Lab results

[Guest guest]

,

I have to be real honest with you. You have to quit dwelling on

dying and start putting all your strength into living. I'm a great

believer in, we draw to us that which we keep in our head. In other

words, you keep thinking about dying and worrying and it will come.

Focus on what you can do to stay well. This disease doesn't have to

kill you!!! In fact, most learn to live with it. I can't say it's

always fun but you can do it. I know you're scared. We were all

scared when first dx. The unknown is scary to everyone. Educate

yourself. Ask questions. Read but be careful to not focus on the

negative. I was dx in Nov. 2000 and I'm currently in remission. It

was a hard 2 yrs but I made it. I can't tell you I feel great and

everything is wonderful but the reason I can't has nothing to do with

my AIH. I'm also diabetic and have fibromyalgia (just got dx with

that today). As far as my liver is concerned I'm OK.

I'm not trying to tell you you shouldn't be scared or that everything

will be fine. I don't know. I do know that you have a great support

system here and you need to use it to help you get through your

fear. I worry about your daughter. You're right, she shouldn't have

to worry about this. You can take that worry away by just telling

her that you believe everythings going to be OK even if you don't.

Practice that thinking. You have to be strong for her. My daughter

is 22yrs old and when I first told her she got very scared. She was

old enough to do some research herself but I still have to reassure

her that I believe I'm going to be OK. I'm her mother and that's my

job.

I wish I could give you a big hug right now. You sure sound like you

need one. I'm sending one to you. {{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}}

Please be gentle with yourself.

Lots of Love,

Debbie/FL

> Hi friends....

> I am sitting here waiting for the MD to call me with more info on

my

> labs. There was a mix up at the lab, and my results were sent to

one

> of my other md's. I had to pick them up from that office and take

> them to the correct MD. Of course I took a look at them. Everything

> looked great except my sed rate was elevated. It was 26 and normal

> was 0-20. I am of course very concerned. I had hoped beyond hope

that

> they would come back normal. I have never had the sed rate drawn in

> this last year, so I don't have anything to compare it with. What

is

> the sed rate? What does this mean for me?? I am so scared I am

going

> to die. I have been crying all day. I am so angry that my body

won't

> get well! I have been sick since I had that first m/c back in aug

of

> 99. It's been one thing after another, but when I delivered my son,

> the problems really began. He was such an answer to prayer. We

> thought we would never be able to have another child. He is my

little

> miracle. Now I need a miracle. Please pray for me and my family.

This

> is all really starting to take it's toll. My 6 yr old daughter is

> afraid I am going to die. It's not fair that she has to worry like

> this.

>

> I am so sorry to unload. I am at a really low point right now. You

> are all in my thoughts and prayers. I'll write when I hear from the

> Md.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I will definitely pray for you and your family. My question is: What is

the " sed rate " and what does it have to do with AIH? Sorry - I am new to

the group but would like to contribute positively as much as I can.

Take care,

Aisha

>From: " greggren " <greggren@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: [ ] lab results

>Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 16:57:51 -0000

>

>Hi friends....

>I am sitting here waiting for the MD to call me with more info on my

>labs. There was a mix up at the lab, and my results were sent to one

>of my other md's. I had to pick them up from that office and take

>them to the correct MD. Of course I took a look at them. Everything

>looked great except my sed rate was elevated. It was 26 and normal

>was 0-20. I am of course very concerned. I had hoped beyond hope that

>they would come back normal. I have never had the sed rate drawn in

>this last year, so I don't have anything to compare it with. What is

>the sed rate? What does this mean for me?? I am so scared I am going

>to die. I have been crying all day. I am so angry that my body won't

>get well! I have been sick since I had that first m/c back in aug of

>99. It's been one thing after another, but when I delivered my son,

>the problems really began. He was such an answer to prayer. We

>thought we would never be able to have another child. He is my little

>miracle. Now I need a miracle. Please pray for me and my family. This

>is all really starting to take it's toll. My 6 yr old daughter is

>afraid I am going to die. It's not fair that she has to worry like

>this.

