Dialing in my TRT - Recent bloods - DHEA on floor.

[unknownwhom]

I’m currently in the middle of decreasing my dose due to high e2 issues that I did not want to mitigate by AI use. The following labs were taken while taking 100mg a week split Monday morning and Thursday evening. IM. Labs drawn Thursday morning on day 14 of new 100mg protocol.

E2 sensitive - 34 pg/ml - < = 29 pg/ml
SHBG - 38 nmol/L - 10-50 nmol/L
Total T - 824 pg/ml - 250-1100 pg/ml
Free T - 148.4 pg/ml - 35-155 pg/ml
DHEA sulfate - 25 pg/ml - 93-415 mcg/dl
Ferritin - 77 ng/ml - 38 - 380 ng/ml
Hematocrit - 44.2%
Progesterone - <0.5ng/ml - <1.4ng/ml
Prolactin - 10.6 ng/ml - 2.0-18.0ng/ml
Iron - 156mcg/dl - 50-180mcg/dl
Iron % Saturation - 56% - 20-48%
Total cholesterol - 162 - <200mg/dl
Hdl - 64 - > 40 mg/dl
LDL - 85 - <100mg/dl

All in all, I’m very happy with these numbers. I’m sure in 4 weeks when I get retested in my trough, it’ll be even more dialed in. I also know it can take 6-8 weeks at a particular dose to know what it’ll feel like being settled in at that dose.

I had been dealing with increased anxiety, episodic heart palpitations, subpar sleep and fatigue. Things are getting better. However, not 100%.

Questions. My DHEA is on the floor. Should I consider supplementation or introducing HCG? Should I wait until 6-8 week mark on 100mg and see how I feel? Also my ferritin is on the lower side but my iron saturation % is high. Not sure what to make of this. Thoughts?

 

[Nelson Vergel]

My DHEA is on the floor. Should I consider supplementation or introducing HCG?

Are you on corticoid steroids or supplements that increase cortisol?

 

[unknownwhom]

Are you on corticoid steroids or supplements that increase cortisol?

No corticosteroids. Standard vitamin pack. 200-350mg of caffeine daily.

 

[Systemlord]

I had been dealing with increased anxiety, episodic heart palpitations, subpar sleep and fatigue.

Ferritin - 77 ng/ml - 38 - 380 ng/ml

Keep a close eye on your ferritin, because I had all of these symptoms for years with ferritin <80. I’m on TRT and have a history of iron deficiency, multiple times. Tomorrow if I miss my iron dosage, my sleep suffer that night and all of those symptoms you mention come back in full force.

DHEA supplements will increase estrogen.

 

[unknownwhom]

Keep a close eye on your ferritin, because I had all of these symptoms for years with ferritin <80. I’m on TRT and have a history of iron deficiency, multiple times. Tomorrow if I miss my iron dosage, my sleep suffer that night and all of those symptoms you mention come back in full force.

DHEA supplements will increase estrogen.

Thanks for the words.

I think I’m going to stay the course without changing anything for another 4 weeks and get bloods around the 6 week mark. If I see an uptick in dhea and ferritin, I may wait it out to see if my body naturally brings them up. If they aren’t, I’ll add minimum dose.

What do you suggest to bring ferritin up if my iron levels are fine?

 

[unknownwhom]

Keep a close eye on your ferritin, because I had all of these symptoms for years with ferritin <80. I’m on TRT and have a history of iron deficiency, multiple times. Tomorrow if I miss my iron dosage, my sleep suffer that night and all of those symptoms you mention come back in full force.

DHEA supplements will increase estrogen.

Also, i have attached my iron levels at the same time when ferritin was around 78.

Considering supplementing. Why would my iron saturation be high? I’m also highly active. CrossFit. 6 times a week. I do a lot of endurance training.

 

[Systemlord]

ferritin was around 78.

Why would my iron saturation be high?

Transferrin saturation is often elevated in patients with HFE-linked hemochromatosis.

Transferrin Saturation - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

www.sciencedirect.com

An elevated transferrin saturation in the presence of a normal serum ferritin level rarely indicates significant iron overload but may be a marker that iron overload may develop over time in that patient.

 

[unknownwhom]

Keep a close eye on your ferritin, because I had all of these symptoms for years with ferritin <80. I’m on TRT and have a history of iron deficiency, multiple times. Tomorrow if I miss my iron dosage, my sleep suffer that night and all of those symptoms you mention come back in full force.

DHEA supplements will increase estrogen.

@Systemlord, I got blood work again yesterday after being @ 100mg weekly of Test C. This was around the 8 week mark of new dose. To my surprise, ferritin decreased further and iron is now on the low side.

