What blood work should I get based on the previous results?

[memfaction]

I got the blood work done 4 years ago due to pubertal gyno.


Urine was normal (within ranges), here's the blood work:
S-PTH 22 ng/L
s-testosterone 10,8 nmol/L (~ 317 ng/dL)
s-lh 1,5 UI/L
s-fsh 2,2 IU/L
s-tsh 2,77 mU/L
s-ft3 5,2 pmol/L
s-ft4 13,6 pmol/L
prolactin (POOL and PEG) 8,5 ug/L
IGF-1 292 ug/l.
MRI of pituitary gland - everything within a normal range


Endo didn't check other hormones. Also, reference ranges were not provided so they should be compared with these I suppose: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_ranges_for_blood_tests#Sex_hormones
I didn't get any treatment (TRT etc.).


I have been working out for 7 years and I still do (heavy weights, 5 times a week, 12 % bf). Recently I have implemented quite some new supplements into my regime based on thorough research: tongkat ali, panax ginseng, ashwagandha, maca, rhodiola and DIM. Although I haven't noticed any dramatic changes yet, I think that this combo should at least have some noticeable effect for my hormones, especially those which are in the bottom of the range otherwise. If you have a look at the previous blood work, that seems to be the case for T and LH.


I think it would be a good idea to do another blood work now and see how things are standing. Which hormones would you recommend me to test? I was thinking of:
Total T, free T, estradiol, LH, FSH, SHBG, T3, T4 and TSH. Do you perhaps have a better suggestion?


p.s.: I would also like to check thyroid hormones since I consume a lot of EGCG which drastically lowers T3 and T4 in rats. I'm really eager on how does it affect me hormone wise.

 

[stevesmi]

i wrote this article a couple years ago which will answer all your questions https://www.evolutionary.org/blood-work-for-steroid-users

 

[memfaction]

I have read it, but as I see, it's more intended for people who have abused anabolic steroids. I haven't, so I'm not sure if the same applies for me.

 

[muskate]

With the blood work, make sure to get the following values checked -
testosterone - free and total
thyroid - T3, T4, TSH
estrogen
progesterone
prolactin
cholesterol values
kidney values
liver enzymes
prostate values
fasting blood glucose

When you get the results, make sure to ask for a print off so you can post photos. Just because something is in the normal range, doesn't mean it's optimal. The ratio of hormones is also very important. Doctors are trained in a 'black and white' sort of way. They are taught that if something is in the normal range, it's good.

Cholesterol is a great example. People always talk about what's their HDL, LDL, total cholesterol etc. is but that's all pretty much irrelevant. What matters is your HDL/total cholesterol ratio, your cholesterol/triglyceride ratio etc.

 

[MasonicBodybuilder]

^^^^^that is a fantastic list Muskate posted above.

 

[memfaction]

Thanks, but is it really necessary to test all of these at once at the beginning? I was hoping for a bit more budget friendly test for now and then if we suspect any problems, I might to some extended tests. Does that sound reasonable?
Please notice that I only posted blood work for the hormones above, I have also got some other tests for liver enzymes, glucose etc... but it's been for so long that I don't think they mean anything right now, but at least I can say that all of the results were (almost) within ranges. For sure, not all of them were optimal, but no red flags.

To sum up the official diagnosis I got: there could be signs of secondary hypogonadism, but it will be treated with TRT only if the symptoms worsen.
This is why I decided to do blood work on my own and then get some proper treatment. I’m sure clomid is a much better option than testostereone gel, which would be the official way.

What do you think about testing Total T, free T, estradiol, LH, FSH, SHBG, T3, T4, S-PTH and TSH? Should I get anything else that is crucial for now?

 

[Lev Butlerov]

It is best to get completely tested, because all of these hormones interact between each other, and many figures will be meaningful only when coupled with other figures.

 

[stevesmi]

check out the bloodwork link in my signature for a basic blood panel

 

[muskate]

I specifically picked out the most important blood markers to get tested if you are a steroid user or planning on using steroids.

This is your health you are talking about. Don't cut corners.

 

[MasonicBodybuilder]

You cant be cheap when it comes to this shit. If you are going to be short on money than you should be waiting to use steroids and PEDs. Cutting corners will only lead to health issues. We see it all the time when guys get all this gear but then cheap out on PCT.