Why Test Hormones

Greetings PE’rs,

I’ve made a few references in some of my other posts about keeping track of one’s hormones - so, because of some exercise/dieting/weight loss frustrations and concerns I have had recently, I decided it was time to take my own advice and update my own hormone profiles - and, I’m darned glad I did.

Here’s what both saliva and blood tests showed:

1) Low, Free Testosterone (Gulp!!!)
2) High Normal circulating total testosterone (WTF?!)
3) Very High SHBG (Uh-oh, bummer!)
4) Low Normal Thyroid T3 Fraction
5) Low Normal Thyroid T4 Fraction
6) High Normal TSH
7) Normal Estradiol
8) Low Progesterone (Uh-oh)
9) Low Normal DHEAs (OK, but not great)
10) High Normal Fasting Insulin (Danger Will Robinson, DANGER!)
11) Low Waking Cortisol (Great!)
12) Very High Noon Cortisol (WTF?!)
13) High Late Afternoon Cortisol (Again, WTF?!)
14) Moderately High Late Evening Cortisol (WTF!!?)
15) Normal PSA (Thank You - kisss, kiss, grovel, kiss)

So, what’s going on here? I’m not in a particularly stressful job being my own boss and all so why the high Cortisol during the day and into the evening?

Also, I’ve got enough Testosterone whirling around in my bloodstream to tear branches off of large trees with my bare hands but most of it is chemically bound up with sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) - why, dang it - why???!!!

And, my thyroid seems depressed and my fasting insulin is moderately elevated even if it is in the normal range - so what’s upsetting my adrenal cortex and endocrine axis?

Simple Stupid . . . COFFEE - rather, the caffiene in the coffee. Over the past few months I’ve slid into the bad habit of drinking too much coffee here at the office. I get into what I’m doing so much that I’ve lost track and I’m really paying for it - so yesterday I’m off coffee - period. Yeah, I know, wean yourself off easily but I was so PO’d at these test results after doing my research and identifying the major culprit I just quit. Got one SOB of a headache, too, but drinking a lot of water laced with vitamin C powder put a stop to that.

The major embarassment here is that I know coffee ain’t good for a lot of things but I thought because of decent diet, exercise, and supplements I could bend the rules - no way! I knew better and am/have been paying for it.

PE’rs beware - excess caffiene can screw with your hormonal balance big time.

There are other secondary issues I am looking into about making some subtle adjustments to try and rebalance things. While I was/am not dangerously out of whack, there are some things I can do once I am over caffiene withdrawal that concern rebalancing hormone ratios. For example, even though estradiol was in the mid-range normal, both of the ratios of progesterone (P/E) and Testosterone (T/E) are way off the mark. Cutting caffiene out will help but may not do the entire job. Transdermal supplementing DHEAs and Progesterone will help a lot.

So, stay tuned if you are interested. In about 6 months I will run some more tests to check on how things are working and make adjustments accordingly.

Bottom Line - you can take all the supplements and Testosterone precursors you want but they may not necessarily compensate for the effects of aromatase enzyme (converts T->E), dietary no-no’s (like excess caffiene), or false estrogens in your food, air, and water from screwing with your hormonal system. That’s why testing is important. JMHO

All the Best,

MrTiPS

MrTips,

This is very interesting, but how do you know caffeine is the cause of your hormone imbalance?

This sounds like a great idea! Can these tests be done by mail? Do you need a doctor to do them? I probably run on my adrenals too (coffee), I wonder if this would help weight loss.

electron,MM -

Adkins low carb diet forbids caffiene because it spikes cortisol which enhances fat storage by spiking insulin and lowers blood sugar. Low blood sugar leads to binging on carbs. There are many references on the net - do a search on google for caffiene + low carb diet and/or caffiene + cortisol and/or caffiene + insulin. Cortisol is catabolic (the death hormone) and prolonged adrenal gland stress leads to adrenal exhaustian not to mention the negative impact on thyroid. Do a google search on caffiene + thyroid and see what shows up. Low T3 especially raises hell with any attempt at weight loss - your body fights you to preserve fat storage anyway - low T3 makes it very hard to lose.

Thanks for the Inquiries,

MrTiPS

electron,

Saliva and blood spot tests can be done in the privacy of your own home and mailed to the testing lab. I use zrtlab.com. Also, Great Smoky labs is excellent. Be advised that (I thinK) only the state of NewYork prohibits saliva test samples via mail. Otherwise, no problem. Also, it is possible to send samples via Fedex or UPS, too to get around any snarls in NY. You do not need an MD to get the tests run nor do you need a prescription for a lot of the transdermal cremes with the exception of testosterone should you need it. I am not worried about T - I have planety of T. The bugbear with caffeine is it increases SHBG which ties up your T - that’s what the tests show me and that’s what the various articles on the internet indicate.

Yeah, I know, dising caffeine (coffee) is like farting in Sunday School (or worse) as so many folks love (and are addicted to) their coffee. But the numbers tell me to lay off of it.

I do know this - a few years back I had cut out all caffeine and went on a diet exercise routine and really whacked off the excess weight. Stupid me - thinking I was out of the woods I started back on coffee and immediately started packing the weight back on. You’d think a person would learn - sighhhhhhh.

later,

MrTiPS

PS - hope this helps

Great heads up

Yes, I’ve heard good things about Great Smokey labs before. I’ve been doing liver cleanses over at a website that gets into all kinds of good health stuff, and they mention them over there too. Thanks. :)

Please excuse my resistance, but I’m a big Dunkin Donuts, Starbuck’s, and Pete’s fan!

If you can avoid the binging, wouldn’t caffeine give you more energy, which could actually help you burn fat?

I drink a lot of coffee and rarely feel the need to binge on carbs. I went on the Zone diet a few years back. I did not cut out caffeine but still managed to lose almost 40 lbs.