>

>I am so sorry to unload. I am at a really low point right now. You

>are all in my thoughts and prayers. I'll write when I hear from the

>Md.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Keep your head up. I'm sending you a BIIIIIG Hug.

/Il

[Guest guest]

Debbie--

Thanks so much for your kind words. Forgive me for sounding like such

a flake earlier. I really am normally very levelheaded and rational.

I think the fatigue is starting to get to me. I agree that I do need

to be more positive. This last year my emotions have been a

rollercoaster. It's seems to follow my illness with all the ups and

downs. The " not knowing " is just taking it's toll. After more than a

year, I had hoped to be feeling better, or to at least know why I

wasn't feeling better. It's really in God's hand. I think that is the

hardest part. Not having any control over my health. I like to be

able to fix things! } God is good, and He'll see us all thru the

rough spots! I am just going to sit tight and let the Md's run their

tests. Hopefully when it's all said and done I'll have some answers.

You are all such a wonderful group of people! I am so blessed to have

such a wonderful group of friends! }I am going to draw my strength

from God and all of you! }

Hugs-

[Guest guest]

HI ,

I wonder if you've had a chance to read my email about my diet and protocol.

Would you consider trying the carrot-beet juice, rice bran mixture, no

fried or high fat foods, and make sure to have good bowel movements? It

seems so simple, but I'd like to believe that every little bit helps.

I don't know if w/o prednisone I will suffer a relapse later, but with this

diet and 75mg Imuran I hope not, and for now at least, my enzymes are in the

teens and I work 3 jobs, and feel great.

Hang in there...see if you want to try that...and hope to get great news

from you soon about feeling better. I'll pray for you too.

aisha

>From: " greggren " <greggren@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: [ ] Re: lab results

>Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 00:56:30 -0000

>

>Debbie--

>Thanks so much for your kind words. Forgive me for sounding like such

>a flake earlier. I really am normally very levelheaded and rational.

>I think the fatigue is starting to get to me. I agree that I do need

>to be more positive. This last year my emotions have been a

>rollercoaster. It's seems to follow my illness with all the ups and

>downs. The " not knowing " is just taking it's toll. After more than a

>year, I had hoped to be feeling better, or to at least know why I

>wasn't feeling better. It's really in God's hand. I think that is the

>hardest part. Not having any control over my health. I like to be

>able to fix things! } God is good, and He'll see us all thru the

>rough spots! I am just going to sit tight and let the Md's run their

>tests. Hopefully when it's all said and done I'll have some answers.

>You are all such a wonderful group of people! I am so blessed to have

>such a wonderful group of friends! }I am going to draw my strength

>from God and all of you! }

>

>Hugs-

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks --

I am sending a big hug back at you! } How have you been feeling?

How far along are you now?? I am praying for you and your little

miracle! }

Hugs-

jennifer

[Guest guest]

Larry,

You definitely should go on treatment, if for no other reason than

to stop the progression of the liver disease. Your liver enzymes,

ALT, looks good actually. I would still wait till the Pegasys comes

out in January. 3 months won't make much difference really.

Remember that the viral load really isn't an indicator of damage or

disease, so don't worry about that one too much. The goal is to be

totally undetected after treatment. Genotype 1's are very hard to

treat, in that we tend not to go undetected, but if it slows down

the progression to cirrhosis, you have added yrs to your life!!

By the way, my last biopsy was the same as yours!

LeighAnn

[Guest guest]

Larry,

You definitely should go on treatment, if for no other reason than

to stop the progression of the liver disease. Your liver enzymes,

ALT, looks good actually. I would still wait till the Pegasys comes

out in January. 3 months won't make much difference really.

