng/L)
TESTOSTERONE: 2.21 - 8.71 (2.58 μg/L)
FSH: 0.92 - 11.95 (2.85 IU/L)
LH: 0.57 - 12.07 (1.47 IU/L)
PROLACTINE: 3.46 - 19.40 (9.37 μg/L)
CORTISOL: 101.2 - 535.7 (400 nmol/L)

BLOOD RESULTS (some other parameters):

LEUKOCYTES: 4.00 - 10.00 (7.1)
RBC: 4.50 - 5.50 (4.41)
HAEMOGLOBIN: 130 - 170 (140)
HEMATOCRIT: 0.400 - 0.500 (0.413)
TRIGLYCERIDES: up to 1.69 (0.92)
HDL: above 1.00 (1.02)
LDL: 1.00 - 3.90 (2.50)
CHOLESTEROL: up to 5.2 (3.9)
IRON 11.6 - 31.3 (12)
FERITIN 22 - 275 (62)

Your opinion ? TRT ?

Overtraining can lead to suppressed testosterone and a consequence is poor sleep.

Maybe take it easy for awhile, eat well and see if you feel better before starting TRT.

You have low-T and low E2. This E2 value might be fine for a child, normal adult male estrogen is 20>.

A typical outcome for someone with low estrogen. I took an AI once on TRT and it dropped my estrogen down to 12 and suddenly I had gained a lot of belly fat.

Yes, you’re a good candidate.

TRT may drag ferritin down further after initiating treatment. Iron supplements may be needed as your already bordering on iron deficiency without anemia.

I would check MCV, MCH and MCHC. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the MCV bottomed out.

2 Likes

First of all, thank you very much for your reply.

  1. Yes, I train a lot (endurance - trail run). I already tried it, but it didn’t help + even regeneration was not better with rest or on easy days ( I just became more impatient / nervous / depressed)

  2. Yes, true (very low test and E2)

  3. Hmm, interesting (AI - low E2 - belly fat gain)

  4. Yes, I have (attached below)

MCV 83.0 - 101.0 (93.7 fl)
MCH 27.0 - 32.0 (31.7 pg)
MCHC 315 - 345 (339 g/L)
MPV 7-11 (9 fl)
THROMBOCYTES 150 - 410 (304)

Thanks for your help

Maybe I could try 100 - 125 mg of testosterone a week (to start) and test for a couple of weeks, and then get bloodwork done. And based on them decided what and how (feeling, regeneration, libido, energy, blood test values). Maybe not bad idea :blush: :man_shrugging:

Thnx for the reply.

Yes it’s true. I train a lot, almost every day but I don’t think it’s about overtraining.
I tested the hormones (testosterone levels an other) three times (2021 - 325 ng/dL), in 2022 (300 ng/dL) and now 2024 (258 ng/dL). It was always on the lower limit.

Even if I gain some more muscle, assuming I feel better that’s it (here I mean general well-being, energy, motivation, libido - better quality of life) :blush:

Yes, I was also thinking in this direction (tbol variant)

I will also add iron.

Thanks for your opinion

It is an option.

Nothing wrong with trying other things first, dependent on how long you’ve been dealing with this and how bad you feel.

Blood indices are fine, don’t overthink things. However, while not a solution, an iron supplement would not hurt. Endurance guys usually show a better CBC than yours.

Testosterone is not a long term commitment. You can always stop if it is of no benefit. If you decide to try it, give it a chance and not just a couple of weeks.

I would steer clear of synthetic steroids.

Find a doctor to help, if you haven’t. Good luck.

3 Likes

What’s your endurance training protocol? I trained for an Ironman and it crushed my test. Riding and running so often led to massive calorie requirements I didn’t keep up with a crushed my hormones (validated through regular testing).

