Blood test results, low free test

inventmuch

inventmuch

New member
I had my hormone levels measured as I am now 38.

Testosterone 850 ng/dL
Free test 13 pg/mL
DHEA-S 270 ug/dL
Estradiol 12 pg/mL
Pregnenolone 190 ng/dL
DHT 70 ng/dL

My free test is lower than ideal. So I started 25mg DHEA plus boron and nettle root extract. I am a beginner in barbell training but have been lifting regularly for the last year.

I've been using 50mg of zinc daily for a long time (copper levels are normal) so that may be helping to boost the test. My pregnenolone is high according to the reference range.

Edit: I am 5'8" 132 pounds and about 12.5% body fat.

I would like to know people's thoughts on these numbers and how to improve them.

Thanks!
 
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inventmuch said:
I had my hormone levels measured as I am now 38.

Testosterone 850 ng/dL
Free test 13 pg/mL
DHEA-S 270 ug/dL
Estradiol 12 pg/mL
Pregnenolone 190 ng/dL
DHT 70 ng/dL

My free test is lower than ideal. So I started 25mg DHEA plus boron and nettle root extract. I am a beginner in barbell training but have been lifting regularly for the last year.

I've been using 50mg of zinc daily for a long time (copper levels are normal) so that may be helping to boost the test. My pregnenolone is high according to the reference range.

Edit: I am 5'8" 132 pounds and about 12.5% body fat.

I would like to know people's thoughts on these numbers and how to improve them.

Thanks!
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hey bro

just double checking, are the measurement units correct?

your free test does look very low if so....was SHBG and albumin measured? I’d want those tests first,

your estrodiol is also very low (especially given your total test). That would bother me as much as the free test tbh.
 
inventmuch said:
Hey, thanks for the reply. Albumin was 4.8 g/dL. SHBG was not measured but I will have it tested next month when I redo everything to see how the DHEA is working. Measurement units are correct.
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ok so if my conversion is right your albumin is high but just in range.

obviously we’d expect your SHBG to be high.

what was the range on that free test result? I’m used to nmol rather than pg.

I guess my main query for the doctor would be, why your estrodiol and free test are so low given a decent total test.

high shbg may explain the free test (and you’ve already identified boron as the go to for that) but I’m not sure it’ll be that simple tbh.

Might be worth getting LH and FSH bro
 
You're right. The albumin range is 4.0-5.0.

I am glad to see you using SI units. Are you based outside the US or is nmol just common on these forums? In the future I will convert everything as gravimetric units need to go away. ;) Yea, I think SHBG must be high to account for the low free test. No other way to explain that, right?

Free test range is 8.7-25.1.

Is boron the main go to? I am on 1.5mg twice a day (Albion bororganic glycine).

You think I should get LH and FSH measured? I have been on 25mg DHEA for 4 days and plan to measure everything again 3-6 after starting. I can get LH and FSH measured before that. I would also like to start measuring cortisol (in addition to SHBG).

How does albumin relate to everything else?
 
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inventmuch said:
You're right. The albumin range is 4.0-5.0.

I am glad to see you using SI units. Are you based outside the US or is nmol just common on these forums? In the future I will convert everything as gravimetric units need to go away. ;) Yea, I think SHBG must be high to account for the low free test. No other way to explain that, right?

Free test range is 8.7-25.1.

Is boron the main go to? I am on 1.5mg twice a day (Albion bororganic glycine).

You think I should get LH and FSH measured? I have been on 25mg DHEA for 4 days and plan to measure everything again 3-6 after starting. I can get LH and FSH measured before that. I would also like to start measuring cortisol (in addition to SHBG).

How does albumin relate to everything else?
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albumin also binds some test but shbg is the normal culprit. 6mg boron is the dosage I believe was used in studies (I’m going from memory as short on time but pretty sure)

im in the UK bro........

LH and FSH would just be to get a complete hormone picture,

it seems like you not converting much to estrodiol via aromatase - it’s not crazy low but it will affect your muscle building attempts and seems a bit out of kilter to me.

sorry, first question I should have asked is whether you’ve used any anabolic substances?
 
Whisky said:
albumin also binds some test but shbg is the normal culprit. 6mg boron is the dosage I believe was used in studies (I’m going from memory as short on time but pretty sure)

im in the UK bro........

LH and FSH would just be to get a complete hormone picture,

it seems like you not converting much to estrodiol via aromatase - it’s not crazy low but it will affect your muscle building attempts and seems a bit out of kilter to me.

sorry, first question I should have asked is whether you’ve used any anabolic substances?
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I haven't used any anabolics. I could get LH and FSH tested tomorrow or just wait a few more weeks and do them all again at once. I will be trying to decide whether to stay on DHEA long term or drop it and maybe use some anabolics or other substances to get the hormone levels in order. What do you think?

