Blood Test Results Never Come Back How You Want

General Discussion
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#1

So after researching PAS for around 2 months I finally decided to get my testosterone, prolactin, and DHT levels tested. While waiting for the results, I was reading a lot. I read that the tissues that make up our joints use DHT, and attributed my longterm joint pain to low DHT levels (my guess). I also noticed my hair was feeling great, and I hadn’t noticed much hair loss since the duration of my Accutane treatment. That, along with low libido, ED, no morning wood, yatta yatta… I thought I figured it out. Then my blood test results came back and went against my expectation.

Total T: 237 ng/dL | Range: 270-1070 ng/dL
Free T: 33.2 pg/mL | Range: 18-111 pg/mL
Prolactin: 12.17 ng/mL | Range: 2.64-13.13 ng/mL
DHT: 41 ng/dL | Range: 12-65 ng/dL
TSH: 1.34 IU/mL | Range: 0.37-6.00 IU/mL

Sooo… Only one that came back how I expected is the prolactin. I’m new to all this, so if anyone could explain: What does a low Thyroid Stimulating Hormone level say about my state? Does anyone have any idea why I would have low T and mid range DHT? I expected it to be opposite. And also: What’s the difference between Free T and total T?

Anyway, I’ve been trying to exercise a lot, and recently I’ve gone to the beach a lot and been in the sun several hours a day for my job. That, along with a clean diet. Also, in the past couple days I’ve been doing 16/8 intermittent fasting, and today for the first time in a while I had spontaneous erections and a sudden brain/dick connection. The fasting is the only variable I changed, so that’s got to be helping.

#2

Wow man, your test level is extremely low. That’s the test level of an average 80-90 yo man.

#3

I know. But my doctor said “everything was normal” i don’t really want to go on trt but I don’t know what else there is I can do, other than just give it time.

SHBG is synthesized in the liver, which produces 60% of a man’s testosterone, and 38% of testosterone is bound to albumin, also produced in the liver. During accutane treatment, my liver enzymes were near double what they were supposed to be if I remember correctly. This leads me to conclude accutane made some sort of damaging effect on my liver, hence MAJORLY reducing my testosterone production. Unfortunately, I don’t have any tests pre-Accutane to compare to, but I’m fairly certain my T levels were not that low before accutane. I wonder, then, if liver regeneration can have a positive impact on my T production and time will tell if that will work. I’ve been experiencing these side effects for almost 4 months. I’m not sure how long it takes for the liver to heal completely, or if this will even have any impact.

#4

You don’t have to go on TRT though. You can try a PCT protocol or even herbs to iprove your test levels.

And watch this:

Summary HCG could permanently improve test levels, no need to go on TRT.

#5

Trying to guess your hormones based on how you feel never works period. It’s sad how people read stuff on the internet about how hormones do this and that, start ruminating about this and that themselves, and then act as self- endocrinologist diagnosing their hormonal status with such conviction that they often don’t even get blood tests. It’s a totally worthless if not harmful endeavor but extremely common here.

This particular common error exemplifies the huge and many lives defining error that the overall community makes fundamentally, which is that out of ignorance and nativity, they think they can cure PFS themselves, without need of scientific research. Therefore we go for 15 years trying the same shit over and over again like idiots unable to be assed to get scientific research going. But no cure will ever come until after research has been started. So ever day we dick around is another day of lives wasted.

No one here is ever getting better until the community has switched from dicking around like clueless teenagers to organizing itself, getting together with PSSD and PAS groups, and promoting the commencement of research. Period.

1 Like
#6

How about we do both? Continue promoting research and trying to get better with X regimen.

#7

Continue?

#8

I’ve just had a brief glance at your profile and have noticed that you’re only 17 years old. I’m sorry to hear you’re going through this at such a young age, I myself first got “PFS” when I was around 15 (at the time it was just some mild symptoms, some degree of genital anesthesia, some minor motivation issues, some minor anhedonia… you see where this is going, minor issues) from taking SSRIs, and then experienced a much worse and more pronounced reaction after some intermittent Finasteride use at 18.

It can be tempting to try to experiment to try to set things back to the way they were, but trying to fix this problem by throwing hormones at it (or really, with most tools that the medical field has to offer right now), is both risky, and does not have the best track record for people with PFS. But don’t despair, because nearly everyone improves to some degree (especially the relatively milder cases), by just waiting it out and living a relatively healthy lifestyle. In fact, I just read about one such case before coming across your post.

#9

I was also 15 when I started taking my drug and 16 when PFS onsetted. Now I’m 17.

#10

I’m sorry to hear that Zonz, saw that you’ve been doing better lately so that’s great.

#11

Yep, I’m back on Minoxidil so it’s not ideal but I have seen some improvements especially in my libido and sweat/muscle gains. Also seeing my hair thicken up, not that I give a bloody fuck about my hair anymore.

Wish you and everyone else well.

#12

Be careful with that, it can be risky, but I suppose you’re already aware of that.

Thank you for the well wishes.

#13

If he’s only 17 then he should have way higher T levels. People with PFS and PAS generally have T in range. I would definitely see an endocrinologist and get another round of blood tests. There might be something else going on. It’s also so early that he simply hasn’t come back to equilibrium and will eventually be fine. I’d wait a year or something before concluding that have PAS.

1 Like
#14

Yeah when I got my T measured in december it was 895ng/dl

#15

I’m seeing an endo next week

2 Likes
#16

Like I said, continue promoting research and not wait for results but also actively trying different regimens to recover.

#17

If you’re happy that nothing has been accomplished in the last 15 years then yeah I could see how you think it’s a good idea to continue

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#18

100% agree.

There’s little evidence that attempting to manipulate hormones fixes this. We have over a decade of people saying others should take herbs, trt, lift weights, eat spinach and people are still trying that.

We also have people who have committed suicide after following advice and worsening their condition.

Suggesting that people just experiment is a something that ought to be recognised as a potential death sentence.

#19

Learn to read, I said we need to do both. Promote research and try to recover by ourselves.

And it’s naive to think science will come up with a cure anytime soon, be ready to wait another 15 years in that case.

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#20

Das, try to be more pleasant.