So the Total T is the active form of testosterone?
His Free T is very close to the bottom of the ranges, it’s not a stretch of the imagination that this guy probably has low -T.
I think you’re fixating on the Total T too much. If @Newbie1 had a Total T at 325 with low SHBG and similar Free T levels, you would be singing a different tune. Aging men typically see an increase in the SHBG and Total T while the Free T decreases.
The Free T is where the rubber meets the road but apparently this escapes you.
Calm down, please get a grip dude! It’s my opinion that this guy is most likely suffering from low testosterone. I gave this guy contact information for reputable doctors.
As far as the disease state comment, no guy at 47 years old should be tired all the time.
Not that I’m a doctor, but how is any of this malpractice?
The Var may lower your SHBG, freeing up some FT, up to a point, then it’s going to swing the other way and lower TT so much that FT doesn’t go up anymore. Other than that, total estrogens isn’t really helpful, you need estradiol and should look at prolactin as well
Are we talking about you or are we talking about @Newbie1? If @Newbie1 has hypogonadism, then TRT is exactly what he needs and to sit here and say TRT will make things worse doesn’t correspond to all the studies, all five randomized, placebo control studies showing that the benefits outweigh the risks.
So the first thing I would look at, given his TT is definitely not low, is to WHY his FT isn’t better. If that’s even the reason he feels tired. Was there any thyroid work done? Sleep apnea? He mentioned feeling better with zinc, etc… Jumping on TRT isn’t the best solution here.
I was under the impression he was not on TRT, and he was taking the oxandrolone as a standalone product. If I misunderstood that, then I’ll edit my answer.
@Newbie1 I agree with this as well, but with the exception that you should get your Free Testosterone checked via Equilibrium Dialysis, and base your decision on that metric. I don’t see TT as being that useful a number when we can test the real item that should qualify/disqualify hypogonadism.
^If your FT comes back low (like bottom end or below reference range), then that absolutely warrants TRT when combined with symptoms IMO.
No consensus has been reached, defining, a testosterone deficiency, meaning no Total T, or Free T threshold. If the in range comment is your argument for defining normal testosterone, then your argument is weak, because ranges are 264-915 yet TRT is being offered to men at 300 and even higher up to 430 ng/dL per guidelines.
The average testosterone levels was 625 ng/dl in the 70’s, the average in 2013 – 2016 was 420 ng/dL. Normal is changing every so often and not for the betterment of mankind, so lets focus on what’s healthy, okay?
I’ve seen one study on men on TRT using 20mg daily Anavar that showed lowered TT/FT after a few weeks of use. It was only n=3, but they all saw the same response, IIRC. They were just metabolizing their testosterone before they got to their next injection, which is why I always supported injecting more often if SHBG is low.
For naturals, I theory was along the same lines, that eventually your body would not produce TT to match up with the metabolism of FT while on Anavar (or anything that lowered SHBG to single digits). Maybe that’s incorrect? I’ve only seen one study using 20mg Var and I don’t remember what their hormones were; they were looking at FFM and fat loss.
I guess there is also HPTa suppression to consider at higher doses, which would eventually lower TT and FT
Hi newbie1, no one can give you a treatment recommendation given the information at hand. Oxandrolone is not a long term solution. Could you benefit from TRT? Maybe, even probably, but is it the best way to go?
If you end up consulting with a TRT doctor (someone who does this for a living), you would be off to a good start. Sit down with an experienced professional and go over a complete medical history with a thorough lab work up. You’ll get a recommendation, maybe several options, and you can move forward from there. Good luck.
What I’m having a hard time understanding is the dissociation from SHBG and Albumin of testosterone. The complexes are transported to the cells and detached, with FT going to the AR? Or SHBG+TT never dissociates? Is the process the same for Albumin+TT? Is FT that is never attached to a transport protein entering cells directly?
This was my understanding, that once TT+ester releases from the oil deposit the chain is broken down over time and then TT registers in serum. From lab work the majority of this happens within the first 24-36 hours after an injection.
I have a very limited understanding of how all this works lol. But I’d like to know more about how TT is transported and enters into cells and the impact changing SHBG has on that
@systemlord
I contacted Dr. Rob K. you weren’t kidding about price, he’s expensive.
He want 5k to have access as a patient for the year, this doesn’t include any meds.
So I asked him for a blood work order, quest took 19 vials of blood insurance paid ~6k, my cost was $105.
I should have my results by Monday.
not sure if I’m going to become a patient Dr. K charges $500 to read the lab results, so we’ll see. I’m thinking I can use the results for a cheaper Dr. after I get his prognosis.
A few years ago he charged $2300 for a year retainer for services, guess the price went up but he is worth it and has people going from all over the world to see him, even from Nigeria.
I can’t remember what review site is was, but one had him at a 4.9 out of 5 stars reviews.
I don’t think you can do better than Dr. Rob for less money, you get what you pay for with Dr. Rob. He even offers extensive DNA analysis upwards of $8000 and can be on the lookout for disease before they become a problem and can even look at your mitochondrion cells.
If you went for full time treatment with Dr. Rob, it would be far cheaper than paying insurance premiums and receive more actual healthcare, not that sick care is healthcare/preventative.
Or you could focus on lifestyle changes to help with feeling tired. Your TT is sufficient. Figure out why your FT isn’t as high as you’d like. And why you’re producing too much estrogen (i’m assuming your E2 is high as well). Could even try low dose ai to see if it helps.
Jumping on TRT for life is a stupid idea at this point, and shame on other members for giving it such a solid thumbs up.
OPs symptom is he’s tired. Better hop on TRT! Bad bad advices in this thread.
If you are going to get on TRT anyway and need a TRT doc I can give you a referral to mine. It’s all over the phone and you get quality Testosterone mailed to you every couple months for cheap (blood work too) and you won’t have issues getting prescribed having a higher natural T level. My email is in my bio if you want the referral. They don’t pay me I just like to refer them because I have used them for years and never had an issue plus they are top notch and not crazy expensive. I had issues before with other providers so want to keep my doc in business.