Lab results (Male) - Low estrogen, low testosterone with Hemochromatosis

[KentoBoro]

Hello all!

This is my first time posting on this forum, I am excited to be here!

I have been browsing this forum and testing out ideas I learned from Peat over the last 3-4 years.

I was diagnoses with Hereditary Hemochromatosis 3 years ago (compound heterozygous). When I got diagnosed, I was 22 years old (currently 25 now), and I over-reacted and began overbleeding myself to get rid of iron, as I blamed iron for most of my health issues.

This caused my ferritin to drop to 14 ng/dL. My ferritin at its all time peak was just 100. I was never extremely iron-loaded, but my saturation did vary on blood work over the years between 24% and 68% saturation.

However, one of the hardest things I have dealt with was copper deficiency. I have had copper deficiency for the past 3 years, I believe it originally started from zinc supplementation in my early 20s.

My copper blood levels have came back low (marked in red low) ranging from 60 mcg/dL to 85 mcg/dL.

My ceruloplasmin also came back on the low range of normal in the past.

Symptoms I experienced over the past 3 years:

• Histamine intolerance
• Low energy/fatigue
• Low focus or concentration
• Joint popping/cracking (hips, elbows, wrists, neck)
• Hair shedding (despite low DHT levels)
• Hair loss
• Severe neck/upper back pain
• Difficulty walking
• Body odor/bad breath
• Low libido

Symptoms I still have now that I have fixed my ferritin:

• Low energy/fatigue
• Low libido
• Hair shedding (despite low DHT levels)
• Joint popping/cracking (hips, elbows, wrists, neck)
• Body odor/bad breath

My current blood results:

• Dihydrotestosterone 1.48 pg/mL (Below Normal, range 2.3 - 11.6)
• Total Testosterone 419 (range 264-916)
• Free Testosterone 6.2 (range 9.3 - 26.5)
• Total Estrogens 59 (56-213)
• Estradiol 14.6 (range 7.6 - 42.6)
• Progesterone 0.5 (range 0.0 - 0.5)
• Ferritin 61
• SHBG 30.3 (range 16.5 - 55.9)
• Growth Hormone, Serum <0.1 (range 0.0 - 10.0)
• LH 8.5 (range 1.7-8.6)
• Iron Saturation - 54%

Supplements I am taking:

• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K2
• Occasionally Vitamin C

I am looking to know why my joints may be popping still, despite my ferritin returning to normal levels. In addition, how can I increase my test/E levels to normal healthy levels?

 

[youngsinatra]

How’s your thyroid function? Lab work, body temperature, pulse, symptoms?

 

[Highserotonin90]

@KentoBoro Do you have the possibility to do an HTMA test on your hair to be sure of the imbalance between zinc and copper? I have the same joint symptoms as you, the joints always burst but I must say that the pain is not accentuated. At the moment I have had no benefit from sun, oral/topical vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus. K2 MK7 I can't tolerate it, but I want to change brands. You may consider bone densitometry if you suspect something more advanced and complex if you exclude hormonal imbalances and possible vitamin-mineral deficiencies.

 

[liam183]

So the good news is that upstream is working fine, hence the high LH. It seems to be a testicular issue in this case. Your estrogens are low because your T is low

 

[KentoBoro]

So the good news is that upstream is working fine, hence the high LH. It seems to be a testicular issue in this case. Your estrogens are low because your T is low

What could I do to improve testicular function? Do you think it could be a shortage of DHEA in my body from the copper deficiency? How can I test my testicular function?

 

[KentoBoro]

How’s your thyroid function? Lab work, body temperature, pulse, symptoms?

Thyroid was marked on bloodwork as:

TSH - 2.64
T4 - 6.6 (range 4.5-12)
T3 Uptake - 28% (range 24-39%)
Free Thyroxine Index - 1.8 (range 1.2-4.9)

Fwiw I took this bloodwork at 1PM after just eating a meal.

 

[Highserotonin90]

@KentoBoro I don't feel like recommending it, but maybe a topical solution in the genital area and see how it responds? I don't think a doctor would approve, you have to know how to manage yourself...I'm referring to testosterone cream / gel

 

[Santosh]

Hello all!

This is my first time posting on this forum, I am excited to be here!

