Latest Blood Test Results - Free and Total Testosterone & Estradiol - Feedback Appreciated!

First Post - Testosterone, E2 and Anastrozole Hi Guys - first of all, I really appreciate this great forum & site. It has certainly educated me on TRT while opening my eyes regarding different protocols and treatment. Also entertaining sometimes!

I am 54 years old and began TRT in April 2014. I have been a consistent non-competitive body builder and fitness guy for 39 years now. I am 5'11" 194 lbs and have less than 10% body fat.

I am seeing a physician who has specialized in HRT for 20+ years. I finally took the step to TRT after experiencing brain fog, decreased muscle mass, increasing aches, hot flashes and joint pain for probably 4 years prior to my treatment.

Pre-TRT blood results from Doc:

Total Testosterone 273 (300-890 ng/dl)
Testosterone, Free 49.6 (47-244 pg/ml)
SHBG 37 (13-71 nmol/ml)
Estradiol (NON-sensitive) 19.6 (0-39 pg/ml)

Prescribed Protocol After Above Results, April 2014 from Doc:

150 mg Test Cyp e7 days (inject subQ Thursday AM)
CLOMID, 51 MG M-W-F

6 Week Blood Results After Beginning Protocol from Doc:

Total Testosterone. 1231 (300-890 ng/dl) *Blood drawn 1 day after injection
Testosterone, Free 269 (47-244 pg/ml)
Estradiol (NON-sensitive). 42 H (0-39 pg/ml)

Doc does not want to just yet to prescribe AI

3 Month Blood Results from Doc:

Total Testosterone. 1073 (300-890 ng/dl) *Blood drawn mid-week after Thurs injection
Testosterone, Free 209 (47-244 pg/ml)
SHBG 48 (13-71 nmol/ml)
Estradiol (NON-sensitive) 43 (0-39 pg/ml)

Doc prescribes Anastrozole, .25 MG twice per week

About this time, I learn how powerful Anastrozole can be depending on the individual but follow protocol for this. After 4-6 weeks following this, I begin to feel some pre-TRT symptoms and I OBTAIN OWN BLOOD TEST from LabCorp with the following results:

Total Testosterone. 736 (348-1197 ng/dl) **Blood drawn day of Test injection, prior to, and also
Prior to next Anastrozole dose
Testosterone, Free 9.5 (7.2-24 pg/ml)
Estradiol (SENSITIVE) 21 (3-70 pg/ml)

After this result, I change my Anastrozole protocol to once every 4 to 5 days for the next 4-6 weeks because of the weird symptoms I was getting on the twice per week regimen since my 21 E2 result was the day before I was supposed to take my next Anastrozole dose.

Test results FROM DOC after the above 4-6 weeks of my personal change with Anastrozole dose:

Total Testosterone 1106 (300-890 ng/dl) *Blood drawn mid-week
Testosterone, Free 257 (47-244 pg/ml)
Estradiol (NON-SENSITIVE) 36 (0-39 pg/ml)

After learning about how the non-sensitive E2 test could be 10-20 pg/ml's over actual E2 levels, I decided to take my Anastrozole on the day after my Thursday injection, once per week.

FINALLY, after 4-6 weeks of my latest day after injection taking one .25 MG capsule of Anastrozole, I just obtained the following blood test results FROM DISCOUNTED LABS/DEFY/LabCorp (thanks Nelson!):

Total Testosterone 1271 (348-1197 ng/dl) *Blood drawn day of and prior to Thursday injection
and day before Anastrozole dose
Testosterone, Free. 20 (7.2-24 pg/ml)
Estradiol (SENSITIVE) 41 (8-35 pg/ml)

Hello Everybody Again:

6 weeks after above results, I obtained another blood test with the following results from LabCorp:

Testosterone Serum 1080ng/dl (348-1197)
Free Testosterone 22.9 pg/ml (7.2-24.0)
Estradiol - Sensitive 30 pg/ml (8.0-35)

Blood test drawn on day of injection and taking .25 mg of anastrozole (Thursday), prior to. Anastrozole taken once per week. Test Cyp was reduced to 135 mg from 150 mg during last 6 weeks. I also take 51mg of Clomid M-W-F for testicles. For this most recent blood test and different than prior tests, I did NOT take the 51 mg of Clomid on Wednesday prior to the Thursday injection to try to obtain a true trough reading.

Thoughts/feedback/opinions again appreciated! Estradiol came down 11 points but Clomid was not taken prior to latest blood test this time.

Thank you.

How are you feeling? Pre-TRT symptoms such as you noticed earlier?

Your Doc doesn't know that taking Clomid along with Testosterone is a BIG no no...right.

It's either one or the other but NOT both at the same time.

Your labs look pretty good IMO.

I'd stop the Clomid as soon as you can.

If your Doc doesn't know why they can't be combined he doesn't understand the pharmacokinetics of the drugs.

Think along the lines of this; Testosterone is injected into your system and shuts your natural production down...problem solved. Clomid produces natural Testosterone via HPTA but HPTA is shut down due to the exogenous Testosterone...you can't do both!

Thanks guys.

Coast - feel dramatically better than pre-TRT. Been trying to "dial-in" for 10 months now. My doc is experienced in HRT but I am beginning to doubt some of his protocols. If I was to have stuck strictly to his protocol and not self-tested, my E2 would have crashed if I stuck to his minimal .25 mg anastrozole two times per week. I can also now see that I can reduce my test cyp and still have upper third test levels with moderate E2 level. Also doubting his Clomid protocol for testicular needs.

Gene - thank you for your input. I have been wondering for a few months now whether his Clomid protocol is OK or not. I do a lot of Internet research and it is hard to find ANY info on using Clomid for this reason TOGETHER with test cyp. I have an appointment soon and I am going to tell him I do not like the Clomid and I want to try HCG. My doc has been doing HRT for a long time, does presentations and wrote a book on this subject, but I am not sure if I should doubt him or not and find another doc.

Not sure what pre trt sides came back but clomid is fairly well known to kill libido and cause mood issues. Not in everyone but enough to take note. Sure does for me even at a very low dose. So even with good numbers the clomid could be canceling out perceived benefits due to its side effects.