Help With Hormone Labs. Low T, Low E, Low Prolactin, Low FSH

[Nathan777]

Seriously can't understand what's going on with me... I thought 3 months of Peating, increasing calories to 2300-2400 a day, red light, trying to relax and exercise less was working out, but how are my hormones so damn low? Estrogen especially has me perplexed. I hear so much about estrogen dominance but here I am needing an increase. Obviously TRT without an AI would do wonders, but I'm 31 and otherwise seem pretty healthy so that can't possibly be the real answer... Hypopituitary? Should i consider an MRI or CT to rule out a pituitary adenoma? I am chronically stressed and anxious and have been for years but can't imagine that leading to this? But maybe? @haidut any thoughts?

 

[Nathan777]

Here's another lab result from November that sort of started me on all of this and is also confusing as hell...

 

[ddjd]

You're upset about low prolactin?

Go and drink some beers

 

[Nathan777]

You're upset about low prolactin?

Go and drink some beers

lol I mean I'm upset about it in conjunction with everything else and if I have an endocrine disorder (recently had a parathyroidectomy...), but otherwise no I don't necessarily want more prolactin. I would like more estradiol though since low levels in men have been linked to plenty of issues similar to low T.

 

[Serotoninja]

Yeah this is weird, do you experience sexual dysfunction (ED, low libido...)?
You should try eating more, at least 3000 calories for a few weeks since low hormones is linked to low energy production. Maybe eat a few eggs to get the raw material for pregnenolone synthesis and liver for vitamin A. Have you tried pregnenolone or DHEA?

 

[Nathan777]

Yeah this is weird, do you have sexual dysfunction (ED, low libido...)?
You should try eating more, at least 3000 calories for a few weeks since low hormones is linked to low energy production. Maybe eat a few eggs to get the raw material for pregnenolone synthesis and liver for vitamin A.

Libido is always pretty high. I mean I’d like it to be higher lol, but no issue with performance, climax, or hardness whether with GF or alone (but been working on no fap this year so much less of that). I eat 3-4 yolks a day and 4-8 oz. of liver a week, was doing all the Peat stuff (milk, oj, gelatin every day, oysters 2-5 times a week, etc.) I’d love to eat more but put on weight quick. I’m not fat, but definitely a little fluff, probably 13-15% bf. Might be a situation where I have to bite the bullet and accept the fat gain? Then again adiposity is connected to low hormones as well (though increased estrogen which could be good...)

 

[brix]

Your prolactin is not low.
Peat says optimal prolactin levels for males are around 5.

 

[Nathan777]

Your prolactin is not low.
Peat says optimal prolactin levels for males are around 5.

That's good to know, thanks! At least that's one thing I won't stress about

 

[haidut]

Seriously can't understand what's going on with me... I thought 3 months of Peating, increasing calories to 2300-2400 a day, red light, trying to relax and exercise less was working out, but how are my hormones so damn low? Estrogen especially has me perplexed. I hear so much about estrogen dominance but here I am needing an increase. Obviously TRT without an AI would do wonders, but I'm 31 and otherwise seem pretty healthy so that can't possibly be the real answer... Hypopituitary? Should i consider an MRI or CT to rule out a pituitary adenoma? I am chronically stressed and anxious and have been for years but can't imagine that leading to this? But maybe? @haidut any thoughts?

Serum estradiol in males is usually tied to total T levels. Your total T is borderline low, so it is consistent with the low E2. I would test for cortisol (both AM and PM in the same day) and estrone sulfate. I am not a doctor but I doubt it is a pituitary issue as LH/FSH are normal.

 

[Nathan777]

Serum estradiol in males is usually tied to total T levels. Your total T is borderline low, so it is consistent with the low E2. I would test for cortisol (both AM and PM in the same day) and estrone sulfate. I am not a doctor but I doubt it is a pituitary issue as LH/FSH are normal.

Thanks Haidut. Lemme know if you're ever in Old Town and I'll buy you a drink lol. Just sent out my 4x cortisol saliva collection so I'll hopefully have a good read on cortisol levels and daily pattern in a week or so. I've tried NDT and didn't seem to react well to it, but do you think it would be worth trying small doses of T3 only? Could low thyroid lead to a sluggish and shutdown HPTA? How should cortisol be interpreted whether high, low, or normal?

 

[haidut]

Thanks Haidut. Lemme know if you're ever in Old Town and I'll buy you a drink lol. Just sent out my 4x cortisol saliva collection so I'll hopefully have a good read on cortisol levels and daily pattern in a week or so. I've tried NDT and didn't seem to react well to it, but do you think it would be worth trying small doses of T3 only? Could low thyroid lead to a sluggish and shutdown HPTA? How should cortisol be interpreted whether high, low, or normal?

Low thyroid can certainly causes there issues. I would wait for the cortisol results before trying T3. Btw, if you can you should get a blood cortisol test as well since the saliva one is not always reliable. It is good to have both blood and saliva results to compare.

 

[Risingfire]

How much cholesterol are you consuming? Egg a day?

 

[Nathan777]

How much cholesterol are you consuming? Egg a day?

Good amount. Plenty of egg yolks, liver, oysters, cheese, butter, ghee, occasional muscle meat, etc. I've cut back on saturated fat a bit though since LDL is high and I have one ApoE4 allele so handle saturated fat less optimally, but I've never been afraid of cholesterol or shied away from it. Lots of lipid/cholesterol labs attached.

