The panel most men never get

Before you let anyone
prescribe you testosterone

The military screens for one number. Most clinics run the same one. Here is the full panel — what to ask for, and what each marker actually tells you.

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Tier 1

The five that matter most

If you get nothing else, get these.

Total Testosterone

The number everyone runs. On its own it tells you almost nothing — a "normal" total can hide a severe deficiency.

Free Testosterone

The fraction your body can actually use. This is the one that tracks how you feel. Ask for it every time.

SHBGSex Hormone Binding Globulin

The protein that locks testosterone up. High SHBG is why total looks fine while free is on the floor. Rises with age.

LHLuteinizing Hormone

The brain's signal to produce testosterone. Separates a signaling problem from a production problem — and they are treated differently.

Estradiol (E2)Sensitive assay

Testosterone converting to estrogen. Drives puffiness, mood swings and stubborn fat. Too low is as bad as too high.

Tier 2

Where the real answer usually lives

The markers that explain why Tier 1 looks the way it does.

FSH

Pairs with LH to confirm whether the signal or the testes are the issue.

Prolactin

A libido killer almost nobody checks. Elevated levels can flag a pituitary issue.

DHEA-S

Adrenal reserve — what carries you through a hard week without falling apart.

Hematocrit

Testosterone thickens blood. You need the "before" number, then monitoring.

PSA

Baseline before any therapy begins. Non-negotiable over 40.

The wider picture

The systems that drive testosterone

Hormones don't operate in isolation. Run these too.

How to get it drawn

Ask your physician directly:

"I'd like a full male hormone panel including free testosterone, SHBG, LH, FSH, estradiol by sensitive assay, and prolactin — plus a full thyroid panel and fasting insulin."

Timing matters. Draw between 7–10am, fasted, and off biotin supplements for 72 hours beforehand. If a result is borderline, confirm it on a second morning draw before anyone acts on it.

If you're told "you're in range" and you still feel wrong — ask which markers were actually run. Four labs is a screen. It is not an answer.