Bloodwork Done: Thoughts Needed...

[JYD]

I get my annuals done every year at this time, and have recorded results for the last 3 years. Two things: my Free/Total Test and E2 dropped pretty significantly this year and my Thyroid panel remains Low-normal and has for years, borderline Hyperthyroidism. I'm going to be 44 in December and I'm not desiring to jump into TRT just yet.

I'm 5'10", 185lbs, workout 4-5 days a week, eat a pretty clean diet and multiple times a day.

I usually take LJ100 for about 5-6 weeks, then take 2 off and also supplement with maca 5 days a week. This has been my regiment for about 4 years now. I can't understand why my E2 would drop so much.

I was laid off two months ago and my anxiety and stress has increased a bit, so maybe that explains the substantial drop from previous years. Please weigh in on what you guys think about this and my labs below. THANK YOU!

NAME	Sep-17	Sep-18	Sept 209	Aug-20	REFERENCE RANGE
	9:14am Fasted	7:30AM Fasted	8AM Fasted	10am Fasted
TSH/FSH/LH/Cortisol
FREE T4 (THYROXINE)		1.36	1.19	1.41	0.80 - 1.90 (NG/DL)
T3 TOTAL		110	98	114	80 - 200 (NG/DL)
T3-UPTAKE		n/A	36.1	33.1	24.3 - 39.0 (%)
THYROX. BIND. CAPAC.		n/A	0.9	1	0.8 - 1.3
TSH	0.987	2.05	1.51	1.23	0.400-4.100 (UIU/ML)
FSH		2.8	2.5	3.2	1.5 - 12.4 (IU/L)
LH		4.9	4.8	4.5	1.2 - 8.6 (IU/L)
CORTISOL				8.5	4.8-19.5 (UG/DL)
Test, Free, E2, ETC.
ESTRADIOL		24.2	31.4	18.1	<=60.7 (PG/ML)
Total TESTOSTERONE	522	581	627	434	300 - 890 (NG/DL)
SEX HORM BIND GLOBULIN		41.5	43.7	33	16.5 - 55.9 (NMOL/L)
CALC FREE TESTOSTERONE		108.4	114.6	89.3	47.0 - 244.0 (PG/ML)
PROLACTIN				9.3	4.0-26.0 (NG/ML)
FERRITIN				126	30-400 (NG/ML)
PSA, TOTAL
PSA, TOTAL		1.12	1.4	0.99	<=4.00 (NG/ML)
Vitamin D, 25 OH / B12 /
VITAMIN D, 25 OH		38	29 L	31	NG/ML 30-100
B12					200-950 (PG/ML)
A1C
HEMOGLOBIN A1c		5.3	5.3	5.4	4.2 - 5.6 (%)
IRON SERUM
IRON, SERUM				169	59-158 (UG/DL)
UNSATURATED IBC				230	112-347 (UG/DL)
CALC TOTAL IBC				399	250-450 (UG/DL)
CALC % IRON SAT				42	20-50 (%)
Metabolic Panel
GLUCOSE		86	92	90	70 - 99 (MG/DL)
BUN		17	22 H	24	6 - 20 (MG/DL)
CREATININE		1.06	1.01	1.19	0.80-1.40 (MG/DL)
eGFR AFRICAN AMER.		101	106	86	>60 (ML/MIN/1.73)
eGFR NON-AFRICAN AMER.		87	91	74	>60 (ML/MIN/1.73)
CALC BUN/CREAT		16	22	20	6 - 28 (RATIO)
SODIUM		142	147 H	144	133 - 146 (MEQ/L)
POTASSIUM		4.4	4.5	4.1	3.5 - 5.4 (MEQ/L)
CHLORIDE		102	109 H	106	95 - 107 (MEQ/L)
CARBON DIOXIDE		28	26	23	19 - 31 (MEQ/L)
CALCIUM		9.5	9.4	9.7	8.5 - 10.5 (MG/DL)
PROTEIN, TOTAL		6.9	6.8	7.1	6.1 - 8.3 (G/DL)
ALBUMIN		4.7	4.5	4.9	3.5 - 5.2 (G/DL)
CALC GLOBULIN		2.2	2.3	2.2	1.9 - 3.7 (G/DL)
CALC A/G RATIO		2.1	2	2.2	1.0 - 2.6 (RATIO)
BILIRUBIN, TOTAL		1.1	0.7	1.1	<=1.2 (MG/DL)
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE		45	47	53	40 - 119 (U/L)
AST		25	22	32	9 - 50 (U/L)
ALT		24	23	32	5 - 50 (U/L)
CBC WITH AUTO DIFF
WBC		4.9	4.6	4.9	3.5-10.0 (K/UL)
RBC		5.36	5.33	5.41	4.30-5.70 (M/UL)
HEMOGLOBIN		15.9	16.1	16.4	13.5-17.0 (G/DL)
HEMATOCRIT		47	47.1	47.6	38.0-50.0 (%)
MCV		87.7	88.4	88	80.0-99.0 (fL)
MCH		29.7	30.2	30.3	25.0-34.0 (PG)
MCHC		33.8	34.2	34.5	31.0-36.0 (G/DL)
RDW		12.2	12.4	12.6	11.5-15.0 (%)
NEUTROPHILS		50.9	54.5	55.5	40.0-75.0 (%)
LYMPHOCYTES		34.8	32.3	32	20.0-45.0 (%)
MONOCYTES		11	10	9.8	4.0-12.0 (%)
EOSINOPHILS		2.7	2.8	2.3	0.0-7.0 (%)
BASOPHILS		0.6	0.4	0.4	0.0-2.0 (%)
PLATELET COUNT		221	209	215	130-400 (K/UL)
Lipid Panel
CHOLESTEROL		136	143	139	<200 (MG/DL)
TRIGLYCERIDES		75	65	81	<150 (MG/DL)
HDL CHOLESTEROL		44	48	45	>39 (MG/DL)
CALC LDL CHOL		77	82	78	<130 (MG/DL)
RISK RATIO LDL/HDL		1.75	1.71	1.73	<3.55 (RATIO)

