Right time to do blood work for TRT optimization

[FuriousAngus]

I've been self-administering TRT for a good 3 years now. However, I'm always trying to do things better (with health as a main concern now) as far as optimizing TRT. I want to do blood work more often (free test/total/E2) but I'm unsure when is the right time to pull bloods for a better insight into my average levels and the readings I should be basing my dosages of.

I've tested 200mg/wk 48 hours after injection and got 1500 (got me real worried) whereas on a different time on the same dosage I got 1000. Did 150mg and got 680 and I want to figure out the best/right time to actually pull bloods for a reading I can base my dosages of, any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm doing Mon/Thurs so two shots/every 3.5 days.

 

[emeric delczeg]

I've been self-administering TRT for a good 3 years now. However, I'm always trying to do things better (with health as a main concern now) as far as optimizing TRT. I want to do blood work more often (free test/total/E2) but I'm unsure when is the right time to pull bloods for a better insight into my average levels and the readings I should be basing my dosages of.

I've tested 200mg/wk 48 hours after injection and got 1500 (got me real worried) whereas on a different time on the same dosage I got 1000. Did 150mg and got 680 and I want to figure out the best/right time to actually pull bloods for a reading I can base my dosages of, any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm doing Mon/Thurs so two shots/every 3.5 days.

12 hours after the last injection.

 

[FuriousAngus]

12 hours after the last injection.

So if I inject say Monday at 10AM I would do bloods at 10PM on the same day? Won't this show a high number or is that what I should be looking at?

 

[Sides]

I've been self-administering TRT for a good 3 years now. However, I'm always trying to do things better (with health as a main concern now) as far as optimizing TRT. I want to do blood work more often (free test/total/E2) but I'm unsure when is the right time to pull bloods for a better insight into my average levels and the readings I should be basing my dosages of.

I've tested 200mg/wk 48 hours after injection and got 1500 (got me real worried) whereas on a different time on the same dosage I got 1000. Did 150mg and got 680 and I want to figure out the best/right time to actually pull bloods for a reading I can base my dosages of, any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm doing Mon/Thurs so two shots/every 3.5 days.

You always want to do your bloodwork at trough, the lowest point between the peaks after injections.

If you are injecting twice per week, on Monday and Thursday evening, then get your bloodwork done on Monday or Thursday before the injection, to show what your levels are like at the trough, the lowest point before the peak of the next injection.

 

[emeric delczeg]

So if I inject say Monday at 10AM I would do bloods at 10PM on the same day? Won't this show a high number or is that what I should be looking at?

Usually for testosterone blood work the blood is collected in the morning not evening, so you need to inject 9 PM.

 

[GettingBackIn]

You always want to do your bloodwork at trough, the lowest point between the peaks after injections.

If you are injecting twice per week, on Monday and Thursday evening, then get your bloodwork done on Monday or Thursday before the injection, to show what your levels are like at the trough, the lowest point before the peak of the next injection.

I concur. This is how my doctor wants blood work done. Once we did it 12 hours after injection to take a peak at the high end, but every other time it’s been 12 hours before injection.

 

[FuriousAngus]

You always want to do your bloodwork at trough, the lowest point between the peaks after injections.

If you are injecting twice per week, on Monday and Thursday evening, then get your bloodwork done on Monday or Thursday before the injection, to show what your levels are like at the trough, the lowest point before the peak of the next injection.

Makes sense, but if I'm aiming for say 900-1000 and I get that at the lowest point say 12 hours before my injection on Monday, wouldn't that mean that my levels are higher than 1000 at the peak?

 

[Knight9]

12 hours after the last injection.

What does this help when you have 3.5, 4.5, or 6.5 days til your next injection? I have always tested at the 3.5 to 4 day mark when doing weekly injections but on the trt optimization podcast, the guest says test on the last day before or of your inject. He stresses always measuring the TROUGH. And he said if you are injecting every 3.5-4th day, you don't really get a trough and you absolutely don't get any sort of significant one if you are administering more often.

Aside from being curious and trying to see an estimated peak, there is no reason to test 12hrs after your admin. It's absolutely pointless to not know what's going on the following 3-7 days. TRT is about optimization...not knowing your peak for a small window so you can tell yourself you're at "900" when ALL the rest of your days are below that.

 

[emeric delczeg]

What does this help when you have 3.5, 4.5, or 6.5 days til your next injection? I have always tested at the 3.5 to 4 day mark when doing weekly injections but on the trt optimization podcast, the guest says test on the last day before or of your inject. He stresses always measuring the TROUGH. And he said if you are injecting every 3.5-4th day, you don't really get a trough and you absolutely don't get any sort of significant one if you are administering more often.

