Test Lab Results, History, New Dose

Training Over 35 Lifter
1

Just got my most recent lab results and donâ??t understand why my Total Testosterone (TT) numbers have dropped but I suspect it is from changing how I inject. The lower TT is probably why the free testosterone (FT) has dropped. The E2 is another story that I really donâ??t understand.

I felt like the FT was not as high as it has been since I had less energy and was needing to nap in the afternoon. That feeling had subsided or disappeared completely so when I feel like I need a nap in the afternoon Iâ??m now attributing that to a FT dropping. I changed my injection method to every other day (EOD) still keeping the 100mg/week but I began using the small .5 ml BD syringes with the little 31 gauge needles and injecting into the skin at the top of my leg below my hip.

I had been injecting in the top of the thigh with the 5/8 inch needle (25 gauge). After giving my last (May) blood sample I increased my Testosterone dose to 150mg/week divided into 40mg doses EOD and have been doing that now for almost a week so I guess I really have just started this new dose.

I gave the blood sample before giving myself that days T shot so it had been less time than previous test. In the past I have given the blood sample on Tuesday which was 3.5 days after my last shot. This last blood sample was only 2 days so I was expecting the total number to be at least as high as previously. I certainly did not expect it to be so much lower

The Estradiol (E2) makes even less sense so maybe the test method is not as accurate as Iâ??d like to believe it to be. I thought I was at my sweet spot since I had experienced very good morning and over night wood the days before giving the blood sample.

I had stopped drinking soy milk about April 12 (6 weeks ago) since it apparently was keeping my E2 levels up even after increasing my Arimidex dose to 1mg EOD. I kept taking the 1mg of arimidex EOD until my E2 level dropped through my sweet spot and I had very strong overnight and morning erections (April 22). I then stopped taking the arimidex and waited to see when my E2 levels would stop dropping and again pass up through my sweet spot (assumedly 21 pg/mL).

I keep daily notes so I was monitoring my symptoms closely. The nocturnal & morning wood did get worse but by May 5 it began to get better and by May 19th I felt I was at my optimum E2 level since my over night and morning wood was very strong. I gave my last blood sample on the following day. I also began taking the Arimidex at .25 mg EOD on 18th.but I doubt that had much to do with symptoms experienced on the 19th.

So what am I suppose to think about this reading of 36pg/mL. Iâ??ll double check the methodology to make sure it was the same procedure as previously but I thinking Iâ??ll rely on my own E2 meter until my next tests.

I increased my Testosterone dose from 28mg EOD to 40mg EOD and bumped the Arimidex up to .5mg EOD. So far (7 days) I cannot say I feel any better from the increase doses and I am still getting good but not great nocturnal erections.

I donâ??t really want to go back to the larger syringes but if I was getting an IM injection that was resulting in better assimilation maybe I should. On the other hand maybe just increasing the SQ does the way I have might be just fine.

As always I value everyone elseâ??s thoughts and appreciate your in put.

Lab results history

First results after starting injections of 100mg/week (twice a week injections of 50mg)
Using 5/8 inch needles in the top of the thigh.

September 2009
Total Testosterone = 994 ng/dL range something like 300 to 1000
Free Testosterone = 334 pg/mL I think this was just over the high of 300
E2 26 pg/mL the optimum is 22 or 21.

I recall I felt really good and actually finally started to put on weight and increase strength.

November 2009
Total Testosterone = 809 ng/dL
Free Testosterone = 273 pg/mL
E2 = 24 pg/mL

Thought my E2 was low due to low libido and poor morning wood but drinking lots of soy milk and now understand that the stuff was adversely affecting me.

January 2010
Total Testosterone = 902 ng/dL
Free Testosterone = 266 pg/mL
E2 = 27.1 pg/mL

March 2010
Total Testosterone = 770 ng/dL
Free Testosterone = 258.5 pg/mL
E2 = 28.5 pg/mL

May 2010
Total Testosterone = 645 ng/dL
Free Testosterone = 162.2 pg/mL
Bio Available T = 333.6 (range 110-575) units pending receipt of hard copy
SHBG = 15 (range 18-47) units pending
E2 = 36 pg/mL

2

Results from May: E2=36 would feel bad. SHBG=15 does not explain the low FT. E2=36 should drive up SHBG. Could you have some degree of diabetes? That can involve lower SHBG.

