Low E2 With No AI Use

Pharma TRT
1

Hello-

I’ve been on TRT for 4 years years. 49yo, good physical shape, clean diet, lifts 4-5X a week. Took a while to dial my protocol in but I’ve found 50mg T.Cyp twice a week, 300iu HCG 3X/week, and no AI and this protocol has worked pretty decent.

However, about three months back, I started noticing I wasn’t feeling as good…lack of energy, poor sleep quality, not much appetite, anxiety, and what seemed to be water weight loss. I assumed it was just life and waited it out.

It didn’t get better so I made an appointment with my doc and she ran labs (was due to see her in June).

TT: 351 (300-890 ng/dL)
FT: 108 (47-244 pg/mL)
E2: 11 (<61 pg/mL) This is non-sensitive; I know it should be, asked but doc runs standard.

None of these numbers make any sense, especially low E2, which would explain the symptoms I’ve been having. For reference, labs from 12/28/2020:

TT: 821 (300-890 ng/dL)
FT: 235 (47-244 pg/mL)
E2: 28 (<61 pg/mL)

Any ideas on what may have caused this?

Thanks!

2

The standard test is fine for the majority unless you have inflammation (+C-reactive protein).

3

E2 is low because testosterone is low. The FT/E2 ratio is about the same as the labs drawn last year.

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4

My first thought would be that 12/20 labs were not drawn a trough, or a dose or two was missed (May). Past that, quality control, expired product, lab error? I don’t think any of that applies. Big difference between the two and since you’re four years into this, I doubt you made a mistake. Sorry, but yeah, it doesn’t make sense to me either.

5

@systemlord @highpull

Thank you both for your response. I’ve frequented this forum for a long time and find it quite educational.

Highpull, the 12/20 labs were drawn on trough, as were the recent labs. And I doubt it’s lab error, as I’m experiencing the aforementioned symptoms. Your suggestion about quality control makes the most sense. I get my test cyp from Empower and have never had an issue but I guess it’s plausible it’s gone bad or lost its potency?

Thanks for the assistance.

6

Easy to check, repeat the test. I’ve seen some dramatic differences two weeks apart. Doesn’t happen often, of course, but does happen. Big drop from December.

7

Agreed. I’ll get a retest.

Also, are you aware of any labs I could sent a sample of the test cyp to and have them analyze it for potency and/or quality?

Thanks

8

I agree, test is low. So perhaps time to switch up to EOD shots or raise the dose a bit. If SHBG is low too, it should give you both unbound E and T. What is your RBC, and HCT? I always feel okay with high HCT, but once my RBC count goes up, I feel malaise. I donated blood recently and wow what a difference.

9

My labs, for the last three years, have been very similar to the 12,20 labs, so my protocol has been working fine.

RBC was 4.93, HBG was 16.4, and HCT was 48.2 and SHBG is 27. All these values have been consistent over the last few years.

10

I am not. We looked into this a few years ago with Quest, but ended up not doing it (just did a retest),so I don’t remember how far it went with them.

11

That’s on the low side, but it’s not like LOW-low.

Just realized these are the new labs. What changed? TT is low, e2 is low, big shift from your December labs

Edit: did you happen to change from IM to SQ injections?

12

You can order home test kits. Palumbo sells some on his website.

13

I usually feel great with E2 in the mid 20s-mid 30s.

And no, no changes, always IM. No changes in anything, dose, injection frequency, and I’ve been stable for over three years.

14

So odd. If you weren’t also feeling worse I’d guess just lab error

15

Yes indeed but it’ll run you about $300 I eve live after shilling and testing. Jano seems to be the go to.

That palumbo kit I believe will only tell you if it’s test or not, not what strength it is per ml

16

Agreed. If I didn’t have symptoms, I’d blow it off as lab error. But I feel like crap.

I’m going to call my doc and asked her to call in a script to a local pharmacy for 2 or 3 1mL bottles (which is 4-6 weeks of test cyp) and see if I improve.

17

Is Jano a lab I can send a sample to?

18

He sure is

https://www.janoshik.com/

He will tell you exactly what’s in it and exactly how much.

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