Total testosterone will never tell you the entire story. Take our patients’ recent blood tests. He was first told by his Primary Care, “[Y]our fine, John. Your testosterone level is well within range. It’s just part of getting old. I can give you some Cialis.” Scratching his head, John left his primary care wondering how that could be. He suffered from all the ADAM subjective symptoms of low testosterone . He had read all about Testosterone Replacement on the internet and was sure that he was suffering from it.
So John, knowing his Primary Care Doctor must be wrong, sought out a second opinion with us. We immediately retested him, this time with the proper diagnostic panels included into his lab requisitions. Total, Free and Bioavailable testosterone . Based on his reported symptoms, we also included IGF-1 to see if he had some HGH deficiencies as well.
John came back with a severe deficiencies in both bioavailable testosterone and IGF-1 . (See the attached lab image showing in range total testosterone with deficiencies in bioavailable testosterone and IGF-1)
You see, what far too many Primary Care Doctors do not understand is that testosterone circulates in the blood in two forms – Free or Bound. Free testosterone is Bioavailable, meaning it is available for the cells to work with. However, bound testosterone is, essentially, bound to sex hormone binding globulin (“SHBG”) and is therefore blocked from acting in cells. When it is blocked, you cannot use it. When you cannot use it, you have Low T.
When you measure just Total Testosterone , you cannot make a proper diagnosis because you aren’t assessing the way a patient is using his circulating testosterone. It’s like a dentist saying all your teeth are fine by virtue of them all still being in your head. They always take a closer look at the teeth themselves.
So, albeit upset he had Low T, John was elated to get a proper diagnosis validating what he knew all along. We were also able to detect a severe IGF-1 deficiency that we were able to treat with our Sermorelin-GHRP2 Epi Pen protocols.
With balanced and optimized Testosterone and HGH levels, this patient was able to rid himself of all the symptoms he was suffering mightily from. Needless to say, John’s life has completely changed.
In conclusion, a man may have adequate total testosterone, but still suffer from the ravages of low testosterone levels if his bioavailable testosterone is low . If you are feeling the symptoms of Low T, don’t hesitate; seek out a qualified medical professional who specializes in hormone replacement.
“The Greatest Health of Your Life”℠
Boston Testosterone Partners/Core New England
National Testosterone Restoration for Men
Wellness & Preventative Medicine
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cblaisdell@corenewengland.com
855-617-MEDS (6337)/781-269-5953