Teen, low testosterone [bloodwork pics]

[legitbru]

*for the record, I am turning 18 in May (currently 17) but I have no other place to turn, I know I'm not of the correct age limit but no one I know is knowledgeable and has any clue what normal testosterone levels are for a 17 year old.

Okay, so I really am frustrated. I feel like shit constantly, can't put on mass (muscle) to save my life. Don't have any facial hair, voice is high-ish and my energy levels are 0 and I'm tired after 6 hours of waking, regardless of how much sleep I get 6-15 hrs. Suppose I could mention my hands/feet/knees are always ice cold with dry skin on hands/in between fingers.

Here is my blood work (taken an hour after waking)

Had my testosterone tested again (4 hours after waking) and my doctor still says it's fine:

The reason I posted this in the first place is because no one else seems to think I have a problem, I begged my parents to take me to an endocrinologist and I just am afraid they will turn me away and tell me everything is fine (all within reference levels, don't mind the vitamin b-12 as I took a 25mg supplement the day before).

Any thoughts?

 

[Chi23]

I wouldn't be happy with those a few years back when I was your age. Do I think its emergency and you need to get on today no. But I would agree that being 17/18 your levels should be at the very least on the high side of your reference ranges from now until your early 20's.

Theres a chart Ive seen about average test for males over the years google it. They will see your numbers are average for late middle aged and retired guys.

 

[Chi23]

Maybe if your parents see that they may agree its at least worth going and getting an opinion from a specialist. TRT should not be the first option though. Clomid is what I would recommend first, possibly a Hcg blast protocol to try and jumpstart/restart yourself. Endos will commonly attempt to do so before putting a young teen on TRT, after all TRT is not a year long decision it is a life long choice.

 

[Candyskull]

*for the record, I am turning 18 in May (currently 17) but I have no other place to turn, I know I'm not of the correct age limit but no one I know is knowledgeable and has any clue what normal testosterone levels are for a 17 year old.

Okay, so I really am frustrated. I feel like shit constantly, can't put on mass (muscle) to save my life. Don't have any facial hair, voice is high-ish and my energy levels are 0 and I'm tired after 6 hours of waking, regardless of how much sleep I get 6-15 hrs. Suppose I could mention my hands/feet/knees are always ice cold with dry skin on hands/in between fingers.

Here is my blood work (taken an hour after waking)

Had my testosterone tested again (4 hours after waking) and my doctor still says it's fine:

The reason I posted this in the first place is because no one else seems to think I have a problem, I begged my parents to take me to an endocrinologist and I just am afraid they will turn me away and tell me everything is fine (all within reference levels, don't mind the vitamin b-12 as I took a 25mg supplement the day before).

Any thoughts?

What are they saying about the low RBC and WBC counts? No facial hair, but what about body hair? Define no muscle mass. What's your stats? The sleep thing is normal for your age.

 

[pumpin69]

I have to agree with you about seeing the endo doctor. There could be a lot more than just low t going on. I did need a referral from the family doc to get in to see mine... just a heads up

 

[idmd]

You're very clearly hypothyroid....that's the logical place to start as it effects EVERY tissue in the body including your balls.

Your Vit-D is too low and B12 too high....do you take a B12 supplement? If not I believe it can be elevated with certain liver diseases and at least one of your LFTs is elevated...although not alarmingly so.

You need a complete work up by a competent doctor....

 

[legitbru]

You're very clearly hypothyroid....that's the logical place to start as it effects EVERY tissue in the body including your balls.

Your Vit-D is too low and B12 too high....do you take a B12 supplement? If not I believe it can be elevated with certain liver diseases and at least one of your LFTs is elevated...although not alarmingly so.

You need a complete work up by a competent doctor....

I (did) take a b12 supplement probably 18~ hours before the blood was drawn to be tested.

Was taking 5,000 IU D3 a day prior to the bloodwork, I've since upped it to 10,000 IU.

