Re: Can you help me interpret my test results?

[Guest guest]

Adam,

I would ask your GP for these tests: testosterone, SHBG, LH, FSH, prolactin. I

don't know if the NHS test for estradiol, but if you could get that test too....

Prolactinoma can lower testosterone, and high SHBG can lower free testosterone

because it binds it. It's no good the GP just doing testosterone, you need to

know what the free levels are so you need the SHBG and from that you can

calculate the free values.

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Prolactinoma.htm

Ideally if i were you i'd want them to do a 9am cortisol, with CBG, to see what

wasa going on there, too.

I would be wanting to know why my cortisol was low (adrenal fatigue) - i would

also want to know if it really was low by doing a 24 hour urinary free cortisol

test; saliva tests apparently don't always reflect what the body is using over a

day due to some people clearing cortisol from their body quicker than others

(that's the theory i read).

and have you considered that it could have been low testostereone that induced

adrenal fatigue in the first place? I think unless you know what your results

were before, you can't always conclude that a problem you have now is because of

adrenal fatigue. it may be the other way round. you can come up with

hypotheses, but without data from then and now, you can't really know....but

that said, you know you're own body...just saying....

you do need a proper evaluation. do you have any symptoms of low testosterone?

are you over weight? do you have high cholesterol?

if you do have low testosterone, then it doesn't necessarily mean you have to

take replacment, though the NHS is dreadful at TRT, firstly they don't try

different things first like: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16422830 and

then when you do get it, and you do have to fight hard to get it, then they

don't really do it properly in my view.

Chris

[Guest guest]

Hey Thanks for your insight. I do seem have symptoms of low testosterone. I have very low sex drive; very little facial hair and low energy generally. Is it true that testosterone therapy can cause testicular atrophy? Adamyou do need a proper evaluation. do you have any symptoms of low testosterone? are you over weight? do you have high cholesterol?if you do have low testosterone, then it doesn't necessarily mean you have to take replacment, though the NHS is dreadful at TRT, firstly they don't try different things first like: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16422830 and then when you do get it, and you do have to fight hard to get it, then they don't really do it properly in my view.Chris

[Guest guest]

Hi Adam

Are you going to ask your GP for those tests or get referred to an endo? As I

mentioned, too much prolactin can cause issues, so can estrogen. You really

need a proper evaluation, so I would push very hard for one : you need to know

where your problems lie.

Ideally you'd find out why your T is low (if it is). It is better if you can

get your body working properly rather than taking external hormones, but TRT can

obviously help things tremendously too.

> Is it true that testosterone therapy can cause testicular atrophy?

The answer is a yes, but. Yes it does, but you can do something about it.

Some people take hCG to reverse this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chorionic_gonadotropin#Anabolic_steroid_adjun\

ct

Dr Crisler has written about TRT and you may find what he writes quite

informative. Dr Crisler also advocates taking hCG as part of his protocol, but

the NHS don't, I don't think. Certainly no one has ever offered me any! :-)

http://www.allthingsmale.com/word_docs/TRT.doc

http://www.allthingsmale.com/publications.html

TRT can also stop you being fertile; that's not an issue for me, but may be

something you'd want to consider. But as I say, if your T is low you need to

find out why - Clomid or something like that might get it back up but it comes

down to finding out what your problem or problems are. Some people say once

you're on TRT, you're on it for life; i have no idea if that's true, but

remember that bodybuilders do cycles and have protocols for starting things up

again. it's not to be messed with, though, so not something you'd self treat

with.

It may surprise you given some of my posts and the various stuff i'm on (DHEA,

Pregnenolone, HC, testosterone, etc) but I 'd actually much sooner not be on

testosterone or any of the other stuff i'm on, i'd rather my body worked

properly, but last year i was in such a state and i have developed 'metabolic

syndrome' and I needed something to work quick so I fought hard for and got TRT.

Some people do better on jabs, others gels (i'm converting too much T to

estrogen, on gels, and getting too much DHT, too).

feel free to mail me off line if i can be any help.

Chris

>

> Hey

> Thanks for your insight.

> I do seem have symptoms of low testosterone. I have very low sex

[Guest guest]

problems with cortisol can cuase those symptoms, too, hence the need for a

thorough evaluation

>

> Hey

> Thanks for your insight.

> I do seem have symptoms of low testosterone. I have very low sex drive;

> very little facial hair and low energy generally.

[Guest guest]

I will try to get referred to an NHS endo to do all the tests. I have had enough of relying on GPs for help. I have been going to them for 8 years now with no positive results. Thanks for the help. AdamAre you going to ask your GP for those tests or get referred to an endo? As I mentioned, too much prolactin can cause issues, so can estrogen. You really need a proper evaluation, so I would push very hard for one : you need to know where your problems lie.Chris

[Guest guest]

You're welcome. Good luck, and let us know how you get on (if you want to).

chris

>

>

> I will try to get referred to an NHS endo to do all the tests. I have

> had enough of relying on GPs for help. I have been going to them for 8

> years now with no positive results.

> Thanks for the help.