Remember that the viral load really isn't an indicator of damage or

disease, so don't worry about that one too much. The goal is to be

totally undetected after treatment. Genotype 1's are very hard to

treat, in that we tend not to go undetected, but if it slows down

the progression to cirrhosis, you have added yrs to your life!!

By the way, my last biopsy was the same as yours!

LeighAnn

[Guest guest]

Larry,

I was told the sooner treated the better the odds. But I have been through

treatment 3 times. And I am going to talk to my Specialist on the 3rd about

Pegasys. I am not really sure what the suite means. But I hope to find out.

Dana

Echinvar wrote:

I called my doctor again and this time they

were very cooperative about providing me with

a copy of the lab results.

Biopsy:

Chronic hepatitis C, moderate activity, with

periportal fibrosis, grade III, stage II.

Genotype:

1a

Viral Load:

(there were two results here)

HEP C PCR CO/ML >1620000

range less than 1620

HEP C VIRAL PCR >600000

range less than 600

ALT 56Hf

I'm still not really sure how to interpret all

this. I've been to the page about interpreting

lab results, and still don't know what to make

of it.

The real issue is whether I should be worried

enough to start PEG-INTRON now or wait for Jan.

and go for Pegasys instead. Or does the law

suit filed by Ribapharm against Roche affect the

availability of Pegasys?

Thanks

Echinvar

aka Larry

[Guest guest]

Larry,

I was told the sooner treated the better the odds. But I have been through

treatment 3 times. And I am going to talk to my Specialist on the 3rd about

Pegasys. I am not really sure what the suite means. But I hope to find out.

Dana

Echinvar wrote:

I called my doctor again and this time they

were very cooperative about providing me with

a copy of the lab results.

Biopsy:

Chronic hepatitis C, moderate activity, with

periportal fibrosis, grade III, stage II.

Genotype:

1a

Viral Load:

(there were two results here)

HEP C PCR CO/ML >1620000

range less than 1620

HEP C VIRAL PCR >600000

range less than 600

ALT 56Hf

I'm still not really sure how to interpret all

this. I've been to the page about interpreting

lab results, and still don't know what to make

of it.

The real issue is whether I should be worried

enough to start PEG-INTRON now or wait for Jan.

and go for Pegasys instead. Or does the law

suit filed by Ribapharm against Roche affect the

availability of Pegasys?

Thanks

Echinvar

aka Larry

[Guest guest]

> Can anyone help me decipher some lab results I just received on my

son?

>

> We had a urine toxic metals test pre and post IV glutathione. The

lab we used was Doctors Data. The pre test showed a creatinine of

40mg/dl and the post test showed 88. The reference range is 21-76.

>

> The metals came up as follows:

>

> Aluminum pretest=22, post=22, reference range=<35

> Arsenic pretest=15, post=20, ref range=<100

> Cadmium pretest=.9, post=.4, ref range=<2

> Mercury pretest=2.8, post=2.7, ref range=<3

> Nickel pretest=2.5, post=5.1, ref range=12

> Tin pretest=5.4, post=4.7, ref range=<6

>

> We also had a blood test for cysteine, plasma drawn and it came back

4.10 which was out of the range (3.10-3.90 mg/dl).

>

> I'm so out of my league with all these tests. I really appreciate

everyone's help.

This is a very clear indication you need to see a different doctor

before your kid gets hurt really bad!

1. There are never any circumstances iv glutathione should be

administered BEFORE knowing the cysteine level.

2. IV glutathione is not a chelator, and as you can see from the test

results pre and post, very little changed. The extent of change is

well within what you'd expect from random variation. The test

procedure of urine elements, iv glutathione, urine elements was really

quite random and doesn't tell you anything about your kid (though it

does cost money and tell you all you need to know about the doctor).

With an elevated cysteine, you should not have any more iv glutathione

no matter what the doc says, AND you should put your kid on a sulfur

exclusion diet. He should get noticeably better within a week from

doing that.