January 3rd I have an appointment with an endo. How can you be so sure I'm hypothyroid without my T3 though? 5 TSH can be normal can't it?

 

[idmd]

You're TSH is nearly a full point above normal range. Lab ranges exist for a reason. What more do you want?

 

[legitbru]

You're TSH is nearly a full point above normal range. Lab ranges exist for a reason. What more do you want?

There's conflicting evidence (some ranges for TSH are .(5 to 5.1)

 

[idmd]

Well you're a 5.14 so that should make you feel better....lol.....treating that isn't going to hurt and it would be interesting to see if anything else improves.

 

[legitbru]

Okay cool, my endocrinologist laughed at me saying 288 ng/dl for a 17 year old boy is normal.

She laughed at me when I thought I had hypothyroidism because my T4 was in range.

Seriously don't know what to do. Makes me depressed as fuck man.

Can I like bring her studies? She even felt my genitalia to see my testicle maturity (I have the testicle maturity of a grown man).

The lab reference rages make no sense, I have full testicular maturity yet THIS is my reference rages?

Fuck my life, seriously.

 

[idmd]

Welcome to "men's health"....the red-headed step child of medicine. SHE (your first problem) sounds like a dud. Maybe you have to have a penis and testicles to know how important it is to feel like a man....IDK. I'd move on....you can make an argument for not treating hypothyroidism (although again it's not going to hurt and it may help) but a tT of 288 @ 17? She either doesn't know what she's doing OR she's afraid to treat a 17yo....it's different than treating a lowT 55 yo with different issues to consider.

I'd move on and get a second opinion.

 

[Hark]

Do you have an descended testicle?

What was your LH and FSH? I'm curious since my tests are pretty much a copy of yours.

I'm going to post my own thread, I'm more interested in treating my mild gyno but having higher test would be good too. I also have a high TSH but eh I'm not so sure I want to touch that. My T3 is fine which means that the last issue with the thyroid is if I have an auto immune issue. Maybe allergy caused.

This is going to sound weird but I did 2 things that helped me after I took the tests, I haven't retested since.

1. I masturbated with my legs open and generally keep my legs spread when sitting(which I do a lot of).

2. I stopped eating wheat.

 

[traumaj1]

There's conflicting evidence (some ranges for TSH are .(5 to 5.1)

I'll start with this statement. Yes, some ranges are 0.5-5.1. However, your lab uses 0.27-4.20. Therefore, your TSH is high according to your test. You can't make your levels fit into other lab's guidelines. My lab values my testosterone levels between 350-1100 I believe. It's vastly different from your lab. What would be considered normal for mine, might not be the same with your lab & vice versa.

2nd... keep your head in the game brother! As was said in another response, men's health is still a taboo subject for many. Pediatric health is too... until you're 18, many docs consider you a kid, and are reluctant to treat. Don't let your current "brush off" get you too upset. I've been in medicine almost 20 years. I know my stuff and I know myself, yet I still have to fight for what I need at times. This process can be slow and arduous!

3rd... don't get tunnel vision! You seem like a smart dude. Research everything! Explore all the possibilities! When you're dealing with hormones, many times it's something totally different than what we expected. Also, what we find may involve multiple areas of issue or contributing factors.

4th... don't rule out hypothyroidism. Common signs/symptoms: fatigue, depression, muscle/joint pain, poor hair growth, dry skin, low testosterone... The list goes on. You really do need another COMPLETE thyroid panel drawn. Your T4 is within normal range, but on the lower end (.26 above low end, as opposed to .54 below high end). Many good endo's view this as subclinical hypothyroidism and may or may not treat... they'll at least acknowledge it and watch you.

5th... Aplastic anemia. Your platelets are normal, and WBC & RBC aren't horrible, but it may be something worth looking into. It is common in teens and young adults and can lead to many of the same symptoms you're having.

Good luck!

