new old guy HRT question

[tyler]

Hello all,

First time posting in this forum

I'm looking for advice with regards to HRT.

My background. I'm 45, i've never had my test levels measured. Last year following my annual physical i asked my GP why she hadn't included test levels in my blood screen. She said she didn't think it was important. This year i insisted and she said she'd order the "free test direct" test. It came back at 9.0 pg/mL (normal range was listed at 8.7-25.6). She mailed me my blood test results with comments on each measurement. With regards to my free test levels she wrote "nc" which i took as "no comment". I found the reading to be rather low. The blood was drawn before 8 am. On my own i went through Healthcheckusa and had blood work for Total test, Free test and % free test.
my results:

Total test 471 ng/dL
Free test 6.5 pg/mL
% free test 0.1
blood was drawn at about 10 AM

In my unprofessional opinion the free and % free numbers are very low for my age. The other piece of information is that i coach amatuer boxing and over the last 6 months have dropped about 25 lbs in an effort to get back to my fighting weight of younger days so that i can spend more time sparring with the kids (just holding pads can get boring).

I'm not interested in HRT as a means of adding slabs of muscle, but rather simply want to be as healthy as possible.

When i check the oil in my car, i don't wait till i can't see it on my dipstick to add oil. Likewise, i don't think its a good idea to wait till my testosterone levels are off the chart before i address the issue. I also assume that the low end of the "normal" ranges would apply to someone older than myself.

for those of you with experience, if you were in my shoes, is HRT something you would consider? And is there any advise that you would give me?

thanks alot!!!

tyler

 

[buck]

Please include the ranges for your tests when posting as it helps a lot. Would I consider hrt with those values? Yes if I was experiencing any of the common symptoms. If you have no symptoms then those levels may be totally " normal" for you. There is no direct correlation between age and t levels for individuals. Only for larger groups.

 

[tyler]

Please include the ranges for your tests when posting as it helps a lot. Would I consider hrt with those values? Yes if I was experiencing any of the common symptoms. If you have no symptoms then those levels may be totally " normal" for you. There is no direct correlation between age and t levels for individuals. Only for larger groups.

I'm sorry,

here are the my blood test results again, with the ranges:

1st lab by my GP:

Free Testosterone Direct 9.0 pg/mL Normal Range 8.7-25.1 pg/mL

my HealthCheckUSA blood results:

Total Testosterone 471 ng/dL Normal Range 260-1000 ng/dL
Free Testosterone 6.5 pg/mL Normal Range 8.3-35.1 pg/mL
% Free Test 0.1 Normal Range 0.2-0.6 %

As far as symptoms go, i just know that i'm wore out alot more despite making a real effort the last 6 months to watch my diet (no alcohol, quit coffee, little if any processed food) and rest (minimum 8 hrs of sleep a night). Also, i notice my recall (memory) at work ain't what it use to be, and for my job its critical.

thanks

tyler


tyler

 

[SWALE]

I would consider you to be an excellent candidate for TRT.

 

[tyler]

thanks

Swale,

Thanks alot for taking the time to respond.

The idea of TRT is new to me but my initial take is that it makes sense. I have access to "SciFinder" as well as a large selection of scientific e-journals through my job, so yesterday i downloaded and printed out a number of related articles:

Risks of Testosterone-replacement therapy and recommendations for monitoring New England Journal of Medicine 2004 pp. 482-492

An integrative review on current evidence of testosterone repalcement therapy for the andropause Maturitas 2003 (45) pp. 15-27

Androgen Replacement Therapy in the Aging Male-A Critical Evaluation
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2001 (86) No.6 pp 2380-2390.

etc.
i will give these a good look this weekend and get up with you through your website. If you have any other recommendations for articles in this area i would appreciate it.

Again, thanks for your response and the effort you've made on this forum to help inform people.

tyler

 

[SWALE]

You are entirely welcome. We're here to help.