Total T numbers

[Whereicomefrom]

Got a question about Total T numbers getting higher on lower doses. Been in Test Cyp for 5 to 10 years now. Numbers I'm giving are just from my memory so not exactly accurate and timing on doses is just guesses.

When I 1st started doc put me on Test Cyp injections 100 a week. Checked 6 months later and Total T was high 500's. I wanted between 700 and 800.

So he increases to 150mg a week. Checked again 6 months later was in high 600. He increases to 200mg a week and 6 months later was high 800's maybe low 900's can't remember. I was good with that and so was he until my next check up when my hematocrit was 54 and he freaked out. Dropped me back down to 150. I started giving blood to keep my hematocrit down. This went on for maybe a year or so and everything was good. I missed giving blood before my next checkup and my hematocrit was high again and my total T was in the 1300's. So he drops me down to 100mg, makes me give blood and tells me to make sure I take my shot 4 days before my next appointment. He had me come back in 2 months and check everything again and hematocrit was still high and total T was 1195. So now he's dropping me down to 50mg a week, give blood and come back in a month.

I know this is long and not very informative but my question is why is my Total T getting higher and higher? When I 1st started it took 200mg a week to get me in the high 800's and now 100mg a week has got me at 1195. Very confused.

Main reason I'm asking is because I fell like crap on 100mg and now he's going to drop me to 50, felt so much better when I was on 200. Libido has never been good on any dose. He won't test for anything other than Total T. Says if I want anything else tested he will have to send me to an Endo.

 

[madman]

Got a question about Total T numbers getting higher on lower doses. Been in Test Cyp for 5 to 10 years now. Numbers I'm giving are just from my memory so not exactly accurate and timing on doses is just guesses.

When I 1st started doc put me on Test Cyp injections 100 a week. Checked 6 months later and Total T was high 500's. I wanted between 700 and 800.

So he increases to 150mg a week. Checked again 6 months later was in high 600. He increases to 200mg a week and 6 months later was high 800's maybe low 900's can't remember. I was good with that and so was he until my next check up when my hematocrit was 54 and he freaked out. Dropped me back down to 150. I started giving blood to keep my hematocrit down. This went on for maybe a year or so and everything was good. I missed giving blood before my next checkup and my hematocrit was high again and my total T was in the 1300's. So he drops me down to 100mg, makes me give blood and tells me to make sure I take my shot 4 days before my next appointment. He had me come back in 2 months and check everything again and hematocrit was still high and total T was 1195. So now he's dropping me down to 50mg a week, give blood and come back in a month.

I know this is long and not very informative but my question is why is my Total T getting higher and higher? When I 1st started it took 200mg a week to get me in the high 800's and now 100mg a week has got me at 1195. Very confused.

Main reason I'm asking is because I fell like crap on 100mg and now he's going to drop me to 50, felt so much better when I was on 200. Libido has never been good on any dose. He won't test for anything other than Total T. Says if I want anything else tested he will have to send me to an Endo.

All your protocols using lower/higher doses were on once-weekly injections.

When first starting trt or anytime dose is increased/decreased hormones will be in FLUX during the weeks leading up until blood levels stabilize (4-6 weeks) and blood work should be done at 6 weeks to see where the said dose of T has your TT/FT/e2 levels let alone RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit, health markers.

Blood work needs to be done at true trough (lowest point) as you want to make sure your levels are not too high or low which can hinder the beneficial effects.

Even then once levels stabilize at 6 weeks it will take 2-3 months for the body to adapt to the new levels and during this time is when one should gauge how they truly feel regarding relief/improvement of low-t symptoms.

Too many make the mistake of gauging how they feel during the first 6 weeks of starting a new protocol which is not only misleading but will have you chasing your tail.

Many end up increasing their dose right away without giving their body time to adapt to those new levels.

In cases where T levels are still too low then a slight dose increase would be needed.

If blood levels are too low at the true trough then it will impact mood/energy/libido/erectile function/recovery and you will not reap any of the beneficial effects of having stable healthy T levels.

Seeing as you are injecting once weekly than to test at true trough you would need to have blood work done just before your next injection.

At least you stayed on each dose change long enough to avoid the 6-week mark where many go wrong.

