Daily Protocol and Bloodwork Irregularities

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

Hi everyone, first post but have greatly appreciated everyone’s comments on the forum that I have been reading through. I am having some frustration getting my protocol dialed in. Started TRT 1.5 years ago and have been using Testosterone Cypionate and all injections SubQ. Blood work and dosage listed below with follow up questions.

10/2019

40mg x 3 week, total 120 mg per week

Testosterone, total - 1149 ng/d

  • 250 - 1100 ng/dL

Testosterone free - 271.4 pg/mL

  • 35-155 pg/mL

Estradiol - 73 pg/mL

  • < OR = 39 pg/mL

Lowered dose and switched to daily injections mid October 2019 in an attempt to lower E2. New protocol 16mg daily.

12/16/2019 8 weeks on daily protocol

16mg daily, total 112 mg per week

Testosterone, total - 865 ng/dL

Testosterone free - 158 pg/mL

Estradiol - 45 pg/mL

Happy that E2 dropped and thought I was on track to a stable protocol.

4/2020 same daily protocol but higher levels

16mg daily, total 112 mg per week

Testosterone, total - 1114 ng/dL

Testosterone free - 268 pg/mL

Estradiol - 58 pg/mL

Seems like a large increase in Test even though it is the same protocol when blood work was tested in December 2019.

Lowered my dose in an attempt to lower T and E2

6/2020 8 weeks on new daily protocol

14mg daily, total 98 mg per week

Testosterone, total - 545 ng/dL

Testosterone free - 116 pg/mL

Estradiol - <15 pg/mL

All blood work was done with Quest Diagnostics. When on daily protocol blood work was drawn first thing in the morning, fasted and before daily injection.

My current dose of 14mg daily is leaving me not feeling as good as prior and definitely want my testosterone and E2 to be higher. I am having trouble deciding how to proceed.

My blood work seems to increase after a few months of the same dose. I am wondering if keeping my dose of 14mg daily for a few more months will give my body time to stabilize and potentially increase to desired levels. Has anyone else need months for blood work to stabilize? Seems like waiting 6-8 weeks is not giving me to same results that I get after 4 months of the same dose. For past year and a half my doctor keeps changing my dose but my body keeps fluctuating making it hard to get it dialed in. I am still on 14mg daily and will get blood work done again beginning of August. If it is low still I am going to try 15mg daily and hope that is the perfect dose for me.

Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

2

Yeah with that e2 level I think you overshot your mark. Raise your dose back up

3

Were you have in issues that were related to high e2. Are you sure that’s what the issue was?
I wouldn’t try to manage the numbers unless it’s way outta whack, even then if you feel good, why change it?

4

I have never had any high E2 symptoms. My doctor wanted to put me on an AI when my E2 was in the 70s back in 10/2019. I was just trying to avoid going down that road and have since switched doctors. Is the free testosterone being high a concern at all? Seems like 15-16 mg a day will be better for me. Definitely felt better in April with high labs than I do right now. Thank you for the response.

5

16mg daily has you are 1114 total, 268 free and 58 E2.

14mg daily has you at 545 total, 116 free and <15 E2?

Something is off here.

You were feeling good, and your dosing was changed because…? You weren’t taking a crazy dose. Your labs were not crazy. I wouldn’t try to fix what isn’t broken.

1 Like
6

It makes no sense to be chasing an e2 number when you were doing fine and nothing about your numbers were crazy.

IMO go back to what worked and forget e2 exists unless you grow boobs.

7

I am confused about the large difference between 16mg daily and 14mg daily as well. I did not expect such a large difference. Has anyone else had an experience like this?

I am also confused why my results were so different 4 months apart on the same 16mg daily dose. Is it possible to take months to settle at the final results. If so, is there a chance my lab results will increase over the next few months taking 14mg daily?

Thank you everyone for the help.

8

I like boobs personally, but maybe that’s just me…

9

I, too, enjoy boobs.

1 Like
10

An additional reason why I lowered my dose is because I had high cholesterol for the first time every. Was wondering if my higher lab readings had anything to do with my cholesterol being raised. Hopefully blood work next week will give me more answers.

11

My TRT has zero effect on my cholesterol. Literally no effect. And there is no particular reason that it would.

12

If anything, I see lipid profiles improve. This is especially true for guys who lose a lot of visceral fat.