 

[HIT4ME]

You look fairly healthy to me. You have kind of a higher bun:creatinine ratio and somewhat high BUN, but this could be simple dehydration or a higher protein diet.

As far as the testosterone - one low test is hard to go by. Testosterone fluctuates throughout the day and getting a test early in the morning and then a second test later in the afternoon on another day will likely make it look like you have had a drop. It also changes from day to day and I have seen some studies suggesting a diurnal pattern - with peaks in the fall and valleys in the spring. Your bloodwork dates seem to line up with these peaks and valleys as well.

 

[JYD]

You look fairly healthy to me. You have kind of a higher bun:creatinine ratio and somewhat high BUN, but this could be simple dehydration or a higher protein diet.

As far as the testosterone - one low test is hard to go by. Testosterone fluctuates throughout the day and getting a test early in the morning and then a second test later in the afternoon on another day will likely make it look like you have had a drop. It also changes from day to day and I have seen some studies suggesting a diurnal pattern - with peaks in the fall and valleys in the spring. Your bloodwork dates seem to line up with these peaks and valleys as well.

Thanks @HIT4ME. Yeah, my doctor always says "your labs look great" and I eat and exercise well. I do have a high-protein diet and eat carbs most days, but limit them on non-workout days.

I'm going to retest in 3 months; I have had a lot of stress since covid: breakup, isolation, lost my job, etc.

What are your thoughts around supplementation? Should I stop the LJ100 and maca and boron for a bit and try to get to 'baseline' before retesting? ...Or stick with those at some cadence?

Cheers!

 

[HIT4ME]

If you have been using any supplement like LJ, maca, etc. For more than maybe 16 weeks without a break, it may be worth taking a break. A lot of people believe you should do this regardless, but given there is some very minor stuff going on here it may be worth a break if you are past those points. If you have already taken breaks, I am unaware of any harm in continuing.