Andy. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

>

> Thank you,

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message hav

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group. What's your dosing schedule? How much does your son

weigh? Do you use probiotics? S

From: fabfashions2002 [mailto: fabfashions2002@...]To:

@...: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 02:09:02 -0000Subject:

[ ] lab resultsI'm new to this website and would like to post a few

questions.My son has been chelating for approx. 3 months now using DMSA. We

have seen improvements but the last round (2 weeks ago) we saw marked

regression. He started watching pieces of movies over and over again and we saw

behaviors that we haven't seem in a very long time as well. He is extremely

sensitive to all supplements. We have to start out with pinch dosing and then

work our way up. He is currently only doing 100mg/dose of the DMSA. We just

rec'd his urine lab results from Doctor's Data and it showed very high levels of

Arsenic coming out but not really anything else, especially not mercury. Can

anyone recommend any other labs that might be useful for us to run? Is it

possible that we have stirred up yeast and that's why he is having so much

difficulty or could he be excreting too fast and we should try lowering the

dose. I would appreciate any insight at this point. Thanks so much, Tracie

[Guest guest]

Important things we need to know are your son's age and weight, how

often you give the DMSA, how often you give the other supplements,

what they are, etc.

A test that might be informative with him is the COMPREHENSIVE

DETOXIFICATION PROFILE by Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratories.

Andy . .. . . . .. .

> I'm new to this website and would like to post a few questions.

> My son has been chelating for approx. 3 months now using DMSA. We

> have seen improvements but the last round (2 weeks ago) we saw

marked

> regression. He started watching pieces of movies over and over

again

> and we saw behaviors that we haven't seem in a very long time as

> well. He is extremely sensitive to all supplements. We have to

> start out with pinch dosing and then work our way up. He is

> currently only doing 100mg/dose of the DMSA. We just rec'd his

urine

> lab results from Doctor's Data and it showed very high levels of

> Arsenic coming out but not really anything else, especially not

> mercury. Can anyone recommend any other labs that might be useful

> for us to run? Is it possible that we have stirred up yeast and

> that's why he is having so much difficulty or could he be excreting

> too fast and we should try lowering the dose. I would appreciate

any

> insight at this point. Thanks so much,

[Guest guest]

Andy - my son is 6 1/2 years old approx. 60 lbs.

He is on probiotics (jarrodoph.) and 15 other supplements. He

receives all of his supplements except zinc on the days he is

chelating. He seems to have a very difficult time the initial 3-4

days after chelating. We have been dosing 100mg every 7-8 hours

3x/day for three days and then off for 11 per his DAN doctors.

Thanks for your response. Tracie

--- In @y..., " andrewhallcutler " <AndyCutler@a...>

wrote:

> Important things we need to know are your son's age and weight, how

> often you give the DMSA, how often you give the other supplements,

> what they are, etc.

>

> A test that might be informative with him is the COMPREHENSIVE

> DETOXIFICATION PROFILE by Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratories.

>

> Andy . .. . . . .. .

>

> > I'm new to this website and would like to post a few questions.

> > My son has been chelating for approx. 3 months now using DMSA.

We

> > have seen improvements but the last round (2 weeks ago) we saw

> marked

> > regression. He started watching pieces of movies over and over

> again

> > and we saw behaviors that we haven't seem in a very long time as

> > well. He is extremely sensitive to all supplements. We have to

> > start out with pinch dosing and then work our way up. He is

> > currently only doing 100mg/dose of the DMSA. We just rec'd his

> urine

> > lab results from Doctor's Data and it showed very high levels of

> > Arsenic coming out but not really anything else, especially not

> > mercury. Can anyone recommend any other labs that might be

useful

> > for us to run? Is it possible that we have stirred up yeast and

> > that's why he is having so much difficulty or could he be

excreting

> > too fast and we should try lowering the dose. I would appreciate

> any

> > insight at this point. Thanks so much,

[Guest guest]

Hey! I'm new here but I can answer that! So far I only know for sure that my

son has hypogammaglobulinemia, and developemental delays, epilepsy, asthma,

and other learning and behavior problems. But since the hypogammglobulinemia

diagnosis, I do know what those tests are for! IgA is the part of your

immune system that works in the mucus areas of your body. Example, your

sinuses. If you have low to no IgA you would be very susceptable to sinus

infections, ear infections, and quite commonly you would have GI infections.

