Latest blood test results confusing

August 10, 2009

I started having the symptoms of low T almost 2 years ago, but it took me

several months to figure out what it might be. My doctor agreed and tested my

total T, which was at 304 ng/dl. He thought it should be at least 500, even at

my age of 63 at the time and started me on 5 gm of Androgel. Unfortunately, he

didn't test for anything else at the time, but that is over and done now.

I did not absorb the Androgel well at all and my total T was at 277 after 6

months, 2 of those at a dose of 7.5 gm. I then read that Testim absorbed better

than Androgel and he switched me to 10 gm of Testim. Four months later, my total

T was at 644 and then 2 months after that it was at 862 (250-1100 for all tests

at Quest) The problem is that my E2 slowly rose over time from 25.6 after 2

months on Androgel to 57.2 (<20-56) when my total T was at 862. My free T also

rose to 179 (35-155) and my DHT rose to 132 (25-75). My depression was gone, but

I still had some ED and lower libido than just a year or 2 earlier.

I was also taking 25 mg of DHEA daily and thought that it was the reason for the

high E2, as DHEA converts to E2 many times in men. I made the following changes:

Stopped DHEA

Lowered Testim from 10 gm to 7.5 gm

Increased saw palmetto from 320 mg to 480 mg daily

Started to take 1 Indolplex DIM daily

Started to take small amount of supplemental soy isoflavones daily, as some

articles and animal studies that I have read say that they take up the estrogen

receptor sites and lower E2.

So 2 months after starting this I had another set of blood tests. Here are the

results and change from 2 months ago.

Total T – 862 to 268 (250-1100)

Free T – 179 to 50 (35-155)

E2 – 57.2 to <20 (<20-56)

DHT – 132 to 76 (25-75)

DHEA-S – 232 to (don't have results yet)

My ED has come back some. Some mornings I have good morning erections and others

nothing. My dreams have also come to a halt.

I believe that all tests were at the same labs, which is local hospital for E2

and Quest for all others. I will ask the doctor when I see him tomorrow.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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