Androgel Cold-Turkey?

[Scenmed]

My new physician has taken me off Androgel 1:62% gel that I have applied 2 pumps for the past 6+ years due to the bloodwork results attached. She asked me to discontinue it's use 100% for at least 2 weeks so we can redo the labs at that time. I'm on day 4 of no Androgel and am concerned the "cold-turkey" approach she's suggesting is not the best idea. My total T readings are usually between 400 and 800 so this reading of 1295 ng/DL has her disturbed. For some reason she did not order the test that reads available T but has agreed to do it that way in 2 weeks. She also thinks the RBC and Hemo high readings are related to the Androgel. I also take 10mg of DHEA every other day and have discontinued that as well.
Any input from this community is truly appreciated!
THANK YOU! Cliff

 

[Systemlord]

She also thinks the RBC and Hemo high readings are related to the Androgel.

A high albumin, hemoglobin, and RBC is an indication you may be dehydrated.

The hemoglobin is barely a mild elevation, I think your doctor's overreacting.

You'll be hypogonadal within days, so waiting 2 weeks is rather cruel and unusual.

My total T readings are usually between 400 and 800 so this reading of 1295 ng/DL has her disturbed.

My Total T two and a half weeks ago was 1052 ng/dL and now is 772 ng/dL.

You should be drawing labs 2-4 hours after application of AndroGel.

When are you drawing labs in relation to your application of your AndroGel?

 

[Scenmed]

This lab draw was 12 hours after the last application of gel. I'm thinking it's better to go to 1 pump daily until next test and avoid the potential mood swings, etc.

 

[Systemlord]

This lab draw was 12 hours after the last application of gel.

I'm sorry, but this is wrong. Your levels are more than likely much higher that what you're seeing in your labs.

I think it's best to find a new doctor.

 

[Scenmed]

I may do that but since I'm on day 4 of cold turkey I was seeking ideas that I could implement in the meantime. Thanks for replying!

 

[Pacman]

I once went off cold turkey from Androgel and had the worst time in the world, because my idiot physician decided that was a good idea while I went from daily gel to weekly shots.

I doubt that it is physically dangerous, but psychologically it may be a challenge to deal with.

Also Androgel is quickly in and out. So if that's your only source of testosterone, what's the point of waiting two weeks? Go 5 days without it, and take a blood test. See where your levels are at. If you only applied two pumps a day, by day 5 you will almost certainly be hypogonadal or close to it.

 

[Scenmed]

On day 5 I applied 1 pump (instead of my daily 2 pumps) in order to avoid possible negative symptoms. Of course it's guesswork and not a sustainable solution due to psychological factors (mostly placebo...)
I 'll move the blood draw up a week.
Thanks Pacman for the reply!
Anyone else have experience with discontinuing Androgel for weeks at a time so I can pass info along to my doctor who might benefit from this anecdotal knowledge?

 

[Pacman]

Anyone else have experience with discontinuing Androgel for weeks at a time so I can pass info along to my doctor who might benefit from this anecdotal knowledge?

What is important is your personal experience, not others'. Different people react differently. I personally do not react well at all to a heavy drop in testosterone, others don't react as bad.

Your long term health is the most important. Even if you stop for two weeks to see if the bloods improve it's not going to harm you in the long term (or even short term). You will just start feeling a bit down in my opinion. Or maybe you will freak out lol.

What is strange to me though is that your doctor is taking you off cold turkey when you are on a therapeutic dose. Yeah you have some stuff out of range, but it's not like way off the charts.... You are just SLIGHTLY out of range on all those marked blood test markers.

Additionally, your BMI and blood pressure are good. BP is basically nearly perfect. Being 65 with BP like that, that's very good news!

To me personally it would make more sense to halve the dose and see how that feels for two weeks and run bloods again. This is also one blood test alone. Sometimes there are flukes, it could happen.

If something is really concerning, it's wise to run at least one additional test to confirm those findings (assuming it's not an emergency like insanely high blood pressure or whatever).

I am not your physician though, so who knows maybe she sees something in the larger picture here that we do not.

 

[Scenmed]

Agree with your comments and appreciate the input! I came to the same conclusion - half dose and retest in a week or so. She would have mentioned larger picture issues if she was aware of any - I hope. Thank you

 

[Systemlord]

Agree with your comments and appreciate the input! I came to the same conclusion - half dose and retest in a week or so. She would have mentioned larger picture issues if she was aware of any - I hope.

