MidwestBeast in: The Case of the Mysterious Weight Gain!

[MidwestBeast]

 

[MidwestBeast]

The above is my most recent blood work. I also got back one day of my 4x salivary cortisol and it looks normal (which is good). I have to call Labcorp to try and track down the other 4 samples from the other day.

My colonoscopy is set for June 26.

I've read another book on Hashimoto's.

Arginine is low (which makes me curious of its role due to relation to immune system, as well as NO and my lack of raised veins and the disappearance of my brachials even before I put any weight on).

Histidine and Taurine are both high, but I don't think those are of major concern.

Some other AAs are in the lower spectrum and I don't know if I should take notice or concern of them.

DHT is in range, but very low.

17-Hydroxypregnenolone is OOR.

Carnitines are in range, but look to be on the lower end.

Candida appears to be negative, so that's good.

Adiponectin is certainly low.




I think those are the main highlights.

I also have a thread on the arginine:

http://anabolicminds.com/forum/nutrition-health/203125-amino-acid-blood.html

 

[RickRock13]

Did these new tests help to figure anything out?

 

[MidwestBeast]

Did these new tests help to figure anything out?

Not in particular.

Doc didn't request an appointment after any of these came back. The only thing I have from it is what I noted above. I doubt any of this has to do with the Hashimoto's and such, but I'm genuinely curious about the arginine.

 

[MidwestBeast]

The following is from a doctor who works out at my gym and I chat with from time to time. A lot of this was like foreign language to me (I've spent a lot of time researching and reading medical literature, but haven't spent that much in these hormones):

Oddly you T is low and your 17-OH pregnenolone is high. This would suggest at least a possibility of adrenal hyperplasia but with the rest of your labs I don’t think that is high on the list. However, there may be some shortage or inadequacy of the enzyme (beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) this could cause a problem with converting 17OHPreg to DHEA or 17OH-Prog. A shortage of this pathway would then lead to a shortage of other androgens and estrogens. So if you are not taking a supplement causing this elevation, or if you have taken so much of a pro-hormone supplement in the past that has “burned” out the pathway you may then suffer from a reduced androgen level always. Therefore, having trouble maintaining lean body mass and even losing the ability to convert cholesterol to the hormone pathway. But at the same time you would shunt more precursor over to the alternate pathway making more of the mineralocorticoids (aldosterone, etc) that would normally come from the adrenal gland. Those are just a few things I came up with hope that gives you some food for thought.

High levels of 17-hydroxypregnenolone are linked to CAH:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_adrenal_hyperplasia_due_to_3_beta-hydroxysteroid_dehydrogenase_deficiency

Low levels of adiponectin are linked to a ton of problems (metabolic syndrome, various types of cancer, diabetes, etc.).




There are definitely a lot of flags raised, here. It's becoming more and more clear that this situation is more complicated than I'd thought and more than just one problem needing to be addressed.

 

[mattrag]

Damn bro... That sounds horrible.. He suggest ways to go about fixing or perhaps going about ways to clarify this?

 

[MidwestBeast]

Damn bro... That sounds horrible.. He suggest ways to go about fixing or perhaps going about ways to clarify this?

Nothing yet. He's just a fellow lifter at my gym; all the help I receive from him is just from his generosity. He is supposed to be contacting a colleague of his who worked in a testing facility at a university medical center, though. I'm hoping that gives me something.

 

[mattrag]

Nothing yet. He's just a fellow lifter at my gym; all the help I receive from him is just from his generosity. He is supposed to be contacting a colleague of his who worked in a testing facility at a university medical center, though. I'm hoping that gives me something.

Ah, well good thing he knows even that much I guess eh?
Looks like it's a step in the right direction!