First Labs After Six Weeks of T-Enanthate

Initial values: Total Testosterone: 2.0 nmol/L, (6.0-27.0)
Free Testosterone: 11.7 pmol/L (15.6-146)

Months of Androgel therapy failed to produce double digit readings for Total Testosterone and only raised the Free Testosterone level to 27.3.

Labs just prior to initiating Testosterone Enanthate.


Total Testosterone: 6.0 nmol/L, (6.0-27.0)
Free Testosterone: 27.3 pmol/L (15.6-146)
SHBG: 18 nmol/L (10-57)


IM enanthate began on 7 October. The following lab values were obtained six weeks later and represent my "trough" readings following six weeks of therapy (24 hours prior to next weekly injection).


Total Testosterone: 10.0 nmol/L (6.0-27.0)
Free Testosterone: 50.8 pmol/L (15.6-146)
SHBG: 26 nmol/L (10-57)
TSH: 0.69 miu/L (0.30-5.60)
Free T3: 4.5 pmol/L (2.9-6.0)
Free T4: 11.5 pmol/L (7.2-21.0)


My total testosterone seems ridiculously low for a trough reading after six weeks of therapy. It's true that my free testosterone nearly doubled and my SHBG climbed into the mid 20s (which I believe to be a good sign - please correct me if I am wrong). I must admit that I was stunned when my doctor reported these results; I had been feeling better, charged libido, focused concentration, minimal ED...but she (my doctor) was expecting to see a trough total in the 17.0 range. H

Her candor, and my surprise, has dampened my subjective response this week. The power of expectation has done a number on how I feel...and I know that is totally mental. But that is the picture.


Am I correct in thinking that's a bloody low trough? It seems that the free testosterone reading is pretty good, relative to what is was prior to injections, and the SHBG is (I think) a healthy range. Would dose-splitting be a possible response to this information? I'm to continue the current (100mg/wk) for six more weeks and we'll retest. As for how I feel, I hope the loss of libido is - indeed - temporary and will be restored in time as I understand what I'm dealing with.

Thank you for time and attention

Coast - others will comment too, but 100mg/wk is a low starting dose which is good, but your doc in my opinion is moving very slow, I would have thought she would have raised your dose to say 150/week and retest in 6 weeks, but that is just me. I am sure between what you can learn here and working with your doctor the numbers will come up. Be sure and tell your doc how you feel in both the trough and the peak so she knows, cause it is not all about the numbers even if they are a starting point.

Thanks for the quick response, Tom. I was working with the notion that 100/wk was a solid protocol that would raise a pre-injection level into the midteens. And, as I noted, I did feel better...until I was told how low my level remained. Psychology kicked in and it was as if I just had another bad report such as those during Androgel therapy. That has, I think, tanked things. But that's subjective. On an objective level, have their been fellows on the forum who didn't lift their numbers with 100mg/wk? How unusual is that?

I don't know about others, but I am on 90 2x/week, so my total is 180 per week, and it seems to work great for the Testosterone side of the picture. Still working other challenges, but that number works great for me. I am sure others who use 100/week will chime in and let you know.