I would try to drink more water, even if you find it hard. I believe that the recommendations for most people is 1 oz of water per kg of bodyweight, but I personally think double that or 2.5x that is a better range for someone working out. So if you are 200 pounds, 1.5-2 gallons a day. That is about what I drink, so it has to be right, haha.

As far as the stress, sorry to hear that man. It has been a rough year all around and I am sure things will pick up for you! It is hard to smile while you are getting kicked in the teeth, but I like to think we are beasts on this board and ready to ask for another!

 

[JYD]

If you have been using any supplement like LJ, maca, etc. For more than maybe 16 weeks without a break, it may be worth taking a break. A lot of people believe you should do this regardless, but given there is some very minor stuff going on here it may be worth a break if you are past those points. If you have already taken breaks, I am unaware of any harm in continuing.

I would try to drink more water, even if you find it hard. I believe that the recommendations for most people is 1 oz of water per kg of bodyweight, but I personally think double that or 2.5x that is a better range for someone working out. So if you are 200 pounds, 1.5-2 gallons a day. That is about what I drink, so it has to be right, haha.

As far as the stress, sorry to hear that man. It has been a rough year all around and I am sure things will pick up for you! It is hard to smile while you are getting kicked in the teeth, but I like to think we are beasts on this board and ready to ask for another!

@HIT4ME thank you. I agree. And I usually only go up to 8 weeks, but I tend to only take 1-2 weeks off in between. I'm currently starting week 2 of a break, so I'll give it a shot to go two more for a total of 4 weeks. I think I've been 'mentally addicted' to using these supps, but I've always taken short breaks in between those 8 weeks. Some folks take these daily, so that lead me to think it's been ok. .

Thank you for taking the time to chime in and offer some insight. I greatly appreciate it.

 

[GainMusl]

I get my annuals done every year at this time, and have recorded results for the last 3 years. Two things: my Free/Total Test and E2 dropped pretty significantly this year and my Thyroid panel remains Low-normal and has for years, borderline Hyperthyroidism. I'm going to be 44 in December and I'm not desiring to jump into TRT just yet.

I'm 5'10", 185lbs, workout 4-5 days a week, eat a pretty clean diet and multiple times a day.

I usually take LJ100 for about 5-6 weeks, then take 2 off and also supplement with maca 5 days a week. This has been my regiment for about 4 years now. I can't understand why my E2 would drop so much.

I was laid off two months ago and my anxiety and stress has increased a bit, so maybe that explains the substantial drop from previous years. Please weigh in on what you guys think about this and my labs below. THANK YOU!

