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Home > Archive > Impotence Support > September 2005 > Testosterone levels?
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Testosterone levels?
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| Right, well I called up my GP and got told my testosterone levels were
"normal". I found myself almost being disappointed, given how it would have
given a "simple" explanation for my erection difficulties and lowish sex
drive.
Thing is, which values are important in this regard? From reading this
group it seems like there are quite a few readings that are relevant, could
my doctor have missed them?
Just curious, thanks for any replies,
David
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| Muerta 2005-09-23, 5:46 pm |
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"David" <david@fake.email> wrote in message
news:1clba0qpocux6$.tuo2r30pvedk$.dlg@40tude.net...
> Right, well I called up my GP and got told my testosterone levels were
> "normal". I found myself almost being disappointed, given how it would
> have
> given a "simple" explanation for my erection difficulties and lowish sex
> drive.
> Thing is, which values are important in this regard? From reading this
> group it seems like there are quite a few readings that are relevant,
> could
> my doctor have missed them?
> Just curious, thanks for any replies,
>
> David
One of the most asked questions and most answered here.
I just had a test, (see "latest lab results" this group), and as you can
see, the "normal" range for T is very, very wide. For years, through
different therapies, I came in below 300 ng/dL and the doc (endocronologist)
said I was "normal". When I was finally able to get over 600 ng/dL, my world
was literally born anew.
The basic things to start with in initial lab tests are:
T serum
Free T
Free and weakly bound T (FWBT)
SHBG level
Prolactin level
Thyroid levels
Estrogen level (Best measured by estradiol, the most potent, referred to as
"E2" level)
Eliminate hormone problems (or confirm them) first, and go to step 2.
My initial test with an endo was crazy, about 15 hormone tests, chromosome
test, klinefelters, blah, blah. A little over $2,000. Extreme to be sure,
but I didn't complain about going over the top. 99% of the complaints here
are about the opposite.
We all have a different point that is "normal" for us. Some guys function
fine with a T level of 350, some guys don't kick in till around 800, all
other levels being good.
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| Ephraim M 2005-09-23, 5:47 pm |
| I believe most GPs see testosterone as an "enemy" in the war on
hypertension.
I've had my testosterone checked several times and the only time I was
given more specifics than "normal", it was only around 300. I told my
GP, who is a very open-minded, nice guy, by the way, that I thought 300
was not "normal" but "low". He responded that most men were in the
300s, despite the normal range of testosterone running from 300 to 800
or more.
Personally I would like to see my testosterone up above 500, as I bet
that's what it used to be prior to diabetes and ED. But the doctor
seems highly reluctant to encourage this---although he did suggest I
might give DHEA a try as a precursor.
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| Your doc is worng. "most men" are not in the 300's. Give him a copy of
the following article where 1718 men's testosterone was measured. They
show a graph where both the median and mode were about 20 nmol/l, which
translates to 576 ng/dl.
Simon, D., Charles, M., Nahoul, K., Orssaud, G., Kremski, J., Hully, V.,
et al. (1997). Association Between Plasma Total Testosterone And
Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Healthy Men: The Telcom Study. Journal
of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 82 (2), 682-685.
If that doesn't convince him (after all, maybe French men have higher
testosterone levels) then print out the National Institutes of Health
listed normal ranges for males: 437 ng/dl to 707 ng/dl.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/...707.htm#Normal%
20Values).
If he still doesn't concede that he's wrong then run! You need a real
endocrinologist - but the scarry part is that I don't think your doc is
that dumb. He knows from medical school that reference ranges are
derived from central tendencies of the values of asymptomatic, normal
control subjects. That means that the reference ranges published by
your lab ARE the usual ranges. Unless 300 ng/dl is the midpoint of the
numbers, then most men cannot be in the 300's. He knows that - so why
is he telling you different? There's more to it than him misspeaking.
Hmmm . . .
In article <1127130133.900364.311850@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
ephraimmorrison@yahoo.com says...
> I believe most GPs see testosterone as an "enemy" in the war on
> hypertension.
>
> I've had my testosterone checked several times and the only time I was
> given more specifics than "normal", it was only around 300. I told my
> GP, who is a very open-minded, nice guy, by the way, that I thought 300
> was not "normal" but "low". He responded that most men were in the
> 300s, despite the normal range of testosterone running from 300 to 800
> or more.
>
> Personally I would like to see my testosterone up above 500, as I bet
> that's what it used to be prior to diabetes and ED. But the doctor
> seems highly reluctant to encourage this---although he did suggest I
> might give DHEA a try as a precursor.
>
>
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