Hmmm. Maybe I’ll just get my hormones checked.

MM said:

Please excuse my resistance, but I’m a big Dunkin Donuts, Starbuck’s, and Pete’s fan!

LOL - Man, I hear you - I like java too much so I’m going to have to keep my distance from it. We’re all a bit different in terms of biochemistry so what affects me even in moderation may not have any affect on someone else.

Sure, a little bit is supposed to be thermogenic but it doesn’t seem to work that way for me. Maybe I’m borderline hypothyroidic which exaccerbates the situation. According to a basal temperature test I ran about 18 months ago I showed low thyroid function. And, these latest tests suggest it, too.

Anyway, perhaps another reason for testing concerns estrogen dominance. The cumulative buildup of xenoestrogens (false estrogens) in a man’s body over time from various pollutants can be a death sentence in time. I think it shows up as lowered testosterone and lowered progesterone even though estradiol can be in range. That’s what my saliva test showed. It’s a tough call because I don’t know of a direct test for “xenoestrogens”. Phthallates (some of the worst actors) alone number into the hundreds. Add plasticizers, insecticide residues, hormone residues in meat and milk, and you have one hell of a witches brew of industrial chemicals to detoxify from. Apparently a lot of this crap gets stored away in the body’s fat reserves so if you diet and burn fat stores, a person can get sick/poisoned from the residues that are liberated. Taking green drinks that contain barleygreen, chlorella, spirulina, and chlorophyll can help a dieter detoxify a lot of this stuff.

Anyway, think of me the next time you hit Starbuck’s - and enjoy the hell out of it (LOL).

MrTiPS

Last week I got the full blood test including testosterone level as I’m now 44 and have high blood pressure. Unfortunately, it didn’t show the breakdown of SHBG bound vs free, just the total. Anyhow, the total is quite a way below the normal range and as a result, doc recommended injections of T. I had one a few days ago now. Tell you what, there is no initial pain from the jab, but soon after feels like you’ve bee kick up the clacker by Mr. ‘T’. 3 days have passed now and the dull pain is gone.

So far, I feel a little more energy, wake at night a few times, gaining morning wood sometimes.

By the way, I have reduced the caffine intake sustituting tea and will consider giving coffee up altogether based on the increase of SHBG.

>Phthallates?<

Are these any way similar or related to thallium? That stuff is deadly toxic.

>Apparently a lot of this crap gets stored away in the body’s fat reserves so if you diet and burn fat stores, a person can get sick/poisoned from the residues that are liberated.<

As I understand that’s one of the reasons to lose weight and cleanse things slowly, so you don’t feel like crap by releasing it all at once. There’s a lot of good information on this out there.

Wadfile said:

"Anyhow, the total is quite a way below the normal range and as a result, doc recommended injections of T."

Wad, sorry the Doc didn’t get total and free T on your behalf. Also, I hope the "T" that he injected was bioidentical, natural T and not methyl-testosterone, the synthetic. Anyway, it sounds like it hit you pretty hard. For more information about male hormones, there is a bulletin called "Hormone Balance for Men" by Dr. John R. Lee (MD) that is worthwqhile reading. It can be purchased at Official Website of John R. Lee, M.D., Expert in Progesterone and HRT - you might find it very informative.

Electron, thallium is a metallic element (yes, toxic in certain forms) whereas the term "phthallates" is a general term for a class of cyclic, somethat aromatic chemicals. Unfortunately, many phthallates mimic estrogen and they are used in many products including some deodorants, nail polishes, hair sprays, plastics, and many other common products. And, some ar carcinogenic.

Later,

MrTiPS

Methyl-Test is (as far as I know) for oral use to get it past the liver without degradation. The injections would likely be propionate or cypionate esters depending on the injection frequency.

I’ve not had time to absorb the whole thread yet, but I’ll get back soon as this is something I’m very interested in. I’m curious about the use of Progesterone Mr Tips. I recall you mentioned that in another thread and meant to ask you about the benefits. I didn’t know it had a use other than in gestation, which as a rule I tend not to do that often :) Could you point me to some info?

MrTips said:

“Wad, sorry the Doc didn’t get total and free T on your behalf. Also, I hope the “T” that he injected was bioidentical, natural T and not methyl-testosterone, the synthetic.”

The T product is Sustanon 250 manufactured by Organon. It contains several esters; testosterone propionate, phenyl propionate, isocaproate and decanoate. I have no idea whther this is bioidentical or not.

Hi Shiver,

Both men and women produce progesterone as well as testosterone and estrodiol. The issue for men is keeping the ratios in balance (T/E, P/E). Progesterone is a precursor to severl hormones including androgens and, as you suggest by your gestation reference, it is an antagonist to estrogen - as an antagonist, it limits estrogens activity in both men and women.

Interestingly, the tiny amount of testosterone that is produced in a woman’s ovaries is Essential to her sex drive. No female T, no sex! Also, the highest density of testosterone receptors in the human body (male or female) is not in the sex organs - it’s in the heart. T helps protect your ticker, big time - considering all the work the heart does, that’s logical when you think about it. Anything that depletes your body of T potentially endangers your heart.

For more information about male hormones, there is a bulletin called "Hormone Balance for Men" by Dr. John R. Lee (MD) that is worthwqhile reading. It can be purchased at Official Website of John R. Lee, M.D., Expert in Progesterone and HRT - you might find it very informative. Also, check out the DrLee website. Or, do a google search for "Progesterone for Men".

Wadfile, your T is a synthetic but I do not know if it is bioidentical (I kinda doubt it is). Here’s some interesting info about the history and use of sustanon 250:

Sustanon 250 - Steroids Profile

Later,

MrTiPS