Lab Results 14 Weeks Into Treatment.

[TestQuest22]

Lab results 14 weeks or so into treatment. My doctor has had me on 200 mg / week since day one.

I have low SHBG (10), so by the third week I opted to change my protocol from the doctor's recommendation of 200mg once a week to EOD injections. Energy is stable, libido is going strong, lifts are going up, body recomp is well under way. My mental clarity and drive is also at an all-high. Life is good again.

Now, I know the E looks high, but do you guys think that it's high relative to my Total and Free or does it look to be in line? I feel pretty good, though occasionally I get a little bit of nipple sensitivity. Never anything alarming of overly painful, though.

I also notice a little bit of water retention, though that has decreased significantly as the weeks have gone on.

Let me know your thoughts and opinions.

 

[madman]

Doctor has had me on 200 mg / week since day one.

I have low SHBG (10), so by the third week I opted to change my protocol from the doctor's recommendation of a 200mg injection once a week to EOD injections. Energy is stable, libido is going strong, lifts are going up, body recomp is well under way.

Now, I know the E looks high, but do you guys think that it's high relative to my Total and Free or does it look to be in line? I feel pretty good, though occasionally I get a little bit of nipple sensitivity. Never anything alarming of overly painful, though.

Let me know!

Not sure where your SHBG sat pre-trt but as you can clearly see it was most likely driven down further from the whopping dose of T 200 mg/week.

Even then although you are hitting a very high TT 1374 ng/dL your FT level is going to be absurdly high (most likely in the 50 ng/dL range) due to your low SHBG 10 nmol/L.

Keep in mind that if labs were done at trough your peak levels will be higher.

Unfortunately, you had your FT tested using the piss poor direct immunoassay which is known to be inaccurate.

The only way to know where your FT level truly sits is to have it tested using the most accurate assays such as the gold standard Equilibrium Dialysis or Ultrafiltration.

You are hitting a TT 1374 ng/dL with low SHBG 10 nmol/L and I would put money on it that your FT level is much higher than you think.

Even when using the calculated methods your FT level would be absurdly high.

FT 5-10 ng/dL is considered low.

FT 16-31 ng/dL (top-end) is healthy.

Most men will do well with FT 20-30 ng/dL.

Some may choose to run higher levels.

Comes down to the individual.

Your estradiol is through the roof due to running a very high FT.

You left out some important blood markers RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit which is most likely elevated due to having too high an FT.

If you feel good overall and blood markers are healthy minus any sides then I see no issue running higher levels.

If you were struggling then you would easily have room to bring down your FT.




Now, I know the E looks high, but do you guys think that it's high relative to my Total and Free or does it look to be in line?

Look over the chart in Nelson's thread:

How to Predict Estradiol and DHT at Different Testosterone Doses

I was able to come up with a table using the predictive model equation derived from data in this study: The Effects of Injected Testosterone Dose and Age on the Conversion of Testosterone to Estradiol and Dihydrotestosterone in Young and Older Men Summary This video discusses a research paper...

www.excelmale.com

*Since these estradiol values were immunoassay-based, sensitive (LC/MS) values would be lower. How much lower? We don't know since CRP values were not measured. I would multiply the estradiol numbers in the above table by 0.80 to arrive at a guess for sensitive estradiol values.

 

[TestQuest22]

Not sure where your SHBG sat pre-trt but as you can clearly see it was most likely driven down further from the whopping dose of T 200 mg/week.

Even then although you are hitting a very high TT 1374 ng/dL your FT level is going to be absurdly high (most likely in the 50 ng/dL range) due to your low SHBG 10 nmol/L.

Keep in mind that if labs were done at trough your peak levels will be higher.

Unfortunately, you had your FT tested using the piss poor direct immunoassay which is known to be inaccurate.

The only way to know where your FT level truly sits is to have it tested using the most accurate assays such as the gold standard Equilibrium Dialysis or Ultrafiltration.

You are hitting a TT 1374 ng/dL with low SHBG 10 nmol/L and I would put money on it that your FT level is much higher than you think.

Even when using the calculated methods your FT level would be absurdly high.

FT 5-10 ng/dL is considered low.

FT 16-31 ng/dL (top-end) is healthy.

Most men will do well with FT 20-30 ng/dL.

Some may choose to run higher levels.

Comes down to the individual.

Your estradiol is through the roof due to running a very high FT.

You left out some important blood markers RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit which is most likely elevated due to having too high an FT.

If you feel good overall and blood markers are healthy minus any sides then I see no issue running higher levels.

If you were struggling then you would easily have room to bring down your FT.




Now, I know the E looks high, but do you guys think that it's high relative to my Total and Free or does it look to be in line?

Look over the chart in Nelson's thread:

How to Predict Estradiol and DHT at Different Testosterone Doses

I was able to come up with a table using the predictive model equation derived from data in this study: The Effects of Injected Testosterone Dose and Age on the Conversion of Testosterone to Estradiol and Dihydrotestosterone in Young and Older Men Summary This video discusses a research paper...

www.excelmale.com

*Since these estradiol values were immunoassay-based, sensitive (LC/MS) values would be lower. How much lower? We don't know since CRP values were not measured. I would multiply the estradiol numbers in the above table by 0.80 to arrive at a guess for sensitive estradiol values.

Thanks for the detailed response. I am reading through (and learning a ton), but here are the other markers he tested for (besides PSA, which is also within range at 1.2ng/mL):


Also, my SHBG was at 10 prior to starting TRT. He did not retest for it.




Have you ever donated?

Where do your ferritin levels sit?

 

[Systemlord]

If in the future you find sexual parameters not up to par or you just don't feel good anymore, you would then need to lower the dosage to something closer to the normal range.

 

[Systemlord]

Also, my SHBG was at 10 prior to starting TRT. He did not retest for it.

Unless you have diabetes, your SHBG is likely lower than pre-treatment.