Gents,
Stats:
30 y/o male, been training for 10 years.
6’0", 190lbs, ~16%BF
285lb bench, 250lb squat, 275lb deadlift (hx of lower back surgery)
Symptoms:
-Inability to put on lean muscle mass—I gain almost exclusively fat (this is not my norm).
-Strength has hit a plateau
-Difficulty concentrating, in a fog (I’m a fighter pilot—not a good thing)
-No sex drive/interest. Trashed a great relationship because of this.
-Erectile dysfunction
-No energy at all during day—heavy reliance on caffeine
-I can sleep all day. 10, 12, 14 hours is no problem—I still wake up tired.
-Possible inflammation in lower neck. I feel constant pressure/ache below my Adams Apple, like my trachea is being gently squeezed.
-Irritability, easily stressed, anxious. Nothing excites me anymore. ‘No fucks given’ attitude—and not in the good way.
-Morning oral temperature in the mid-high 96s.
-Cholesterol and BP have been rising over the last six months. HR is stable in the mid-50s.
Attempted corrective actions:
-Initially suspected low testosterone, so I went to the flight doc and had testosterone labs done. He only drew total test: 426. That was the morning after a heavy squat workout, so I’m sure it is actually lower.
-Did a half-assed thyroid panel. TSH of 3.21 and Free T4 of 1.17. TSH seems high.
Our flight docs are pretty green, so I figured I’d ask for a sanity check here before demanding an endocrinology consult and potentially getting grounded. Thoughts?