IgG's come in 4 subclasses, IgG 1, IgG 2, IgG 3, IgG4, Not much is know

about IgG 1 and 4, but IgG 2 is what fights bacteria and IgG 3 is what

fights viruses. (my son has very little IgG 2 and 3). IgE is the part of

your immune system that causes allergic reactions, this one you WANT to be

low, if you have high IgE you are most likely allergic to something. IgM is

trickier and is one of those things you don't want to low of but too high is

not a good thing either. From the way I understand it, IgM helps the Ig's

fight what they need to fight. Too little and you can't fight infections and

too much and your body attacks itself and causes auto immune problems. You

can find awesome information on the immune system etc on these two websites:

www..com and www.primaryimmune.org I joined this list because Kody

has autistic tendancies albeit very high functioning. His learning problems

are getting much worse, and his behavior is changing daily. And this list

was the first place that has ever connected his developemental issues with

his immune deficiencies. I am totally floored, and will be bringing tons of

information I copied off the website to my Dr asap!!! January 9th Kody sees

a psychologist for the first time, we went that route because of the

behavior, but now I just can't help but think that this is the root of all

his problems! Amazing. We do have autoimmune disorders in our family, I have

fibromyalgia, and my grandmother had alzheimers. We also have two older

children with ADD. It is unbelieveable to me how much Kody fits a

diagnosis. Wow.

Diane, Mom to Kody age 6.5, Di Syndrome, Hypogammaglobulinemia,

Epilepsy, Asthma, developmental disorders, and learning disorders

Please feel free to visit my website for parents of children with multiple

special needs :

www.geocities.com/schmidtzoo/SNAK.index.html

-- lab results

i wonder if anyone can tell me what igg,iga,igm,ige refer to in

general. what do high or low indications potentially indicate? thank

you

Responsibility for the content of this message lies strictly with

the original author, and is not necessarily endorsed by or the

opinion of the Research Institute.

[Guest guest]

http://www.bloodbook.com/test-result.html

I like this site. It explains quite a bit.

A.C.

[Guest guest]

Sue,

That is very good news. I'm glad you are doing so well.

As far as the eosinophil percentage goes - it's usually more meaningful

to look at both the percentage and the absolute count of a subgroup of

the white cells while keeping in mind what the other components are and

what the total white blood cell count is. Your clinical situation weighs

heavily on the interpretation, too.

I doubt it means much, but if you are curious, ask your physician about

it.

This is a good explanation of white blood cell count entitled, " White

Blood Cell Count (WBC) and Differential " :

http://www.rnceus.com/cbc/cbcwbc.html

Links on WBC and eosinophils from Medline:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003657.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003649.htm

[ ] Lab Results

> Today I got back the results of my recent bloodwork. My WBC count has

gone

> up from 2.8 to 3.2 (normal 4.0-10.5) since I have discontinued mtx and

take

> only Arava and Bextra. That is still low, but at least it is coming

up. My

> liver profile was wonderful, everything within normal limits.

Everything

> else was normal except the Eosinophil %, which was 7 (normal 0-5). I'm

not

> sure of the significance of that. I looked it up but still couldn't

figure

> it out.

>

> Anyway, I am pleased with my results.

>

> And the pain is still being held at bay, also. Life is good.

>

> Sue in NC

[Guest guest]

Sue,

Great new that your WBC is going up. I hope the upward climb continues.

Maybe the links sent will help you to understand the Eosinophil count

better,

but from what I¹ve read it is common for it to be abnormal in RA patients.

