Unexpected results

[RickB]

I have two sets of results, which I will post shortly. The E2 is using the same assay, but the total and free are not. Before I present the results, I would like to understand the following:

For my free testosterone, both results are using pg/mL. I know that the results won't be the same, and I know that reference ranges aren't the same, but I can't understand why one reference range is roughly six times higher than the other while using the same units of measure.

One range is 7.2 pg/mL to 24 pg/mL, while the other range is 40.6 pg/mL to 156 pg/mL. The first range is of a direct test, while the second is calculated, if that matters.

 

[tareload]

can't understand why one reference range is roughly six times higher than the other while using the same units of measure.

Public Service Announcement: "Piss Poor" Direct RIA fT measurement (HELP is on the way)

Hey Folks, thought I would update the graph for free T reference ranges based on LC-MS/MS+ED and compare with Labcorp's direct RIA fT reference range. What the hell do you do with with your direct fT measurement if you want to compare with equibrium dialysis reference ranges? Take the Labcorp...

www.excelmale.com

I hope this clears it up.


Then go back and read Part I and II:

Calculate Free Testosterone with TruT by FPT

The idea of SHBG as a sponge that sucks up large amounts of testosterone and leaves your free T low doesn't seem to be how it really works. The way I understand it, high SHBG makes your meager production (revealed by the free T) look like it's normal or even high when it isn't. The SHBG is...

www.excelmale.com

Upon sufficient study of this material you should be able to navigate all the various fT results you could possibly encounter.

Must be much less than 1 of 100 (population that encounters this topic) ever fully comprehend how messy all this is in the free Testosterone world.

In my experience I sometimes read something 10 times before it sinks in. Then the ultimate test...teaching it to someone else.

 

[RickB]

In my experience I sometimes read something 10 times before it sinks in.

Take that ten and times it by ten, and I still will probably be scratching my head. But I will definitely try. Thank you for the reference material.

Until then, I want to understand the differences in results taken within five days. First my E2, which strangely came back very similar despite me pinning in between tests. I've been pinning 100mg test cyp e4.5d for about two months. My E2 was going up about 10 with every shot, and then I'd bring it down about 20 with 6.25mg aromasin every other shot.

Recently I had two blood tests four days apart:

The first was 3 days, 21 hours after pinning, no AI, and my E2 came back at 26.4.

I pinned the next day, again no AI.

The second test was 3 days and 8.75 hours after that pin, and my E2 came back at 22.7.

Some hardheads will cry foul that I didn't test at exactly the same interval, but...come on.

I'm happy that my E2 actually lowered. If anything, I'm thinking it must have something to do with being on keto. Nothing online suggests that keto thwarts aromatization, but I know lower body fat does. I'm not sure if I've lost that much though, as I am hesitant to assess myself until I've given keto some more time.

Maybe my total and free could provide more context, and I will post them, but I want to try to address this first, because it is the least expected result, and E2 is the level tested using identical assays.

 

[RickB]

As far as total and free:

First test: total 1062 ng/dL (193-740)
calculated free 202.7 pg/mL (40.6-156) (SHBG 46.3 nmol/L, albumin 4.7)

Second test: total 862 ng/dL (264-916)
direct free 11.4 pg/mL (7.2-24)

The second test was from May 19 and was further from trough than the first, so if anything I would expect that to be the higher of the two. And I expected the results to be comparable to my April 19 results from the same assay - 1039 total and 14 free.