Blood Work Results -- Normal?

[Donny J]

I've been off finasteride for 7-8 weeks now and these past 3-4 weeks have been experiencing a heavy crash with a full mental haze. and so, i decided to get some blood work done. lab says they're all within norm, but would like some of your opinions as well:

DHT: 434 (std range: 112-955)
Estradiol: 25 (std range: 10-40)
Testosterone, Free: 18 (std range: 9-30)
Testosterone: 522 (std range: 240-950)
RSH Reflex Free T4: 2.36 (std range: .35-4.94)
Iron: 122 (std range: 65-175)
Transferrin, Serum: 214 (std range: 174-364)
Iron Binding: 268 (std range: 218-455)
Iron Saturation: 46 (std range: 15-55)


I was on finasteride for 3.5 years and couldn't bare the mental sides anymore. I, however, made the same mistake as most other people and didn't get any blood tests prior to starting the drug (let alone when i was on it).

Is this really considered normal? Should I just ride out this mental haze for longer still and hope it goes away as my body "normalizes"? More importantly, do these hormone levels actually affect mental sides?--this isn't clear, as i'm unsure if hormone levels have only been equated to gyno & sexual sides???

 

[zzzzz]

what do you mean you are given a reference range why do you need to ask us.... Everything is perfectly normal obviously falling right in the middle of where your levels are supposed to be for everything. Your body has already normalized

 

[Donny J]

what do you mean you are given a reference range why do you need to ask us.... Everything is perfectly normal obviously falling right in the middle of where your levels are supposed to be for everything. Your body has already normalized

if you read the last couple sentences, then you'd know why i'm asking. mental haze is continuing, so my question is really: do these blood tests actually mean **** when it comes to post-finasteride mental sides? aka: if not abnormal hormone levels, then do we know what causes mental sides post-finasteride?

 

[preservationist]

I am also confused about the importance of blood work before starting finasteride. Can someone provide some insight? Should I test for all that stuff now? It looks like a couple hundred bucks for those tests....

 

[helpmyhairplease]

not sure if u can stop as too soon or not. talk to your doctor about it.


as far as i know finasteride needs about 2 weeks to really kick into our body cycle.

 

[whatevr]

The tests that you have here are not very conclusive. Your testosterone is midrange and could be higher, but what you can do about that is limited. I'd also get proper thyroid labs (including FT3 FT4 and TSH).

Finasteride can mess up your neurosteroids. Unfortunately they are located in your spinal fluid and cannot be measured. Blood tests are limited here. You will have to go by symptoms. Since finasteride alters allopregnanolone that is a potential problem, you could try a pregnenolone supplement and see if that helps.

 

[smyth01]

I am also confused about the importance of blood work before starting finasteride. Can someone provide some insight? Should I test for all that stuff now? It looks like a couple hundred bucks for those tests....

Because using finasteride with already low DHT, or high estrogen levels is asking for trouble.

 

[Donny J]

Because using finasteride with already low DHT, or high estrogen levels is asking for trouble.

why would you need to take finasteride if you have low DHT to start? preventative measure?

 

[zzzzz]

My DHT was at the bottom of the range before starting, (20 from 18-72 units) and my hairloss was super aggressive. Also, I started dutasteride at that already low DHT and have no sides

These things aren't really super important. If everything is within the normal range there is nothing wrong with the hormones

 

[californiaoceans911]

Because using finasteride with already low DHT, or high estrogen levels is asking for trouble.

Could you elaborate on this? I have high estradiol, it was measured to be 46 (range being 10-40) at my last blood test. I'm just curious, not on finasteride right now, but did try it before. The two doctors I am working with don't know what is wrong with me, still further testing. At first they thought it was just De Quervain's Thyroiditis, but now they are not so sure. FWIW my gf's dad who is a surgeon said that he thinks it is MEN1, with possible pituitary or adrenal adenoma. I'll know in the coming months.

I was just curious as to why you said high estradiol and finasteride is so bad.