Hi all,
Just after opinions on my latest blood test results.
My back story - so i've doing my own, self prescribed trt for 3 years now (since Sept 2022). This has been using UGL testosterone enanthate, 300mg/ml. Always same brand and seller (it's their own brand, not a reseller, and the most respected UGL lab in the UK, for what that's worth). I am currently on my 6th vial as, at my dosage, i seem to get through 2 vials per year.
Getting to my question - i've kept up with blood work throughout. During year #1 i think i had 4 blood tests as i was dialing in. Then 2 per year, at approx 6 to 8 weeks after starting new vials. I inject twice per week - Sunday AM and Wednesday PM. I have bood taken on Wednesdays, always at 2pm (so around 5hrs before next jab). My results always come back as expected, compared to previous tests - except my latest one. I had blood taken 8 weeks after starting my latest vial. When starting this one, i had slightly increased dosage from 84mg/week (split 42mg/42mg) up to 96mg/week (split 48mg/48mg).
Here are some results for comparison - the Jan 2025 is showing results as i expected. The second, most recent one is from this month (Sept), and is approx. only 50% of expected result:
Jan 2025 (on 84mg/week split 42/42)
Total T: 939 ng/dl
Free T (calc): 20ng/dl
E2: 62 pg/ml
Sep 2025: (on 96mg/week split 48/48)
Total T: 510 ng/dl
Free T (calc): 10 ng/dll
E2: 28 pg/ml
So, not what i was expecting!
There are two variables i can think of. The obvious one being it was from a new vial, and being UGL it was either under dosed (by a lot!), or maybe even mislabeled (for instance if they had put the wrong label on a vial of test cyp that would be 200mg/ml).
The other variable was sample time in transit. I use Medichecks, so have to visit a clinic to get a venous draw, then post off the sample to the testing lab. I then will get an email when the lab has it, "We have your sample!". As i post off these samples on Wednesday afternoons, i usually get that email on the Friday, and my results come back on my app either Mon or Tue. This time though, i received the "We have your sample" on the Monday, so 5 days after posting. Could this delay have affected the test? I asked Medichecks, and they said the samples are stable for "5 to 7 days", which if true would exclude that theory.
Unusually, one other metric on this test (the 'Advanced TRT' test) had an error testing liver ALT levels. I've had many years of Medichecks tests done, and never had an "error, unable to test" result before.
Medichecks are sending me another, free test kit after i wrote to complain. I'll be posting this one by special delivery to rule out the delay factor, but i just wondered if anyone knew whether samples being in the postal system 5 days could be a reason for such a difference. Or is it more likely the new vial i'm using.
By the way, i wrote about this on a UK forum i use. After saying i thought the vial was under dosed, i got absolutely slated for suggesting any of their products coud be off. I wrote to the shop, and they vehemently denied there could have been a problem with the vial. They even offered to pay for another blood test, and suggested i send the vial itself off for testing and that they'd pay for that too. But as Medichecks are giving me a retest for free anyhow, i haven't taken them up on the offer (yet)
Just after opinions on my latest blood test results.
My back story - so i've doing my own, self prescribed trt for 3 years now (since Sept 2022). This has been using UGL testosterone enanthate, 300mg/ml. Always same brand and seller (it's their own brand, not a reseller, and the most respected UGL lab in the UK, for what that's worth). I am currently on my 6th vial as, at my dosage, i seem to get through 2 vials per year.
Getting to my question - i've kept up with blood work throughout. During year #1 i think i had 4 blood tests as i was dialing in. Then 2 per year, at approx 6 to 8 weeks after starting new vials. I inject twice per week - Sunday AM and Wednesday PM. I have bood taken on Wednesdays, always at 2pm (so around 5hrs before next jab). My results always come back as expected, compared to previous tests - except my latest one. I had blood taken 8 weeks after starting my latest vial. When starting this one, i had slightly increased dosage from 84mg/week (split 42mg/42mg) up to 96mg/week (split 48mg/48mg).
Here are some results for comparison - the Jan 2025 is showing results as i expected. The second, most recent one is from this month (Sept), and is approx. only 50% of expected result:
Jan 2025 (on 84mg/week split 42/42)
Total T: 939 ng/dl
Free T (calc): 20ng/dl
E2: 62 pg/ml
Sep 2025: (on 96mg/week split 48/48)
Total T: 510 ng/dl
Free T (calc): 10 ng/dll
E2: 28 pg/ml
So, not what i was expecting!
There are two variables i can think of. The obvious one being it was from a new vial, and being UGL it was either under dosed (by a lot!), or maybe even mislabeled (for instance if they had put the wrong label on a vial of test cyp that would be 200mg/ml).
The other variable was sample time in transit. I use Medichecks, so have to visit a clinic to get a venous draw, then post off the sample to the testing lab. I then will get an email when the lab has it, "We have your sample!". As i post off these samples on Wednesday afternoons, i usually get that email on the Friday, and my results come back on my app either Mon or Tue. This time though, i received the "We have your sample" on the Monday, so 5 days after posting. Could this delay have affected the test? I asked Medichecks, and they said the samples are stable for "5 to 7 days", which if true would exclude that theory.
Unusually, one other metric on this test (the 'Advanced TRT' test) had an error testing liver ALT levels. I've had many years of Medichecks tests done, and never had an "error, unable to test" result before.
Medichecks are sending me another, free test kit after i wrote to complain. I'll be posting this one by special delivery to rule out the delay factor, but i just wondered if anyone knew whether samples being in the postal system 5 days could be a reason for such a difference. Or is it more likely the new vial i'm using.
By the way, i wrote about this on a UK forum i use. After saying i thought the vial was under dosed, i got absolutely slated for suggesting any of their products coud be off. I wrote to the shop, and they vehemently denied there could have been a problem with the vial. They even offered to pay for another blood test, and suggested i send the vial itself off for testing and that they'd pay for that too. But as Medichecks are giving me a retest for free anyhow, i haven't taken them up on the offer (yet)