Hello

Blood tests after 5 weeks → Test E. - average 150 mg / week - divided into 2 doses (every 4 days - 80 mg) - tested 4 days after last dose / just before new…

ESTRADIOL: 11 - 44 (before: 11 ng/L) - today: 18 ng/L

TESTOSTERONE: 2.21 - 8.71 (before: 2.58 μg/L) - today: 8.22 μg/L / 822 ng/dL

PROLACTINE: 3.46 - 19.40 (before: 9.37 μg/L) - today: 13.33 μg/L

BLOOD RESULTS (some other parameters):

LEUKOCYTES: 4.00 - 10.00 (before: 7.1) - today: 5.8

RBC: 4.50 - 5.50 (before: 4.41) - today: 4.55

HAEMOGLOBIN: 130 - 170 (before: 140) - today: 148

HEMATOCRIT: 0.400 - 0.500 (before: 0.413) - today: 0.445
MCV 83.0 - 101.0 (before: 93.7) - today: 97.8
MCH 27.0 - 32.0 (before: 32) - today: 32.5
MCHC 315 - 345 (before: 339) - today: 333
RDW 11.6 - 14.0 (before: 13.7) - today: 15

TRIGLYCERIDES: up to 1.69 (before: 0.92) - today: 0.5

HDL: above 1.00 (before: 1.02) - today: 1.5

LDL: 1.00 - 3.90 (before: 2.50) - today: 2.9

CHOLESTEROL: up to 5.2 (before: 3.9) - today: 4.6

IRON 11.6 - 31.3 (before: 12) - today: 6.7

FERITIN 22 - 275 (before: 62) - today: 28

In my opinion, testosterone is in the excellent range (normal quite upper limit - 822 ng/dL. Estradiol also increased a little, which is good for a better feeling / libido.
Even if testosterone and estradiol were a little higher there would be nothing wrong (maybe I’ll try 175 mg/week)

Triglycerides are much lower, which is great, good cholesterol also increased. The RBC jumped into the normal range, which is great, as well as hematocrit.

For my opinion is much better blood count, except the iron has dropped quite a bit and is below the normal range (despite the fact that I add iron in tablets).

Positive effects (after 5 weeks): higher libido and slightly better regeneration, other things about the same as before.

I will wait another 2-3 months, and then I will do the blood test again

The only thing that needs to be corrected is to increase iron and ferritin (currently I add 1 tab. / day (325 mg Ferrous Sulfate - Iron 65 mg)

Your opinion on the whole picture ? :blush:

Ferrous Sulfate has poor absorption compared to elemental iron.

I would switch to Glycinate or chelated iron. Not the gentle GI friendly iron.

1 Like

Thank you for your opinion.

I will take the advice and switch the form of iron

Anything else ? The new blood results look pretty OK ? :blush:

p.s.
On monday I will do more blood tests (as far as iron is concerned).

I have a referral for: iron, ferritin, transferrin, folate (folic acid) and vitamin B-12.

We’ll see what it shows

Some new infos…

Today I got blood results (iron and other test)

LEUKOCYTES: 4.00 - 10.00 - today: 5.9
RBC (erythrocytes) 4.50 - 5.50 - today: 4.63
HAEMOGLOBIN: 130 - 170 - today: 148
HEMATOCRIT: 0.400 - 0.500 - today: 0.453
MCV 83.0 - 101.0 - today: 97.8
MCH 27.0 - 32.0 - today: 32.0
MCHC 315 - 345 - today: 327
THROMBOCYTE 150 - 410 - today: 254
MPV 7,8 - 11,0 - today: 9,4

RDW 11.6 - 14.0 - today: 15,2
IRON (10,7 - 28,6) - today: 7,7
FERRITIN (30 - 400) - today: 22
TRANSFERIN SATURATION (16,0 - 45,0) - today: 10,6
TRANSFERIN (25,2 - 45,4) - today: 36,4
VITAMIN B12 (145,0 - 569,0) - today: 353,0
FOLATE (folic acid) (8,8 - 60,8) - today: 41,9

Rbc, haemoglobin, transferin, folate, vitamin b12, everyrthing is ok,

but IRON / FERRITIN and TRANSFERIN SATURATION is low…

I also got an iron supplement (ferrous sulfate / ferric sulfate) with gradual release - tardyferon 80 mg.

Your opinion on low iron / ferritin and transferin saturation ??

Thanks

I would expect your hematocrit and hemoglobin to be higher with higher testosterone.

1 Like

Hmmm, I am currently in week 6 (test E. 140-150 mg per week)

Before that my RBC was:
4.41 (now: 4.63)
haemoglobin: 138 (now: 148)

It has already increased a little, but not much. Maybe in a few weeks the value will be higher.

But probably the iron & ferritin is also lower due to testosterone ???

Btw, this value (testosterone) went in the right direction (from 258 ng/dL to 822 ng/dL)