His and Her Health

I just opened them one minute ago, and let me tell you, I am furious! They did not send me my labs at all! I got so excited, and all it is is a LETTER! They told me my blood sugar is normal (no surprise). Fasting is 88 and 2 hours agter the Glucola, 118. Well, I could have told them that!<P>Growth hormone is normal, at less than 0.1. I don't know normal levels for this, but don't care much about this one.<BR>IGF (another growth hormone) is normal at 282, range being 180-780. Prolactin was normal at 6.5. TSH was normal at 2.03. (lower than last time, which makes me think I might one day actually get a diagnosis!)<BR>And, I "love" this sentence:<BR>"Your male hormones, total and free testosterone, were also normal." That is IT! Just "normal." I made it QUITE clear that I would want copies of my labs and that I wanted the testosterone NUMBERS! So, here goes. I am calling and I want my information NOW! I can't believe this. They gave me the results of 5 tests without telling me the normal range, they told me two tests were "normal" without even giving me the numbers, and they only actually gave me the results of one of the tests WITH the normal range! I am outraged. Actually, I'm calmer now. Calming. I sort of expected this. Now, I get to call them. I was hoping they would just give me what I needed, but no, I will have to demand it. We'll know soon. I will post when I have the info.

Anon, please keep us updated--we are all behind you, and feel the frustration with you. It's amazing how easily doctors just brush you off, isn't it? <P>Just wanted to let you know we there with you in thought.

OK, now I have my REAL results. Oh, boy, I should have asked the unit. Because my testosterone is way whacked. Nonsensical from my problems. Maybe they were not using nanograms per deciliter. I should call back and ask. OK, I DID, and no wonder. They are non using that unit of measure! Well, here goes:<P>TOTAL testosterone: 35 nanograms per deciliter, range 20-76<BR>FREE testosterone: 9 pg per deciliter, range 1-21<P>Does anyone know what PG stands for??? I mean other than parental guidance? I'm frustrated. I know they say, anything under 36 is low in women with symptoms of low testosterone, but what about 9? From what I've read, anything below .9 is low. But NINE? Oh, I should be sex-crazed! I feel saddened. I have never heard of PG. I must, must look it up. Why, why could it not have come out to 0.0 so I could just have solved this? Or some other really, really low...but no. It's NORMAL! Oh, no what do I do now...I must learn what PG is, that's all. I have to know how to convert it to something I can understand. I understand nanograms per deciliter, I do not understand PG per deciliter! <P>Well, as for the others, they are:<BR>Prolactin: 6.5, range 2.8-29.2<BR>IGF: 282, range 180-780<BR>Blood sugar, fasting: 88, range 70-110<BR>Blood sugar, 2 hour pp: 118, range 70-140<BR>HGH : less than .1, range 10.0 OR LESS<BR>TSH: 2.03, range .35-5.50<P>So, there you have it. Sigh. I know it's not a complete workup, but, it's a start. I hoped, so much did I hope, that this was going to be it. Yes, I know, some women need more testosterone than others, and maybe 35 is high FOR ME, but I fear I will have to go to a specialist in FSD in order to get the help I need. It isn't simple. I feel so...what can I do? It's not always testosterone, but I was so sure it was, you know? So sure. But, I will look up whatever PG is. That has to be the key to this. I'll dig up the books and search the Web, and if anyone knows, please tell me! Thanks.<BR>

A picogram is one trillionth of a gram. (A nanogram is one billionth of a gram).<P>I think your 9 pg is equal to .009 ng/dl - RATHER low, IMO.<P>Best of luck.<P>see:<BR><A HREF="yalenewhavenhealth.org/Library/HealthGui...p?hwid=stp1648" TARGET=_blank>yalenewhavenhealth.org/Library/HealthGui...id=stp1648</A>

You know, my husband just e-mailed me that, and I was so happy! .009 nanograms. I was all upset and trying to find info...and now I find it's low. This tells me one thing for sure: this endocrinologist I am seeing cannot help me with this if he thinks when I have .009 that is normal, and normal is 100 times that much! Well, now I want to get SHBGs, estrogens, and progesterone tested, before I start taking anything else. I should have my actual labs in a few days. I will look at that web siote. Thanks for all your support! I am so happy, I just want to go tell everyone, "I have low testosterone! I have low testosterone!" I actually called my mom and left her a message that I have low testosterone, and am going to call my sister, and then e-mail my three closest friends, but no way I can tell the world, you know. It is like, wow, I have found the solution! It may not be all of it. I have a normal total, but low free, and that is what counts! I feel calm and excited, hopeful, and optimistic. Before I was just so confused. I had to actually call the doctor back to ask for the unit of measure, because with a free level of nine, I would probably be sex-crazed, right? Well, anyway, now I look ahead, to the time when I will find someone to prescribe me some cream or gel! I plan to contact our local compounding pharmacy within the next few days, and ask if they precribe NATURAL, bioidentical testosterone, and will also look into that new manufactured stuff, Androgel. I want to go with natural, though. Even if Androgel seems great, I don't want it if it's methyltestosterone. No thanks! Here goes...the next part of this journey. FINALLY! FINALLY! I'm tearing up again. I already cried once since finding out the truth about what a PG is. Well, so much for going to the grocery like I planned!

I can't believe how much hassle they put you through, and then didn't even interpret your results correctly. Put in that call to Ft. Wayne so you can get an appointment with Dr. Singh. She will want all of your previous lab results of course. It looks like your on the right track now.