I hope life continues to be good or you.

a

> Today I got back the results of my recent bloodwork. My WBC count has gone

> up from 2.8 to 3.2 (normal 4.0-10.5) since I have discontinued mtx and take

> only Arava and Bextra. That is still low, but at least it is coming up. My

> liver profile was wonderful, everything within normal limits. Everything

> else was normal except the Eosinophil %, which was 7 (normal 0-5). I'm not

> sure of the significance of that. I looked it up but still couldn't figure

> it out.

>

> Anyway, I am pleased with my results.

>

> And the pain is still being held at bay, also. Life is good.

>

> Sue in NC

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

My Eosinophil count is always off, and the rhemy said it’s because of

allergies.

Love and hugs,

Carol

Re: [ ] Lab Results

Sue,

Great new that your WBC is going up. I hope the upward climb continues.

Maybe the links sent will help you to understand the Eosinophil count

better,

but from what I¹ve read it is common for it to be abnormal in RA patients.

I hope life continues to be good or you.

a

> Today I got back the results of my recent bloodwork. My WBC count has gone

> up from 2.8 to 3.2 (normal 4.0-10.5) since I have discontinued mtx and

take

> only Arava and Bextra. That is still low, but at least it is coming up. My

> liver profile was wonderful, everything within normal limits. Everything

> else was normal except the Eosinophil %, which was 7 (normal 0-5). I'm not

> sure of the significance of that. I looked it up but still couldn't figure

> it out.

>

> Anyway, I am pleased with my results.

>

> And the pain is still being held at bay, also. Life is good.

>

> Sue in NC

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Excellent news! Keep smiling

D

[ ] Lab Results

Hi Guys - Well, so far my lab results are good. Via phone, doc says all is normal. AST is 27 and ALT 61. About the same as last time. CBC and everything else is fine. However, she hasn't gotten viral load test results yet; so I have to wait on that til next Monday 'cause she's gonna be out. That's what I'm anxious to hear about - anticipating good news as always. Love & blessings. karolyn

[Guest guest]

To Karolyn47, Very Happy for you....You deserve it. Margie.

[ ] Lab Results

> Hi Guys - Well, so far my lab results are good. Via phone, doc says

> all is normal. AST is 27 and ALT 61. About the same as last time. CBC

> and everything else is fine. However, she hasn't gotten viral load

> test results yet; so I have to wait on that til next Monday 'cause

> she's gonna be out. That's what I'm anxious to hear about -

> anticipating good news as always. Love & blessings. karolyn

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Take a look at post 5456. has a great post along with Dr.

Shippens hCG protocol and stimuation test. Its very clear and

precise as to what your next step should be.

If you have secondary hypogonadism (usually low LH and FSH levels

can tell you this), then you may respond to hCG therapy. Instead of

rehashing s post, take a look at it for yourself Very

informative.

> Hi, gang. I'd like to get some feedback on my levels:

>

> October - total 250

> February - total 265, free 2.34% (62.0 PG/ML)

> March - Total 398, free 2.37% (94.1 PG/ML), Estradiol 60

>

> Sorry, I don't have the LSH/FSH amounts, and March was the first

time

> he tested E (at my request). Seems high to me, even though I'm

taking

> DIM and zinc and am using soy protein to get the flavanoids.

>

> I'd like to get my T levels up to at least 700. I'd also like to

take

> HCG, which my endo is very open to. Should I request HCG along

with

> the AG 5g I'm taking now, or replace the AG with HCG?

>

> I'm also still unclear on the free/total ratio thing. I have

> Shippen's book, but perhaps someone can refresh my memory before I

> find the book.

>

> Meanwhile, at least my T has risen since October. I'm not as

> depressed as I was, but rather than losing weight I'm gaining. I

also

> feel LESS confident in general and I think my morning wood has

> decreased. I'm on the right track - just need to keep going. Tell

you

> the truth, though, after 6 months of this I'm wondering if it's

worth

> the trouble.

