Lab error?: 9 ng/dL on 150mg / week T

xqfq · Jun 4, 2019

Hi folks-

I stopped taking HCG while traveling (2 weeks since I've used HCG) and I wanted to use this as an opportunity to test my levels without HCG in my system. I got an interesting lab result from LabCorp (via Discounted Labs), to say the least!-

Current protocol is:

150mg testosterone enanthate, MWF (50mg, given subQ, taken ~56 hours apart)
HCG is on hold as I do these labs, but I'm directed to take 300 IU MWF.

Results, taken 2019-5-30 about 7 hours prior to my Friday injection:

SHBG: 45.3 nmol/L
E2 LC/MS/MS: 23.7 pg/mL (Range listed: 8.0-35.0)
TESTOSTERONE, SERUM: 9 ng/dL (Range listed: 264-916)
FREE TESTOSTERONE(DIRECT): 14.4 pg/mL (Range listed: 8.7-25.1)
Albumin: 4.3 (for reference, taken a few days prior in a CMP)

I'm assuming this is some kind of lab error, as I don't feel like I'm living at 9 ng/dL total testosterone.

This is just so weird to me. If it is a lab error, how common is this? Pretty crazy. Perhaps this result was given in "ng/mL" rather than "ng/dL?"

I'm re-testing Total Testosterone tomorrow.

fifty · Jun 4, 2019

Lab error. Seems to happen worryingly often.

xqfq · Jun 9, 2019

As expected, a repeated test a few days later showed a normal result:

TT: 1092 ng/dL
FT (direct): 20.9 pg/mL (range 8.7-25.1)

So chalk this up to a massive lab error. Pretty surprising.