In reality I don't think your doctor has a plan and doesn't know what to do, because if you restart androgel at the same dose as before, the outcome will be the same.

Your doctor also has poor communication, she just leaves you in the dark about what's going to happen next.

 

[Scenmed]

In reality I don't think your a doctor has a plan and doesn't know what to do, because if you restart androgel at the same dose as before, the outcome will be the same.

Your doctor also has poor communication, she just leaves you in the dark about what's going to happen next.

That does indeed seem to be the case. She spends 8 minutes with me and has to move on so I don't expect a well thought out plan is brewing in her mind. I'm ok with that - it forces me to do some homework and be in charge of my own health. She's a GP and not an endocrinologist so I suspect her knowledge on this subject is still expanding. Perhaps I would be better off with contacting DEFY?!

 

[Systemlord]

Perhaps I would be better off with contacting DEFY?!

Definitely or at least ask your GP to send you to an endocrinologist. Your experience might not be all that different though.

You're basically playing the doctor lottery.

 

[Pacman]

She's a GP

This is most likely the problem. She's literally going by the book. Even endocrinologists a lot of the time unfortunately go by the book and do not deviate as needed (and it is often needed).

This is largely due to the stigma of anabolics in our society.

With hormones and hormone therapy, as long as your bloods are good what matters most is how you feel.

it forces me to do some homework and be in charge of my own health.

That's a big problem if you have bad sources of information. There's a lot of pseudoscience mixed in with the real science out there.

Even from sources I trusted I have received bad info in the past.

Hormone therapy is a lot more about experimenting your way to your ideal dose and stick with that (assuming bloods are good), at least in my experience it has been like that. And I have seen others report similar experiences.

Perhaps I would be better off with contacting DEFY?!

Yes. It's probably gonna cost you more than seeing your GP, but the service will be way faster and you will be in contact with people who could actually help you out more efficiently.

 

[sammmy]

Higher testosterone than your usual may be due to applying Androgel at a more absorbent place than your usual place. Androgel has instructions where it should be applied and where it should not.

Another strange thing are in your blood work are lowered platelets and maybe elevated for you white blood cells (see what your typical level is), which could be a sign of an infection.

 

[Scenmed]

Higher testosterone than your usual may be due to applying Androgel at a more absorbent place than your usual place. Androgel has instructions where it should be applied and where it should not.

Another strange thing are in your blood work are lowered platelets and maybe elevated for you white blood cells (see what your typical level is), which could be a sign of an infection.

Hi Sammmy - I'm a 6+ year user of Androgel so application has been the same since day 1. My WBC count is within range and yes, the platelets are low but within the normal range. Maybe you meant RBC and Hemoglobin? Thanks

 

[sammmy]

Within normal range can still indicate a problem, you have to compare to your usual typical average levels. Are your WBC elevated and Platelets decreased compared to your average levels?

 

[Scenmed]

These are the results of the new test 2 weeks after my original posting. I went to 1 pump of Androgel 1.62% per day for the past 2 weeks instead of the usual 2 pumps. Again, I'm a fairly active gym going 65 year old. Can anyone shed light on what these new numbers reflect - I would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone before my doc interprets (and possibly changes my Rx) these numbers. Thank you!! Cliff

 

[Systemlord]

These are the results of the new test 2 weeks after my original posting. I went to 1 pump of Androgel 1.62% per day for the past 2 weeks instead of the usual 2 pumps. Again, I'm a fairly active gym going 65 year old. Can anyone shed light on what these new numbers reflect - I would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone before my doc interprets (and possibly changes my Rx) these numbers. Thank you!! Cliff

The timing of lab testing will greatly effect the result, with that said did you test at the same time as your prior lab test?

Also, your free T percentage is low and your Free T level is underwhelming. How you feel is more important than a lab number when talking about hormones.

 

[Scenmed]

The test was at the same time of day. I feel OK, however, I have been challenged (many years) by a hearty case of tinnitus and it often affects how I'm feeling. I'm not making any connection between tinnitus and my use of Androgel - I suppose I'm saying it's often difficult to say how I'm feeling due to anxiety/tinnitus. What is usually considered the most pertinent number on this particular test? Thank you for replying!