# Tracking Testosterone



## Julie's Husband (Jan 3, 2022)

Have any of you gents tracked SHBG, bio available testosterone and free testosterone? Or just total testosterone?

When on TRT, what is tracked? 

Any experience with tracking bio available testosterone vs total testosterone for effects on energy level and such?


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## GoodDad5 (9 mo ago)

Whenever I have labs done the doc has my SHBG, free, and total testosterone checked along with estradiol to make sure that’s not getting too high. Since that has been high lately she’s put me on a once a week anastrozole prescription. 

I feel awesome on TRT whereas I felt low on energy, brain fog, and depression/anxiety before. My levels were in the mid to upper 200s before I started on it. Funny though my libido was never an issue and I had no issue getting erections, but I wished the libido could have been lower. It’s only gotten higher on TRT which sucks for me. I just have to take the good with the bad it seems.


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## Julie's Husband (Jan 3, 2022)

GoodDad5 said:


> Whenever I have labs done the doc has my SHBG, free, and total testosterone checked along with estradiol to make sure that’s not getting too high. Since that has been high lately she’s put me on a once a week anastrozole prescription.
> 
> I feel awesome on TRT whereas I felt low on energy, brain fog, and depression/anxiety before. My levels were in the mid to upper 200s before I started on it. Funny though my libido was never an issue and I had no issue getting erections, but I wished the libido could have been lower. It’s only gotten higher on TRT which sucks for me. I just have to take the good with the bad it seems.


No numbers on bio available testosterone? I'm thinking that is the root of my symptoms.

I don't care to increase libido past whatever is needed to make sure I'm having the normal 6 or so nocturnal erections to maintain penile health. One burden for me was the constant fear of having an erection at inappropriate times. I did have one while being checked for testicular cancer. 

For this reason I've avoided any medical treatment that might involve people putting their hands where I might become aroused and avoiding massage. My libido right now allows me to accept touch during massage, but dunno about DREs or genital exams.

I know how to have sex without any libido so that's not a problem.


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## Divinely Favored (Apr 1, 2014)

Julie's Husband said:


> Have any of you gents tracked SHBG, bio available testosterone and free testosterone? Or just total testosterone?
> 
> When on TRT, what is tracked?
> 
> Any experience with tracking bio available testosterone vs total testosterone for effects on energy level and such?


Checked annually.


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## Bulfrog1987 (Oct 8, 2021)

Can I ask you fellas a question? Any of you on the gel? Did it ever make you feel depressed or suicidal?


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## BigDaddyNY (May 19, 2021)

Bulfrog1987 said:


> Can I ask you fellas a question? Any of you on the gel? Did it ever make you feel depressed or suicidal?


Never used gel, but other than possible localized irritation the side effects are the same as other delivery methods of T. Depression and suicidal thoughts are not side effects I've ever heard of.

Do you know someone experiencing these symptoms?


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## happyhusband0005 (May 4, 2018)

Bulfrog1987 said:


> Can I ask you fellas a question? Any of you on the gel? Did it ever make you feel depressed or suicidal?


I did know a few body builders were prone to severe depression (like really bad) when on high doses of test. On normal therapeutic doses it should elevate mood, but everyone reacts different and it probably also depends on the persons normal body and brain chemistry. It's a powerful hormone.


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## BigDaddyNY (May 19, 2021)

Track all of them. High SGBH will cause lower free and bioavailable T even if your total T is good. I feel best with free T above 150pg/ml but I don't know ow of that is universally true.


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## BigDaddyNY (May 19, 2021)

happyhusband0005 said:


> I did know a few body builders were prone to severe depression (like really bad) when on high doses of test. On normal therapeutic doses it should elevate mood, but everyone reacts different and it probably also depends on the persons normal body and brain chemistry. It's a powerful hormone.


I always thought the depression came when they were off cycle. I side effect of the crash while trying to restart their own system.


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## Bulfrog1987 (Oct 8, 2021)

BigDaddyNY said:


> Never used gel, but other than possible localized irritation the side effects are the same as other delivery methods of T. Depression and suicidal thoughts are not side effects I've ever heard of.
> 
> Do you know someone experiencing these symptoms?