>

> Your thoughts?

>

> Jim

[Guest guest]

Jim, how old are you?

Those total numbers are on the low end of " normal " , and

the free numbers are quite low. Did you get SHBG measured?

Sex hormone binding globulin binds testosterone and keeps

it from being used in your body.

If you want to follow a program like what Dr. Shippen has

talked about, you need to find a doctor that specializes

in testosterone replacement therapy. The average endocrinologist

doesn't seem to understand " male menopause " . Aka " andropause " .

After going to 4 other endos, I finally found testosterone

replacement therapy. I have been on the program for a few

weeks, and it definitely has made a difference. After 10

weeks of testosterone shots, I will take 2 weeks off then

take hCG for 10 days. I am also taking a couple anti-estrogens

so that my estrogen doesn't go up as well.

You may be gaining weight as either in increase in lean muscle

mass, or bloating which comes from the estrogen that comes

with testosterone therapies. That's my speculation.

SM

_________________________________________________________________

Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online

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[Guest guest]

Where is your endo located? Thanks.

Lab results

Hi, gang. I'd like to get some feedback on my levels:

October - total 250

February - total 265, free 2.34% (62.0 PG/ML)

March - Total 398, free 2.37% (94.1 PG/ML), Estradiol 60

Sorry, I don't have the LSH/FSH amounts, and March was the first time

he tested E (at my request). Seems high to me, even though I'm taking

DIM and zinc and am using soy protein to get the flavanoids.

I'd like to get my T levels up to at least 700. I'd also like to take

HCG, which my endo is very open to. Should I request HCG along with

the AG 5g I'm taking now, or replace the AG with HCG?

I'm also still unclear on the free/total ratio thing. I have

Shippen's book, but perhaps someone can refresh my memory before I

find the book.

Meanwhile, at least my T has risen since October. I'm not as

depressed as I was, but rather than losing weight I'm gaining. I also

feel LESS confident in general and I think my morning wood has

decreased. I'm on the right track - just need to keep going. Tell you

the truth, though, after 6 months of this I'm wondering if it's worth

the trouble.

Your thoughts?

Jim

[Guest guest]

> Jim, how old are you?

44

>

> Those total numbers are on the low end of " normal " , and

> the free numbers are quite low. Did you get SHBG measured?

> Sex hormone binding globulin binds testosterone and keeps

> it from being used in your body.

I had all the standard tests done - just can't put my hands on the

results right now.

>

> If you want to follow a program like what Dr. Shippen has

> talked about, you need to find a doctor that specializes

> in testosterone replacement therapy. The average endocrinologist

> doesn't seem to understand " male menopause " . Aka " andropause " .

My endo - located in Gwinnett County, Georgia - seems pretty good to

me, just a tad conservative. The fact that he's very open to HCG for

me I felt was a positive sign. He switched me from AD to AG when i

asked him to, he's responsive to my concerns about testicular

atrophy, agreed to start monitoring my E levels, and I think he'll

be okay with Arimidex if I point out the literature about proper E

levels. He listens to me and responds well. I think I lucked out

with him, the first endo I tried.

>

> After going to 4 other endos, I finally found testosterone

> replacement therapy. I have been on the program for a few

> weeks, and it definitely has made a difference. After 10

> weeks of testosterone shots, I will take 2 weeks off then

> take hCG for 10 days. I am also taking a couple anti-estrogens

> so that my estrogen doesn't go up as well.

>

> You may be gaining weight as either in increase in lean muscle

> mass, or bloating which comes from the estrogen that comes

> with testosterone therapies. That's my speculation.

I suspect you're right. I don't know if my weight itself has gone up

or down, but I know my clothes are tighter, my rings are tighter,

and my face looks heavier. I was hoping the DIM and zinc and soy

would help - guess I'll increase the DIM and see what happens.

Thanks for your reply,

Jim