New Member is Canada w/ pre-TRT bloodwork

[ratbag]

Also aside of taking Selenium taking some baking soda daily could be a game changer for auto-immune diseases

Drinking baking soda could be an inexpensive, safe way to combat autoimmune disease: study

 

[Canada878]

Thanks ratbag. Been taking 200mg selinium per day.

Any comments from anyone on the high ft3 number? What about my shitty iron?

 

[Vince]

Thanks ratbag. Been taking 200mg selinium per day.

Any comments from anyone on the high ft3 number? What about my shitty iron?

It looks like your free T4 is high but because your free T3 is not too high personally it wouldn't be concerned. Your iron is low because of donating blood, I've never supplemented with iron. We do have some threads on people that do, supplement their iron.

 

[Canada878]

Thank you Vince. One more things. I’ve seen my SHBG go up from 30 pre trt to 50 after 10 weeks. So total test has gone up but free test is the same b/c of increased SHBG. I’ve read that this is normal after starting TRT (something about increased insulin sensitivity) but i an wondering if there is any way to bring that SHBG down a bit. TIA

 

[Vince]

Thank you Vince. One more things. I’ve seen my SHBG go up from 30 pre trt to 50 after 10 weeks. So total test has gone up but free test is the same b/c of increased SHBG. I’ve read that this is normal after starting TRT (something about increased insulin sensitivity) but i an wondering if there is any way to bring that SHBG down a bit. TIA

It is pretty hard to lower your shbg. I know when my testosterone increases also my shbg increases, but my free testosterone increases. I'm surprised that yours doesn't increase, it should.

I have read that boron can lower your shbg, I do supplement with 3 mg twice a day also good levels of vitamin D3 can help.

 

[Canada878]

It is pretty hard to lower your shbg. I know when my testosterone increases also my shbg increases, but my free testosterone increases. I'm surprised that yours doesn't increase, it should.

I have read that boron can lower your shbg, I do supplement with 3 mg twice a day also good levels of vitamin D3 can help.

Thanks again Vince.

More unfortunate developments in my treatment. Last week finally found a doctor in Canada that said she’d prescribe test for me. Showed up at the pharmacy to find out that she ordered testosterone enanthate instead of cypionate. When i told the pharmacist that this is the wrong medication she said that it was the one prescribed and that the ONLY test they have that comes in a “multi use bottle” is enanthate.

Can I just get the “single use” rubber stopper of cypionate and use the bottle multiple times? Will the medication really be “unstable” if I puncture the rubber stopper multiple times?

This is beyond frustrating. I feel good on cypionate and am not interested in changing that part of my protocol rn. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[madman]

Thank you Vince. One more things. I’ve seen my SHBG go up from 30 pre trt to 50 after 10 weeks. So total test has gone up but free test is the same b/c of increased SHBG. I’ve read that this is normal after starting TRT (something about increased insulin sensitivity) but i an wondering if there is any way to bring that SHBG down a bit. TIA

If anything higher doses of androgens lower ones SHBG.....if it has increased than something else is causing it.....aside from ones genetics playing a role in SHBG levels many other factors can alter it.

No reason to stress over switching to enanthate from cypionate as they are basically interchangable as cypionate ester is only slightly longer acting.

Both esters (enenthate/cypionate) come in multi-dose vials.

In Canada Delatestryl (enanthate) is commonly prescribed as it comes in a higher strength/ml ( 5 ml vial @ 200 mg/ml) where as Depo-Testosterone (cypionate) is a lower strength/ml but larger vial ( 10 ml vial @ 100 mg/ml).....it also comes in a higher strength/ml same size vial ( 10 ml vial @ 200 mg/ml) but is only prescribed in the US.

Delatestryl would be more efficient especially when injecting sub-q as one can use a lower volume of oil per injection due to the higher strength which can lessen the chance of one developing lumps/pain at injection site as some experience this when injecting sub-q.

 

[madman]

Thanks again Vince.

More unfortunate developments in my treatment. Last week finally found a doctor in Canada that said she’d prescribe test for me. Showed up at the pharmacy to find out that she ordered testosterone enanthate instead of cypionate. When i told the pharmacist that this is the wrong medication she said that it was the one prescribed and that the ONLY test they have that comes in a “multi use bottle” is enanthate.

Can I just get the “single use” rubber stopper of cypionate and use the bottle multiple times? Will the medication really be “unstable” if I puncture the rubber stopper multiple times?

This is beyond frustrating. I feel good on cypionate and am not interested in changing that part of my protocol rn. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Multi-dose vials are meant to be used over a period of weeks to months depending on ones dose and that requires puncturing the neoprene rubber stopper whether once/twice/thrice/EOD/ or daily during the week depending on ones injection frequency.

The testosterone will not degrade over a few months time!

I been on trt for almost 2 years strictly sub-q injections abdominal fat and I started using Depo-Testosterone (cypionate) for the first 8 weeks and was on once weekly injections.

After 8 weeks I switched to Delatestryl (enanthate) twice weekly (every 3.5 days).....never blinked an eye!

 

[Canada878]

Thanks madman.

I wonder then, what caused my SHBG to shoot up? I know I had read in a few other threads that some people reported that theirs did as well. In either case, i’m wondering if there is anything I can do to lower it again.

 

[madman]

From your previous post pg.2

5) still waiting on the estradiol sens result but i feel like the estrogen has gone up. Less low estrogen symptoms for sure. Test level looks good? Free test the same as before trt but thats cause SHBG went from 30 to 50 almost. I read this is normal but any way to bring it down a bit? Rather than inject more T? Hematocrit is a bit high. Will talk to my doc about donating but i really need to get those iron numbers up!