No. It’s probably me grasping at straws. Not sure if you know my story? Anyhow, it’s a thought that came over me last night and I started searching and found some studies done that showed there may be some correlation between use of T gel or maybe it was just testosterone in general that cause those side effects among some men.

My husband killed himself last March and seemingly no warning signs that I could have identified in the weeks leading up to it. He’d been using the gel the previous year, but I think his levels had regulated for the most part out so his doctor told him he could stop and they’d retest later on to see. 

It was just a random fire memory/thought. Don’t mean to alarm anyone of their use of it. Just be aware I suppose? ♥


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## BigDaddyNY (May 19, 2021)

Bulfrog1987 said:


> No. It’s probably me grasping at straws. Not sure if you know my story? Anyhow, it’s a thought that came over me last night and I started searching and found some studies done that showed there may be some correlation between use of T gel or maybe it was just testosterone in general that cause those side effects among some men.
> 
> My husband killed himself last March and seemingly no warning signs that I could have identified in the weeks leading up to it. He’d been using the gel the previous year, but I think his levels had regulated for the most part out so his doctor told him he could stop and they’d retest later on to see.
> 
> It was just a random fire memory/thought. Don’t mean to alarm anyone of their use of it. Just be aware I suppose? ♥


I have read your story, sorry for your loss. 

It must be difficult to deal with those kind of thoughts. Are you doing okay?


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## Bulfrog1987 (Oct 8, 2021)

BigDaddyNY said:


> I have read your story, sorry for your loss.
> 
> It must be difficult to deal with those kind of thoughts. Are you doing okay?


Most of the time I am. Thursday was a rough day that just snuck up on me after work. Cried the whole way from my job to get my son from school. Sucked it up once I got there. Then later on that night while asking my son what he gets distracted with during class that keeps him from finishing his work (part of it is he’s five SQUIRRE!) but he got really quiet and kind of slumped in His chair and finally said “sometimes I’m thinking about dad.”

Moments like that make me not okay and want to crawl into a hole. 🤦🏼‍♀️ i say it all the time, I can’t believe this is my life. So we talked a bit and he didn’t cry or anything and then was happy again as most kids get, he’ll be six in the summer. 

But those moments make my head spin with the, was it this, could it be that, everyone saying he wasn’t in his right mind, yet he had sense enough to text his middle son that he would always love him, nothing for me, nothing for our young son together? And then I think to how hostile he got in the last 6-8 months and i started thinking about the Tgel.. wondering now if maybe that had something to do with his outbursts because he’d never been that was with the exception of the affair the night he found out. Which I get.

Just makes me wonder, which only makes me crazy because there is no real answer. In a nutshell yes, I’m doing alright, better than most could deal I think, but I do have days of despair. Grateful for the grit to go through those feelings and be able to lay them down and not pick them back up for usually weeks at a time.


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## happyhusband0005 (May 4, 2018)

BigDaddyNY said:


> I always thought the depression came when they were off cycle. I side effect of the crash while trying to restart their own system.


That is fairly common too, but the real serious cases were guys taking over 1000mgs a week along with other anabolics. You can't really base it on hardcore body builders though, the amount of stuff they were taking was crazy. 4 of the guys I use to work out with died of heart issues before 40.


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## Rus47 (Apr 1, 2021)

Julie's Husband said:


> Have any of you gents tracked SHBG, bio available testosterone and free testosterone? Or just total testosterone?
> 
> When on TRT, what is tracked?
> 
> Any experience with tracking bio available testosterone vs total testosterone for effects on energy level and such?


Free, total, SHBG, psa. I believe free is kry


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## Rus47 (Apr 1, 2021)

Bulfrog1987 said:


> Can I ask you fellas a question? Any of you on the gel? Did it ever make you feel depressed or suicidal?


I have never used anything but injection. However am going to ask about creme on my next visit, cost etc.

I don’t see how the delivery method would make any difference regarding mood. Although any hormone can surely impact mental state. In my case the HRT greatly helped my mood. In particular being up to the tasks expected of me. And energy level. When I felt like an old man all of the time, that alone was depressing. 

