Symptoms of Low Test for 3 Years

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

Hello T Nation.

Since I’ve been 21 TO I’ve battled with Low Test Symptoms and have been tested in the past which I’ve always ended up on the low end range. In middle school I used to have tons of erections and energy, but during high school all that seemed to drift away and has never returned since. During highschool I competed in wrestling and boxing which I had to diet at extreme levels to compete at a weight class which explains the levels at that time.

Since having issues in relationships and lack of energy and having to rely on Coffee for motivation I’ve been attempting to make changes in my diet and Lifestyle to improve my blood labs.

I’ve always worked out and weight trained. Currently running Johnny Canditos linear strength/ hypertrophy program.

My diet consists of around 2500 calories

Macros around
90 fat
275 carb
140 protein.

Diet now consists of olive oil, coconut oil, grassfed beef, whole eggs, oysters, Kefir and Greek yogurt, fruits and vegetables and sweet potatoes.

I’m 5’8
165 lb around 12% bf.

Supplements include

Boron 10mg
Vitamin D 5000 units
Multi vitamin
Omega 3 fish oil.

I’ve started all of the diet changes and supplements starting a month ago. The reason I added 5000 unit vitamin d3 is due to my Vitamin D3 being on the low end.

Base line TT was 645 (264-916) & Free was 12.3 (9.3-26.5) on 5/28/19

After adding the supplements, increased calories, added more grassfed red meats, decreased Dairy products, added 1 tbsp of olive oil and Coconut oil daily, and focused on achieving 8 hours of sleep every night I’ve definitely noticed an energy improvement. I haven’t noticed much change in libido. But strength in the gym has improved as well.

I recently retested my TT and Free Test one month after lifestyle, diet, and supplement changes and here are the results

6/28/19. TT dropped to 489 (264-916). Free T 12.4 (9.3-26.5).

I’m pretty dumbfounded. I’ve implemented every natural way to improve testosterone including drinking only from glass bottles and glasses and avoiding Plastics with foods, and even switching to non BPA shampoo and Bodywash.

Any ideas? Since I haven’t been testing for SHBG do you think that my changes have decreased SHBG which correlated with the decrease in TT but the free Test staying the same?

Could I benefit from a Deload week and retest blood?

Or do you think my TT has been falsely high due to high SHBG and now that I’m potentially lowering SHBG that the TT is lowering which will stimulate the Pituitary to produce more FSH which my body will have to get low enough to respond?

Thanks for the advise anything will help! I plan to check SHBG with next TT and Free T blood work. Any think else I should check?

2

These tests do not make sense, Free T barely moved and Total T changed quite a bit. Lab testing is only so accurate, it’s why two separate tests are needed for a diagnosis because you can get two different results using the same blood sample twice.

You likely have high SHBG and if you do there is nothing you can do about it, it’s more than likely genetic. Your Free T didn’t change at all and you would need 1200> naturally to get Free T high enough to feel good and that’s over the limit of most natural men.

It’s going to be difficult to get TRT from a managed healthcare doctor with these numbers, their just not knowledgeable enough to make informed decisions.

3

In all honesty I’m trying to avoid TRT if possible since I’m young. Just trying to point myself in the right direction.

4

Well I actually got a blood test done 3 weeks after the diet and lifestyle modifications and the TT dropped to 550. Which I thought was a fluctuating lab. Then I retested on 6/28 which confirmed the continuation of the decline.

5

If your liver is overproducing SHBG, you cannot change high SHBG with lifestyle changes. Your best years are passing you by, don’t wait until you’re middle aged to start living an optimal life.

6

Update,

I took a Deload week off of the gym, potentially thinking that I may be overreaching.

I got new blood work in

LH 4.7 (1.7-8.6)
FSH 7.3 (1.5-12.4)

Estradiol 9.0 (8.0- 35.0)
SHBG 52.8 (16.5- 56)

TT 439 (264-916)
Free T 8.8 (9.3- 26.5)

What’s weird is that I’m actually feeling better Symptoms wise, I feel happier, more energy and overall better but my Free Testosterone is continuously dropping despite making positive lifestyle changes listed in the original post.

I was thinking potentially it was Pituitary related because I used to compete in MMA and have been punched quite a few times, but with the LH&FSH not low I’m stumped.

Any other ideas? Appreciate it!

7

These are terrible numbers, low estrogen is bad for bone health and the leading cause of osteoporosis in men and women, low Free T is associated with aggressive prostate cancer, men with higher Free T have less aggressive prostate cancer.

You’ll need Total T levels 800> which is not possible in managed healthcare, going private is your only recourse. It’s difficult to get properly treatment for low testosterone in managed healthcare, doctors are mostly clueless and bound by narrow insurance guidelines written at a time when info regarding TRT is limited.

The insurance guidelines didn’t consider those men with high SHBG, they just assumed everyone would do well within ranges. Slim change at best to get approved for TRT, most insurance companies will not cover you 300> ng/dL forcing you to go private for TRT.

Testosterone Threshold for Increased Cardiovascular Risk in Middle-Aged and Elderly Men:

The locally weighted regression showed that total testosterone levels of 440 and 480 ng/dL were associated with increased Framingham CVD risk and an increased probability of increased hsCRP, respectively. Men with sexual dysfunction (poor sexual performance, decreased morning erection, and loss of libido) had significantly greater CVD risk.

That will do it, blows to the head, PTSD, IEDs and shoulder fired missile launchers lowers pituitary hormone secretion.