By the way i’ve felt a TON better since starting TRT. Not 100% for sure but a big improvement in energy, mood, strength (a little bit) and libido (a little bit). Sleep has been bad the last 3 weeks and i’m thinking if i go down to 1.5 grains it will improve? Also still waiting on second round of 4x salivary cortisol testing results. Previous one showed evidence of adrenal fatigue. Recently started taking a cortisol supplement that seems to be helping. Waiting on these results to see if hydrocortisone is indicated or not.




I would say seeing as at 8 weeks in (trt protocol) from blood work your TT is now 30 nmol/L which may seem descent when in fact your SHBG has increased from 30----->49 nmol/L your FT still needs to come up more.

When using the calculated (Vermeulen) method for Free & Bioavailable Testosterone taking your TT 30 nmol/L (864.6 ng/dL) and your SHBG of 49 nmol/L your FT is only 1.83% and your BT is 42.8%.

Most men do well with FT 2-3% of TT.

Unfortunately we do not know where your e2 sits on your current protocol as you are still waiting on your results for the estradiol sensitive assay (LC-MS/MS).

 

[Canada878]

From your previous post pg.2

5) still waiting on the estradiol sens result but i feel like the estrogen has gone up. Less low estrogen symptoms for sure. Test level looks good? Free test the same as before trt but thats cause SHBG went from 30 to 50 almost. I read this is normal but any way to bring it down a bit? Rather than inject more T? Hematocrit is a bit high. Will talk to my doc about donating but i really need to get those iron numbers up!

By the way i’ve felt a TON better since starting TRT. Not 100% for sure but a big improvement in energy, mood, strength (a little bit) and libido (a little bit). Sleep has been bad the last 3 weeks and i’m thinking if i go down to 1.5 grains it will improve? Also still waiting on second round of 4x salivary cortisol testing results. Previous one showed evidence of adrenal fatigue. Recently started taking a cortisol supplement that seems to be helping. Waiting on these results to see if hydrocortisone is indicated or not.




I would say seeing as at 8 weeks in (trt protocol) from blood work your TT is now 30 nmol/L which may seem descent when in fact your SHBG has increased from 30----->49 nmol/L your FT still needs to come up more.

When using the calculated (VERMEULEN) method for Free & Bioavailable Testosterone taking your TT 30 nmol/L (864.6 ng/dL) and your SHBG of 49 nmol/L your FT is only 1.83% and your BT is 42.8%.

Most men do well with FT 2-3% of TT.

Unfortunately we do not know where your e2 sits on your current protocol as you are still waiting on your results for the estradiol sensitive assay (LC-MS/MS).

I will post E2 the minute i have it. So if E2 is low still then upping test dose might be a good idea? If it’s high or adequate then what? Thanks again madman.

 

[madman]

Opposite effects of thyroid hormones on binding proteins for steroid hormones (sex hormone-binding globulin and corticosteroid-binding globulin) in... - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Canada878]

Thank you for the link. Very interesting. Guess we’ll wait and see what E2 is

 

[madman]

Thank you for the link. Very interesting. Guess we’ll wait and see what E2 is

 

[Canada878]

Very interesting. I wonder if lots of people (like myself) start treatment with Defy or another provider that gets them on NDT and TRT at the same time and then at follow up they mistakenly think that it was the test (and not the NDT) that brought up their SHBG. Good info. Thanks

 

[Canada878]

Estradiol sensitive came back at 28pg/mL (range 8-35)

 

[Canada878]

Estradiol sensitive came back at 28pg/mL (range

Estradiol sensitive came back at 28pg/mL (range 8-35)

Sorry for the double post @madman would love you 0.02 on the estradiol sens result and where i should go with regard to test and NDT dosage

 

[Canada878]

Just when i thought things were starting to look up for me I have bad news.

My doctor in Canada refused to follow through with our plans for her to start prescribing me medication (because I have had a multitude of issues) getting them from Defy) and now I am out of medication.

I guess i’ll spend the forseeable future experiencing hormone hell.

Wish me luck

 

[Canada878]

Update:

Moved to 76mg 2x week to try to up FT
Added: 25mg pregnenolone per day

Feeling better than ever before. Especially in the few weeks after making the changes. Since then i’ve felt high e2 symptoms creep up including a gain of 8 pounds of what I assume in water weight (considering my diet hasnt changed). Will be interesting to see what my FT and e2 are at. I feel as if the FT went up and bit after bumping up the dose which had my feeling great. Then as e2 crept up in the following weeks i felt not quite as good.

Assuming i’m right it’s fixeable. Just wonder what the best way to do it might be. Up the anastrozole? Go to M/WF? Lab tests to come in a few weeks.

Ken

 

[Gman86]

Update:

Moved to 76mg 2x week to try to up FT
Added: 25mg pregnenolone per day

Feeling better than ever before. Especially in the few weeks after making the changes. Since then i’ve felt high e2 symptoms creep up including a gain of 8 pounds of what I assume in water weight (considering my diet hasnt changed). Will be interesting to see what my FT and e2 are at. I feel as if the FT went up and bit after bumping up the dose which had my feeling great. Then as e2 crept up in the following weeks i felt not quite as good.

Assuming i’m right it’s fixeable. Just wonder what the best way to do it might be. Up the anastrozole? Go to M/WF? Lab tests to come in a few weeks.

Ken

Hey man, so would you be able to post your current protocol of everything you’re taking each day, like supplements wise? I’m curious about what you’re doing in regards to iron supplementation. My ferritin is low, and I’m wondering if I should try building it up a bit. Thanks.

Oh, I also am trying to get my thyroid optimized atm, I had labs drawn yesterday. Would you mind including what your NDT protocol is?