Hey Guys, I just stumbled across this forum and thought maybe someone can give me some advice. I’ll try to keep this post as concise as possible. Thanks in advance!
Starting from the beginning - I’ve had problems concentrating and maintaining focus, putting on muscle, night sweats, low energy levels, remembering things, etc since high school/college. My GP gave me a blood test back in 2015, and determined that I have low testosterone levels as well as elevated prolactin levels. Not sure what caused this - I did take accutane for acne when I was 15, 17 and 22 (6 months each course) and it eliminated my acne. I also partied a lot in college.
Ever since my initial labs, I’ve been trying to figure this out on my own. I have seen an endocrinologist that prescribed me cabergoline. The medication worked a bit initially but soon gave me headaches. I’d figured that the cabergoline was depleting my prolactin levels so I started to take a lower dosage - .25MG every 3 weeks instead of .5MG every week. My headaches were gone but my total testosterone stayed low…(all of this is reflected on my attached file) I also went in for a MRI to see if my pituitary gland has a tumor/abnormalities but the result came out negative. Since then, I have stopped taking cabergoline in 2018 and haven’t done much to follow up with the endo.
I’ve recently been lurking the forums and completed some bloodwork referencing a lot of what other members test for. Please see below for summary:
Total Testosterone, Serum - 463.7 (264-916 ng/dL)
Testosterone, Free, Direct - 25 (9.3-26.5 pg/mL)
Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy - 36.5 (30- 100ng/mL)
Prolactin - 27.8 (4-15.2 ng/mL)
LH - 3.6 (1.7 ‐ 8.6 mIU/mL)
FSH - 2.9 (1.5 ‐ 12.4 mIU/mL)
TSH - 3 (0.450 ‐ 4.500 uIU/mL)
SHBG - 15.8 (16.5 ‐ 55.9 nmol/L)
Dihydrotestosterone - 25 (30 - 85 ng/dL)
% Free Testosterone (Dialysis) - 2.9 (1.5 - 3.2%)
Free Testosterone, Serum - 132 (52 - 280 pg/mL)
Bioavailable Testosterone, % - 63.6%
Bioavailable Testosterone, S - 289 (128 - 430 ng/dL)
(More results on the attached file)
Since my last follow up with my endo, I’ve been taking 4500IUs of Vitamin D3 and 15mg Zinc w/ 2mg Copper for the past 2 years and have felt a little better. My recent labs surprised me with my total t levels going up a bit to 463ng/dL(not nearly at optimal levels), but also my free testosterone is at 25pg/mL?? Not sure how that works, maybe because of the low SHBG? But I also have low DHT??
Not sure if this can be fixed with just supplements/nutrition, I’ve been thinking about starting TRT/HCG. I’ve attached a spreadsheet with my lab results that I’ve been tracking since 2015. Hopefully you guys can give me some input. Thanks again!
Personal Stats:
27 y/o male, roughly 165lbs, 20-25% BF according to InBody 270 (US Navy Method - 17% BF), 58 - 59" // Lift weights 3 times weekly, still hard to lose bodyfat…
Nutrition - mostly low carb/high protein diet. Lately, I’ve been eating more like a pescatarian, substituting fish for chicken/beef.
Supplements (everyday) - 4500IU Vitamin D3, 15mg Zinc Orotate w/ 2mg Copper Orotate, 500mg Chelated Magnesium Lysinate
(With these latest lab results: I will be increasing my intake of Vitamin D3 to 6000IU’s, Zinc to 30mg/4 mg Copper and will be intaking more fiber to lower LDL Cholesterol.)
