Would you commit to TRT to take your levels from 500 to 900

[Alpin]

500 TT doesn't tell us what "free T" is Available??
He may or may not feel like shit at this level.
Personally I would lean away from the TRT for such a mediocre jump but keep in mind.....
900 TT on TRT is night and day vs 500 NATTY TT.
Do u guys even know of diurnal fluctuations???
Yes u may have 500 TT at 8 am but by evening you could be at 300 TT.
With TRT your T levels are solid!!!
Meaning no diurnal swing...
I would also look into a sleep study and see what I could do with that 500 TT.
Basically if u have 500 TT....You have alot more room to play with(vs a guy that has 250TT) and try some goodies before committing to life long TRT...

 

[MJF]

I don't know exactly how high my levels get, but on my trt of 100mg per week, my bkood tests come back at around 600. I have had one as low as 400 and one as high as 900.

For clarification I will add that I inject on Saturday and also do my blood work on the following Saturday before injection. That is when following dr's orders. So my test levels 3 days after injection arw higher than the 600 I get 4 days later. If my dr saw 1100, he would shit.

 

[Jimstigator]

I don't know exactly how high my levels get, but on my trt of 100mg per week, my bkood tests come back at around 600. I have had one as low as 400 and one as high as 900.

For clarification I will add that I inject on Saturday and also do my blood work on the following Saturday before injection. That is when following dr's orders. So my test levels 3 days after injection arw higher than the 600 I get 4 days later. If my dr saw 1100, he would shit.

Exactly. So at your absolute lowest point of the week, just hours before you start to climb again, you are at 600! Your peak is obviously much higher. Do I think this is bad, nope, not even in the slightest.

I just think its an odd phenomenon this place has, where we all run TT levels nearing 1000, but jump all over guys who are at 400-500, stating we "would kill to have those levels". No we wouldn't. We would want to be on TRT.

 

[MJF]

I can guarantee you if I could restart my natty test and be at 500, I'd ditch trt. I'm not jumping on the op though. Just giving my opinion.

But, again, in fairness I'll say that if 500 left me feeling as bad as my 200 did and having to take anti-depressants, and all that, I'd get backnon trt

 

[Jimstigator]

I can guarantee you if I could restart my natty test and be at 500, I'd ditch trt. I'm not jumping on the op though. Just giving my opinion.

But, again, in fairness I'll say that if 500 left me feeling as bad as my 200 did and having to take anti-depressants, and all that, I'd get backnon trt

Right, agreed. Apollon made a good point about free T. SHBG/free T plays a big role, but we often just ignore it.

 

[Gossamer]

I just think its an odd phenomenon this place has, where we all run TT levels nearing 1000, but jump all over guys who are at 400-500, stating we "would kill to have those levels". No we wouldn't. We would want to be on TRT.

No, I wouldn't. I'd much rather have a natural t level of 500, than be on trt possibly for the rest of my life. Sure, going from a T level of 170, to where I am now(under 1000), made a huge difference in my life. I feel like a normal me again. But, if I could go back to 2 1/2 years ago, and be guaranteed a 500 test level, I'd much rather take that natural level, than rely on drugs for the rest of my life.

 

[Jimstigator]

No, I wouldn't. I'd much rather have a natural t level of 500, than be on trt possibly for the rest of my life. Sure, going from a T level of 170, to where I am now(under 1000), made a huge difference in my life. I feel like a normal me again. But, if I could go back to 2 1/2 years ago, and be guaranteed a 500 test level, I'd much rather take that natural level, than rely on drugs for the rest of my life.

You may be right, who knows. I hit rock bottom at <100 TT so I didn't face that on the fence struggle. The reality is, I probably wouldn't even know what my testosterone levels were if I was still just living my old life. Ignorance is bliss!

Unless someone I know shows major symptoms, I generally discourage them from getting tested. Just not worth knowing sometimes...

 

[Roush]

I just think its an odd phenomenon this place has, where we all run TT levels nearing 1000, but jump all over guys who are at 400-500, stating we "would kill to have those levels". No we wouldn't. We would want to be on TRT.

I wouldn't want to be on TRT if my natural test levels were 500. I'd do like MOST guys do, run 6-14 week long cycles of AAS a couple times a year and do PCT and hopefully recover back to 500.

the reason 500 is considered in the 'normal' range is because it is actually NORMAL. there is NO problem that exists with normal testosterone levels. thus no valid need for treatment. If you wanna run testosterone and cycle AAS for other reasons, that's cool. but that is not TRT, that is 'using' exogenous compounds for physical enhancements



what you seem to be saying is that once guys get a 'taste of running gear', they like having high levels and thus don't want to go back to normal. Fine. thats true with most guys that run gear. I agree

 

[Gossamer]

But my level is 425.

If you are having low T symptoms, then by all means, get checked out. From what I've read, some need to have a higher total T level than others, to feel normal.

I can only speak for myself when I say that I wish there were another way to feel normal, other than relying on drugs for the rest of my life.

 

[panzers]

I would not go on TRT if my natty level was 500.

 

[christianbber]

I would at least consider it depending on my goals... if I tested 500 or lower consistently for months.

Lenex - for every guy who says no, ponder what they keep their TT levels are at. I bet you 1000 to 1 they don't run them at 500 or even close to that. Most around here are 800-1200. Its easy to say no when you have a TT of 1000 around the clock.

