Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and Ray Peat's work in general, and am hoping to fix a few issues by applying parts of his work to my life. This post is relatively long but I'd really appreciate it if you could read it in its entirety.
I'm currently on testosterone replacement therapy at 21 due to childhood testicular torsion, so I get blood work done frequently to monitor the condition. After reading Ray's articles on Progesterone, I added it on to my next set of bloods. The blood work came back as follows:
Hormones:
PROGESTERONE *0.59 nmol/L 0.70 - 4.30
TESTOSTERONE 23.3 nmol/L 8.64 - 29.00
FREE-TESTOSTERONE(CALCULATED) 0.470 nmol/L 0.20 - 0.62
17-BETA OESTRADIOL *162 pmol/L 41.00 - 159.00
SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOB 38.9 nmol/L 18.30 - 54.10
PROLACTIN 314 mIU/L 86.00 - 324.00
PROGESTERONE *0.59 nmol/L 0.70 - 4.30
Thyroid Function:
FREE T3 5.16 pmol/L 3.10 - 6.80
FREE THYROXINE 14.200 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00
THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.53 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.20
Cholesterol Status:
TRIGLYCERIDES 1.28 mmol/L 0.00 - 2.30
CHOLESTEROL 3.6 mmol/L 0.00 - 4.99
HDL CHOLESTEROL 1.41 mmol/L 1.00 - 1.50
LDL CHOLESTEROL 1.61 mmol/L 0.00 - 3.00
NON-HDL CHOLESTEROL 2.19 mmol/L 0.00 - 4.00
I'm currently working with my prescribing doctor to lower estrogen by adjusting dosages of HCG and Testosterone accordingly; I am currently on 15mg Test E eod and 100iu HCG ED. I'm hoping lowering estrogen will also reduce my elevated prolactin.
I was shocked at how low my Progesterone was. I can only assume that a suppressed HPTA from exogenous testosterone and subsequent absence of LH/FSH has caused less Cholesterol -> Pregnenolone in the mitochondria and thus resulting in deficiencies in everything else downstream - hence the low progesterone. I had hoped that the use of HCG, an LH analogue would have maintained upstream hormone production but it appears not.
Since starting TRT I have noticed a significant cognitive decline, and I now belive that it is a result of preogesterone (and presumably pregnenolone) deficiency from a shutdown HPTA.
I began supplementing Pregnenolone at 25mg daily and have been experiencing a lot of worrying side effects. The first is viable changes to the veins in my hands, arms and legs which is also accompanied by mild pain. The second is a very noticeable and significant increase in heart rate and force of contraction.
Does anyone know what might be the issue? After posting this in another forum I browse I was linked a study on pubmed stating that excess Progesterone and Estrogen are responsible for the formation of varicose veins and general venous damage. I've been having estrogen issues for a while now without the vein pain so the person thought that too much of the preg was spilling over into progesterone and causing vascular damage. Ray has not covered this anywhere is his articles and often states that preg is side effect free, so I'm not sure what the issue might be.
Thank you for reading if you made it this far.
I'm currently on testosterone replacement therapy at 21 due to childhood testicular torsion, so I get blood work done frequently to monitor the condition. After reading Ray's articles on Progesterone, I added it on to my next set of bloods. The blood work came back as follows:
Hormones:
PROGESTERONE *0.59 nmol/L 0.70 - 4.30
TESTOSTERONE 23.3 nmol/L 8.64 - 29.00
FREE-TESTOSTERONE(CALCULATED) 0.470 nmol/L 0.20 - 0.62
17-BETA OESTRADIOL *162 pmol/L 41.00 - 159.00
SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOB 38.9 nmol/L 18.30 - 54.10
PROLACTIN 314 mIU/L 86.00 - 324.00
PROGESTERONE *0.59 nmol/L 0.70 - 4.30
Thyroid Function:
FREE T3 5.16 pmol/L 3.10 - 6.80
FREE THYROXINE 14.200 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00
THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.53 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.20
Cholesterol Status:
TRIGLYCERIDES 1.28 mmol/L 0.00 - 2.30
CHOLESTEROL 3.6 mmol/L 0.00 - 4.99
HDL CHOLESTEROL 1.41 mmol/L 1.00 - 1.50
LDL CHOLESTEROL 1.61 mmol/L 0.00 - 3.00
NON-HDL CHOLESTEROL 2.19 mmol/L 0.00 - 4.00
I'm currently working with my prescribing doctor to lower estrogen by adjusting dosages of HCG and Testosterone accordingly; I am currently on 15mg Test E eod and 100iu HCG ED. I'm hoping lowering estrogen will also reduce my elevated prolactin.
I was shocked at how low my Progesterone was. I can only assume that a suppressed HPTA from exogenous testosterone and subsequent absence of LH/FSH has caused less Cholesterol -> Pregnenolone in the mitochondria and thus resulting in deficiencies in everything else downstream - hence the low progesterone. I had hoped that the use of HCG, an LH analogue would have maintained upstream hormone production but it appears not.
Since starting TRT I have noticed a significant cognitive decline, and I now belive that it is a result of preogesterone (and presumably pregnenolone) deficiency from a shutdown HPTA.
I began supplementing Pregnenolone at 25mg daily and have been experiencing a lot of worrying side effects. The first is viable changes to the veins in my hands, arms and legs which is also accompanied by mild pain. The second is a very noticeable and significant increase in heart rate and force of contraction.
Does anyone know what might be the issue? After posting this in another forum I browse I was linked a study on pubmed stating that excess Progesterone and Estrogen are responsible for the formation of varicose veins and general venous damage. I've been having estrogen issues for a while now without the vein pain so the person thought that too much of the preg was spilling over into progesterone and causing vascular damage. Ray has not covered this anywhere is his articles and often states that preg is side effect free, so I'm not sure what the issue might be.
Thank you for reading if you made it this far.
