Do I qualify for HRT? Posting my Blood Test Results.

[Gman86]

Thank you. I am on the path to taking back my health which I have neglected. I was always very strict low carb diet, 4 days a week of very intensive weight training in my 20's to mid 30's then I started eating the carbs again and eventually switched to powerlifting and then started back on deserts in my 40's and didn't make the time to train enough. Getting back on track now. Working out 5 days a week and moving back to a low carb diet. Going to take 12 months to get back to where I really need to be.

Oh this is great to hear man. Luckily the body improves health wise much faster than people realize, once u start giving it what it needs/ wants, and stop giving things that mess with it. For example, my triglycerides were consistently around 100 on multiple occasions when I would get labs done, but like 1 to 1.5 weeks prior to my most recent set of labs I cut out all the raw organic honey I was consuming, and my triglycerides dropped down to around 33, simply from that adjustment. And I assume 1 to 1.5 weeks prior, while still consuming all that honey, my triglycerides were around the 100 mark, as my diet at that point was identical to when i would test my triglycerides and it would in fact come back around 100. So just pointing out that the body adjusts extremely quickly, when u start doing the right things. Of course certain conditions can take longer than others to resolve themselves, but the body is an amazing machine, and can heal and recover from things much faster than people think. Again, when u give it 100% what it wants and needs, and aren’t still consistently insulting it with things that mess with it.

Just an fyi, the increase in triglycerides from the honey was due to the fructose. I had been watching a ton of YouTube vids about how horrible excess fructose is for the body. Never realized that excess fructose could be so damaging. I knew it would lower my triglycerides, based on all my research up until that point, but I was pleasantly surprised at how low they dropped from that one change. For reference, I was consuming 30g of honey with breakfast, 40g with lunch, and 40g with dinner. Almost 90g of carbs a day just from honey. Just way too much quick digesting fructose

 

[Gman86]

Based on my experience, it may not take you that long. Granted, I can be quite obsessive (or so my wife, my friends and my psychiatrist say ;-) but if you clean up your diet, and exercise moderately, you can see changes in a shorter period. Here are some of the changes I made in less than 6 months (from February 16 to June 24, 2018. I was 54 yo)

Body weight: 187 ->165 lbs
Body fat: 25->19%
Blood Pressure: 140/90 -> 124/71
Cholesterol: 205 -> 174
Triglycerides: 187 -> 72
HDL: 38 -> 51
LDL: 129 -> 107
Glucose: 99 -> 80
Vit. D3: 38 -> 60
Vit B12: 383 -> 2000
eGFR: 60 -> 106.7

What I remember is that:

• I walked on the treadmill every day, sometimes 30 min, sometimes 1 hour, not more than 3-4 mph (couldn't do more back then)
• started taking stairs instead of elevators
• started walking everywhere as opposed to driving
• reduced added sugar to basically 0g
• no glutten (bread, pizza, pasta, etc)
• no juices, sodas, deserts or anything sweet
• most of the food was grilled, not fried
• lots of vegetables
• no alcohol
• and I think I did intermittent fasting for a short time

I continued to do most of the things above, not all, I'm more relaxed now, so I have the occasional beer or desert. I have put on weight (on purpose), still 20% body fat. My heath markers are good, but not as good as they were in June 2018. Blood pressure still the same.

So what I mean is that you probably take it a little less to the extreme than I did, and with more moderation, you could achieve something similar in 6 months probably. The most important thing is to rule out any existing condition that cannot be fixed by lifestyle changes. For that, you need to see a doctor.

Notice however, that with weight loss and cardio, your testosterone probably will suffer a bit, so that doesn't rule out exploring TRT.

Hope this helps.
Good luck.

Ur killing it man. Love seeing health related posts like this showing how powerful and effective diet and lifestyle changes can actually be

How did u increase ur HDL while lowering ur LDL? From what I’ve seen they usually go up and down together, unless someone is altering them exogenously with a cholesterol lowering medication or supplement. But even then, HDL and LDL tend to usually lower together, not one independently of the other

also, veggies aren’t good for ya lol. They’re obv better than eating a Big Mac, and if u enjoy the taste and texture and color of them with meals, eat em up. But just don’t go out of ur way to consume foods that cause issues within the body. Again, unless there’s other reasons for consuming them that improve ur overall happiness to the point where u can justify having them in ur diet. Veggies do more harm than good overall tho. Again, just fyi

 

[aneuman]

How did u increase ur HDL while lowering ur LDL? From what I’ve seen they usually go up and down together, unless someone is altering them exogenously with a cholesterol lowering medication or supplement. But even then, HDL and LDL tend to usually lower together, not one independently of the other

The real answer is "I don't know". What I did that yield those results? I ate salads, less red meat, whatever meat I ate was grilled, less "vegetable oils", more olive oil, ate less, took Omega-3, ate the last dinner earlier (no later than 7 pm) and lots of treadmill... that's it. I lost more than 20 lbs, and my blood work was better. No magic pills. No secrets. No manifestation.

