3 Month Bloodwork - concerns

[drbenway]

I'm a lowish SHBG guy (~19 ref range 19.3-76.4) - started on gels with an endo with limited success and switched to Defy in April. Dr Saya's protocol is subq 44 mg of TestC + 300 IU of HCG 3x/week.

Before starting

• BP normal ~120/83
• hematocrit 47.5 (37.5-51.0)
• Hemoglobin 16.0 (12.6-17.7)
• PSA 2.5 (0.0 - 4.0)
• Total T 390 (348-1197)
• BAT 241 (95-285)
• SHBG 18.6 (19.3-76.4)
• A1C 5.4 (7.8-5.6)
• Estradiol (not sensitive test) 16.6 (7.6-42.6)
• Lipid panel was good (I take pravastatin 40mg) - tryglicerides 103 (0-149)

My 3 month labs

• BP high~140/98
• hematocrit 51.1 (37.5-51.0)
• Hemoglobin 16.9 (12.6-17.7)
• PSA 3.3 (0.0 - 4.0)
• Total T 594 (348-1197)
• Free T 22.8 (7.2-24.0)
• SHBG 18.5 (19.3-76.4)
• A1C 5.5 (7.8-5.6)
• Estradiol (sensitive test) 53.6 (8.0-35.0)
• Lipid panel was markedly worse - triglycerides 173 (0-149)

I'm definitely feeling high E2 symptoms (sensitive nipples/weight gain/flushing and sweating among others). The nurse at Defy put me on 0.125 mg of Anastrozole 3x/week which I started Tuesday (I take this 24hrs after my TestC injection) - I have a follow up with Dr Caulkins on August 19 and we can discuss protocol adjustments then.

Overall, I feel so much better than I have in years - I need to lose weight but my mood and energy are really good so I want this to work but there seems to be an awful lot going on here.

Would welcome any and all feedback.

David

 

[Vince Carter]

Donate blood and your PSA was already elevated before @ 2.5...have you had a DRE or other exam on your prostate? It's good to know that sex/orgasm <48hrs prior to a PSA blood test could possibly give a false positive, too.

 

[codus2112]

Interesting, i assumed the regular Estradiol test would overestimate E2 numbers compared to the sensitive?

 

[CoastWatcher]

Interesting, i assumed the regular Estradiol test would overestimate E2 numbers compared to the sensitive?

Except when it doesn't.

I'm not being snide, just pointing out that the standard test is unreliable. Sometimes it hits the mark, sometimes, frequently it reports excessive levels that aren't realistic, and on rare occasions it comes in low. In this case the sensitive test was only administered after three months of injections. One would expect some increase.

 

[Vince Carter]

Interesting, i assumed the regular Estradiol test would overestimate E2 numbers compared to the sensitive?

Ive pulled higher sensitive readings from both testes taken at the same time/blood draw. Sensitive being lower is a ballpark rule but not for every person. Fact remains that the ROCHE ECLIA is the wrong test and should just be discarded, not compared or extrapolated to something that it isn't.