I have been browsing this forum and testing out ideas I learned from Peat over the last 3-4 years.

I was diagnoses with Hereditary Hemochromatosis 3 years ago (compound heterozygous). When I got diagnosed, I was 22 years old (currently 25 now), and I over-reacted and began overbleeding myself to get rid of iron, as I blamed iron for most of my health issues.

This caused my ferritin to drop to 14 ng/dL. My ferritin at its all time peak was just 100. I was never extremely iron-loaded, but my saturation did vary on blood work over the years between 24% and 68% saturation.

However, one of the hardest things I have dealt with was copper deficiency. I have had copper deficiency for the past 3 years, I believe it originally started from zinc supplementation in my early 20s.

My copper blood levels have came back low (marked in red low) ranging from 60 mcg/dL to 85 mcg/dL.

My ceruloplasmin also came back on the low range of normal in the past.

Symptoms I experienced over the past 3 years:

• Histamine intolerance
• Low energy/fatigue
• Low focus or concentration
• Joint popping/cracking (hips, elbows, wrists, neck)
• Hair shedding (despite low DHT levels)
• Hair loss
• Severe neck/upper back pain
• Difficulty walking
• Body odor/bad breath
• Low libido

Symptoms I still have now that I have fixed my ferritin:

• Low energy/fatigue
• Low libido
• Hair shedding (despite low DHT levels)
• Joint popping/cracking (hips, elbows, wrists, neck)
• Body odor/bad breath

My current blood results:

• Dihydrotestosterone 1.48 pg/mL (Below Normal, range 2.3 - 11.6)
• Total Testosterone 419 (range 264-916)
• Free Testosterone 6.2 (range 9.3 - 26.5)
• Total Estrogens 59 (56-213)
• Estradiol 14.6 (range 7.6 - 42.6)
• Progesterone 0.5 (range 0.0 - 0.5)
• Ferritin 61
• SHBG 30.3 (range 16.5 - 55.9)
• Growth Hormone, Serum <0.1 (range 0.0 - 10.0)
• LH 8.5 (range 1.7-8.6)
• Iron Saturation - 54%

Supplements I am taking:

• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K2
• Occasionally Vitamin C

I am looking to know why my joints may be popping still, despite my ferritin returning to normal levels. In addition, how can I increase my test/E levels to normal healthy levels?

You are overthinking the diagnosis and the solution.
All your symptoms are due to low T and low E.

You have secondary hypogonadism due to a myriad of possibilities.

You can either :

- spend the rest of your life wondering why you have this condition and trying to find elegant solutions that will restore your whole system back on track.

- or start applying transdermal testosterone to your skin and see what a world of difference it makes in your life.

 

[youngsinatra]

Thyroid was marked on bloodwork as:

TSH - 2.64
T4 - 6.6 (range 4.5-12)
T3 Uptake - 28% (range 24-39%)
Free Thyroxine Index - 1.8 (range 1.2-4.9)

Fwiw I took this bloodwork at 1PM after just eating a meal.

Unfortunately no free T3, or total T3. But it looks like you could definitely work on improving thyroid function. T4, free T4 index and T3 uptake looks borderline low. TSH mildly elevated. What do the other members think?

You dont have hypogonadism with those testosterone levels, by the way! Just wanted to make that clear.

I know some here recovered their testosterone from <200 to 1000+ ng testosterone, without TRT. (@tyler also recently posted about it)

 

[dukesbobby777]

You are overthinking the diagnosis and the solution.
All your symptoms are due to low T and low E.

You have secondary hypogonadism due to a myriad of possibilities.

You can either :

- spend the rest of your life wondering why you have this condition and trying to find elegant solutions that will restore your whole system back on track.

- or start applying transdermal testosterone to your skin and see what a world of difference it makes in your life.

How much transdermal testosterone are you taking? I noticed very little from 20mg, taken twice per day (in DMSO), so I decided to stop taking it. It was micronised test base, purchased from PPL.

 

[shanny]

Hello all!

This is my first time posting on this forum, I am excited to be here!

I have been browsing this forum and testing out ideas I learned from Peat over the last 3-4 years.

I was diagnoses with Hereditary Hemochromatosis 3 years ago (compound heterozygous). When I got diagnosed, I was 22 years old (currently 25 now), and I over-reacted and began overbleeding myself to get rid of iron, as I blamed iron for most of my health issues.

