Interesting blood test question

[JCain]

For those that do not know I am on HRT. Every six to 12 months I go to the doctor and get my testosterone levels checked to see if the therapy is going well, and I receive a renewed prescription. Here's my question:

If I take DHT or 19-nortestosterone derived AAS along with my HRT dose, will these affect my test levels? They aren't testosterone so they shouldn't inflate the scores, and I will continue the HRT dose so I wouldn't be suppressed. The test is for total and free testosterone. They don't check for SHBG or estradiol levels unless I don't feel the dose is working correctly, but I'd be interested in how these would stray from the norm in this situation.

Thanks for the input.

 

[thebrick]

I am on HRT also... go in every 6 months to my doc for my psa and test levels blood work and frankly, I always play it safe and make sure I am not using anything for at least 6 weeks out

 

[mung]

A very good question and I would be interested in the answer as well. I started TRT about 3 weeks ago and "feel" much better overall...Androgel at 5mg/day. Yes, I am huge already!

My initial blood work came back with everything spot on except test levels and prolactin. The former being low and the latter being high...as you might have guessed.

Are either of you guys on gh along with the test? I am scheduled to go back for my first check up at the end of September and am going to speak with my GP about getting on gh. I am looking for experience with TRT versus HRT and how you feel/felt with the added gh to the test. Thusfar, the test has made me "feel" better but am curious about adding gh.

What does a GP or specialist use to determine a patients need for gh?

Thank you!

 

[allbeef]

Hey Bro

I am glad you are huge as I maintain HRT will never allow you to grow, but can blunt your loss of mass when you are an old guy. Like Brick, if I play around on the treatment plan, i make sure I am clean and go in to my six months appointment having allowed more than enough time for anything that would drive my numbers up to clear. In my case that may mean stopping everything on August 1st except regular OTC supplements. Restarting my HRT on August 20 Calling my Doctor for the lab requisition form on the 21st and making an appointment for the middle or late September. It takes 10 days for the labs to get processed so they are available at the time of my appointment.

What you don't want to be is high or your HRT will be adjusted down. If you are real concerned then maybe make your day prior to the lab test a little light as far as your HRT dosages. Now please don't flame me for this, you make your own medical decisions and I make mine. I have an awesome HRT doctor and he is not going to over prescribe HRT and I may just be a big enough nut to want to skew the lab numbers every now or then. But always down not up. No one will know what effect alot of these psuedo AS sups have on your lab values so don't play with them 45 days prior to seeing your doctor.

At least in my opinion which should always be weighed against your conscience, advice of others, and common sense in regards to these things.

Allbeef

 

[TestPolska]

Don't mean to be nosey here but what kind of doseages do they have you guys on for HRT? If this is crossing a line I appologize and please disreguard the question.

 

[Massive G]

Other injectables will not raise free test levels.
I know a guy that drops his test for 2-3 weeks and increases his deca tren and dbol for a few weeks and gets his HRT script filled. He gets 400 mg per month.
Me I grow like a weed on HRT when they get my doses in the 800ng/dl range. Which is usually 10 grams of androgel.

 

[allbeef]

I don't mind sharing

My doctor trys to maintain the normal cycle of a testosterone that elevates in the morning and early afternoon but falls off towards evening. Injectable oils keep test blood levels up around the clock. I take 30mg Buccal tab that sits between my gum and cheek and gives off testosterone over 12 hours. I also take 2 sublinqual trouches that are 75mg each of test and include some AO and DHEA. The buccal tab 30mg is a far better delivery system and actually gives me a higher blood level of Test than the 150mg Trouches do. But I used to be on 300mg (4 trouches ) a day and the buccal tab but I didn't clean up and went in to lab draw high which is why I am warning the bro who posted the question. I also use 0.25mg armidex EOD, 2mg Procepia ED.

Allbeef

 

[mung]

Thanks for info Allbeef! As thebrick indicated, about 45 days worth of being off any additional supps? Great advice and I have not touched anything yet, so I won't until after my first checkup, but I hear what you are saying about massaging the numbers. I will wait and see how the current therapy is working and I'll go from there.

TestPolska, I am on Androgel at 5mg/day or a whopping 35mg/week. Only time will tell what that does to my overall numbers and will require time and a viable testing sample.

Getting huge off 5mg/day is only for those of us with elite genetics. I am now able to graduate from the pink dumbells to the red ones...sometimes with a spotter.

Massive, you doing 10mg of Androgel a day? Are there varying concentrations of Androgel? And if I throw in some deca for my joints, ~200mg/wk, it won't alter my testing numbers?

 

[JCain]

HRT dose

I am prescribed 200mg test e EOW, but I do 100mg/week since I inject myself.