I recall your story, and know a tragedy like yours always leaves loved ones asking “why?”. In your husband’s case IMO the need for HRT followed depression, not the other way. When we get old, we have stored up a lot of regrets. Good that we could have done but didnt. Bad that we shouldnt have done but did. If don’t we process those thoughts productively tragedy can result.

May be good to start another thread in the private section about your question.


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## Bulfrog1987 (Oct 8, 2021)

Rus47 said:


> I have never used anything but injection. However am going to ask about creme on my next visit, cost etc.
> 
> I don’t see how the delivery method would make any difference regarding mood. Although any hormone can surely impact mental state. In my case the HRT greatly helped my mood. In particular being up to the tasks expected of me. And energy level. When I felt like an old man all of the time, that alone was depressing.
> 
> ...


thank you. Didn’t mean to Jack the thread!


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## LisaDiane (Jul 22, 2019)

happyhusband0005 said:


> I did know a few body builders were prone to severe depression (like really bad) when on high doses of test. On normal therapeutic doses it should elevate mood, but everyone reacts different and it probably also depends on the persons normal body and brain chemistry. It's a powerful hormone.


Also, when Testosterone goes up, especially quickly, it raises your Estrogen ALOT. That is what causes moodiness and depression and even alot of the anger - Estrogen that is too high (just like in women).

My EX's doctor put him on an Estrogen blocker to keep his Estrogen in the normal, healthy range for men, and he felt GREAT with high levels of Testosterone. He was his best self when both levels were maintained that way.


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## Julie's Husband (Jan 3, 2022)

Divinely Favored said:


> Checked annually.


Does that include bio available? Is that information specifically used for any purpose?


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## Rus47 (Apr 1, 2021)

LisaDiane said:


> Estrogen that is too high (just like in women).


That is why I ask for estrogen numbers with rest on bloodwork. So far have not needed a blocker.


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## Julie's Husband (Jan 3, 2022)

BigDaddyNY said:


> Track all of them. High SGBH will cause lower free and bioavailable T even if your total T is good. I feel best with free T above 150pg/ml but I don't know ow of that is universally true.


The number confuses me just a bit as that is using a different set of units and I'm not finding a good conversion. My bio available is 163 ng/dl, nanograms per deciliter, with a "normal range" given as 131 - 682 ng/dL. That would be on the low end. SHBG is at the top of the "normal range".

Estradiol is sub normal.


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## BigDaddyNY (May 19, 2021)

pg/ml is 10x of ng/dl, so 100pg/dl = 10ng/ml

Free and bioavailable have two different ranges on my test. Free T is 46-224pg/ml. Bio T is 110-575ng/dl. Base on the last one you are normal but on the low side. When my BioT and Free T have been low with normal to high total T it is always accompanied by high SHBG. If I get SHBG down Free T and Bio T go up.


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## happyhusband0005 (May 4, 2018)

LisaDiane said:


> Also, when Testosterone goes up, especially quickly, it raises your Estrogen ALOT. That is what causes moodiness and depression and even alot of the anger - Estrogen that is too high (just like in women).
> 
> My EX's doctor put him on an Estrogen blocker to keep his Estrogen in the normal, healthy range for men, and he felt GREAT with high levels of Testosterone. He was his best self when both levels were maintained that way.


Oh these guys were on anastrozole to inhibit the aromatase to estrogen but when you taking a crap ton of testosterone with 2 or more other androgenic anabolic steriods it's going to mess you up. Also if a guy drinks lots and lots of beer and is on testosterone the likelihood of higher estrogen levels goes up. 

Definitely true the key is balanced hormones. Thats why it's best to be getting all hormone levels checked every 6 months on therapy, and that would include all the HGH panels.


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## GoodDad5 (9 mo ago)

Mine does not check for bio available as I just looked at my labs. My hematocrit level along with my RBC level is too high so I’m starting a program to donate blood more frequently to keep those levels in check. I feel great overall! Just hate that my already high libido is even higher.

I can’t do the gel since I don’t want to accidentally cross contaminate my wife or the kids. That and the gel is much more expensive.


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