Ask Anything You Want about TRT Thread........

When a person starts TRT when should they get their first blood work? I've read 6 weeks most frequently but didn't know if this was a hard and fast rule. Would sooner, say 4 weeks, not be enough time for saturation?
 
Does anyone have any figures for what counts as a low calculated level of free testosterone?

The numbers that I've found are:

  • The ISA, ISSAM, EAU, EAA and ASA - 65 pg/mL.
  • The ISMH - 250 pmol/L, or 72 pg/mL
  • The Nebido Testosterone Management Tool (via a no doubt cherry picked article in the American Journal of Medicine) - 80 pg/mL
The Endocrine Society says to use the lab's measure for direct free testosterone, which is likely to be 50 pg/mL to 90 pg/mL. This tends to be a slightly lower number than calculating it.

I'm possibly (or borderline) hypogonadal on FT according to two of my three draws. Just looking for confirmation.

19th August

T: 18.5 nmol/L (= 534 ng/dL) (9.7 - 27.8)
SHBG: 67 nmol/L HIGH (17 - 56)
Free T (calculated): 231 pmol/L (= 67 pg/mL) (170 - 670)

7th December

T: 12.8 nmol/L (= 368 ng/dL) (9.9 - 27.8)
SHBG: 37 nmol/L (17 - 56)
Free T (calculated): 243 pmol/L (= 70 pg/mL) (170 - 670)

10th December

T: 16.1 nmol/L (= 464 ng/dL) (9.9 - 27.8)
SHBG: 35 nmol/L (17 - 56)
Free T (calculated): 339 pmol/L (= 98 pg/mL) (170 - 670)
 
When a person starts TRT when should they get their first blood work? I've read 6 weeks most frequently but didn't know if this was a hard and fast rule. Would sooner, say 4 weeks, not be enough time for saturation?

Six weeks is the general rule of thumb. But sooner if complications arise.
 
Does anyone have any figures for what counts as a low calculated level of free testosterone?

The numbers that I've found are:

  • The ISA, ISSAM, EAU, EAA and ASA - 65 pg/mL.
  • The ISMH - 250 pmol/L, or 72 pg/mL
  • The Nebido Testosterone Management Tool (via a no doubt cherry picked article in the American Journal of Medicine) - 80 pg/mL
The Endocrine Society says to use the lab's measure for direct free testosterone, which is likely to be 50 pg/mL to 90 pg/mL. This tends to be a slightly lower number than calculating it.

I'm possibly (or borderline) hypogonadal on FT according to two of my three draws. Just looking for confirmation.

19th August

T: 18.5 nmol/L (= 534 ng/dL) (9.7 - 27.8)
SHBG: 67 nmol/L HIGH (17 - 56)
Free T (calculated): 231 pmol/L (= 67 pg/mL) (170 - 670)

7th December

T: 12.8 nmol/L (= 368 ng/dL) (9.9 - 27.8)
SHBG: 37 nmol/L (17 - 56)
Free T (calculated): 243 pmol/L (= 70 pg/mL) (170 - 670)

10th December

T: 16.1 nmol/L (= 464 ng/dL) (9.9 - 27.8)
SHBG: 35 nmol/L (17 - 56)
Free T (calculated): 339 pmol/L (= 98 pg/mL) (170 - 670)

4g21ra.jpg
 
Thanks Megatron.

I suspect that the above chart is showing direct, rather than calculated, free testosterone. There tends to be a discrepancy in the values, although it's fairly consistent. Calculated is probably around 30% higher than direct.

There's a lot of inflation of what constitutes low testosterone. A lot of it seems to be from people trying to push product.
 
Thanks Megatron.

I suspect that the above chart is showing direct, rather than calculated, free testosterone. There tends to be a discrepancy in the values, although it's fairly consistent. Calculated is probably around 30% higher than direct.

There's a lot of inflation of what constitutes low testosterone. A lot of it seems to be from people trying to push product.

In the US, the general consensus is hypogonadism is defined as TT below 300ng/dl. Borderline Hypogonadism is when TT is below 350ng/dl coupled with low Free T.
 
In the US, the general consensus is hypogonadism is defined as TT below 300ng/dl. Borderline Hypogonadism is when TT is below 350ng/dl coupled with low Free T.

Thanks.

I saw a paper earlier that suggested measuring free T would be a better way of diagnosing hypogonadism than TT.

Here's an overview and an abstract.

medscape.com/viewarticle/844903
endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0037/ea0037oc2.4.htm

The low free T group (calculated free T under 6.3 ng/dL) had more symptoms than the low TT group (TT under 300 ng/dL).

Of course it doesn't really make any difference in my case because the lowest reading of my free T is 6.5 ng/dL. My issues are down to depression and possibly high cortisol (getting it checked is on the to do list). Just trying to eliminate other possibilities.
 
Six weeks is the general rule of thumb. But sooner if complications arise.

Thank you. I don't have any complications, per se. But I don't feel like I'm getting the full benefit yet at my low dosage (50mg x 3.5 days). But I've also only had 7 injections thus far with #8 being tomorrow morning.
 
Another question from me, i have been given the ok to self inject and im going to go with 2x a week, however my script is primoteston depot 250 prefilled 1 ml syringes, what is the best/easiest way to transfer the oil into 4 seperate syringes? squirting straight outta the syringe into the other syringes? or maybe drawing the oil out of the pre filled syringe with the other needles?
 
Another question from me, i have been given the ok to self inject and im going to go with 2x a week, however my script is primoteston depot 250 prefilled 1 ml syringes, what is the best/easiest way to transfer the oil into 4 seperate syringes? squirting straight outta the syringe into the other syringes? or maybe drawing the oil out of the pre filled syringe with the other needles?

It would be preferred to have your doc prescribe a 10ml multi-use vial of testosterone and syringes/needles. Don't do the prefilled thing.
 
Another question from me, i have been given the ok to self inject and im going to go with 2x a week, however my script is primoteston depot 250 prefilled 1 ml syringes, what is the best/easiest way to transfer the oil into 4 seperate syringes? squirting straight outta the syringe into the other syringes? or maybe drawing the oil out of the pre filled syringe with the other needles?

An easy way to do this would be to buy some 3-way stopcocks and fill your syringes that way.

You could also back fill your syringes to achieve your goal. Technically not the most sanitary way to do things, but many guys do it without issue.
 
Anyone have good results with 1/2mg of Adex a week on 200MG Test Cyp weekly? I read that 1/2 mg typically works for 100mg weekly but was curious if anyones had luck with 1/2mg. Got Adex finally yesterday and wanted to start .25mg twice a week for now.
 
Anyone have good results with 1/2mg of Adex a week on 200MG Test Cyp weekly? I read that 1/2 mg typically works for 100mg weekly but was curious if anyones had luck with 1/2mg. Got Adex finally yesterday and wanted to start .25mg twice a week for now.

I take .25mg of adex, 500iu hCG and 100mg Test Cyp twice a week.
 
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