 

[legitbru]

I'll start with this statement. Yes, some ranges are 0.5-5.1. However, your lab uses 0.27-4.20. Therefore, your TSH is high according to your test. You can't make your levels fit into other lab's guidelines. My lab values my testosterone levels between 350-1100 I believe. It's vastly different from your lab. What would be considered normal for mine, might not be the same with your lab & vice versa.

2nd... keep your head in the game brother! As was said in another response, men's health is still a taboo subject for many. Pediatric health is too... until you're 18, many docs consider you a kid, and are reluctant to treat. Don't let your current "brush off" get you too upset. I've been in medicine almost 20 years. I know my stuff and I know myself, yet I still have to fight for what I need at times. This process can be slow and arduous!

3rd... don't get tunnel vision! You seem like a smart dude. Research everything! Explore all the possibilities! When you're dealing with hormones, many times it's something totally different than what we expected. Also, what we find may involve multiple areas of issue or contributing factors.

4th... don't rule out hypothyroidism. Common signs/symptoms: fatigue, depression, muscle/joint pain, poor hair growth, dry skin, low testosterone... The list goes on. You really do need another COMPLETE thyroid panel drawn. Your T4 is within normal range, but on the lower end (.26 above low end, as opposed to .54 below high end). Many good endo's view this as subclinical hypothyroidism and may or may not treat... they'll at least acknowledge it and watch you.

5th... Aplastic anemia. Your platelets are normal, and WBC & RBC aren't horrible, but it may be something worth looking into. It is common in teens and young adults and can lead to many of the same symptoms you're having.

Good luck!

Thank you for this response!

I just got newish blood work back (It is still missing my thyroid antibodies and free/total testosterone however, I will have those soon to rule out hashimoto's)

Basically, my TSH has risen 2.7 points (there was 1 month and 10 days inbetween testing)

Now my questions are;
-Is it normal for TSH to fluctuate like that?
-Does TSH fluctuate like testosterone meaning it's higher during the day/lower at night?

Was also really mind shattering to me, she was contradicting EVERYTHING I had researched online, and when I would call her out on not being correct she became hostile towards me. I apologized when I left but she didn't acknowledge it.. I had to BEG my endo to test me for T3 (I said free T3) and instead she does total T3. She insists it's useless and even if my T3 was LOW there would be nothing she could do about it.

Also, I have a feeling my endo still won't do anything until my TSH breaks the 10.00 mark, as that is what she said.

Anyways, can anyone tell me more about these?

She also "laughed" at me and told me straight up "You know, not everything you read on the internet is true".

Really made me feel shitty man.

Got my D3 levels up though (they used to be 33), feels good man.

Definitely going to cut back on what I've been taking to get it near the 60 mark.

 

[boxer15]

Yes, tsh does fluctuate, but yours is still high no matter what and is not normal. you might have secondary hypogonadism, as your fsh and lh are on the lower side, but your tsh could be a contributing factor. You need to switch doctors and get your thyroid problems taken off and if after that your test levels are still low then look into getting that fixed. Putting you on trt is just a band aid fix for what the real cause of your problem is. You need a doctor that will try to figure out what is the root cause of the problem is. Again, tell your parents that you want to go to a different doctor endo and if they refuse you can always threaten them with suicide or something. If you get a new doctor and he refuses to listen to you then fuck it, get a new doctor and keep trying until you get one that decent. Also, try to get a younger doctor as all these older doctors think they know best. Younger doctors are more open minded and you should get a male endo as he will obviously know more about whats going on since he is man like you.

 

[traumaj1]

Yes, tsh does fluctuate, but yours is still high no matter what and is not normal. you might have secondary hypogonadism, as your fsh and lh are on the lower side, but your tsh could be a contributing factor. You need to switch doctors and get your thyroid problems taken off and if after that your test levels are still low then look into getting that fixed. Putting you on trt is just a band aid fix for what the real cause of your problem is. You need a doctor that will try to figure out what is the root cause of the problem is. Again, tell your parents that you want to go to a different doctor endo and if they refuse you can always threaten them with suicide or something. If you get a new doctor and he refuses to listen to you then fuck it, get a new doctor and keep trying until you get one that decent. Also, try to get a younger doctor as all these older doctors think they know best. Younger doctors are more open minded and you should get a male endo as he will obviously know more about whats going on since he is man like you.

