T levels

[chaz_in_transit]

I got my T levels checked last week the day after my shot, and my levels came back 402 (acceptable male range is 350-1100).  Can it really be that low after a shot, or do you think they might have gotten the test wrong

Comments

[youngstudlyboi]

IANAD, but I think 402 is somewhat low. When I had my levels checked for the first time after the 1st three months, I was at 391 so my dose was increased. I'm not sure if getting your levels checked after your shot is responsible for that low of a dip in T levels (and by "after", how much do you mean, i.e. right after your shot, a day, three days, etc.?) but my doc tells me that I should always get my levels checked on the morning on the same day of my shot BEFORE I take my shot. I can't say whether or not increasing to 120mg/week is a "safe bet". From what you say your T levels are, it would seem to me that increasing your dose is probably fair game. However, without knowing what your levels in all your other body functions are (liver panels, cholesterol, hematocrit/hemoglobin, etc.) it's hard to make a judgment about how much your dose should be increased, and because I Am Not Your Doctor, I wouldn't make that call anyhow. If I were you, I'd give your doctor a copy of Nick Gorton, M.D.'s book ... )

[chaz_in_transit]

Thanks man. Along with the T level test I had a fasting CBC/CMP/Lipids panel done, and everything came back with good numbers. I think I'm gonna have a go at raising my dose then get my bloodwork re-done after 6 weeks. I appreciate your realistic view of it, I've been freaking myself out a little bit about having low T.

[youngstudlyboi]

What the others said about if you're satisfied with masculinization, etc, sex drive, too, didn't think of that one.

[xftranny]

are you informing your md of this increase in dose first?

[sebastian_bound]

T level isn't everything. Mine was 276 last time, but I'm still getting body hair and other changes that I want with no problem, so I'm happy.

Also, if you haven't given it to your doc already, Nick Gorton's medical guide is useful, as well as getting her in touch with other docs that have trans patients. I know that medical centers like Mazzoni are usually happy to talk to other docs about care.

http://www.nickgorton.org/

[anderov]

[Standard IANAD, but I have had similar concerns in the past, and this is at least in part what my doctor related to me.]

As sebastian_bound above observed, levels are not everything. You've been on T for 1.5 years; if you've gotten/are getting the changes you're looking for, than your T level is probably fine. The range of "acceptable" is huge - 350-1100 means that the difference between the lower bound and the upper bound is more than 300%! Levels *can* be a warning sign that something's off, but the only real measure is how *you* feel, and how *your body* is processing/changing.

If you're concerned about your rate of progress, then you should obviously look into adjusting the dose, but if you're doing fine, upping your dose is only going to increase your acne and increase your T costs.

[xftranny]

I agree with most of this except to say an increase in dose when you're in male range may not, especially after 1 1/2 years on T increase any changes. I've tried everything over the past 5 years and to no avail. After about 2-3 years I decided that I'd rather be good to my liver and blood count (t can raise your red blood cell count increasing chances of stroke/heart attack) and float in low male range. I am basically where you're at, OP. I used to be obsessed with my levels ... but decided to just live in male range and live my life not worrying about it anymore.

[xxweaponx]

I think that if you are continuing to have the masculinization you want, have a good sex drive, are able to orgasm without difficulty (low T levels can impact this), are not feeling fatigued, and everything is going well, you can probably not worry about it.

Additionally, when taking peak tests for exogenous testosterone, it should be a FULL 24 and up until a FULL 48 hours post injection. If your test was just a few hours before, you may have inadvertently taken a trough(lowest) level reading. With that in mind, if you want to get a handle on lab numbers, maybe you can reschedule a draw for next month, and then do your inject like 36 hours before you go get the lab work done. If your levels are still low, take it from there. However, as I mentioned, if you are doing just fine, you may decide that lab values be damned, you don't need to worry about it.

[chaz_in_transit]

Thanks for all that. I am overall pretty happy with changes... Frustrated with my total lack of facial hair but I think that's genetics. My test was about 18 hours after my shot, so maybe that's all it is.

You've got me interested in these numbers about T levels post-injection. Do you know of any information I can access that would give me a better understanding of how the body processes T? I'd like to understand it better. I've googled it some but usually the results return with either "ask your doctor" or pages of medical jargon that I can't sort out.

[xxweaponx]

Well, I'm mostly just going by my own job's procedures for doing peak and trough testing, so I don't really have anything other than pages of medical jargon that I am not really allowed to share outside of my job. But maybe if you search something like "what is the point of peak and trough lab testing" something like that, and you should get some basic info on the concept of doing those kinds of tests.

Do you know if you were supposed to be getting peak tested? Or were they like, "Hey, let's test your levels, too?" If no one told you you were getting peak levels checked, why not ask your doctor to do a peak/trough check? Then schedule your peak for 24-36(48 at the longest) hours post injection, and your trough for the day before your next injection is due.

[chaz_in_transit]

I think they threw in the levels check as an afterthought, they didn't ask any questions about timing. I will definitely look into that.

[prettyboicris]

It is possible for T levels to be low the day after your shot because for some folks it takes 24-48 hours after the shot for the injection to hit it's peak so you may have just not peaked yet. I have seen guys take dosages such as your and want to change solely based on labs then find that they have more negative side effects and actually see slowed changes.

Are you wanting to change it because of a number or because of an insufficiency in changes?

[xftranny]

agreed, I got serious hot flashes which were awful at work every morning for 6 months after increasing my dose 10mg/wk and I was floating in low male range, always have. This changed once I dropped back down the 10mg a few weeks ago.