Abnormal Lab Results @ 19 y.o.

Medical Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hello Drs.,

I recently ordered a male hormone panel through LetsGetChecked because I have felt tired all the time and just not feeling right overall for the past year or more. I wanted to get a blood test to see if anything was off. I am 19 years old, 5’11”, 205 lbs, and I’ve never had any past medical issues. I just got my results back from the test and I’ve been slightly concerned about what is going on. The results showed:

Testosterone: 526 ng/dL
SHGB: 35.1 nmol/L
Free Androgen Index: 55.98
Prolactin (abnormal): 25 ng/mL
Estradiol: 17 pg/mL

My testosterone level seems to be on the lower end of the normal range, especially for someone that’s 19 years old, which is one of my concerns. Although, the main thing I want to discuss is the prolactin level. Is this prolactin level a cause for concern and worth bringing up to my doctor?

Thank you!

2

I would recommend discussing your symptoms with your doctor. There are many, many more causes of fatigue (most of which are also more common than low testosterone/hypogonadism, too) that you did not check for with this panel. This is why we generally recommend against people ordering their own blood tests that they are not trained to interpret.

A testosterone level of 526 ng/dL does not suggest clinical low testosterone / hypogonadism. This single prolactin level is difficult to interpret and would need additional subsequent measurements to aid in interpretation, although that may not ultimately be necessary, particularly if a more obvious cause of your symptoms is identified by your physician.