More info...I am going over my books...according to Susan Rako's book, 1-3% of your total testosterons should be free...so according to my total, I should have a level of 3.5 (1%) to 1.05 (3%), and of course .9 is normal, so I should have at least 2.6% of my testosterone free. BUT, as it is, I have only .009 ng/dl. free. I am reading on....<P>Now I wonder if I should call yet again...to ask if they measured picograms per deciliter, or picograms per mililiter. Does anyone know...what it would mean if they used mililiters rather than deciliters? Maybe I should just call again...been reading Susan Rako's book again, and she says .5 to 5 picograms per mililiter is normal, but I think she said deciliter. Ack! I hate to call a third time. But one more time...might be wise. Otherwise, I'll have to wait for my labs, and like I want to wait! I hate to be a nusiance, but AFTER ALL I DID PAY THEM, so I should just make another call.

Mililiter! Now how am I supposed to know a darn thing about that? I have to convern picograms to nanograms and mililiters to deciliters? Come on, what kind of a math show is this anyway? Well, off to look up conversions again. Why can't they just do this for me? <P>.009 nanograms per mililiter...9 picograms per mililiter. What does it mean?

Yet again...me. A deciliter is .1 liters and a milliliter is .001 liters, so 9 picograms per milliliter is equal to .9 nanograms per deciliter, right? I am so awful at math. In other words, I've got "normal" levels. If only they had used a language I had understood! Now what. I guess it's too low for me, huh? To the far distant doctors I go, I guess.

Anon I so glad the puzzle is slowly coming together! Intersting about the percentage of free testosterone to total, I didn't know that.<P>One reason I've been hestitant to get hormones tested (one being lack of insurance at the moment), but whether it might be a waste of money for me. I have oily, acne prone skin, I don't if someone can have acne prone skin and low free testosterone. Why couldn't my excess testosterone go to my loins instead of my face! (lol)<P>The B12 defiency I found interesting. I'm somewhere on the vegearian/vegan spectrum. The only meat I eat is seafood and I've cut back on dairy intake but haven't totally eliminted it. I might try taking a B12 supplement to see if there is a noticable effect.

WAY TO GO ANON!!!!!<P>You are on your way now girl!<P>Keep us posted.<P>l<P>Praying for you.

Anon- Listen to Alexander- Go to a dr. who knows how to handle FSD issues. <BR>The drs who do not know how to treat FSD will drive us nuts. Believe me I have been there with them. They are a waste of time and energy and money. Best of luck.

BARELY NORMAL. Remember anon both Susan Rako and Uzzi Reiss say that they often don't even test because if the symptoms are there you are probably low ( for you) See the Doctors , enough is enough!

Yes, I know that I need to see someone who REALLY KNOWS, because this guy thinks it's normal, and it is, but I know it is the lowest of normal. When I told you H, he said, "Well, why didn't he say it was borderline normal?" I explained that I pretty much expected him to say normal, even if it was "no measurable amount," or like .5 free and 10 total or something. I was hoping, of course, that it would be low enough that I could go ahead and start taking something through this doctor, but I know that since I'm officially "normal," even though it is so low, I can't get any help with this through anyone but someone who knows what they are doing. I am going to contact the doctors, Steidle and Singh. I am not sure which I'll be seeing, but probably both, or as a team. I said I wanted to wait until I had my test results to contact them. Now, I have at least heard my numbers, so I have something to go on. And I probably will need more bloodwork done before I go, but at least this is a start! <P>Today, I will be calling my local compounding pharmacy to see if they use the right kind of testosterone, and looking into Androgel to find out if it's bioidentical or not. I think Alexander said that it was, but am not sure. Doesn't hurt to do my own research, anyway. I feel sort of like the "celebrity of the hour," like we're all waiting for the time when we can get tests and then results, and then that doctor's visit when we get our prescription, and my time has finally come for this. I planned to talk to my H last night about calling Steidle and Singh. I know it's fine, I just like to discuss LD phone calls before I make them, but you know, maybe I'll just go ahead and call, while the inertia is built up. My mom ended up calling last night (I'd left her a message that my testosterone was barely normal and this was great news!) wanting to hear all about my results...and vacation plans...and all that's been going on lately. So by the time I was off the phone, my H was in bed asleep! But, I know I need to just make that call. I've started this now, and I should get on with it. I should finish it. I should find the solution. Thanks for all your support. <P>Now if I could just come to a conclusion about the thyroid. It is falling. It was 2.2 in mid-October of last year. It is now 2.03. I think that is a little significant, but it might not be. If it's falling, then why aren't I having symptoms of HYPERthyroid? Why am I having symptoms of HYPOthyroid? I have so many of the symptoms...could I really have a FALLING TSH and still be hypothyroid???<P>And finally, if anyone knows about the testosterone monthly cycle, I'd love to know! I want to see where in my cycle I will have a lower amount, a higer amount...I haven't found much about WHEN it cycles during the month...for all I know, I was at my monthy peak when it was barely normal! I know that we have more in the morning, so I'm sure that I'm quite deficient by night. (My bloodwork was done at about 9:30 a.m.)<P>Also, I was in Day 10 or Day 11 of my cycle. <P>I will try to find more info on this. We'll just have to see.

I can't believe it, but they tested my SHBG without even telling me! I just got to paper copies of my labs in the mail. Here it what it says:<BR>Total testosterone: 35 ng/dl, range 20-76<BR>Albumin: 4.8 g/dl, range 3.7-5.1<P>DOES anyone know what Albumin is???<P>SHBG: 19 nmol/l, range 17-120 (guess this is low then, so that's at least good). <BR>Free testosterone: 9 pg/ml (and I converted this and it's .9 ng/dl)<P>Weakly bound and free testosterone: 19 ng/dl<P>It says for all of these that the site code is SL. Would that be the lab??? Oh, it says Mid America Clinical Laboratories. <P>Well, this is the latest info I have on my hormones. I will try to find out whatever Albumin is. I wonder if that could be either a precursor to testosterone or the name of the testosterone receptors??? Well, I'll see what I can find.