My free testosterone results

[Stryker1992]

I had my free testostereone levels measured last week and the range is 47 to 244 pg/ml. My value was 66 pg/ml, which is is the "normal range". The value is pg/ml/ That is picorgrams per milliliter, the free range values measured in the U.S. No, I have really only been off for a month. i did almost 20 weeks with the first 18 being test and the last 8 being var only. I had repeatedly read that var should not impact HPTA. I did hcg, derma, and post cycle for pct.

My question is does anyone know that if I am in the normal range but it is only 66 ....what is the impact of that?

I am actually going to set a meeting with my doc but I am curious if anyone has any info.

What do you guys think? Am I being paranoid?

I am 33 btw. I have not had measures previously, so this is new to me.

 

[r1]

Free Testosterone is a very unreliable test. In fact, one of the more prominent HRT docs does not use the Free Testosterone lab.

Free Testosterone can be derived from Total Testosterone and SHBG.

If you did not do any lab work before the cycle to establish a baseline, it's hard to gauge recovery IMO.

R1

 

[Stryker1992]

Free Testosterone is a very unreliable test. In fact, one of the more prominent HRT docs does not use the Free Testosterone lab.

Free Testosterone can be derived from Total Testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin .

If you did not do any lab work before the cycle to establish a baseline, it's hard to gauge recovery IMO.

R1

Yah bro, I agree about recovery. I am not necessarily looking for it to gauge that as I had no baseline. I am just wondering if my test level is always low average what that may mean. I will ask the doc but curious if anyone had any info.

 

[r1]

Is 'Free Testosterone' the only test they ran?

Don't get too wrapped up in the numbers. If they are in range and you feel good, that is the best indicator IMO. I've been at the top of the range and felt like crap and at the bottom and felt ok. It's all about balance and unless you need HRT, your body does a good job of figuring it out.

R1

 

[Stryker1992]

Is 'Free Testosterone' the only test they ran?

Don't get too wrapped up in the numbers. If they are in range and you feel good, that is the best indicator IMO. I've been at the top of the range and felt like crap and at the bottom and felt ok. It's all about balance and unless you need HRT, your body does a good job of figuring it out.

R1

Bro, is there a particular clinic or doc that you utilize? You mentioned a well known hrt person in your previous post.

 

[njmuscleguy]

Wait, I've heard the opposite time and time again: that Free Test is a more important value than total test.... your total test can be super high but if most of it is bound (e.g. by SHBG), then it's unusable to the body. If your free test is high, then that means your body is free to use more of what it makes. What was your total test? How were your other values?

 

[Triple J]

u need a more complete picture, total T, estrogen, FSH

 

[r1]

nj: Sorry...I should have been more clear. Free Test IS a very important measurement. A lot of protocols are designed to maximize it. The lab t.est that does it is not super accurate though. So, a lot of guys use a combination of Total T and S.HBG to derive the Free Test. This is considered to be more accurate. See the attached pic. You can see why high S.HBG is problematic. The higher your S.HBG, the higher your Total T has to be to obtain a given amount of Free T.

Stryker: 2 of the prominent HRT/TRT docs in the US are Dr John Crisler from Michigan (http://www.allthingsmale.com) and Dr Eugene Shippen (who is on the east coast somewhere). I am on a variant of Dr Crisler's protocol. I have been on TRT for over 3 years and have tried many different things. I think Dr Crisler's protocol works well for the majority of guys as long as you don't have an underlying condition like hypothyroidism or adrenal fatigue.

R1

 

[r1]

BTW, my S.HBG has always been on the low end...on or off TRT. It always hovers in the 15-18 range. So, for example, Total T of 650 in me will produce significantly more Free T than a person who was Total T of 650 and SHBG in the 40's.

There IS such thing as too much Free T. High Free T can drive up hemoglobin and hematocrit and in bad cases, can lead to polycythemia. A doc doing a proper screening will not give TRT to someone with high hemoglobin/hematocrit. My hemoglobin and hematocrit have both risen slightly on TRT, but I am still within range at 100mg/week. At 120mg/week of Test, I'm right on the border.

R1

 

[njmuscleguy]

good information as always r1!

 

[st8grad]

Yeah K to R1. Always on board with good TRT info.