Some guys need to take 300mg T cyp per week, their bodies just make it disappear. Based on TT, I would like to see your T dose increased by 50%. Based on your old FT=334, that would suggest doubling your T dose. Maybe this increased metabolism of T is progressive and not always there as implied by my past experience with others.

Your TT:FT ratios [just the numbers] have this pattern: 2.976, 2.963, 3.391, 2.979, 3.976. Does this tell you anything? The last ratio suggests that something big has happened. Smaller numbers are desirable.

Transdermal T, gels, creams and patches, do not deliver IM. Pellets are SC delivery. All I can suggest is that you resume IM injections just to see if things feel better. You can do IM with #29 0.5ml 0.5" as well. Guys who need 300mg T cyp per week to only be high normal are typically injecting IM. So the IM/SC issue may not be factor for you.

You might be spilling T in your urine with other steroids that the kidneys typically spare. If you were taking high dose vit-D and your levels of vit-D25 were low, that would also indicate possible kidney issues. I have one guy taking large amounts of T and he needs to take 15,000iu of vit-D to get out of low range vit-D25. Do not know if his kidneys are spilling these steroids or not. So far, only a suspicion. Otherwise, I have no idea there the missing T goes.

I have needed to increase my T dose a lot to maintain FT in the last few years. But in my case, TT increased a lot too. Obviously I am making more SHBG, which is always seen to some degree with age [except for ?some? diabetics]. As I always maintain my E2 near 22pg/ml: in my situation, the increased SHBG is not from increased E2. Am I having an arms race of T dose VS increased SHBG increased by mechanisms that are not understood? It seems that way.

3

Thanks KSman for the review.

As I mentioned, I feel ok with respect to the E2. I really felt I was at me sweet spot and that is why I did the blood test at that time. So do you think it could be an innaccurate test number. The only reason I think it could be accurate is that I had stopped taking the arimidex for some time thinking I was low as I mentioned.

As far as the diabetes, I sure hope not. I donâ??t think I have any symptoms of it as far as I know. Is the lower SHBG a problem, I did not think that it was.

Regarding my dose increase, I did already increase my dose up to 150mg/week divided into EOD injections. Iâ??ll also inject using the 5/8 needles again as I have in the past. I never had anyone like a nurse confirm that my previous method of injecting on top of my thigh was in fact an IM injection but I suspect that it was since I tended to feel the affects with in several hours sometimes. Specifically sometimes I get a bit warm or not be able to sleep or just have a lot more energy several hours later in the day. Iâ??ll keep you posted on that.

Regarding the numbers and the ratio of TT to FT. If E2 is allowed to rise as it did to 36 would that affect the FT number or is the FT number solely a result of aromatization. In other wards, does having higher levels of E2 affect the rate or amount of aromatization.

Regarding the kidney issues, I can ask for the vit-D25 analysis with my next blood work if you think itâ??s worth looking at now. I do take 2000 iu of D every day.

Regarding my anastrozole. I have to assume that the .25mg EOD was good but as I mentioned, I increased it after each lab test up to 1mg EOD and the E2 never dropped. I assumed that was from the Soy milk. I read back through my daily notes and itâ??s clear when I had really strong spontaneous or nocturnal erections but I never really had any ED or other signs of low or high E2. I did experience mussel cramp last summer before getting the anastrozole so I know what number in the 40s feel like. I have increased my arimidex to .5 mg to go along with my increase in testosterone dose. It might be more than necessary but itâ??s easy enough to stop taking.

Any idea if the nose bleeds are tied into any of this some how.

4

Is BP good?

Aromatization is driven by concentrations of free T or weakly bound T [such as albumin bound T]. SHBG-T cannot aromatize. Increased E2 will not have a major effect on this.

When E2 increases, SHBG increases and then there is more SHBG-T with less FT/bio-T. Now you gave less T that ca can activate T receptors and more estrogens parking in T receptors that block the action of less active T. Then add the effects of what estrogens are doing via estrogen receptors and the effects of that for your mind and body. Getting meaningful lab results requires steady T levels and steady anastrozole levels.

That should be all of the guidance that you need.

Lower SHBG levels are something that many would love to have. Probably not a problem to any degree, but can be a symptom of diabetes. I can’t recall if this is an effect of glucose or insulin. It is your low SHBG and low FT that are perplexing. Steady hormone levels and good lab timing can eliminate some uncertainties that these things might be protocol artifacts.

Remember to include lab units. That is very important for FT. Changing to a different lab creates great uncertainty.