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A slight bit of background: I'm 28, male, and in general have many symptoms of low T (testosterone) levels: low libido, often low energy levels, little to no body/facial hair, trouble putting on/keeping muscle mass, occasional minor ED. My family also has a history of hypothyroidism which can result in many similar symptoms so I went to a doctor in New Zealand to have those 2 things specifically tested, and several other things were tested as well.
When I received a phone call regarding the results, the only 2 things mentioned as being abnormal were low iron levels and high T levels (which surprised me). Unfortunately, the T testing did not seem very thorough, I know there are at least tests for free T and total T (possible more).
Anyway, the relevant results came back as follows (keep in mind testing was done in NZ so I think the units are different from typical American tests).
Total T: 35.3 nmol/L with a normal range of 9-25
Thyroid Function:
T4 (Free) 17.4 pmol/L normal range of 12.8-20.4
T.S.H. 2.0 mIU/L normal range of 0.4-3.8
T3 (Free) 5.6 pmol/L normal range of 4-6.8
Iron 10 umol/L normal range of 13-30
Iron Saturation 17% normal range of 21-50
I guess a part of me (the lazy part) was hoping that my T levels would be abnormally low or my thyroid function off so I could point to that as the reasoning for my (sometimes) low energy, low libido, and occasional ED. Based on these results, would it be safe to say I could probably rule out T levels and thyroid function as the culprit?
I'm guessing the best course of action would be to take some iron supplements (low iron can sometimes cause sluggish behavior) and take care of other lifestyle factors like regular exercise, regular sleep (my sleep patterns can sometimes be erratic), and healthy diet. Any other suggestions or am I probably just worrying a bit too much about a normal situation that probably just needs a few minor tweaks here and there?
When I received a phone call regarding the results, the only 2 things mentioned as being abnormal were low iron levels and high T levels (which surprised me). Unfortunately, the T testing did not seem very thorough, I know there are at least tests for free T and total T (possible more).
Anyway, the relevant results came back as follows (keep in mind testing was done in NZ so I think the units are different from typical American tests).
Total T: 35.3 nmol/L with a normal range of 9-25
Thyroid Function:
T4 (Free) 17.4 pmol/L normal range of 12.8-20.4
T.S.H. 2.0 mIU/L normal range of 0.4-3.8
T3 (Free) 5.6 pmol/L normal range of 4-6.8
Iron 10 umol/L normal range of 13-30
Iron Saturation 17% normal range of 21-50
I guess a part of me (the lazy part) was hoping that my T levels would be abnormally low or my thyroid function off so I could point to that as the reasoning for my (sometimes) low energy, low libido, and occasional ED. Based on these results, would it be safe to say I could probably rule out T levels and thyroid function as the culprit?
I'm guessing the best course of action would be to take some iron supplements (low iron can sometimes cause sluggish behavior) and take care of other lifestyle factors like regular exercise, regular sleep (my sleep patterns can sometimes be erratic), and healthy diet. Any other suggestions or am I probably just worrying a bit too much about a normal situation that probably just needs a few minor tweaks here and there?
Admin of the Month Mar 2015
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