On my last labs, sometime last year, injecting 100 mg IM, E5D, my free T was 260. Total was 889. E2(LC/MS/MS) was 42. Due for new labs.
I know that what’s on paper doesn’t correlate with how one feels and most of the time I feel exhausted. My longtime urologist scripted me for 200 mg per week and tells me that free T is an important metric. Hypothetically or in reality, would doubling my dose to increase free T, whether a single injection or splitting it, be beneficial?
Lab range?
Quest: Total 250-1100 ng/dl Free Testosterone: 30-135 pg/mL
Almost double, but rarely nocturnal erections & no morning wood. One erection around 10 p.m. No daytime erections. Been on and off rx testosterone since 2013.
Have you tried lowering your dose? More is not necessarily better. My libido is highest with Free T being in range. When I used to inject lots of T for a blast I would actually have worse libido. My two cents… too much or unrelated issues to T.
Tried various doses, frequency, method(IM, subq). E2, on which I’ve posted extensively, might be a factor. Also seeking psychological benefits. My life has become intensely stressful as my wife continues to decline from Alzheimer’s, in addition to my struggle with bipolar.
I know testosterone isn’t a panacea but I think there’s more that’s yet to be discovered and isn’t, simply because, outside of research studies, most doctors aren’t going beyond 200 mg, which I concede is a substantial dose that’s effective for most men. And to be clear, this isn’t about working out or creating a better body. I’m seeking an alternative to psych meds or drugs used off label. I don’t do well on drugs, period. I want better stress handling ability and, yes, return of sexual function. I’ve been sick and non-functional for 19 years and even with my wife’s illness, I’m not throwing in the towel at 72. Dementia kills the caregiver before it takes the life of the one with the disease. Fuck that. I’m so sad to watch what’s happening to my wife and it runs in her family. But, at the end of the day, I’ve got to do everything to stay healthy and testosterone is part of it.
Your Free T is double of any natural man, lower your dosage to 80 mg.
Not every man was built for high testosterone.
Absolutely. Less is more. I’d def go lower dose and explore without running FT 2x healthy range.
I see this often on T-Nation. I have been educated and have taught Measurement System Analysis from work for 6 Sigma projects. There is variation everywhere. MSA tests that the variation isn’t overly influenced by the Gage, but by the actual change in the “part”.
Do you feel 100% confident that the lab results are accurate? I am not familiar with the likelihood of an error in the blood tests.
The thought that OP’s Free Testosterone was double the upper limit, yet his Total Testosterone was within range would suggest to me to get another blood test.
FT testing is a big debacle right now and is far from perfect. I also based my recommendation on @mip1950 every 5 days protocol which puts his weekly dosage 100> mg and at almost 900 ng/dL, doubtful he is dealing with subpar T.
That is exactly what I do. I always test in the trough. That is the question. When did the OP test.
BTW, my last test the Total Testosterone was just shy of 900ng/dL, but it usually is in the mid 500’s.
All that said, the only reason I take testosterone is because I tested in the mid 200’s. I felt okay.
Is that with or without AI or didn’t matter?
I’ve only ever used an AI when I first started TRT. They threw the kitchen sink at me. After 6 months of changing protocols I advocated for myself and said let’s take an engineering or methodical approach. One new drug at a time. So I started T only and never needed anything else.
With regard to blasting I’ve used up to 500mg T solo with no issues other than a slightly waning libido.