I've been researching this and know there have been a few posts from a while back on this topic...but wondering if anybody has any more advice/insight...
In getting evaluated for HRT my initial (pre-HRT) bloodwork revealed that for a male in their early 40's (or any age, for that matter) my testosterone serum is crazy low: 164 ng/dL (reference range = 348-1197 ng/dL)
My estradiol number is in the normal male range: 27 pg/mL (reference range 7.6-42.6 pg/mL)
From my layman's analysis - liver function looks ok
I have been experiencing symptoms of low T: sluggishness, brain fog, insomnia...though, at the same time, my gender dysphoria is very much alive and well
I'm pretty sure my doctor is going to say I should consider taking testosterone - but that's the exact opposite direction I'm trying to go, of course! Started exploring HRT in the hope of maybe trying a very low dose to relieve dysphoria - but now that I've got this low T reading, I'm not sure what to think.
Know there are a lot of health ramifications for having low T, and that if I don't have a high enough level of T then I probably need a higher level of E...
Then of course, some of the side effects of supplementing T (breast growth, reduced fertility, shrunken testes) are very similar to the side effects of supplementing E....even if one takes T it may just aromatise right back into E
I've never had much body hair (any, really) and have pretty tame facial hair - I suspect I've always had a low level of T (though must have had some because I know my sperm count has always been good, resulting in being able to have a family). But the thought of now supplementing T and taking on any more male characteristics is a little horrifying.
If/when my doctor suggests T, what do I tell them? Do I ask for E instead? Anybody else been faced with this choice?
Thanks so much in advance for reading this and any thoughts you have....