22 years old, low testosterone blood results

[oceanus99]

I am 22 years old and have never done any sort of aas. I recently got my bloodwork done. The blood test was administered at 2 PM and my results show that my testosterone is at 243 ng/dl where the normal range is 348-1197 ng/dl. Both my LH and FSH are in the normal range.

I got down to about 7% bodyfat 4 months ago but have been bulking since. My bodyfat is well into the healthy range now at roughly 16%. Libido has went from being sexually active once a week at the end of my cut to sexually active daily now. I do however get depressed and feel less energetic. Gains in the gym have been decent as I've been putting on size and strength over these 4 months.

Here are my blood test results:

My question is, what is the best approach to fix my test levels? I've been researching and would hcg or clomid get my natural production up?

 

[Skull]

@Dr JIM Please Help^^^^

 

[LW64]

How frequent is your depression and are you taking anything for it?

 

[oceanus99]

How frequent is your depression and are you taking anything for it?

I'm depressed daily although I'm not sure how much the low test is related. It may just be due to things going on in my life. No I'm not taking anything.

 

[LW64]

I'm depressed daily although I'm not sure how much the low test is related. It may just be due to things going in my life.

Depression is very likely the cause of the low T. You need to seek treatment for depression before doing anything with your T level.

 

[Skull]

I am 22 years old and have never done any sort of aas. I recently got my bloodwork done. The blood test was administered at 2 PM and my results show that my testosterone is at 243 ng/dl where the normal range is 348-1197 ng/dl. Both my LH and FSH are in the normal range.

I got down to about 7% bodyfat 4 months ago but have been bulking since. My bodyfat is well into the healthy range now at roughly 16%. Libido has went from being sexually active once a week at the end of my cut to sexually active daily now. I do however get depressed and feel less energetic. Gains in the gym have been decent as I've been putting on size and strength over these 4 months.

Here are my blood test results:

My question is, what is the best approach to fix my test levels? I've been researching and would hcg or clomid get my natural production up?

Before the test had been done was you out partying an drinking all night or maybe stayed up real late an didnt get much sleep? I know that having a lack of sleep can lower you TT#s. Drinking can do it as well. Just wondering what you've been up to before the initial test had been done????

 

[oceanus99]

Before the test had been done was you out partying an drinking all night or maybe stayed up real late an didnt get much sleep? I know that having a lack of sleep can lower you TT#s. Drinking can do it as well. Just wondering what you've been up to before the initial test had been done????

Not at all. I don't drink and didn't go out the night prior. I had a good night's sleep.

 

[oceanus99]

Depression is very likely the cause of the low T. You need to seek treatment for depression before doing anything with your T level.

Hmm, the depressions is mainly due to body image issues which tends to happen to me when I get far enough into bulks and get fatter. Could that really affect my levels that much?

 

[Skull]

Not at all. I don't drink and didn't go out the night prior. I had a good night's sleep.

Ok, thanks. Thats good to know we can rule that out.

 

[LW64]

Could that really affect my levels that much?

Depression? Yes. Even more so because you just told me you get it daily.

the depressions is mainly due to body image issues which tends to happen to me when I get far enough into bulks and get fatter.

Food for thought. How do you know you don't have cause and effect reversed? In other words, how do you know body image issues are giving you depression INSTEAD OF depression giving you body image issues??? Think about it. Seriously. Lots of men don't like they way they look! Shit, I don't like the way I look! But I don't get depressed over it. Maybe its because I don't have depression to begin with?


Whether or not your depression is due to what you describe is another question and that is why you need to seek treatment for that first.

 

[T_verde77]

Depression? Yes. Even more so because you just told me you get it daily.



Food for thought. How do you know you don't have cause and effect reversed? In other words, how do you know body image issues are giving you depression INSTEAD OF depression giving you body image issues??? Think about it. Seriously. Lots of men don't like they way they look! Shit, I don't like the way I look! But I don't get depressed over it. Maybe its because I don't have depression to begin with?


Whether or not your depression is due to what you describe is another question and that is why you need to seek treatment for that first.

Is your diet all in check? I'm no dietician but I do know certain foods effect my test levels when I'm natural. Hopefully dr Jim provides some help

 

[Dr JIM]

Depression is very likely the cause of the low T. You need to seek treatment for depression before doing anything with your T level.

Agreed

OP you have ONE TT level below 250ng/DL that was conducted at 2PM.

Is that important? You bet it is bc most labs use PEAK TT values as their reference ranges, and a 2pm value is more likely to represent a STEADY STATE level.

The latter is roughly HALF of many folks TT peak level! Of course there is NO WAY of KNOWING if such an estimate applies to YOU, absent a morning TT assay.

This you need a PEAK morning draw to legitimately compare your TT level with others your age.

Finally as LW opined bc depression itself can lower TT, (thru direct and indirect mechanisms) it's VERY important that ailment is addressed before jumping onto the TRT bandwagon.

This contention has been propagated on many boards, forum and blogs, but TRT will not remedy those complaints that are the consequence of a mood disorder. In fact it's not at all unusual for TRT to worsen the symptomatology of emotional disorders IME.