This caused my ferritin to drop to 14 ng/dL. My ferritin at its all time peak was just 100. I was never extremely iron-loaded, but my saturation did vary on blood work over the years between 24% and 68% saturation.

However, one of the hardest things I have dealt with was copper deficiency. I have had copper deficiency for the past 3 years, I believe it originally started from zinc supplementation in my early 20s.

My copper blood levels have came back low (marked in red low) ranging from 60 mcg/dL to 85 mcg/dL.

My ceruloplasmin also came back on the low range of normal in the past.

Symptoms I experienced over the past 3 years:

• Histamine intolerance
• Low energy/fatigue
• Low focus or concentration
• Joint popping/cracking (hips, elbows, wrists, neck)
• Hair shedding (despite low DHT levels)
• Hair loss
• Severe neck/upper back pain
• Difficulty walking
• Body odor/bad breath
• Low libido

Symptoms I still have now that I have fixed my ferritin:

• Low energy/fatigue
• Low libido
• Hair shedding (despite low DHT levels)
• Joint popping/cracking (hips, elbows, wrists, neck)
• Body odor/bad breath

My current blood results:

• Dihydrotestosterone 1.48 pg/mL (Below Normal, range 2.3 - 11.6)
• Total Testosterone 419 (range 264-916)
• Free Testosterone 6.2 (range 9.3 - 26.5)
• Total Estrogens 59 (56-213)
• Estradiol 14.6 (range 7.6 - 42.6)
• Progesterone 0.5 (range 0.0 - 0.5)
• Ferritin 61
• SHBG 30.3 (range 16.5 - 55.9)
• Growth Hormone, Serum <0.1 (range 0.0 - 10.0)
• LH 8.5 (range 1.7-8.6)
• Iron Saturation - 54%

Supplements I am taking:

• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K2
• Occasionally Vitamin C

I am looking to know why my joints may be popping still, despite my ferritin returning to normal levels. In addition, how can I increase my test/E levels to normal healthy levels?

Unfortunately no free T3, or total T3. But it looks like you could definitely work on improving thyroid function. T4, free T4 index and T3 uptake looks borderline low. TSH mildly elevated. What do the other members think?

You dont have hypogonadism with those testosterone levels, by the way! Just wanted to make that clear.

I agree with youngsinatra here.

As far as hemochromatosis goes, I wouldn't focus on that. Improving your liver and thyroid function will take care of that! I would, however, be careful of the vitamin C supplementation. Both vitamin C and fructose will increase the absorption of iron, so make sure you are consuming these things away from a high iron food. Things like coffee, chocolate, phytates from plants and aspirin inhibit iron absorption, so this is a way to still eat things like red meat/liver without absorbing too much iron. I have the hemochromatosis gene on both sides of my family, and suffered from some of the same issues you are having (but am female, so more estrogen related). Giving blood a few times and improving my liver/thyroid function improved all of my symptoms.

What are your cholesterol levels? Diet?

 

[KentoBoro]

Wil

You are overthinking the diagnosis and the solution.
All your symptoms are due to low T and low E.

You have secondary hypogonadism due to a myriad of possibilities.

You can either :

- spend the rest of your life wondering why you have this condition and trying to find elegant solutions that will restore your whole system back on track.

- or start applying transdermal testosterone to your skin and see what a world of difference it makes in your lifee

You are overthinking the diagnosis and the solution.
All your symptoms are due to low T and low E.

You have secondary hypogonadism due to a myriad of possibilities.

You can either :

- spend the rest of your life wondering why you have this condition and trying to find elegant solutions that will restore your whole system back on track.

- or start applying transdermal testosterone to your skin and see what a world of difference it makes in your life.

Will transdermal testosterone cause shutdown of my natural production? Also how would this affect my fertility long term?

 

[Santosh]

Wil


Will transdermal testosterone cause shutdown of my natural production? Also how would this affect my fertility long term?

No

 

[Santosh]

How much transdermal testosterone are you taking? I noticed very little from 20mg, taken twice per day (in DMSO), so I decided to stop taking it. It was micronised test base, purchased from PPL.

You should definitely feel something from that dose.
Are you generally in tune with your body ?
You feel effects from other substances ?