what is ideal testosterone level???

[dolphin27]

I have been diagnosed with PCOS. I have had high testosterone levels this last Summer. My periods are awful and irregular too. I have hair growth that wont go away too!
My levels this Summer were:
Testosterone Total:  46.7   (10-70)
Free Testosterone:  10.4 H (.6-6.8)
Bioavailable Test :    26.5 H

My test today was:

Testosterone Total: 47.4
Free Testosterone: 4.5  (.6-6.8)

Even though it seems to be less, I still have bad hair growth, chin and breasts, and irregular periods.

Can anyone help me? I have been losing weight, about 20 lbs, but still have 30 or so to go.

Should I take Metformin? I am scared for that because my insulin levels are normal.

Thanks

[dolphin27]

Hey, I wish I could tell you and keep you from suffering. Just keep going to drs. You have to push forward until someone makes sense of it all. I have been feeling better lately since taking T3 along with Synthroid. I had to keep pushing though. And they all just think we are crazy for questioning them!!!! Just remember drs are just PRACTICING medicine, they do not have all the answers. Post some questions and see what other people think!!! Good Luck!

[mandy1442]

i just heard from my docs nurse that my testosterone level was lower but still elevated in sept.2008 than this year. it is higher this year. so it went up!!! grrr.... and all the other tests i did were in range, even those RF, ANA and Prolactin. i will know more on sat. but i still have those ice cold feet, had lots of body aches, muscle aches, knee pains, could sometimes barley walk, have still since almost 3 months tailbone pain, very irregular periods (tooooo long periods) and sometimes pain and swelling on my right ovarian side (from outside to feel). i think when i feel angry and every single little thing makes me angry sometimes, or often, thats from the high testosterone.??????? it is hard not to know whats going on and i cant afford ultrasounds,MRIs or etc. any advise?

[dolphin27]

I started on a lower dose of Synthroid and have had to work my way up. Hashimotos thyroid is an auto immunine disease that constanlty attacks your thyroid. I have been battling this for about 8 years. Just this last year, since having my last baby, my thyroid has gone from 137 mcg to 175mcg. It *****, they really cannot tell me why. I think eventually your thyroid just dies off. Maybe thats what mine is doing. My cholesterol was a little high last Summer, but now it is fine. Diet and Exercise have helped me tremendously. Your thyroid consists of T3 and T4, Synthroid only contains T4. Most drs dont even look at the Free T3 level, but most people on this forum will tell you to have it checked. Well I did and it was LOW normal. I am still having a lot of HYPO symptoms so my dr agreed to let me try Cytomel(T3) and Synthroid together.
We will see, I get my blood checked in like 4 more weeks!

[mandy1442]

HDL is the good cholesterol and LDL the bad one. why do you have such a high dose of thyroid med? i am on 50mcg only.and just one med. why do you have a combo? i need all info i can get to talk with my doc about treatment solutions.
stay well and take care.

[dolphin27]

I was given Metformin this last Summer because my Testosterone total was like 87.
Very High! I started dieting and exercising and was able to lower on my own. Ya, I have had a lot of those tests ran. What is LDL and HDL? My cholesterol was lowered too by diet.
I was scared to take Metformin because I have normal to low insulin. It is given to lower testosterone, but usually that person suffers from higher insulin. My dr called yesterday and is happy with my testosterone levels. I am on a new thyroid combo. Synthroid/Cytomel, so maybe that will help. I have also started 5-HTP on my own to help with my moodiness.
I am now on 150mcg Synthroid and 5 of Cytomel.

We will see :)

[mandy1442]

did they check your HDL and LDL? what were the numbers? mine:
LDL = 66 (Range from Lab: 60 mg/dL )  //
HDL = 59 mg/dL (Range from Lab: >OR = 46 mg/dL ) //
Triglycerd. = 51 (Range from Lab: <150 mg/dL

[mandy1442]

why should you take metformin? isnt that stuff only or most commonly for those who are diabetic? did you talk to your doc why you still have all those sympt.even you are on thyroid med? i am still in a phase where my doc tries to find out what is wrong with me.waiting for ANA, RF and Prolactin test i did yesterday.

[mandy1442]

hi. i am in florida. i started with 25MCG levothyroxine and after 1 month went up to 50MCG, still on it.

[dolphin27]

I am 33. This was my 3rd child. I had a tubal ligation after her birth. After the birth of my son in 2001 I was misdiagnosed and told I was just depressed for about 2 years. And then I found a dr that told me I had hypothyroid. I have been on 175 of Synthroid for a few months and just recenlty been switched to Synthroid/Cytomel combo to see if it helps with the hypo symptoms I still have even though my TSH is normal. I am on the thyroid panel too. There is a lot of good info there. I am in California and you?

[mandy1442]

how old are you? first child? i think i had some of those symptoms before my first child. it was so hard to get pregnant, tried it for years. but nobody told me was what wrong, just that i dont ovulate so often. nobody told me about testing testoste.or thyroid even one of my docs in germany told me when i was 18 or 19 that i head a very small nodule on my left side of my thyroid. but that was it. had thyroid scan last year - nothing, everything normal accept the blood level, hypothyroid since than (from what i know).still have all my symptoms. what is all that? you just had a baby, please give it some time. but always watch out for any change. and go prepared to the docs. i do this all the time and that helps him and you. where doyou live?

[dolphin27]

Yep, I am also hypothyroid. I have HAshimotos to be exact. Have had it for almost 8 years now and it seems to get worse after I have a baby. I had a baby Sept 2009 and have been in hell since. My thyroid is up and down constantly and now I have to also deal with this PCOS thing. I have awful periods too. My last one started 9-22 and lasted for 3 weeks. The 1st week wasnt so bad and then it was like Niagra Falls after that.
I have seen many drs this year and they seem to send me to someone else to deal with stuff. I live in a small town and I hate it. I have been traveling up to 2 hours to try and see someone. I am just waiting, because I might be moving to a bigger town in a few months.
Very frustrated though and get very little relief!

[mandy1442]

hi l. my current lab test for total testosterone level was 95!!! range for that lab is 20-70. have had my first test in sept.2008, was highly elevated than (dont know the number). my female hormones are in range.right now they are testing my prolactin, ANA and RF. hopefully brings more inform.for me than. i also have lots of unwanted body hair, breast and facial hair. every bad thing started after my 2nd boy was born, i think i always had higher testost. but nobody told me. always had irregular periods, ovarian cysts, was hard to even get pregnant without periods... how often do your periods come? my last one was from sept.4 until sep.27 (more than 3 weeks!) and very slow flow, inbetween one week with very super heafvy flow and clots. aweful! i can truely understand you.dont take too much medicin, go and check out different doctors or specialists if you can afford that. and research online or ask around before going to doctor, time is money for them and for you! i always give my doc some written info about all of my symptoms and what i think it could be to go for it and check it out. it is always good to check your blood. i still cant loose my weight (i am 5.85 tall and weigh 170lbs, before i got pregnant 2nd time my weight was 145lbs, that was 2 years after my first son, but now .... and i am hypothyroid, did they check this at you?