Why your doctor waited 6 months between dose changes to check blood work is beyond me as it should be done 6-8 weeks after a dose increase/reduction as not only do we want to see where your TT/FT/e2 levels sit but we want to make sure blood markers are healthy as we are in this for the long-term.



Numbers I'm giving are just from my memory so not exactly accurate and timing on doses is just guesses.

When I 1st started doc put me on Test Cyp injections 100 a week. Checked 6 months later and Total T was high 500's. I wanted between 700 and 800.

So he increases to 150mg a week. Checked again 6 months later was in high 600. He increases to 200mg a week and 6 months later was high 800's maybe low 900's can't remember. I was good with that and so was he until my next check up when my hematocrit was 54 and he freaked out. Dropped me back down to 150. I started giving blood to keep my hematocrit down. This went on for maybe a year or so and everything was good. I missed giving blood before my next checkup and my hematocrit was high again and my total T was in the 1300's. So he drops me down to 100mg, makes me give blood and tells me to make sure I take my shot 4 days before my next appointment. He had me come back in 2 months and check everything again and hematocrit was still high and total T was 1195. So now he's dropping me down to 50mg a week, give blood and come back in a month.




Makes no sense that on 100 mg/week TT was 500s yet increasing your dose by a whopping 50 mg/week only had you hitting high 600s but as you stated Numbers I'm giving are just from my memory so not exactly accurate and timing on doses is just guesses.

200 mg/week would be a high dose for most and you were hitting 800-900s than you were dropped down to 150 mg/week and TT was 1300s than eventually, he drops you down to 100 mg/week again and TT was 1195 (not much lower than previous 1300 you hit on 150 mg/week).

Now he wants to lower your dose to 50 mg/week which seems absurd.

Unfortunately, we have no idea during this s***show where your FT levels sat or what your SHBG is let alone if blood work was done at true trough every time the dose was changed as you only mention that he just recently said to make sure you take the shot 4 days before your appointment.

Every time your blood work was done did he have you take your shot 4 days before blood work?

I would not even worry about where your past numbers were on said dose as now is what matters.

You keep going on about TT levels and although it is important to know FT is what truly matters as it is the unbound active fraction of testosterone responsible for the positive effects let alone you need to know where your SHBG sits as it is critical and can make or break a protocol.

You should be more concerned with where your FT level sits at the true trough on such protocol (dose T/injection frequency) and what your SHBG is.

For all, we know you could have low/lowish SHBG and even with a modest TT one can still have a really high FT.

Keep in mind that when injecting larger doses of T once weekly that there will be a big difference in the peak--->trough as T levels will peak 8-12 hrs post-injection and be high during the first few days only to be much lower come weeks end (trough) and blood levels will not be as stable throughout the week which can have a yo-yo effect on mood/energy/libido/erectile function/recovery.

Top it off with the fact that injecting larger doses of T once weekly will have a strong impact on driving up your hemoglobin/hematocrit.

You need to test your FT and SHBG which are critical to the overall effectiveness of a protocol.

 

[Whereicomefrom]

Thank you, some really good information there. He just told me about the 4 day thing probably within the last 2 blood test. In the past I tried to get him to test my E2 levels and he said he didn't believe Testosterone converted to estrogen and if I wanted any of those test he would have to send me to a Endo.

He has never tested my FT or SHBG, only Total T, PSA and of course CBC and Lipids.

So you don't think day 4 is when he should be testing? I should have it tested day 6 or 7?

 

[madman]

Thank you, some really good information there. He just told me about the 4 day thing probably within the last 2 blood test. In the past I tried to get him to test my E2 levels and he said he didn't believe Testosterone converted to estrogen and if I wanted any of those test he would have to send me to a Endo.

He has never tested my FT or SHBG, only Total T, PSA and of course CBC and Lipids.

So you don't think day 4 is when he should be testing? I should have it tested day 6 or 7?

Unreal and hard to believe you have been on trt this long.

You need to find a new doctor!

You want to test at true trough so 7 days post-injection just before your next injection.

I would seriously consider paying to get your FT and SHBG tested.


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Depending on where your SHBG sits you may very well end up doing better injecting lower doses more frequently.

 

[Whereicomefrom]

Thanks!! I'll get my own blood test and report back. Crazy doctors