Along with the DHEA I started PalmettoGuard, 2 per day:
Saw Palmetto CO2 extract (fruit) [providing 136 mg total fatty acids]
160 mg​
Beta-Sitosterol (from pine)
45 mg​
Stinging and Dwarf nettle extracts (root)
120 mg​
Boron (as Albion® bororganic glycine)
1.5 mg​
Rosemary extract (leaf)
400 mcg​
Maybe I should just switch to Boron by itself at a higher dose as it might be more what I want.

thanks for the help!
 
inventmuch said:
I haven't used any anabolics. I could get LH and FSH tested tomorrow or just wait a few more weeks and do them all again at once. I will be trying to decide whether to stay on DHEA long term or drop it and maybe use some anabolics or other substances to get the hormone levels in order. What do you think?

Along with the DHEA I started PalmettoGuard, 2 per day:
Saw Palmetto CO2 extract (fruit) [providing 136 mg total fatty acids]
160 mg​
Beta-Sitosterol (from pine)
45 mg​
Stinging and Dwarf nettle extracts (root)
120 mg​
Boron (as Albion® bororganic glycine)
1.5 mg​
Rosemary extract (leaf)
400 mcg​
Maybe I should just switch to Boron by itself at a higher dose as it might be more what I want.

thanks for the help!
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On the basis nothing suggests an urgent issue.....Id wait but ask for those next time just for that complete picture.

personally I would increase the boron to 6mg and see what impact that has on free test over the next few months.

your total test isn’t an issue so I wouldn’t use anabolics if I was you (I do use them btw, just saying that they aren’t the solution to your free test issue - some anabolics do massively lower shbg but that would be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut)
 
Whisky said:
On the basis nothing suggests an urgent issue.....Id wait but ask for those next time just for that complete picture.

personally I would increase the boron to 6mg and see what impact that has on free test over the next few months.

your total test isn’t an issue so I wouldn’t use anabolics if I was you (I do use them btw, just saying that they aren’t the solution to your free test issue - some anabolics do massively lower shbg but that would be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut)
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Thanks! Think the DHEA @ 25mg makes sense until then?
 
One reason for odd free T measurement could be unreliable testing result, maybe? Think E2 vs sensitive E2 measurement. The labs I've been to allways get free T levels with measuring TT and shbg and calculating the free T. Also at least where I live, if getting checked by dr. if trt should be something to look at, they measure the TT, shbg and calculate free T and not measure the free T directly. This does not take Albumin into account, but I guess it plays such a small role, that it's not that necessary to have it in the picture.
 
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are you doing low carb diet? - tends to jack up SHBG.

perhaps drop saw palmetto - never understood its mechanism. pumpkin seed / nettle, reishi, turmeric is much better for prostate health. reishi will crash DHT though.

just add higher dose boron 6mg+ and from go from there
 
So I took 25mg DHEA for about 5 weeks and my levels went from 270 ug/dL to 588. Too high so I will wait a bit and reduce to 10mg per day.

My DHT is down from 70 to 49, possibly due to the saw palmetto. Test went down to 605 from 850, but free test is about the same, down a few tenths of a point.

SHBG came in at 39 nmol/L
LH 1.50 UI/L
FSH 5.25 UI/L

I'm not on a low carb diet.

So perhaps switch to 6 boron before trying TRT? Add back DHEA at 10mg? Somewhat surprising my free test has not increased despite 3mg of boron per day.
 
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You could try upping the boron, yes. Tongat Ali might lower shbg too. Do you have any symptoms of not optimal hormone production or are you just stressing about the numbers? If you'd go to an endo, they would not put you on trt with these levels. And the end result may not be any different as your TT is about at the level it would be when doing trt. You have your trt clinics in there of course, where you might get a higher dosing scheme. Exogenous test vs same level of endogenous test shouldn't have an effect on shgb (to my knowledge). You might be suppressing your T production with the DHEA.
 
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Thanks KvanH! The negative feedback mechanism in play between DHEA and T explains why the T number dropped. I don't have any low testosterone symptoms but I would like to see how things are with higher numbers of free T.
 
KvanH said:
You could try upping the boron, yes. Tongat Ali might lower shbg too. Do you have any symptoms of not optimal hormone production or are you just stressing about the numbers? If you'd go to an endo, they would not put you on trt with these levels. And the end result may not be any different as your TT is about at the level it would be when doing trt. You have your trt clinics in there of course, where you might get a higher dosing scheme. Trt shouldn't have an effect on shgb (to my knowledge). You know you're suppressing your T production with the DHEA right?
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this, try tongkat. Whats the ref range for shbg?
 
I know this is an older thread, but I have a similar issue. Had bloodwork done at a clinic. Total test - 565 (honestly thought it would be lower) and Free test is 7.0. I am in my early 50s. I do take prostate supplements. I have some of the symptoms of low T. Clinic suggests TRT. I don't have the rest of my results yet. Will provide the full results later. Trying to figure out if I should go on TRT or first try to raise free test with supplements? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
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