Ferritin is @ 64 - 38-380 range - ng/mL
Iron - Total is @ 79 - 50-180 range - mcg/dL
Saturation % - 27% - 20-48 range %

Through research, I’ve read that iron can change a lot throughout the day. Where ferritin is a more stable number.

What supplement would you recommend?

 

[Systemlord]

What supplement would you recommend?

https://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/iron-28-mg-300-capsules/vs-1203

 

[Th3Dud3]

Out of curiosity, for people that are testing with low iron: do you consume the RDA of iron through foods and it's an absorption issue?

 

[Systemlord]

TRT utilizes more iron in the creation of hematocrit and hemoglobin, decreasing ferritin in the process. Also, T injections maintains near static testosterone levels 3-4 days after injection, whereas naturally, testosterone declines rapidly each day.

 

[Th3Dud3]

TRT utilizes more iron in the creation of hematocrit and hemoglobin, decreasing ferritin in the process. Also, T injections maintains near static testosterone levels 3-4 days after injection, whereas naturally, testosterone declines rapidly each day.

A bit off topic, but I've read about a link between oxygen levels in the blood and graying of hair. Out of curiosity, did you notice any increase in gray hair during your time with low iron levels? If so, any improvements once you rectified your ferritin levels?

 

[Systemlord]

Out of curiosity, did you notice any increase in gray hair during your time with low iron levels?

Yes, quite a lot, especially on the sideburns, most of the grey hairs are gone! My mother actually made the comment about my missing grey hair.

I have been iron deficient or low iron multiple times now, recently do to the shop running out of the iron to which I respond well.

Finely got it back in stock after two months, grey hairs came back, but not like when I was deficient.

I have also notice at times during my hair cut, my bald spot is gone, and appears again.

 

[Th3Dud3]

Yes, quite a lot, especially on the sideburns, most of the grey hairs are gone! My mother actually made the comment about my missing grey hair.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's great to hear. I've had a pretty big increase in graying after starting TRT, and putting two and two together thinking this might partly be the cause. I started taking an iron supplement about a month ago. I'm taking Thorne Ferrasorb, 1 cap per day.

 

[Gman86]

Yes, quite a lot, especially on the sideburns, most of the grey hairs are gone! My mother actually made the comment about my missing grey hair.

I have been iron deficient or low iron multiple times now, recently do to the shop running out of the iron to which I respond well.

Finely got it back in stock after two months, grey hairs came back, but not like when I was deficient.

I have also notice at times during my hair cut, my bald spot is gone, and appears again.

Where do u like ur ferritin to sit again? Or a range that u like it perhaps

 

[Systemlord]

Where do u like ur ferritin to sit again?

My pre-TRT ferritin was 128, on TRT ferritin needs to be 80> to feel good consistently. Currently I’m trying to get it back up there closer to 100.

I don’t need iron supplements off TRT. I had to increase my iron supplements, as I was never taking enough to begin with.

I need 5.5 capsules of iron, 28 mg each or 154 mg iron daily.

I have never got to my pre-TRT ferritin levels.

 

[FunkOdyssey]

My pre-TRT ferritin was 128, on TRT ferritin needs to be 80> to feel good consistently. Currently I’m trying to get it back up there closer to 100.

I don’t need iron supplements off TRT. I had to increase my iron supplements, as I was never taking enough to begin with.

I need 5.5 capsules of iron, 28 mg each or 154 mg iron daily.

I have never got to my pre-TRT ferritin levels.

Did you ever try this guy's "raising ferritin FAST" protocol?

Raising ferritin FAST (a how-to, not a question)

Hi all, I started TRT in 2001 and have been giving blood over the years and have always had issues with recovering my ferritin. Long story short, I got tired of waiting for others to do the research, so I did it myself, created a protocol, hired a hematologist in May 2021 who thought it could...

www.excelmale.com

 

[Systemlord]

Did you ever try this guy's "raising ferritin FAST" protocol?

Raising ferritin FAST (a how-to, not a question)

Hi all, I started TRT in 2001 and have been giving blood over the years and have always had issues with recovering my ferritin. Long story short, I got tired of waiting for others to do the research, so I did it myself, created a protocol, hired a hematologist in May 2021 who thought it could...

www.excelmale.com

I’m afraid I can’t split my dosages up like that, if I miss one capsule or even a quarter of a capsule, in the morning, even with ferritin at 98, I have problems with fatigue, IBS/diarrhea and diabetes control, until such time I take the remaining iron supplement.

If I take the iron supplement all at once, I don’t have those problems throughout the day.