57 year old guy, increasing fatigue, enthusiasm, libido, etc.
Was thinking that symptoms were signs of low testosterone so have gone for blood tests.
Testosterone ok "for my age" (though the %ge free is very low) but somebody pointed out that my T4 was very low though just in range.
And many of the symptoms I'm experiencing could I guess be thyroid related.
So I'm really just asking if anyone here thinks these figures are concerning and should I investigate further with for example a full thyroid blood panel.
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OneBrainCell
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I don't know enough about the other tests but I do know that your FT4 points to the need for further testing....asap
Vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin must all be optimal to support thyroid function..
And if not already tested then check thyroid antibodies TPO and Tg.
Raised levels indicate Thyroid Autoimmune disease/ Hashimotoes, a common cause of hypothyroidism
I would be confident that your symptoms are caused by hypothyroidism.....the results of a full thyroid test will point to the cause and to the treatment required
Vitamin D and ferratin are both ok - recent blood tests.
What do you mean by 'ok'? Do you have the exact numbers - results and ranges?
I take vitamin D, zinc and a good multivitamin supplement daily.
Are you also taking the cofactors of vit D? Vit K2-MK7 and magnesium? Your vit D level could be brilliant but if you haven't got the magnesium to go with it- and most people don't - it's not going to do much for you because your body won't be able to use it.
Also, taking vit D increases absorption of calcium from food, so the vit K is necessary to make sure that extra calcium goes into the teeth and bones, and doesn't build up in the soft tissues and arteries.
Did you get your zinc and copper tested before supplementing zinc? They need to be kept balanced, but if you are hypo - and it rather looks as if you might be - you will probably have either zinc or copper too low, and therefore the other one too high. You need to know if this is the case.
There's no such thing as a 'good' multi-vit. Doesn't matter how much you pay for it, the whole concept of a multi-vit is wrong. There are many, many reasons why they're a waste of money but the main reason is: if they contain iron, you won't absorb much of the other ingredients because the iron will block them. That's what iron does.
Also, they contain things you just don't need and which can be harmful in excess. Calcium, for example. Highly unlikely you need it. And iodine, which is anti-thyroid in excess and not something a hypo should be taking.
What time of day was the blood draw for the above test? That's important to know because TSH - which is all most doctors look at - varies throughout the day and is highest before 9 am. It's lowest around midday. And your TSH is low considering how low your FT4 is. They don't balance.
I would be very, very wary of something that involves injecting copper every day! Over-dosing on copper is no fun! Did you have both copper and zinc tested before starting this protocol?
Important to test CRP at the same time as ferritin because it's an inflammation marker. High levels of inflammation can cause false 'high' ferritin levels.
I come from the peptide/biohacking/whatever you want to call it world. Glow in that world is GHK-CU/BPC-157/TB4(500) peptides, usually a twice daily subq injection. I'm confident that this isn't an issue, many thousands using it daily and the amount of copper peptide is fairly small.
CRP wasn't checked as it was an Optimale testosterone blood panel but that's something I'll look out for next time.
I think I'll go for a thyroid panel test and see what I get back from that. Not sure which one yet, there's many to choose from as I'm sure you're aware.
OK, well, that's something I've never heard of before. And what's it supposed to do for you?
Good idea to get full thyroid testing. Make sure that the test includes both FT4 and FT3, and both Hashi's antibodies: TPOab and TgAB. And as many nutrients as possible.
looks like your a bit short on thyroid and maybe testosterone, as others have said you need to test Ft3, your symptoms could be caused by either thyroid or testosterone, your testosterone is probably best half way up range at least. As someone who takes testosterone and thyroid I would say correct the thyroid first and the retest testosterone say a month later. If testosterone still short it’s possible to add testosterone in form of gels, cream or micro dose injections. Taking testosterone will shut down your natural production and my experience is that getting the right testosterone treatment and tuning can be fiddly. Having said that if one is definitely deficient in testosterone then adding some can be a game changer for men and women, I would still start with thyroid though.
Yes I've done a lot of research into TRT and appreciate that getting it right can be tricky. Probably looking at daily subQ to keep highs/lows at a minimum.
On the basis of the attached tests one clinic has said "no" (obviously the NHS has) and am enquiring at another. I'm happy to DIY it if required.
But I agree to get the thyroid tests done before and take it from there.
As others have said, worth getting your FT3 tested.
It's unlikely you have Primary Hypothyroidism, as your TSH wouldn't be that low with a low FT4/FT3, but there's a possibility you could have Central Hypothyroidism with a Pituatary issue if FT3 turns out to be low.
Worth checking Cholesterol, that's a key indicator.
Low free testosterone is mainly due to your high SHBG, Hypothyroidism *usually* causes a low SHBG, hyperthyroidism is linked to high SHBG (as well as chronic issues, liver, diabetes/insulin etc).
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