My entire body structure has changed since getting on TRT. Also - to say there is no difference between 500 and 900 is incorrect in my experience, as I notice major differences.

The real question is how optimal do you want to be? I side with the Joe Rogan point on this one... its your body, and if you want it to be or feel different, then do something about it.

I think the feeling between 500 --> 1,000 is dependent on that individual person.

I was at 198 and then 434... now I am at 1200 and yes I noticed a massive difference.

I have friends who can drink coffee and then stop the day after and feel fine...
If I stopped coffee I would be in bed for an entire week and I only have a large ice from dunkins (150mg caffeine).

I have friends who can drink alcohol and feel fine the day after.. I would be on the couch exhausted all day.

I have friends that can take an adderral one day and feel fine the next.... not me.

I believe each person feels chemicals... hormones differently.

The only way to truly see if there is a different between 500 --> 1000 is to try it yourself .

 

[halfwit]

This is easy.

TRT is for a medical condition (as Roush has been stating), if you don't have a medical condition - it's cruising. Yes, ANYONE will feel better (all things being equal) on a higher dose of testosterone, but that's not the question posed either.

Just calling a spade a garden tool.

 

[IMT staff]

Did you get your free T and estradiol tested?

 

[CobraMustangSVT]

Exactly. So at your absolute lowest point of the week, just hours before you start to climb again, you are at 600! Your peak is obviously much higher. Do I think this is bad, nope, not even in the slightest.

I just think its an odd phenomenon this place has, where we all run TT levels nearing 1000, but jump all over guys who are at 400-500, stating we "would kill to have those levels". No we wouldn't. We would want to be on TRT.

I said it before and I'll say it again, I'd kill to be at 500 natural. I did the 1000's T level and I felt better in the 600's. For all the trouble that we all go through with TRT, and this forum, and many others are rife with them, I don't see why anyone would voluntarily go through all the trouble. Blood donations, therapeutic phlebotomies, E2, doctors fucking with you, insurance fucking with you, etc, etc., I would have to be stupid to go through all that just to jump a few hundred points. I'd rather change my lifestyle, exercise more, eat healthier

 

[Graeme]

There's a Testosterone Management Tool on the Nebido website at:

https://nebido.com/tools/index.php/en/default/index/management-tool

It divides patients into three categories, based on their testosterone levels, and suggests TRT if:

• Total testosterone is lower than 250 ng/dL, after follow-ups to determine cause
• Total testosterone is between 250 and 350 ng/dL
• Total testosterone is over 350 ng/dL, but free T is below 8 ng/dL

I had blood tests back in August, and these were my levels.

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 (= 6.7 ng/dL) (170 - 670)

According to the Nebido website, my disappointingly low free T level would indicate that I was a candidate for TRT despite my total T being around 500 ng/dL. OK, the values chosen might be at the higher end compared with what some endocrinologists might use in order to sell more product, but they're not completely off the scale.

I'm also pretty certain that if I posted the above in a thread saying, "I wanna go on TRT" then I'd be ripped a new one.

 

[Alpin]

"Free T calculated" is not always accurate....
I've had mixed results with it.

 

[halfwit]

There's a Testosterone Management Tool on the Nebido website at:

https://nebido.com/tools/index.php/en/default/index/management-tool

It divides patients into three categories, based on their testosterone levels, and suggests TRT if:

• Total testosterone is lower than 250 ng/dL, after follow-ups to determine cause
• Total testosterone is between 250 and 350 ng/dL
• Total testosterone is over 350 ng/dL, but free T is below 8 ng/dL

I had blood tests back in August, and these were my levels.

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 (= 6.7 ng/dL) (170 - 670)

According to the Nebido website, my disappointingly low free T level would indicate that I was a candidate for TRT despite my total T being around 500 ng/dL. OK, the values chosen might be at the higher end compared with what some endocrinologists might use in order to sell more product, but they're not completely off the scale.

I'm also pretty certain that if I posted the above in a thread saying, "I wanna go on TRT" then I'd be ripped a new one.

Do you by chance have a thyroid issue? Hypothyroidism can elevate SHBG, which drives down free testosterone. I know there are a few things that can cause elevated SHBG, but that's easily the most common. (treatable too)

I don't think there's an assay to directly measure free testosterone; as all lab reports I've seen use total with albumin and SHBG to calculate free. I could be wrong, but I've never seen a direct method - even with LC MS MS methods.

Testosterone, LC/MS/MS

 

[Graeme]

Thanks Halfwit.

My thyroid panel back in August was pretty unremarkable:

TSH: 1.26 mU/L (0.5 - 5.0)
FT4: 16.7 pmol/L (11.0 - 22.0)
FT3: 4.5 pmol/L (3.2 - 6.4)

SHBG has dropped since then, it was 35 and 37 nmol/L in two draws in December. T levels are down too though, so I can't win.

I've got a thread over in the Men's General Health forum, so rather than clutter this one up...

steroidology.com/forum/men-general-health/683167-possible-gynecomastia-causes.html

 

[eagle110]

i agree

 

[Cap'n]

there is NOT a big difference from normal 500 level of test and 900 levels of test.. there would be NO reason to get on TRT and all the negatives that come with it if your levels are normal at 500. You probably wouldn't even notice the increase.

I went from 500 to 850 with Clomid and there was a huge difference.