It’s a known fact that testosterone levels in men decrease as we age. But for men with Klinefelter Syndrome, testosterone levels may never have been where they needed to be. Therefore, types of testosterone replacement therapy is used, such as testosterone gel, injections, testosterone cream, and the like.
Here are some others that are needed to be watched regularly (and why for some):
Total Testosterone Levels
Over the years, I’ve noticed that the Total Testosterone levels have varied in range. For instance, when I was tested in:
- 1995, the range was 270-1070
- 2006, it was 200-810
- 2009 = 132-813
- 2011 = 241-827
- 2012 = 250-1100
- (retested in 2012) = 240-950
- May 2016 = 249-836
- September 2016 = 348-1197 – The Free Testosterone range may also have to do with different facilities (like Labcorp vs. Quest), Hospital system/group, doctor, state tested, etc., I honestly don’t know. However, I have noticed that recently, the range isn’t shown on the results, so be sure to ask your doctor each time you get a blood test about what the ranges are in relation to your recent levels.
Free Testosterone Levels
Free Testosterone levels have also changed over the years in range. For example, when I was tested in:
- 2006, the range was 8.8-27
- Early 2012, the range was 35-155
- Late 2012, the range was 9-30
- 2014 and late 2015, the range was 8.7-25.1
- Late 2016, the range was 52-280
Again, like with the Total Testosterone levels, my 2017 blood test results don’t mention the range. Instead, they only give the results. So be sure to ask your doctor about the ranges each time you get tested.
Platelets
I recently learned that testosterone may increase your platelet counts. This is good if you need this, but it could otherwise be dangerous if not monitored. For instance, my platelet count came out a little high in my last blood test, even though my T-levels aren’t too high (about low-average for somebody my age). Normally, the response would be to increase my gel dosage, but due to the high platelet count, there’s a higher risk of blood clots.
Red Blood Cell count (RBC)
Red Blood Cell count is important to monitor because, like with platelets, too many can lead to a greater risk of blood clots.
Glucose Levels
I learned that when taking testosterone (maybe only for Klinefelter?), your glucose (a.k.a. “blood sugar”) levels will rise. Levels too high can be borderline-diabetes, so you need to watch these and cut down on your sugar intake.
Glucose and other forms of sugar should be limited anyway though. I mean, I’ve learned that (for me?) a good level to search for, such as with cereal or drinks, is to look for something with 6 or less grams of sugar (or 9 at the most). Granted, if it’s a natural juice, like orange juice, apple juice, or a mixture of others, you can’t really go any lower than 20-something grams. So with these, I’ll decrease my serving size. Because you have to figure, often when we drink juice, or see somebody drinking it in a commercial, it’s a tall glass, right? But if you’ve ever used a juicer, to get that much juice, you’ll have to use a whole bag of oranges – and that’s a LOT of sugar (can you imagine eating a whole bag of oranges in one sitting?)! But 1 orange only gives out about a half-inch to an inch of juice – less than (or about) a shot glass worth. And that’s really all you need, and you’ll be surprised at how much satisfaction you can get from a small sip, and how long it’ll last.
Cholesterol Levels
(HDL, LDL, Ratio between the 2) – A nurse once used different terms for each of these two types of cholesterol, which makes it really easy to remember:
- HDL = Healthy cholesterol
This is the stuff that you’ll find in olive oil. I believe it also has something to do with breaking down the lousy cholesterol. - LDL = Lousy cholesterol
This is the bad stuff that builds up in our arteries and can lead to heart attacks and such. Meats and Dairy products usually get a bad rap for having a lot of this lousy stuff, as well as palm kernel and coconut oils. Some websites I’ve found suggest soy to help lower these levels, but if you’re taking testosterone therapy, then it’s important to refrain from most soy products, as it tends to produce estrogen in males (which counters the testosterone).
Triglicerides
(I don’t know if it’s because I’m older now, or if it’s because of the gel, but ever since applying the gel, my triglicerides have been high (before gel = 74. The lowest since taking the gel = 147, highest = 306). So it’s very important to keep track of these levels each time you get your blood test.
Of course, you need to check the levels of everything else taken in your blood test, but as I’ve come to understand, these are the most important to be aware of when applying testosterone gel. Either way, be sure to keep up to date with your doctor on your levels and ask him/her for suggestions to keep them within healthy ranges.
When reading everything above, just please remember that I’m neither a doctor nor nutritionist. I’m just a guy who’s sharing my experience and knowledge gained over the years in relation to my own condition, or in conversations with others with theirs, in hopes of informing people with such condition to cope, learn, and/or respond in order to increase hope and see this condition less as a curse or disability, and to accept it as a blessing and a challenge to take better care of your body. So if any of the above information is incorrect, please don’t hesitate to inform me in the comments section below (I’d rather be shown my mistake so I may correct it than continue sharing wrong information).