I didn't plan on being "on" while getting tested, but was curious of the mechanisms. Here's an interesting story for you guys. It's somewhat unrelated to the thread, so if you know anyone that might know an answer point them towards this thread. Let me know what you think. I posted this on another forum today, so I'll just copy/paste the text here...

--------------------
So I ended a cycle of test and masteron a couple weeks ago, and two weeks ago I had my cholesterol checked. While I was there the doctor (a new doctor, as I'm going to a new school this year) kept pushing me to get my testosterone levels checked.

He saw that I listed my HRT (100mg/wk Delatestryl, which is test E) and thought we should check up on that. I'm a larger guy and pretty young, so he probably thought it was unnecessary or some bullshit.

Anyway, I repeatedly told him that I had my testosterone levels taken care of through an endocrinologist, that I ONLY wanted cholesterol (no T, E, CBC, etc. which he was pushing for), and I finally told him that I had it checked at my previous school about four months ago and that it was fine.

So he tell me that is fine and that it's up to me and that we'd do cholesterol. I go to the lab check-in and ask the nurse what the blood test is for and she replies that it is for cholesterol. I say okay, blah blah...

Come today I'm talking to the nurse for a routine blood pressure check and she asks me about the testosterone. I tell her that it wouldn't cause any BP problems since it's just an HRT dose. She proceeds to tell me that they did test for testosterone and that it came back something like 2400 on a reference range of 80-400. I am f-ing pissed at this point.

I tell her that I've been messing with my diet and some OTC supplements that could potentially alter my T levels during the test, and she just looks at me skeptically. So I tell her that I'll make an appointment to get the levels rechecked to make sure nothing is wrong.

I repeatedly said I only wanted cholesterol checked and even asked the lab tech what the test was for, yet they tested for my T levels.

I'd imagine there's something legal that says this shouldn't have been done? I can also likely not prove anything as it's somewhat he-said she-said bullshit. Can I get this lab test removed from my records?

I don't give a shit if they know I'm using AAS, but for insurance purposes and HRT it looks really bad. It doesn't matter much to try to say the levels were artificially altered, but it could help me get the lab removed from my record, at at least noted that the test would have been skewed. What supps or foods could potentially cause a high T reading in a blood test.

I'm completely open to suggestions, advice, and legal-knowhow of the medical system.

 

[thebrick]

Don't mean to be nosey here but what kind of doseages do they have you guys on for HRT? If this is crossing a line I appologize and please disreguard the question.

I am on 5% per 2cc Testim gel. My last test blood level was 835.

 

[TestPolska]

So what determines what you are prescribed? IE Jcain is on 200mg of test E EOW and you are on the Gel. What determines what route is taken? The doctor? Or is it choice?

 

[thebrick]

So what determines what you are prescribed? IE Jcain is on 200mg of test E EOW and you are on the Gel. What determines what route is taken? The doctor? Or is it choice?

For me it was my doc's choice. I wish I could find a doc that would script me GH. My compounding pharmacist told me he knew of none in my city.

 

[KillerStack]

Only non-testosterone AAS I've read that supposedly raises testosterone levels is boldenone. It was "Big Cat" (guy who wrote the steroid profiles on bb.com) who made the claim. Don't know how much stock to put in the claim.

 

[allbeef]

Its clearly what your doctors comfortable with

You also have to qualify as these doctors are not nearly as prevailant as hormone doctors for women. They are heavilly monitored ( I am assuming ) by the DEA.

Now if you didn't know it is my belief that almost any male will qualify if he shows up at the doctors office 5 weeks after a heavy cycle without having used PCT.

But you should wait until your fortys or fiftys in my opinion, unless you have found yourself in a corner with the unsupportive wife or law enforcement or you want to get out because you fear long term heavy usage of AS.

I would suggest that the best source of whos a good hormone doctor for males is the compunding pharmacies pharmacist. There aren't many compounding pharmacies out there and the ones that exist generally are legit and know who the best doctor for men is that utilizes their pharmacy. There should be more because one of the problems is for years women have been treated with a " one dose fits all " which is not good medicine.


I don't know brick; I bet you are talking a prescription for GH if you could get it of 1-2 iu a day when you probably want 4. I don't know what that does to future insurance coverage, do the insurers shy away from you. At least with a script you would be legal and for pretty cheap you could always supplement the script. Personally, I have never felt GH was worth it even when I got it dirt cheap.

Allbeef

 

[Massive G]

No US Endo will prescribe GH for a slight "defeciency" and or anti-aging no insurance company will pay if anything for growth stunted children.

I grew on a suppressed level of test for over a year and never knew it, it was below 300 and I maintained size and strength and grew quite well stayed in the 280's.