New Member saying hello

[RR5]

Hello all. I have been browsing this community for a month or so and decided it was time to Join. Thank you to Nelson and all the members that contribute to this forum. It has been a valuable tool for me.
The first time I had my test level checked was when I was around 19. I was feeling like crap, tired, no libido, etc. The Dr told me I was ok and within range. I tested around 170 pmol/L for Free Testosterone. This was a common theme for years. Going to the Dr feeling like crap and getting told everything was normal. Finally, a friend of mine who is a bodybuilder told me to go find a better Dr. He told me I had many of the symptoms of test deficiency. I am from Edmonton Canada and went to a place called True Balance specializing in Anit Aging/TRT. Blood work came back as usual, around 200 pmol/L free Test. Estrogen was high but from what I understand the test in Canada is not very accurate and may be over estimating this value.

My Dr prescribed me the following:
50mg/day DHEA
100mg/week Test C
.5mg/week Arimidex
250ui/2 x week HCG

I started this treatment and it changed my life. In 2 weeks I felt way better then I ever have. Since then I have been researching and have learned about important things like half life and optimum levels. My Dr had me on weekly injections with a 25g needle. HCG sub Q with a 30g. I have went through my first recheck of levels and I am now in a good place across the board. A few minor tweaks to be made.Free Test 769, SHGB 25, Estradiol 55pmol/L (A bit high but I was taking this pill weekly)

I have changes my protocol to EOD. I have mixed my arimidex in an alcohol solution and am now taking:
50mg/day DHEA
30mg/EOD Test C
250iu/EOD HCG
.15mg/EOD Arimidex
I inject into my quad with a 1/2" 29-30g needle. HCG and Test combined. That in itself is an amazing change. I learnt about that here from Nelson. I will follow this for 6-8 weeks and re-test my blood levels.

I have some questions that are probably best asked in other areas. The unit conversion from my units in Canada to the units you guys use at discount labs are different. When I convert them online they seem to not make any sense. For example:

Free test in my labs is pmol/L. This seems to be the number they are looking at similar to Total test in the USA. however if I convert ng/dl to pmol/L, 700 turns into 10700 pmol/L. Not sure what I am missing here. Maybe someone can help. I will re-post somewhere else in this forum.

 

[madman]

I would not even concern yourself with the conversion of free t from units used in Canada to units used in the US.

As far as living in Canada in the province of Ontario Lifelabs and Dynacare are the main labs.....not sure what labs you have in Edmonton.

The lab range for Lifelabs and Dynacare for free t is 196-636 pmol/L and is done using the calculated free testosterone (cFT) method.

Your free t was low pre-trt at 170 and 200 pmol/L

Not sure where your free t sits now as you did not say and just stated it needs to be increased.

There are also free t calculators online and seeing as you know your shbg and total t than just use those numbers and it will calculate your free t

Since you have lower shbg than changing your protocol to EOD is a good thing.

It will come down to where your free t needs whether mid-normal or high/normal within the physiological range of 196-636 pmol/L.

 

[RR5]

Thank you for the reply.

I have dynaLIFEdx for labs in Alberta.

My latest labs
Free T - 769 pmol/L (Our range says it should be between 175 - 700 on the labs)
SHBG - 25nmol/L
Albumin - 47g/L

I googled the Free testosterone calculator. It asks for Testosterone to calculate Free Testosterone. Problem is, I only have the Free Testosterone number on my labs. I am confused as the calculator tells me the Free Testosterone but I already know that from my labs. I have a feeling I am missing info here.

 

[madman]

I see I had mistaken it for your total t.

So if your free t is 769 pmol/L and the range at the lab you used is 175-700 pmol/L.....than your free t levels are just slightly over the top end of the range and highly doubtful they need to be brought up anymore.

How do you feel overall?

 

[madman]

Thank you for the reply.

I have dynaLIFEdx for labs in Alberta.

My latest labs
Free T - 769 pmol/L (Our range says it should be between 175 - 700 on the labs)
SHBG - 25nmol/L
Albumin - 47g/L

I googled the Free testosterone calculator. It asks for Testosterone to calculate Free Testosterone. Problem is, I only have the Free Testosterone number on my labs. I am confused as the calculator tells me the Free Testosterone but I already know that from my labs. I have a feeling I am missing info here.

I originally thout the 769 was your total t.

You need to know your total t and shbg (which you have already) in order to get your free t using the calculator.

 

[RR5]

I feel freaking Great. I wish I would have done this years ago. I am only 35 now but have been struggling with this saince late teens.

I did feel like things were best week 3-4 and then came down slightly. I wonder if my Test is a bit too high. I actually asked if I can bring my Free T down a little bit. I did also notice a very slight peak and valley from the weekly injections so I switched to EOD. It has only been a week but so far so good. The best part is I am now using 29g needles to inject into quad and delt. It is way better feeling than 25g 1.5". We will see how the blood test looks in 5 more weeks.

I wonder how the range on the labs here compares to the ranges discussed on this forum. I trust this forum more than the labs here. But the thing that matters is how I feel and I feel good so I am not overly concerned. Just trying to learn more. I don;t see total T on my lab form I only see Test am and pm in addition to Free Test.

I was trying to compare my results to the levels Nelson posted as being a decent range. That is what I was asking for what Total Testosterone in Canada would be. I started a thread in blood work that you could check out. It is all about comparing our blood work to what is suggested here.

 

[madman]

I feel freaking Great. I wish I would have done this years ago. I am only 35 now but have been struggling with this saince late teens.

I did feel like things were best week 3-4 and then came down slightly. I wonder if my Test is a bit too high. I actually asked if I can bring my Free T down a little bit. I did also notice a very slight peak and valley from the weekly injections so I switched to EOD. It has only been a week but so far so good. The best part is I am now using 29g needles to inject into quad and delt. It is way better feeling than 25g 1.5". We will see how the blood test looks in 5 more weeks.

I wonder how the range on the labs here compares to the ranges discussed on this forum. I trust this forum more than the labs here. But the thing that matters is how I feel and I feel good so I am not overly concerned. Just trying to learn more. I don;t see total T on my lab form I only see Test am and pm in addition to Free Test.

I was trying to compare my results to the levels Nelson posted as being a decent range. That is what I was asking for what Total Testosterone in Canada would be. I started a thread in blood work that you could check out. It is all about comparing our blood work to what is suggested here.

If your test am/pm is listed as nmol/L than that would be your total t.

Sure feeling relief/improvement from low t symptoms is what matters but you still need to use your lab ranges as a way to gauge where your testosterone levels (total t/free t), e2 levels as well as many other hormones/health markers to know if your levels are in a healthy range.

As we know testosterone levels above the normal physiological range are not needed to benefit from trt and free t is what really matters as it is the active fraction.

Most will do well having free t levels in the mid-normal or high-normal physiological range and it is highly doubtful anyone needs to be well over.

 

[FeelingLost]

Welcome RR5 always nice having new folks to talk TRT with.