Aside from being curious and trying to see an estimated peak, there is no reason to test 12hrs after your admin. It's absolutely pointless to not know what's going on the following 3-7 days. TRT is about optimization...not knowing your peak for a small window so you can tell yourself you're at "900" when ALL the rest of your days are below that.

Testosterone level reach supra physiological range 10 hour after injection, I am talking about 5 to 10mg injection that are normal daily production range in healthy men. In my case every time I have my blood test 12 hour after injection it show the highest range and every time after 24 hour it shows lower range not much but is lower, and after 3 day is in normal mid range. This happens all the time, and I have been doing this over 25 years. Now with mega doses is different, you total would be way out of range so even after 5 day you will still have higher then normal, example 500mg it will show over 2000 after 12 hours also you estrogen conversion would be way to much. With low doses you will have the same estrogen % conversion however that OK because that will be same amount that you body would produce normally. No side effects or very very very minimum side effect. This for some one that cares about health and longevity.

 

[Knight9]

Testosterone level reach supra physiological range 10 hour after injection, I am talking about 5 to 10mg injection that are normal daily production range in healthy men. In my case every time I have my blood test 12 hour after injection it show the highest range and every time after 24 hour it shows lower range not much but is lower, and after 3 day is in normal mid range. This happens all the time, and I have been doing this over 25 years. Now with mega doses is different, you total would be way out of range so even after 5 day you will still have higher then normal, example 500mg it will show over 2000 after 12 hours also you estrogen conversion would be way to much. With low doses you will have the same estrogen % conversion however that OK because that will be same amount that you body would produce normally. No side effects or very very very minimum side effect. This for some one that cares about health and longevity.

Emeric,
My point stays the same. Measuring your peak does no good in the grand scheme of things..and READ the original post. No one here is talking about a 5 or 10mg daily injection and you should operate as such unless otherwise stated that they're using that protocol. For you to assume and make this about your method is downright strange and doesn't help the OP.

 

[Knight9]

mistake/duplicate

 

[FuriousAngus]

What does this help when you have 3.5, 4.5, or 6.5 days til your next injection? I have always tested at the 3.5 to 4 day mark when doing weekly injections but on the trt optimization podcast, the guest says test on the last day before or of your inject. He stresses always measuring the TROUGH. And he said if you are injecting every 3.5-4th day, you don't really get a trough and you absolutely don't get any sort of significant one if you are administering more often.

Aside from being curious and trying to see an estimated peak, there is no reason to test 12hrs after your admin. It's absolutely pointless to not know what's going on the following 3-7 days. TRT is about optimization...not knowing your peak for a small window so you can tell yourself you're at "900" when ALL the rest of your days are below that.

This helps a lot, thanks! So going by this I should not really expect a peak that is too far off from the trough, in other words I should test at my lowest acceptable point on the trough and I should be fine? If I understand correctly

 

[Sides]

This helps a lot, thanks! So going by this I should not really expect a peak that is too far off from the trough, in other words I should test at my lowest acceptable point on the trough and I should be fine? If I understand correctly

The main thing about bloodwork is you want to keep it consistent, and test at the same time every time, so you can see how changes effect you. Most doctors will advise testing at the trough, the lowest point, so you can see what is the lowest point you will go. The more injections you do per week, the more it evens things out so the peak is closer to the trough. But more frequent injections are not always convenient or necessarily better for everyone, depending on your SHBG levels and other factors, so just always try to keep it to your trough and then you will have a consistent baseline for future testing.

Emeric's advice is for someone doing small daily injections of 5-10mg per day, which does not apply to you or 99% of people on TRT.

 

[FuriousAngus]

Got it! Thanks a lot guys, I'll keep this in mind from here on.

 

[buck]

Depending on how often a person injects and what he is wanting to know as to when tests should be run. On daily injections I can't see there being a major difference in when to get tested. On once a week levels for me are highest 48 hours after injection and lowest before the next injection. And I have had the tests on different days so I would know what was going on.

 

[brutus69]

once a week shots, get bloods the day of yr injection before u pin...trough.
if u'd rather see an "average' get them like was said above, halfway between peak day and trough
if u inject any more than once, it wont matter. as long as u do it the morning of yr shot, before u pin.
i started every day 15mg again, gonna do bloods next week..last time i went from 6x dose to 11x by doing every day, dont know if the vial was a different batch tho
this time my vials are the same so i will see if small ed pins indeed gives me higher multiples than 1 or 2 day pins a week.