Test Too Low with HRT

I have been on HRT for the last 7 years 200mg eo wk. My last lab tests have come back ridiculously low Tot T was less than 100 with 220 - 1100 being normal and free T was about 1/3 of what the low end of normal was. Except for the two tests in the past 6 months everything was normal for 7 years. I have also had some soreness in the nipples after shots recently. Could I be aromatizing the test?

Thanks for any helpful input

Possibly though 200mg EOW is borderline. I believe the legendary KSMan recommends low dose AI even with HRT levels. Personally I’d rather see your MD give you 100mg EW rather than 200mg EOW.

Even if your the testosterone is aromatizing, that doesn’t impact total testosterone level. It does affect frr testosterone level. I assume your doc is administering the cyp ester? 50mg 2x/w would be preferrable for smoother blood levels and less aromatization.

Your lab results would vary quite a bit depending on when they are done. A few days after each injection your T levels would be highest. Testing immediatlely prior to an injection would have you at the lowest point. Highest would be about 200mg and lowest would be around 50mg. Even 50 mg should put you at a somewhat decent level so it is still a mystery.

Is it possible the test cyp you are being injected with is bunk? That would explain the sudden lower test results.

You definitely want relief fron sore nipples as that is a sure sign of elevated estrogen. An AI is recommended for that.

T every other week goes way high and crashes very low. You can get any lab result you want by timing your labs to your injections. Start self injecting twice a week and for God’s sake get your serum estradiol [E2] tested. Once you get injection frequencies that are not insane, do labs exactly 1/2 way between injections. There is absolutely zero reason to constrain labs to early AM when you are HPTA shutdown with TRT.

You need to get E2=22 or near that. The way that you are injecting now, with T levels all over the map, it is impossible to dose adex which has to match T levels.

If E is worse, your liver may be less effective at removing it from your blood stream. This can be from age, pathology or drugs that reduce what the P450 liver enzyme pathways can manage. That can be from Rx or OTC meds, supplements, foods or alcohol. As long as things are not going right, get blood work done for liver enzymes, cholesterol and PSA.

If your E2 was near what I suggested, then one would look for a prolactin problem. But E problems are expected with what you have been doing. If E2 is elevated and you get it near E2=22pg/ml, you may find that life is vastly more interesting.

T injections every other week is malpractice. Amy doctor who disagrees does not understand the depths of his/her ignorance.

Spend more time on the over 35 forum, not here in gear alley.

Go to amazon.com and get “the testosterone syndrome” by Eugene Shippen to understand basics of TRT. Not a reference for proper TRT injection use, which he did not understand, or the proper used of Arimidex, which he still does not understand at all, but a best all-round book nonetheless.

Damm posts are not showing up… second attempt:
T every other week goes way high and crashes very low. You can get any lab result you want by timing your labs to your injections. Start self injecting twice a week and for God’s sake get your serum estradiol [E2] tested. Once you get injection frequencies that are not insane, do labs exactly 1/2 way between injections. There is absolutely zero reason to constrain labs to early AM when you are HPTA shutdown with TRT.

You need to get E2=22 or near that. The way that you are injecting now, with T levels all over the map, it is impossible to dose adex which has to match T levels.

If E is worse, your liver may be less effective at removing it from your blood stream. This can be from age, pathology or drugs that reduce what the P450 liver enzyme pathways can manage. That can be from Rx or OTC meds, supplements, foods or alcohol. As long as things are not going right, get blood work done for liver enzymes, cholesterol and PSA.

If your E2 was near what I suggested, then one would look for a prolactin problem. But E problems are expected with what you have been doing. If E2 is elevated and you get it near E2=22pg/ml, you may find that life is vastly more interesting.

T injections every other week is malpractice. Amy doctor who disagrees does not understand the depths of his/her ignorance.

Spend more time on the over 35 forum, not here in gear alley.

Go to amazon.com and get “the testosterone syndrome” by Eugene Shippen to understand basics of TRT. Not a reference for proper TRT injection use, which he did not understand, or the proper used of Arimidex, which he still does not understand at all, but a best all-round book nonetheless.

Attempt #3 to post:
T every other week goes way high and crashes very low. You can get any lab result you want by timing your labs to your injections. Start self injecting twice a week and for God’s sake get your serum estradiol [E2] tested. Once you get injection frequencies that are not insane, do labs exactly 1/2 way between injections. There is absolutely zero reason to constrain labs to early AM when you are HPTA shutdown with TRT.

You need to get E2=22 or near that. The way that you are injecting now, with T levels all over the map, it is impossible to dose adex which has to match T levels.

If E is worse, your liver may be less effective at removing it from your blood stream. This can be from age, pathology or drugs that reduce what the P450 liver enzyme pathways can manage. That can be from Rx or OTC meds, supplements, foods or alcohol. As long as things are not going right, get blood work done for liver enzymes, cholesterol and PSA.

If your E2 was near what I suggested, then one would look for a prolactin problem. But E problems are expected with what you have been doing. If E2 is elevated and you get it near E2=22pg/ml, you may find that life is vastly more interesting.

T injections every other week is malpractice. Amy doctor who disagrees does not understand the depths of his/her ignorance.

Spend more time on the over 35 forum, not here in gear alley.

Go to amazon.com and get “the testosterone syndrome” by Eugene Shippen to understand basics of TRT. Not a reference for proper TRT injection use, which he did not understand, or the proper used of Arimidex, which he still does not understand at all, but a best all-round book nonetheless.

Attempt #4:

T every other week goes way high and crashes very low. You can get any lab result you want by timing your labs to your injections. Start self injecting twice a week and for God’s sake get your serum estradiol [E2] tested. Once you get injection frequencies that are not insane, do labs exactly 1/2 way between injections. There is absolutely zero reason to constrain labs to early AM when you are HPTA shutdown with TRT.

You need to get E2=22 or near that. The way that you are injecting now, with T levels all over the map, it is impossible to dose adex which has to match T levels.

If E is worse, your liver may be less effective at removing it from your blood stream. This can be from age, pathology or drugs that reduce what the P450 liver enzyme pathways can manage. That can be from Rx or OTC meds, supplements, foods or alcohol. As long as things are not going right, get blood work done for liver enzymes, cholesterol and PSA.

If your E2 was near what I suggested, then one would look for a prolactin problem. But E problems are expected with what you have been doing. If E2 is elevated and you get it near E2=22pg/ml, you may find that life is vastly more interesting.

T injections every other week is malpractice. Any doctor who disagrees does not understand the depths of his/her ignorance.

Spend more time on the over 35 forum, not here in gear alley.

Go to amazon.com and get “the testosterone syndrome” by Eugene Shippen to understand basics of TRT. Not a reference for proper TRT injection use, which he did not understand, or the proper used of Arimidex, which he still does not understand at all, but a best all-round book nonetheless.