 

[Risingfire]

Good amount. Plenty of egg yolks, liver, oysters, cheese, butter, ghee, occasional muscle meat, etc. I've cut back on saturated fat a bit though since LDL is high and I have one ApoE4 allele so handle saturated fat less optimally, but I've never been afraid of cholesterol or shied away from it. Lots of lipid/cholesterol labs attached.

I'm not an expert but your cholesterol isn't that high. Plus, you have really lowish triglycerides. Seems like your hormones aren't converting, optimally. You probably have a lot of estrogen in your tissues. Why do you want higher test?

 

[Nathan777]

I'm not an expert but your cholesterol isn't that high. Plus, you have really lowish triglycerides. Seems like your hormones aren't converting, optimally. You probably have a lot of estrogen in your tissues. Why do you want higher test?

Why do I want higher testosterone? Because I'm exhausted, every day is a battle, I have an amazing girlfriend, a great job, a beautiful life, but I can't appreciate a second of it because just functioning feels like a herculean task. Test of 300 in the morning means it's probably dipping into the 100's later in the day, which isn't an ideal way to try to live life as a 31 year old male presumably. Also I'd love to think about starting a family in the next year or two but kind of wonder if I'm even fertile at the moment given how depressed all of my hormones are.

 

[stevrd]

Why do I want higher testosterone? Because I'm exhausted, every day is a battle, I have an amazing girlfriend, a great job, a beautiful life, but I can't appreciate a second of it because just functioning feels like a herculean task. Test of 300 in the morning means it's probably dipping into the 100's later in the day, which isn't an ideal way to try to live life as a 31 year old male presumably. Also I'd love to think about starting a family in the next year or two but kind of wonder if I'm even fertile at the moment given how depressed all of my hormones are.

Ex hypogonadal male here. Fertility is tricky because thought tied to testosterone, it is highly individualized. There are guys with very low T (lower than yours) who test well at fertility clinics. You say your hardness and libido are pretty decent. That should be more of an indicator to you. And one of the main signs is your semen quality. If it is thick and white you are most likely good to go. If it is translucent and runs like water, this is a sign of estrogen dominance and potentially poor sperm count.

I know it is cliche, but a lot of your stress and lack of energy probably has to do with juggling multiple responsibilities/commitments at the moment. You need to look at your life and identify things that steal your energy the most. A very stressful or boring/monotonous job is often times the culprit. You say you have a "great job," but how much are you sacrificing for this job? Is it great in the sense of finance, but not for work-life balance? Are you spending more than 50 hrs a week there? Do you sit under fluorescent lighting staring at a computer for hours on end? These things can really drain you. I oftentimes notice that the times when I have the best days at work are the times when I'm interacting with clients/co-workers the most. My energy level is much higher and I come home a happier person. When I am working on reports, and sitting at my desk all day, I feel the worst.

How is your sleep? Are you watching netflix late with your GF and only getting 6hrs of sleep per night? You need to have good sleep hygiene to optimize hormones. More sleep allows you to eat less calories and keep your metabolism up. Less sleep, and your body compensates with cravings to try to get you to eat more so that you can fight the stress of sleep deprivation.

I know it's frustrating that you are trying so many of Peat's approaches yet you seem to be getting nowhere. I was the same way in the beginning. The problem is that you may not be setting yourself up in such a way that will respond well to any type of diet strategy. Your lifestyle may be sub-optimal at the moment. I know some of the things you can't always change (like your job for one), but there are things that you can do to improve things throughout your day. For me, I changed the lighting in my office to be brighter, which directly improved my energy levels. There are light filters you can get that can filter fluorescent lighting and reduce glare.

Also, on a final note, us hypogonadal men often think that "we are exhausted because we have low testosterone," but quite frankly it is more like, "we have low testosterone because we are exhausted." If you start seeing things in that perspective- that is, low testosterone is a symptom of low energy/low thyroid, etc, then we can start to improve. Trying to just focus on the number without changing negative lifestyle habits, is akin to just trying to take a test booster from GNC. Some of them may work, but no amount of supplements in the world is going to help you if you are not sleeping/eating well and changing your daily habits to improve your energy, rather than drain it.

 

[fradon]

ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY.

after a certain age Testosterone production slows or stops in the testes and is mainly created in the adrenals. all your symptoms including fatigue could be attributed to adrenal weakness. IF YOU WERE HIGH ON CORTISOL YOU WOULD FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS. Many people are addicted to cortisol for the great feeling of power. you seem to not have this.

most diets work if you are healhty but if not they will quickly reveal of deficiency. I did keto last year and realized i have weak adrenals and an over reactive pancreas to compensate for it. I had been hiding my adrenals weakness with sugar for a very very long time.

 

[stevrd]

^The adrenals are amazing in their ability to regenerate and compensate for stress. If the thyroid is functioning well, cortisol will not be needed and will be suppressed.

 

[AretnaP]

vitamin a (about 10,000 IUs/day), vitamin k (100 or so mcg/day), and a bit of zinc (10-20 mgs/day) vitamin e with mixed tocopherols (400 IUs/day)

I think this could work. I know that antioxidants can improve testicular health, and probably hormonal health as well.

 

[AretnaP]

Serum estradiol in males is usually tied to total T levels. Your total T is borderline low, so it is consistent with the low E2. I would test for cortisol (both AM and PM in the same day) and estrone sulfate. I am not a doctor but I doubt it is a pituitary issue as LH/FSH are normal.

I've heard accounts of guys getting their testosterone VERY high without steroids by using strong aromatase inhibitors.

RPRA I guess.