# Symptoms of low T but "normal range" lab work



## tobiastrack (Feb 13, 2020)

Hi all,

I recently found this forum due to endless searching for TRT questions and I'm glad I did!

I'm a 37 year old male and have been training regularly for about 20 years.  For the past year and a half - to 2 years I've had VERY low energy, decreases sex drive, decreased performance at work, foggy thinking (compared to my younger years), and muscle is super hard to hang on to.  These are all symptoms of low T but my lab work says I'm normal so doctors say I'm not a candidate for TRT and I should be treated for chronic fatigue syndrome.  Epstein Barr Virus panel came back negative.  

My lab work on 2 separate dates came back as follows:

Jan 7 2020
Total T: 589 ng/dl 
SHBG: 52.93 nmol/L
Free T: 8.8 ng/dl 
Estradiol: 6.5 pg/ml  Flagged Low

Jan 28
Total T: 573 ng/dl 
SHBG: 36 nmol/L
Free T: 10.2 ng/dl 
Estradiol: 15.5 pg/ml 

Doctor said these are good numbers for someone your age.  Has anyone had similar results?  Any idea why the symptoms of low T without having low T?  There was much more on the panel like thyroid function and complete blood panel... all good.  I've never taken any exogenous hormones and my diet is "clean" at 2800 calories a day.  Mostly organic meats and fish.  Been using "myfitnesspal" to track food and been hitting around 225g protein, 250g carbs, 100g fats.  I train 4 days a week for about 1 - 1.5 hours.  Maybe over training?  Thanks for any insight.


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## Straight30weight (Feb 13, 2020)

What's the range for your free t?


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## liftsiron (Feb 13, 2020)

1200 is a good total test level, regardless of age.  I'm 63 and would feel like crap with test level of 579, so I supplement.


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## tobiastrack (Feb 13, 2020)

Straight30weight said:


> What's the range for your free t?



The range on the lab report is 2.29 - 20.7 ng/dl.  Still a fairly wide range but mine looks to be normal.  Need to try to get it to the higher end of normal and see if that makes a difference.


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## Gadawg (Feb 13, 2020)

You have high SHBG which binds with testosterone making your available test low. Picture your total test as gasoline in a truck but only the free test is actually in the gas tank. The rest is in the bed in a can.  I was the same way. My total was 515 but my free was garbage.  

TRT changed my life. 200mg per week. Never looking back


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## tobiastrack (Feb 14, 2020)

Gadawg said:


> You have high SHBG which binds with testosterone making your available test low. Picture your total test as gasoline in a truck but only the free test is actually in the gas tank. The rest is in the bed in a can.  I was the same way. My total was 515 but my free was garbage.
> 
> TRT changed my life. 200mg per week. Never looking back



Interesting... Most doctors won't prescribe TRT for someone if they aren't under the "normal range."  At least, that's my experience.  One doctor told me they can't prescribe it if you can't show low results on two separate tests.  Not sure how true that is, as there seem to be a lot of people on TRT.  Is there a thread of recommended doctors to see who know what they're doing with this stuff?  Most doctors just treat your numbers, not symptoms.


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## Straight30weight (Feb 14, 2020)

Same here. Total t was 400 something but free was garbage. Went on trt and never looked back.


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## DF (Feb 14, 2020)

Your best bet would be a trt clinic.


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## Voyagersixone (Feb 19, 2020)

Straight30weight said:


> Same here. Total t was 400 something but free was garbage. Went on trt and never looked back.



this is interesting 30. Though obviously your free t would increase with increasing your test exogenously... do you find you still have a lower-end free test? Like - did it eliminate the free test problem entirely just by switching to TRT or do you have to compensate by having more total test in general since you may have a high SHBG?

wow, I hope what I was trying to ask in my head came out right.


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## Jin (Feb 19, 2020)

There are other conditions that have the same symptoms of low testosterone. Specifically I’d make sure your vitamin D isn’t in a deficit and that your thyroid is functioning properly. 

Ask the doctor who won’t consider TRt why you are having the symptoms you are.


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## CJ (Feb 19, 2020)

Straight30weight said:


> Same here. Total t was 400 something but free was garbage. Went on trt and never looked back.



Samesies..


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## JayLay777 (Jun 3, 2020)

I would go to a TRT clinic and see what they say. Most clinics are dieing to prescribe TRT regardless of numbers


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