Incredibly Nervous About TRT + What Do These Labs Mean?

Pharma TRT
1

Well, after two years of incredible brain fog, inability to get out and enjoy life, and unable to lose weight, my doctor has decided I am a candidate for TRT.

The last two months my Doc started me on a Testosterone injection and I NEVER felt so good in my life as I did when I was on the injections. My Doc stated he was nervous in making the injections a long term solution and implanted a NON FDA approved “all natural” “plant-based” TRT called Sotto Pelle. I just got the implanted pellets on Friday, and haven’t had my last injection for 8 weeks, I hope I respond to the pellets quickly as brain Fog, extreme loss of energy and inability to function has come back…

I have a lot of anxiety/anticipation over the treatment that was given to me, more-so because of the “non FDA” portion of the therapy, and the fact my derriere gets to be cut open for new pellets every six months. In addition, I know what my doctor says about my test results, but I don’t know a damn thing about them. I see conflicting information on the web and need some knowledgeable guidance as to what I am looking at for my own peace of mind.

I am just starting this journey, and am hoping to learn more about TRT and more about myself so I can get back to my 18 YO enthusiastic self. Living such a drab life is taking it’s toll.

Here is some info about me and the blood test results, I highlighted the results that were “high” or “low” and also put the ranges in parenthesis Ex (65-99) 65=low 99=high.

Lab results are BEFORE TRT

At my heaviest (three months ago) I was 296 pounds, on T injections I’m at 278 and just started pellets.

Me: As of Today
Age: 29
Sex: YES PLEASE (male)
Height: 5’ 11"
Weight: 276

Lab Results ordered: CBC W/ Diff, Metabolic Panel, Lipid Panel, Iron and TIBC, Testosterone Free and Total, Estradiol, Hemaglobin ALC, Thyroxine, T4, T4 Free, T4 Direct, T4s, TSH, Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy, Thyroxine, T3

CBC WITH DIFFERENTIAL/PLATELET
WBC 7.8 X10E3/UL (3.4-10.8)
RBC 5.17 X10E6/UL (4.14-5.80)
Hemaglobin 16.3 g/dl (12.6-17.7)
Hematocrit 48.5 % (37.5-51.0)
MCV 94 fL (79-97)
MCH 31.5 pg (26.6-33.0)
MCHC 33.6 g/dl (31.5-35.7)
RDW 13.8 % (12.3-15.4)
Platelets 267 x10E3/uL (150-379)
Neutrophils 54 % (n/a)
Lymphs 32 % (n/a)
Monocytes 9 % (n/a)
EOS 4 % (n/a)
Basos 1 % (n/a)
Neutrophils (absolute) 4.3 x10E3/uL (1.4-7.0)
Lymphs (absolute) 2.5 x10e3/uL (0.7-3.1)
Monocytes (absolute) 0.7 x10e3/uL (0.1-0.9)
EOS (absolute) 0.3 x10e3/uL (0.0-0.4)
Baso (absolute) 0.1 x10e3/uL (0.0-0.2)
Immature Granulocytes 0
Immature Grans 0

COMP METABOLIC PANEL
Glucose Serum 92 mg/dl (65-99)
BUN 19 mg/dL (6-20)
Creatinine Serum 0.94 mg/dl (0.76-1.27)
eGFR if Non African Am 109 mL/min/1.73 (>59)
BUN/Creatinine Ratio 20 HIGH 8-19
Sodium Serum 141 mmol/L (134-144)
Potassium Serum 4.2 mmol/L (3.5-5.2)
Chloride Serum 101 mmol/L (97-108)
Total Carbon Dioxide 18 mmol/L (18-28)
Calcium Serum 9.8 mg/dL (8.7-10.2)
Protein Total Serum 8.0 g/dL (6-8.5)
Albumin Serum 4.9 g/dL (3.5-5.5)
Globulin Total 3.1 g/dL (1.5-4.5)
A/G Ratio 1.6 (1.1-2.5)
Bilirubin Total 0.5 mg/dL (0.0-1.2)
Alkaline Phosphatase S 90 IU/L (39-117)
AST (SGOT) 32 IU/L (0-40)
ALT (SGPT) 68 HIGH IU/L (0-44)

LIPID PANEL
Cholesterol Total 256 HIGH (100-199)
Triglycerides 199 HIGH (0-149)
HDL Cholesterol 35 LOW mg/dL (>39)
VLDL Cholesterol Cal 40 mg/dL (5-40)
LDL Cholesterol Calc 181 HIGH mg/dL (0-99)

