You don't get to have it both ways. You claim my test is fine because the test says so because it's in the "normal range"
Well Lh and fsh are in the "normal range"
That makes what your saying a contradiction. Id agree and I'd say Lh and fsh are low. Just because it's in the "range" doesn't mean it's not low imo.
I agree with this statement. LH is in the normal range, albeit towards the lower end, but it looks like your testes are sensitive enough to make normal levels of testosterone from them.
Doc if the range goes from let's say 1-10 and age isn't factored in how could someone that's young be on the bottom of the scale and that be optimal ?
This is a good question but it goes to the point you're missing, age IS factored in to the equation. Those reference ranges are calculated from a large sample of healthy individuals. Knowing test levels start to decline at around 30yo, they're not going to base the ranges on 70yo people for example. The quote I posted earlier says the harmonized ranges are for 19-39yo men. Not everyone has the same test levels which is why a reference range is made. Some older people just have higher levels for whatever reason while some younger guys have lower levels for whatever reason. Being younger than someone doesn't guarantee you'll have higher levels. It just means your levels are the highest they'll be for you since later in life they'll begin to decline.
Converted to ng/dL, you have about 487ng/do test levels. That's not the bottom of the scale.
Also, healthy and optimal aren't synonymous. You are healthy. Healthy is optimal for health. If you want optimal for muscle building, recovery, fat loss, or whatever other factor this becomes a different discussion. You can't expect a doctor to optimize your levels for muscle building when his job and ethical duty is to just optimize your health. I'm speaking about normal, ethical doctors and not these low T clinics that will give anyone with money or insurance a script.
I am going back to get free test done how come you think it's a garbage test?
Read Dr. Scally's comments to understand more.
"
MS: In the monitoring of the patient on TRT, I utilize the total testosterone. The initial evaluation of a patient might include the use of free testosterone or bioavailable testosterone. In a symptomatic individual, the total testosterone can be normal but the free or bioavailable testosterone abnormal.
Testosterone circulates in three forms. Testosterone circulates in a free or unbound state, tightly bound to sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), or weakly bound to the blood protein albumin. Bioavailable, non-SHBG, testosterone includes free testosterone and testosterone that is bound to albumin but does not include sex hormone binding globulin-bound testosterone.
Examined changes over time have demonstrated a decrease in total testosterone and an increase in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels. Because of this, the total testosterone might be normal whereas the free or bioavailable testosterone is abnormal. If these alternative methods are used to diagnose hypogonadism, their utility during TRT is limited.
I would caution about the assay methodology used to calculate the free or bioavailable testosterone. The methods used to conduct the measurements vary in their accuracy, standardization, the extent of validation, and the reproducibility of results.
Bioavailable testosterone is measured or calculated in several ways. SHBG bound testosterone can be precipitated with ammonium sulfate and the remaining testosterone is then taken as the bioavailable.
Measures of free testosterone (FT) are controversial. The only standardized and validated method is equilibrium dialysis or by calculating free testosterone levels based on separate measurements of testosterone and SHBG. Other measures of free testosterone are less accurate."
