New member with blood tests

[Cataceous]

Appreciate we have a daily cycle, but why do my T levels vary so much on different days, weeks etc when they are taken at the same time each day?

There are many factors that influence natural testosterone production, including: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, and even situations involving dominance and competition.

 

[madman]

The measured (estimated) concentration of testosterone circulating in human serum is dependent on numerous variables. The factors that play an important role are as follows:

Method of measurement (including interferences) -- analytical;
Age -- physiological;
Time of day and season of year -- physiological;
Intra-individual variation -- physiological;
Nutritional status and weight -- physiological;
Influence of circulating LH concentrations -- analytical/physiological;
Presence and effect of relevant binding proteins -- analytical/physiological.

Figure 1 Example from one subject of the diurnal rhythm in total testosterone and corresponding LH in normal young men. Samples were taken every 30 min over a 24-h period. The figure illustrates the profound fall in testosterone concentration from morning to evening along with the pulsatile pattern of LH secretion and the lack of correlation between testosterone and LH

Figure 2 Intra-individual variability in serum total testosterone in eight normal men aged 25–60 years in samples taken between 09:00 and 10:00 h (-♦-) and between 16:00 and 17:00 h (-■-) on at least six separate days over a one-month period




Conclusion

Laboratories should be aware of the limitations of an automated direct estimate of serum testosterone. Provided that the level is unequivocally in the reference range (412.5 nmol/L) or unequivocally low (o7.0 nmol/L), this will probably give an acceptable reflection of gonadal status. When a borderline result is obtained, (between 7 and 12.5 nmol/L) the factors mentioned above which influence serum testosterone concentration should be borne in mind and in these cases a further, early-morning sample should be analysed for total testosterone, SHBG, LH, FSH and prolactin, along with an estimate of free or bioavailable testosterone.



OP looking over your labs your TT/FT levels are definitely sub-par and if you also tested at a TT of 8 nmol/L than your TT/FT levels would be horrible to say the least.

I would definitely look into trt as you stated you are experiencing symptoms and although blood work is critical.....treating symptoms is what truly matters.

TT level of 8-12 nmol/L is considered the grey area and in such range most men will experience low-t symptoms.

Also keep in mind that although TT is important.....FT level is what truly matters as it is the unbound active fraction of testosterone responsible for the overall beneficial effects.

Low/borderline low FT levels will have a negative impact on overall health/well-being of an individual.