IRON AND TIBC
Iron Bind. Cap. (TIBC) 331 ug/dL (250-450)
UIBC 212 ug/dL (111-343)
Iron Serum 119 ug/dL (38-169)
Iron Saturation 36 % (15-55)

TESTOSTERONE FREE AND TOTAL
Testosterone Serum 206 LOW ng/dL 348-1197 (NOTE: Adult male reference interval is based on a population of lean males up to 40 years old)
Free Testosterone Direct 10.0 pg/mL (9.3-26.5)

ESTRADIOL
Estradiol 19.3 pg/mL (7.6-42.6)

HEMOGLOBIN ALC
Hemoglobin Alc 5.3 % (4.8-5.6)

THYROXINE (T4) FREE DIRECT
T4,FREE(Direct) 1.14 ng/dL (0.82-1.77)
TSH 3.600 uIU/mL (0.450-4.500)

Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy 25.1 LOW ng/mL (30-100)

Thyroxine (t4) 8.6 ug/dL (4.5-12.0)
Triiodothyronine (T3) 118 ng/dL (71-180)

2

I’m reading through as much info as possible on here, and I have made a grave grave mistake to take the pellets. :frowning:

3

I wouldn’t call it a grave mistake, yes you were probably better off with injections. But the pellets seem like a great way to go if you can get them to work and you can afford them.

You need to read this

4

Hey all, I have been doing TONS of research on this site, thanks for all your work.

I was wondering if anyone had Thyroid issues with normal results on their bloodwork? I am doing the temperature test tomorrow. I ask, as I have two sisters with Hashimotos, and my mother and grandmother have Hashimotos as well. Is the temperature test the only concrete way of verifying slight hypothyroid?

5

Thanks for the response Verne, I have been reading a lot. The procedure cost me $800 I can’t imagine being able to cough that up three times a year. Health insurance doesn’t pay anything towards it.

6

That is a lot of money. injections are far cheaper

7

Injections are really cheap, my local pharmacy charges $42.00 for a bottle of tetosterone cip, lasts me about 5 months, the box of syringes is about $25. So 67.00 ÷ 5= just over $13.00 a month(the price is not using insurance). The good thing about injections, you can adjust level as needed. If you feel comfortable giving yourself injections. I didnt think I could but less than $200 a year for T , or multiple $1,000s, I decided I could do my own.

8

You need to work on your LIPIDS! Your pre TRT lipid profile is bad and TRT will make it worse. You need to change diet and exercise to get your ratios in line if you want to live to a ripe old age.

9

@blshaw seriously working on it, I hope to see major improvement on the next blood test. I no longer drink soda, eat sweets, etc. Right now I am focusing on trying to eat as much vegetable meat content as possible and take out anything processed.

@rotwiler THAT IS WAY CHEAPER than pellets. My doctor says using a synthetic injectable testosterone can lead to heart attacks and sever blood clotting. I am trying to research this for myself to learn more. I defenitely DO NOT like the opening of the skin and insertion of pellets procedure.

10

You are 29.

You need to get LH / FSH tested to see if you are primary hypogonadism or secondary hypogonadism. If you are secondary, you can go on SERMs (it’s a pill) and they are cheap. At your age, it’s unlikely your testicles have already failed.

Sorry to tell you, but your doc sounds like he’s just in it for the cash. There’s no way you should be getting injections without LH / FSH tested first. Pellets don’t perform well, but doctors can charge big bucks, so they like it.

Your lipids will improve after getting your T corrected, but you also really need to address your weight. Fat turns T into E2. Your E2 looks good prior to therapy, but it will likely go up. You may also need to be on arimidex.

11

Lipids will not improve after correcting T. Both exogenous T and AI have negative impact on lipids so you have to be extra vigilant in improving those.

12

@gonadthebarbarian Thats what I suspected as well. We do know it’s primary, and SERMs aren’t an option. I asked. Also I was also told by the doctor it would help my lipids, however my nutritionist told me the same thing as @blshaw.

13

How did your doctor test for you being primary or secondary? Its not on the labs you gave us. What test did your doc run? and what were the results?

1 Like
14

It will change your lipids, be that good or bad hard to say. But it will help you lose weight and that helps a lot in the end

15

I agree with verne, and it was the point I was getting at in my last post. If those are the only tests you have had, you don’t know if you are primary or secondary. If I were to guess, based on your age and weight alone, I’d say you are likely to be secondary, not primary.