Help on path forward - Low T

[SpartanGA]

I find the discussion on Low T and hormone replacement quite confusing, so i apologize. I have read a bunch of it but it is still quite confusing.

I am 45 and in good shape (relative to my age). I have joint pain/inflammation that is still undiagnosed and I am having issues losing the final 10-15 lbs of body fat that I wish to lose. This would get me into the 12-15% BF range if successful. I workout 5-6x/week and eat quite clean. Minimal alcohol

Because of the joints, I went to a doctor and he did some blood work. One was the Total T, which he said was normal but as I pushed for the actual result, it was 323. The report shows normal is 250-890, so he said I was normal. Well, 323 for a 45 year old man seems low to me. Those were the only hormone related results I could see. This Dr said my symptoms could be a low T problem, but given these results, he ruled it out. There were many other items tested, so let me know if I should check if something else was tested already.

After reading on especially Estrogen (Delgado - Estro Block Pro) it appears common for fat to remain regardless of exercise and diet. In addition to joint inflammation.

My other concern with hormone discussions is prostate cancer. My father and grandfather both died before the age of 70 with very aggressive prostate cancer. So this is a sensitive topic. On the other hand, if a hormone imbalance is potentially genetic and fixing it could also help, all the better.

Looking for advice on next steps. I see some hormone testing kits online that use Saliva.

Apologize for the general questions, but appreciate any guidance.

Thx
Jim

 

[kisaj]

You need to get a CBC with metabolic and a full hormone panel to include PSA. 323 is low, but a single lab for total test will tell you nothing. There are many factors involved and it sounds like your PCP is not being helpful, so ask for a referral to an endo.

Really, there are too many things involved and unknown to tell you much more outside of that on this board with the single test you got.

 

[SpartanGA]

thanks for the reply. I do get an annual CBC and track my PSA. But not a hormone panel.

So an endo is the correct doctor to see? Are they used to otherwise healthy guys asking questions such as this? I get these types of responses from Drs at times.

 

[kisaj]

Absolutely they deal with otherwise healthy people looking to determine why hormones may be an issue. That is their job and once we start diving into hormones, your PCP is not likely to be up on the latest.