Veggies do more harm than good overall tho. Again, just fyi

Not in my experience, though "we're all different"

 

[Rolo]

Do I qualify for HRT? Posting my Blood Test Results. 53 Year old male.
Symptoms: No sex drive, loss of self, loss of the tenacity I used to have, apathetic, affecting marrage. Surgery for bi-lateral torsion testicles when I was 16. Got tested in late 20's - sperm count was OK.

My Testosterone levels tested very low in the spring.
May 2023 Testosterone Results: 7.9 nmol/L which is = 228 ng/dL

Testosterone Free

285

179-475

pmol/L

I have always tested at the low end for T-Levels. I had to really push my doctor to do something as it is really having a negative impact on my life and my marriage. Doctor made a referral to an endocrinologist and put a urgent rush on it, said they are all really backed up. My appointment is for May 2024 (10+ month wait). Welcome to socialized medicine in Canada. So I have contacted a private HRT clinic and got my first proper blood profile done which I am posting. If I qualify for HRT I will be contacted for a consultation in 7 to 10 days. Just wondering what to expect? Will I be considered a candidate HRT? If so based on my profile what should they be suggesting for treatment?


Thank you so much for your time and consideration, it is greatly apricated.

Dropped 20+lbs between Spring test results and the ones below:

September 2023 Results: Testosterone: 210 ng/dL

Testosterone Free

244

179-475

pmol/L

Estradiol		70	<162	pmol/L
Testosterone	LO	7.3	8.4 - 28.8	nmol/L

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone		3.76	0.32-4.00	mIU/L
Free T4		11	9-19	pmol/L
Free T3		4.8	2.6-5.8	pmol/L
FSH		5.1	1.0-8.0	IU/L
LH		3.1	1.0-7.0	IU/L
Prolactin		6.2	4.0-19.0	ug/L
Total PSA		0.71	<4.0	ug/L

Lipids
Hours After Meal		10		Hours
Triglyceride		0.59		mmol/L
	FASTING: <1.70 mmol/L NON-FASTING: <2.00 mmol/L
Cholesterol		3.70	<5.20	mmol/L
	Total cholesterol and HDL-C used for risk assessment and to calculate non HDL-C.
HDL Cholesterol	LO	0.99	>=1.00	mmol/L
	HDL-C <1.00 mmol/L indicates risk for metabolic syndrome.
Non HDL Cholesterol		2.71	<4.20	mmol/L
	Non HDL-Cholesterol is not affected by the fasting status of the patient.
LDL Cholesterol		2.42	<3.50	mmol/L

Glucose Fasting		6.0	3.6 - 6.0	mmol/L
Hemoglobin A1C/Total Hemoglobin	HI	6.0	<6.0	%

Creatinine	HI	130	67-117	umol/L
Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR)		54

Alkaline Phosphatase		82	40-129	U/L
Alanine Aminotransferase	HI	85	<50	U/L

Vitamin B12		287	138-652	pmol/L
	>220 pmol/L: Normal, deficiency unlikely 150-220 pmol/L: Borderline,deficiency is possible <150 pmol/L: Low, consistent with deficiency
Ferritin		249	15-275	ug/L

Hematology
WBC		5.3	4.0 - 11.0	x E9/L
RBC		5.57	4.50 - 6.00	x E12/L
Hemoglobin		166	135 - 175	g/L
Hematocrit		0.485	0.400 - 0.500	L/L
MCV		87	80 - 100	fL
MCH		29.8	27.5 - 33.0	pg
MCHC		342	305 - 360	g/L
RDW		13.9	11.5 - 14.5	%
Platelet Count		206	150 - 400	x E9/L
Differential
Neutrophils		3.3	2.0 - 7.5	x E9/L
Lymphocytes		1.4	1.0 - 3.5	x E9/L
Monocytes		0.4	0.2 - 1.0	x E9/L
Eosinophils		0.1	0.0 - 0.5	x E9/L
Basophils		0.1	0.0 - 0.2	x E9/L
Immature Granulocytes		0.0	0.0 - 0.1	x E9/L
Nucleated RBC		0		/100 WBC

You qualify,plus a doctor will monitor your progress,so that’s good. I am a young 63yrs old, and lost my drive to do anything even go outside, just no drive. Sexually I had no desire,it just disappeared. I’ve been on it over a year and I am so glad I did it bro! MY WIFE IS VERY HAPPY LOL and I noticed my muscles aren’t shrinking like they were before. Now muscle tone stays around longer, I look in the mirror and my body just looks more youthful! So ya know I only use testosterone (5mil 1x a wk) and Clomiphene tablets (2x a wk) and its enough. Sex drive is through the roof ! I think about it daily of how I can pleasure my wife LOL it went from zero to 3-4 times a week and she enjoys it a lot I use sildenafil (viagra) on our fun nights and man that stuff has me hard as a rock for as long as she wants it! It’s bigger,better,stronger,longer lol!! THIS IS A GAME CHANGER ! GO FOR IT ! Give her what she needs