Really low Total Test and LH

[M261]

Anyone have any experience with really low Total Test and low LH? I don't have the rest of the lab work right now (need to get a copy from the doc). Primary Doc is refering me to an endo. Background: Late thirties, 5'11'' 220; lifting for 20+ years.

1st test
- Total Test - 136 (250-1200)
- Bad Cholesterol >300 (low HDL/high LDL)
- Thyroid good (mid range)

2nd test (for confirmation)
- Total Test - 27 (250-1200) yes 27, not a typo
- LH - .6 (1.5-9.5)
- TSH - can't remember, it was low but within the range

 

[LeanGuy]

Welcome to the boards... someone is going to ask, so here goes... have you done any steroid or testosterone cycles?

 

[darkblue1]

Anyone have any experience with really low Total Test and low LH? I don't have the rest of the lab work right now (need to get a copy from the doc). Primary Doc is refering me to an endo. Background: Late thirties, 5'11'' 220; lifting for 20+ years.

1st test
- Total Test - 136 (250-1200)
- Bad Cholesterol >300 (low HDL/high LDL)
- Thyroid good (mid range)

2nd test (for confirmation)
- Total Test - 27 (250-1200) yes 27, not a typo
- LH - .6 (1.5-9.5)
- TSH - can't remember, it was low but within the range

I am Low T (226) and Low LH (0.6). What are your symptoms? 27 is too low...Did you have any muscle loss?

 

[M261]

No steroids, although i did try prohormones years back (androsol in the late 90's and epistane a few years ago); never really got much from them. I had a 5-year physical with bloodwork in between trying them and now and had good levels of everything, except for cholesterol which was always somewhat elevated.
Symptoms are all the normal ones from low test: lower motivation/drive, foggy/lack of concentration, no gains in the gym, lower sex drive, etc. I thought it was from stress as it has been over the last year or two. I'm not big fan of going to the doctor, but I finally went because I moved and needed to have my cholesterol checked (family history). The doctor was surprised at the testerone and my cholesterol (said it was one of the worst he's seen).
Surprisingly, I haven't lost a lot of muscle mass, but I do lift hard and continue to eat a lot of protein and amino acids throught the day and always mindful of post workout nutrition, etc.
I had an MRI and I am waiting for the results.

 

[888]

I am in a similar boat as you with low Test and LH but am 34, you can read my other thread.

I have the symptoms you do, the difference is I started working out again this year and despite a couple plateaus that I ate my way through, I am making gains in the gym almost weekly. I am eating like a champ though, 7 times a day between shakes and meals and I belive this has allowed me to progress. Part of this is probably muscle memory but you have to remember that even women who lift heavy and correctly will put on muscle and they have even lower testosterone than we do. It is messing me up mentally knowing how sub-optimal my body's environment is for all the work I put in but the results are worth it.

I get exhausted easy, and rest up to 2-3 minutes between heavy sets, but get all my work in anyway

I can't wait until I get my Test even into the middle normal range, I feel like I will become an animal in the gym.

Good luck with your endo, I think from the reading here and on pubmed that Clomid or HCG is the way to go

 

[LeanGuy]

With low LH, I'd do a trial week of clomid, with blood test right after to check response. This is how I brought my T back from the dead.

 

[M261]

MRI is done, apparently I have a small growth on my pituitary. Still waiting for my endo appointment and what course of action they want to take. My GP said that I would probably need MRI's once or twice a year from now on and of course testosterone, but that I should not need surgery. Anyone have any experience with growths on the pituitary?

 

[M261]

Update:
Finally got in to see the endo, and the guy was an idiot with no bedside manner whatsoever. He basically walked in and said it wasn't a problem and they don't worry about growths unless they are bigger then a cm (the whole pituitary is smaller then a cm). I asked him if the growth is what was causing my low T and he hadn't even looked at my labs from my GP. He said the tests were probably erroneous and he'd have to do more labs (then he accused me of using steroids). He then had me give some more blood and said come back in 2 months. As I was leaving he said if my T was low from his set of labs he would give me cream as it is better then shots. I went back to my GP the next day and told him about the endo and he said he was planning on treating me anyway, and that he just wanted another opinion on the growth. So I am now on 200mg TCyp EOW but I will probably just end up doing 100mg EW to keep it from fluctuating as much. As a side note, I called the endo the next day and canceled my return appointment; 3 days later he calls me and and says they got my labs back and he wants me to come in right away. I politely declined and said I would not be returning to his office.

 

[Gutterpump]

I have a pituitary microadenoma..not sure if it's secreting though because my prolactin has always been between 3-12, never over the limit. I'm taking l-dopa + deprenyl to see if it will help till I'm retested though. Dopamine inhibits prolactin release.

Get prolactin tested. It's very possible that it could be a prolactinoma, and those cause low T issues.

Your super low LH/FSH looks typically to be due to PS/PH use though (you may be super sensitive to shutdown as some people are)..but could also be due to spikes in prolactin.

To properly test prolactin, you need to have a group of tests done throughout the week or throughout the day because it will spike and fall, spike and fall over and over. One day it may seem fine, the next - could be high.

PS: find a new doctor. my endo wanted to put me on 5gram test-gel (with no hcg) when she found the micro-adenoma, without following up on prolactin tests or without mention of refering me to a neurologist / neurosurgeon for a followup. Useless. 5 grams would have been nice for a good 2 weeks that's it. Also keep in mind that a microadenoma may not mean anything...but you can't know without proper testing.

 

[The Matrix]

Update:
Finally got in to see the endo, and the guy was an idiot with no bedside manner whatsoever. He basically walked in and said it wasn't a problem and they don't worry about growths unless they are bigger then a cm (the whole pituitary is smaller then a cm). I asked him if the growth is what was causing my low T and he hadn't even looked at my labs from my GP. He said the tests were probably erroneous and he'd have to do more labs (then he accused me of using steroids). He then had me give some more blood and said come back in 2 months. As I was leaving he said if my T was low from his set of labs he would give me cream as it is better then shots. I went back to my GP the next day and told him about the endo and he said he was planning on treating me anyway, and that he just wanted another opinion on the growth. So I am now on 200mg TCyp EOW but I will probably just end up doing 100mg EW to keep it from fluctuating as much. As a side note, I called the endo the next day and canceled my return appointment; 3 days later he calls me and and says they got my labs back and he wants me to come in right away. I politely declined and said I would not be returning to his office.

where u located?

 

[HQProperty]

With low LH, I'd do a trial week of clomid, with blood test right after to check response. This is how I brought my T back from the dead.

what if someone is going to be on a restart for 6-8 weeks. When is the best time to do the blood test? Before the taper? or after the restart is completed? I know testing 1 month after stopping the restart will have the real results, but just curious say if wanted to check if the restart is working...when is the best time to check.

thanks