 

[oceanus99]

Depression? Yes. Even more so because you just told me you get it daily.



Food for thought. How do you know you don't have cause and effect reversed? In other words, how do you know body image issues are giving you depression INSTEAD OF depression giving you body image issues??? Think about it. Seriously. Lots of men don't like they way they look! Shit, I don't like the way I look! But I don't get depressed over it. Maybe its because I don't have depression to begin with?


Whether or not your depression is due to what you describe is another question and that is why you need to seek treatment for that first.

Hmm that's an interesting view. As for the body image issue. I've had it since I was a kid due to severe bullying. I really don't think low T is causing it because when I am confident in how I look (when I'm leaner) I genuinely feel happier. If anything my test levels would be lower at that time due to the lower bodyfat, so technically I would feel even worse if the low T itself was causing the depression.

Is your diet all in check? I'm no dietician but I do know certain foods effect my test levels when I'm natural. Hopefully dr Jim provides some help

Tbh I've just been eating a lot to gain size and strength. I should start watching stuff like fat sources better to make sure I'm getting the essentials in. I do track my intake daily so know the exact macros I'm getting in.

Agreed

OP you have ONE TT level below 250ng/DL that was conducted at 2PM.

Is that important? You bet it is bc most labs use PEAK TT values as their reference ranges, and a 2pm value is more likely to represent a STEADY STATE level.

The latter is roughly HALF of many folks TT peak level! Of course there is NO WAY of KNOWING if such an estimate applies to YOU, absent a morning TT assay.

This you need a PEAK morning draw to legitimately compare your TT level with others your age.

Finally as LW opined bc depression itself can lower TT, (thru direct and indirect mechanisms) it's VERY important that ailment is addressed before jumping onto the TRT bandwagon.

This contention has been propagated on many boards, forum and blogs, but TRT will not remedy those complaints that are the consequence of a mood disorder. In fact it's not at all unusual for TRT to worsen the symptomatology of emotional disorders IME.

Wow thanks a lot for that info. That really eases a lot of my tension. I'm seeing the doc on monday and will bring all this up. I will also get a referral to an endo because I hear family docs are usually clueless on this stuff.

Also, yes, unfortunately I've tried for years to be comfortable with how I look while bulking. I just can't seem to do it. This is my last big bulk. I will just maintain a leaner body after this. I always get in a mental rut like this when bulking.

 

[T_verde77]

Agreed

OP you have ONE TT level below 250ng/DL that was conducted at 2PM.

Is that important? You bet it is bc most labs use PEAK TT values as their reference ranges, and a 2pm value is more likely to represent a STEADY STATE level.

The latter is roughly HALF of many folks TT peak level! Of course there is NO WAY of KNOWING if such an estimate applies to YOU, absent a morning TT assay.

This you need a PEAK morning draw to legitimately compare your TT level with others your age.

Finally as LW opined bc depression itself can lower TT, (thru direct and indirect mechanisms) it's VERY important that ailment is addressed before jumping onto the TRT bandwagon.

This contention has been propagated on many boards, forum and blogs, but TRT will not remedy those complaints that are the consequence of a mood disorder. In fact it's not at all unusual for TRT to worsen the symptomatology of emotional disorders IME.

Good catch. didn't see the time. don't know why they would do bloods so late in the day

 

[oceanus99]

Good catch. didn't see the time. don't know why they would do bloods so late in the day

I used privatemdlabs. I had no idea the time mattered, and I could go in whenever and get it done, so I just went in on my lunch break and they did it.

 

[T_verde77]

I used privatemdlabs. I had no idea the time mattered, and I could go in whenever and get it done, so I just went in on my lunch break and they did it.

Fasted first thing in the morning I believe is the way to get test levels checked.

 

[Dr JIM]

Good catch. didn't see the time. don't know why they would do bloods so late in the day

Blood work is done throughout the day and in most instances, for routine assays such as; CBC, Chemistries it maters not.

However bc many hormones like GH, Slin, Cortisol and TT exhibit a diurnal pattern, an early AM draw has become the standard.

The confusion likely arises when chemistries are ordered along with hormonal assays. That's bc many phlebotomy techs will simply draw and submit the blood work disregarding the time factor, as some are unaware of how much difference an AM value can make.

Why, bc it's more convenient for the patient!

Otherwise the patient would have to return in the early AM on another date.

It's for this reason I always request the lab document the timing of ANY blood draw, hormonal levels in particular.

 

[MR10X]

If you have to be fasting for the blood draw...you dont want to have to fast all day for an afternoon draw.....

 

[Tyler81]

I echo what lw and Dr Jim have said.

1 retest your levels in the morning. My levels were 250-270 on multiple morning am lab draws.

2 try to treat the depression first. Wellbutrin boosts testosterone fairly significantly.

3 you may need to treat both. I tried treating just my depression but then ending up going on TRT too. Get a good endo who understands the relationship between hormones and neurotransmitters.

 

[Tyler81]

Note -- below a certain T level there IS depression.
For me it seemed to be later in the day as my levels dropped from 250 to whatever they dropped to. I'd guess under 200.

It's different for everyone.

Definetly try treating the depression first and see if that helps.