NAME	Sep-17	Sep-18	Sept 209	Aug-20	REFERENCE RANGE
	9:14am Fasted	7:30AM Fasted	8AM Fasted	10am Fasted
TSH/FSH/LH/Cortisol
FREE T4 (THYROXINE)		1.36	1.19	1.41	0.80 - 1.90 (NG/DL)
T3 TOTAL		110	98	114	80 - 200 (NG/DL)
T3-UPTAKE		n/A	36.1	33.1	24.3 - 39.0 (%)
THYROX. BIND. CAPAC.		n/A	0.9	1	0.8 - 1.3
TSH	0.987	2.05	1.51	1.23	0.400-4.100 (UIU/ML)
FSH		2.8	2.5	3.2	1.5 - 12.4 (IU/L)
LH		4.9	4.8	4.5	1.2 - 8.6 (IU/L)
CORTISOL				8.5	4.8-19.5 (UG/DL)
Test, Free, E2, ETC.
ESTRADIOL		24.2	31.4	18.1	ML)
Total TESTOSTERONE	522	581	627	434	300 - 890 (NG/DL)
SEX HORM BIND GLOBULIN		41.5	43.7	33	16.5 - 55.9 (NMOL/L)
CALC FREE TESTOSTERONE		108.4	114.6	89.3	47.0 - 244.0 (PG/ML)
PROLACTIN				9.3	4.0-26.0 (NG/ML)
FERRITIN				126	30-400 (NG/ML)
PSA, TOTAL
PSA, TOTAL		1.12	1.4	0.99	ML)
Vitamin D, 25 OH / B12 /
VITAMIN D, 25 OH		38	29 L	31	NG/ML 30-100
B12					200-950 (PG/ML)
A1C
HEMOGLOBIN A1c		5.3	5.3	5.4	4.2 - 5.6 (%)
IRON SERUM
IRON, SERUM				169	59-158 (UG/DL)
UNSATURATED IBC				230	112-347 (UG/DL)
CALC TOTAL IBC				399	250-450 (UG/DL)
CALC % IRON SAT				42	20-50 (%)
Metabolic Panel
GLUCOSE		86	92	90	70 - 99 (MG/DL)
BUN		17	22 H	24	6 - 20 (MG/DL)
CREATININE		1.06	1.01	1.19	0.80-1.40 (MG/DL)
eGFR AFRICAN AMER.		101	106	86	>60 (ML/MIN/1.73)
eGFR NON-AFRICAN AMER.		87	91	74	>60 (ML/MIN/1.73)
CALC BUN/CREAT		16	22	20	6 - 28 (RATIO)
SODIUM		142	147 H	144	133 - 146 (MEQ/L)
POTASSIUM		4.4	4.5	4.1	3.5 - 5.4 (MEQ/L)
CHLORIDE		102	109 H	106	95 - 107 (MEQ/L)
CARBON DIOXIDE		28	26	23	19 - 31 (MEQ/L)
CALCIUM		9.5	9.4	9.7	8.5 - 10.5 (MG/DL)
PROTEIN, TOTAL		6.9	6.8	7.1	6.1 - 8.3 (G/DL)
ALBUMIN		4.7	4.5	4.9	3.5 - 5.2 (G/DL)
CALC GLOBULIN		2.2	2.3	2.2	1.9 - 3.7 (G/DL)
CALC A/G RATIO		2.1	2	2.2	1.0 - 2.6 (RATIO)
BILIRUBIN, TOTAL		1.1	0.7	1.1	DL)
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE		45	47	53	40 - 119 (U/L)
AST		25	22	32	9 - 50 (U/L)
ALT		24	23	32	5 - 50 (U/L)
CBC WITH AUTO DIFF
WBC		4.9	4.6	4.9	3.5-10.0 (K/UL)
RBC		5.36	5.33	5.41	4.30-5.70 (M/UL)
HEMOGLOBIN		15.9	16.1	16.4	13.5-17.0 (G/DL)
HEMATOCRIT		47	47.1	47.6	38.0-50.0 (%)
MCV		87.7	88.4	88	80.0-99.0 (fL)
MCH		29.7	30.2	30.3	25.0-34.0 (PG)
MCHC		33.8	34.2	34.5	31.0-36.0 (G/DL)
RDW		12.2	12.4	12.6	11.5-15.0 (%)
NEUTROPHILS		50.9	54.5	55.5	40.0-75.0 (%)
LYMPHOCYTES		34.8	32.3	32	20.0-45.0 (%)
MONOCYTES		11	10	9.8	4.0-12.0 (%)
EOSINOPHILS		2.7	2.8	2.3	0.0-7.0 (%)
BASOPHILS		0.6	0.4	0.4	0.0-2.0 (%)
PLATELET COUNT		221	209	215	130-400 (K/UL)
Lipid Panel
CHOLESTEROL		136	143	139	DL)
TRIGLYCERIDES		75	65	81	DL)
HDL CHOLESTEROL		44	48	45	>39 (MG/DL)
CALC LDL CHOL		77	82	78	DL)
RISK RATIO LDL/HDL		1.75	1.71	1.73	TD]

[TD]