Having a hard time understanding if I'm low T.. Docs suck a$$

[Threlpappy]

So this starts for me back in 2013. At that point I'm 37, post vasectomy and feeling run down. Now mind you, my sack shriveled up to an annoying tight mess before 30, but this was different. Low energy, low libido, weak in the gym. (Consistently worked out since 17yo)
I had my T checked at this point and it was 201 and the dr didn't want to do anything.
So I had it checked the next couple years while on a max T diet and doing lots of compound moves ext. the next 2 times it came in around 400-450. Not to bad, but this was on my best possible diet/exercise/sleep possible.

So fast forward to now... Balls are smaller, sack is tight as hell, dick is small as a baby carrot, no libido whatsoever (I would rather read a book), no energy, falling asleep all the time. I haven't had morning wood in years.

So I'm at my dr for unrelated and I mention all this. He pulls my blood and calls me a couple days later with a 220 that he now says is low T., only he wants to repeat it. So I go the next week and have blood drawn and I get a call today from an office gal who says "your testosterone was 541 so you are all set, bye."

Should I even look farther into this? Or am I just an old 40 and I should go lay under a bush and die?

Thanks for any advice

 

[Todd Garner]

Going from 220 to 541 with out a change in supplements, TRT or anything isn't common. Is there anything you were taking or eating or doing at the time of the 220 lab reading that you wasn't doing during the 541. Remember at your age you could get on TRT simple for quality of life reasons with out having super low T.

 

[Threlpappy]

No nothing, totally normal days. Only difference was 240 was afternoon and 540 was late morning before breakfast

 

[Todd Garner]

Test drops through out the day, no reason to ever get tested in the afternoon. have all your blood test done early morning. Get blood work done checking if anything else besides Test is off. Also a heavy metal toxicity test might be a good idea, very over looked by most people.

 

[xo0ox]

Test should always be drawn in the morning before 10 in a fasted state to give the highest value. It drops during the day and are at it's lowest in the evening. After a good night sleep the values should be upp again and so on, therefore good sleep is a must for good test.

Did they also draw:
Estrogen.
Prolactin.
SHBG.
FSH.
LH.
Cortisol.

All these gives a picture of your hormonal balance and health and should be drawn together with the test to give and accurate reading.

A small edit:
For an example if you test is at 220 but your SHBG is low you free test (that is not binded to SHBG) should be higher than if you test is at 550 but with a very high SHBG meaning most of it could be bound up and not active.
Estrogen also plays a role here as it to binds to SHBG so a high SHBG and low estrogen could also mean that the SHBG is binding up a lot of estrogen and letting the test be free and so on. High test many times give an high estrogen count as the body tries to keep homostasis.
Many variable to take into account but they should also be messured towards how you feel a well as 550 in test could be good for some but low for another. Who knows you normal value maybe in the 800. Androgen receptor sensitivity could also come into play here meaning how sensitive you body is to test/androgens, high sensitivity means you body can produce less testosterone and still make good use of it unlike some who have low androgen sensitivity and need higher amount of test to get the same benefits.

Some good info to take to you doc and demand an complete bloodpanel of the above values as well as
- Kidneys (creatining or cystanin-c)
- Liver (ALAT) Bad liver values can be devestating towards hormonal health
- Blood lipids (LDL, HDL triglycerids Test are made from colesterol so if this is to low you test could also be low
- Electrolytes.
- As you are feeling tired you could also check that you red bloodcells are in the range.