Labs

[Wellesley (imported)]

Hi,

Been a little over a year since my last surgery to remove the last testicle.

Main reason I am hanging around is to get information about the lab results.

I have been on the injections for the whole time, since January 2011 I was on 125mgs IM per week. That stabilized my mood and T level, however that is nearly 500mgs per month which is over the recommended dosage level, the urologist I was going to (and who did the surgery) had a relapse of his prostate cancer in July and I had to go to the different ones dispatched from the university (never the same one) none of them said anything about the dosage level but one did check my eyes to see if I had liver damage. That freaked me out. Anyway, I missed the time for the dispatched urologists one day and went to the guy on the hill who is totally old school and said he had 250mgs but he was concerned about the level I was getting and he further told me that the urologist I had been going to was an idiot. Not a great vote of support. Long story shortened I have been trying 100mgs per week with the intention of trying that out to 100mgs per 10days.

Problem is that my last lab results are a little troubling to me (there is no one else around this place to interpret them expertly)

My LH and FSH are .1 and .3 which is expected I suppose, pre-op was 7.9 and 14.9 last October

My T level has fallen about 100 points to 460 now from 573 in June.

PSA is 1.06 which is great I suppose, it is a baseline (I am 33)

My major concern is over the cholesterol levels and triglycerides

My HDL has always been low in the 40s since 2002 now it is 35.9 which is pretty low

My LDL is 97 which I suppose is not that bad

Triglycerides are 335 (after lunch)

I am thinking to try the tests again after fasting for over 8 hours

Any ideas about the T though?

Should I continue trying to titrate it down to about 300mgs per month? Or continue the 125mgs per week.

OR find an endocrinologist to help me? Did I mention I am in rural Japan and that is not actually a speciality here?

[Hash (imported)]

Hmm? I've been telling people here for years to use "compounded testosterone" which a lot of pharmacies mix up for you. You just rub a little on your skin, most anywhere on your body. I use a smaller amount then recommended and my testosterone level has remained consistent, about 125-135 for years. Funny thing is, I can't get it up past those numbers anymore, even if I use the recommended dosage, but you might want to try it, compounded "t" is supposed to be more like the real stuff. About cholesterol, I take a 500mg of niacin daily, the stuff that gives you a "flush" My doctor told me the "flushless" niacin is no good for nothing. I also take fish oil and simvastatin, 25mg's. This regimen has kept my cholesterol levels low and I still eat beef weekly, though I avoid the shrimp and lobster which are almost pure cholesterol. Eunuchs have to be careful about gaining weight, you've got to work hard to limit your food intake. That's my two cents for the day. Hash

[kristoff]

125mg per week should not be harmful. Injectables are far less risk to liver than oral form, which is high risk. When I was doing injectables, I was doing 100mg per week, maintaining a level of about 500, and was fine. If feeling dragged out and tired a lot, I'd bump to 125mg. No harm. Your old school guy is more likely the idiot, likely not up to date.

[moi621 (imported)]

My LH and FSH are .1 and .3 which is expected I suppose, pre-op was 7.9 and 14.9 last October

My T level has fallen about 100 points to 460 now from 573 in June.

Why not titrate the dose to previous LH and FSH values? Seems physiological. Treating symptoms with more hormones suppressing the LH/FSH reminds me of treating the hypothyroid patient taking medication with a normal TSH and thryoid hormones with more thyroid hormone because they feel "tired". Sure more feels better, but has a physiological cost.

Moi

[Sweetpickle (imported)]

Your LDL/HDL ratio is higher than U.S. doctors like these days, even though the overall

doesn't sound bad. If you were going to a U.S. cardiologist he would probably put you

on Lipitor (or an equivalent)

[moi621 (imported)]

Hi,

My major concern is over the cholesterol levels and triglycerides

My HDL has always been low in the 40s since 2002 now it is 35.9 which is pretty low

My LDL is 97 which I suppose is not that bad

Triglycerides are 335 (after lunch)

I am thinking to try the tests again after fasting for over 8 hours

<sigh>

Of course triglycerides go up after eating. That is what insulin tells the liver to make out of glucose.

LDL is a calculation, not a measurement and Triglycerides is part of the equation.

HDL = low 40's to 35.9

LDL = 97

I am happy with a 1 to 3 ratio. You are toward 1 to 2 which is better.

Wearing seat belts will do more to extend your life then correcting a great HDL/LDL ratio.

Americans love their blood fats the way French love their liver functions.

The anxiety is probably a greater risk factor then that HDL/LDL ratio. When I first started paying attention, a normal cholesterol was 330. Then down to 200 and some get muscle/liver threatening statins to lower it still. My poor neighbor had a statin for a cholesterol of 140 and the muscles aches were making him ready to call it quits on life. Then I encouraged him to call it quits on the statin and treating a 140. He got better.

<end sigh>

Moi

Primum non nocere,

or

take no prisoners when it comes to blood fat heretics.

I butter my salmon!

[curious_guy (imported)]

. . .

reminds me of treating the hypothyroid patient taking medication with a normal TSH and thryoid hormones with more thyroid hormone because they feel "tired". Sure more feels better, but has a physiological cost.

Moi

What is the physiological cost of too much thyroid hormone? How much is too much?

[moi621 (imported)]

What is the physiological cost of too much thyroid hormone? How much is too much?

Too much is when your TSH is lower then physiological.

The cost is accelerated aging the same as any BMR raising drug like Amphetamine or Nicotine.

So the doc ups the dose and you feel better, just like a mild smoke or a hit of speed.

Moi

[Sweetpickle (imported)]

By your method of calculating (which is wrong) my LDL/HDL ratio is less than 1.

:p :p :p

[moi621 (imported)]

By your method of calculating (which is wrong) my LDL/HDL ratio is less than 1.

:p :p :p

Which is supposed to be very good. Just don't forget to wear your seat belts.

Moi