curlyroller
04-01-2005, 01:38 PM
hi. i'm rachel, a 29 (30 this month) year old female. i have hashimoto's thyroiditis, but i need some help with some other things...
can someone help me with my testosterone test results? i am not sure which test matters:
testosterone, total: 15ng/dL (lab lists normal for premenopausal women as 15-70ng/dL) should i be concerned that i am right at the lowest "normal" range at age 29? how does this test compare with the other two? how are they all related?
% free testosterone: 2.24 (lab lists normal for premenopausal women as .05-1.8) should this concern me? i'm out of range here! could this be why i am growing black hairs out of my chin? why is my free over the range, but my total is at the very bottom?
testosterone, free: 3.4 pg/mL (lab lists normal for premenopausal women as 1.0-8.5pg/mL) what is the significance of this one?
when i got these tests done, i was seeing a quack, and she didn't care about any test as long as you were in range. i haven't asked my current awesome doc yet, because i was so focused on my thyroid and depression, and now my low adrenals. i think i definately have some symptoms of low testosterone (no drive, no passion (for life), etc.), but then some of high testosterone (the hairs on my chinny chin chin, for example).
can anyone help me understand these results?
now, for the progesterone:
i'm concerned about having a hormone imbalance (i'm guessing estrogen dominance from my symptoms), and REALLY concerned about the dark, coarse hair growth that is exploding on my chin. it's gotten so so bad lately. i am plucking every day! i'm not even 30 yet!! and then there are my ovarian cysts which started in december with a trip to the ER, and haven't really stopped since. it seems like i get one every month at ovulation. but, i'm also concerned about my low testosterone. could progesterone cream help me? is it dangerous to start the cream on your own? should i wait to talk to my doc? i'd rather not, if i don't have to, given the expense. how does one know if they are getting too much? are there dangers to that?
thanks in advance.
rachel
can someone help me with my testosterone test results? i am not sure which test matters:
testosterone, total: 15ng/dL (lab lists normal for premenopausal women as 15-70ng/dL) should i be concerned that i am right at the lowest "normal" range at age 29? how does this test compare with the other two? how are they all related?
% free testosterone: 2.24 (lab lists normal for premenopausal women as .05-1.8) should this concern me? i'm out of range here! could this be why i am growing black hairs out of my chin? why is my free over the range, but my total is at the very bottom?
testosterone, free: 3.4 pg/mL (lab lists normal for premenopausal women as 1.0-8.5pg/mL) what is the significance of this one?
when i got these tests done, i was seeing a quack, and she didn't care about any test as long as you were in range. i haven't asked my current awesome doc yet, because i was so focused on my thyroid and depression, and now my low adrenals. i think i definately have some symptoms of low testosterone (no drive, no passion (for life), etc.), but then some of high testosterone (the hairs on my chinny chin chin, for example).
can anyone help me understand these results?
now, for the progesterone:
i'm concerned about having a hormone imbalance (i'm guessing estrogen dominance from my symptoms), and REALLY concerned about the dark, coarse hair growth that is exploding on my chin. it's gotten so so bad lately. i am plucking every day! i'm not even 30 yet!! and then there are my ovarian cysts which started in december with a trip to the ER, and haven't really stopped since. it seems like i get one every month at ovulation. but, i'm also concerned about my low testosterone. could progesterone cream help me? is it dangerous to start the cream on your own? should i wait to talk to my doc? i'd rather not, if i don't have to, given the expense. how does one know if they are getting too much? are there dangers to that?
thanks in advance.
rachel