This! ^^^^

Again though, it's going to be hard to find a doc that will treat you for anything at such a young age. Keep plugging away! As reasonable adults, I would expect your parents to continue to seek answers if they knew something was truly wrong with themselves. Why would they not do the same for you? Don't be an ass with the parents or the doc, but be firm and maybe have supporting documentation to show them. Wikipedia doesn't count. Find something scholarly or published by a reputable establishment like Cleveland Clinic or UCLA.
Questions... do you have any eye problems, headaches, history of head trauma, drink excessive amounts of fluids, or pee frequently?

More... how tall are you? How much do you weigh? Did you start puberty about the same time as your peers?

 

[idmd]

Yes, tsh does fluctuate, but yours is still high no matter what and is not normal. you might have secondary hypogonadism, as your fsh and lh are on the lower side, but your tsh could be a contributing factor. You need to switch doctors and get your thyroid problems taken off and if after that your test levels are still low then look into getting that fixed. Putting you on trt is just a band aid fix for what the real cause of your problem is. You need a doctor that will try to figure out what is the root cause of the problem is. Again, tell your parents that you want to go to a different doctor endo and if they refuse you can always threaten them with suicide or something. If you get a new doctor and he refuses to listen to you then fuck it, get a new doctor and keep trying until you get one that decent. Also, try to get a younger doctor as all these older doctors think they know best. Younger doctors are more open minded and you should get a male endo as he will obviously know more about whats going on since he is man like you.

I was under the impression that TSH is incredible stable for a specific person....

 

[legitbru]

This! ^^^^

Again though, it's going to be hard to find a doc that will treat you for anything at such a young age. Keep plugging away! As reasonable adults, I would expect your parents to continue to seek answers if they knew something was truly wrong with themselves. Why would they not do the same for you? Don't be an ass with the parents or the doc, but be firm and maybe have supporting documentation to show them. Wikipedia doesn't count. Find something scholarly or published by a reputable establishment like Cleveland Clinic or UCLA.
Questions... do you have any eye problems, headaches, history of head trauma, drink excessive amounts of fluids, or pee frequently?

More... how tall are you? How much do you weigh? Did you start puberty about the same time as your peers?

I can't give up man, I've known I've been fucked up since I was around 15 years old. Everything went downhill, I didn't feel like myself. Depression, life became really shitty to be honest.

Will definitely bring in reputable sources if I get any more issues. The problem was (I think) that my current endo is a pediatric endocrinologist.

Questions... do you have any eye problems, headaches, history of head trauma, drink excessive amounts of fluids, or pee frequently?

For eye problems, the biggest problem is just them being dry. I have very good vision, got lucky on that end of the spectrum (20/18 I believe).

No head trauma.

I have "cotton mouth/dry mouth" almost always. Can drink as much water as I want but the issue will still persist, usually makes me brush my teeth for some reason to get the feeling out of my mouth, but yes I do drink a lot of fluids so I usually pee quite a bit.

I'm 6'3 and a quarter, and around 150 pounds. The problem is my appetite, my digestive system seems painfully slow, so the more I eat the more bloated I become and the only thing that will fix it is sleep.

Got up to 160lbs actually, but I had a spontaneous pneumothorax which prevented me from lifting for like 7 weeks and I came back down to 150.

About puberty; I feel as if I went through it normally UNTIL I hit 15. I honestly have not changed in any single way since I was 15. Puberty feels like it halted for me, it really fucking sucks to say the least.

 

[idmd]

Dude 6'3" and a buck fiddy? That's some syndromic shit going on there.