Androgel Reduced my Total T Levels?

[CraigWatts]

Here's a brain twister for all of you.

2 months ago - Total Testosterone 409
1 month ago - Total Testosterone 360

(on nothing)

Decided to use up the rest of my Androgel .
In the past, 1/2 packet a day for 3 weeks resulted in Total T levels of 740.
Decided to do 1/4 packet a day for 2 weeks. Was curious what level it would bring me to.

First 5 days - Felt the minor but sufficient improvement.
Next 5 days - Enjoyed the improvement
Next 5 days - Felt aggression and got in a huge yelling match with someone (totally unlike me)

Decided to stop the Androgel and see what crazy high level I was at.

Blood test came back:

Total testosterone - 208.9 (348-1197)
Free testosterone - 3.9 (8.7-25.1)
LH - 2.0 (1.7-8.6)
FSH - 2.2 (1.5-12.4)
Estradiol - 12.8 (7.6-42.6)
SHBG - 31.6 (16.5-55.9)

I can't believe that result. But the Labcorp result says ***RESULTS VERIFIED BY REPEAT TESTING*** under the Testosterone.

On that day how did I feel? I felt like I had been on Androgel for 2 weeks. I just had great sex that weekend. On the day of the test I felt perfectly normal for me. Normal - mind you - is "blah" ... but I didn't feel any different than I felt when I was at 400. Honestly I felt worse at 360 with no Androgel in my system.

Is it possible that Androgel supplied testosterone artificially but this blood test was only looking at my natural production?

I already know the answer to that is "no" ..... but maybe? If I was 209 on that day, then I must be at 100 today because I don't feel as good as I did on that day ...

Thanks

[CraigWatts]

Actually now that I think about it - is it possible that I was using so little Androgel , that it gave me a short burst every day (not long enough to stay in my system) - but long enough to shut down my natural production?

So when I went in to get blood drawn, I didn't have any "Androgel" in me, and my natural production was basically "off" ... (200)?

[lacey23]

I'm not really sure when you had the blood work done relative to the test. Did you take it the morning of the test, or did you take the blood test 24 hours after last application? 48 hours after?

If you took it a day or 2 after your last androgel application then it would make sense because Androgel is in, and out of your system pretty quickly. So basically your HPTA has been shut down, yet you still have enough androgel in your system to atleast post a lab in the 200's.

If you did apply andro gel that morning and legitimately did feel better with a testosterone level of 209 vs. 360, I suppose 1 possibility could be that the Androgel was raising DHT in your body to levels higher than what you normally experienced with a test level of 360. Androgel converts to DHT pretty readily because of the 5-alpha reductase enzymes in the skin. DHT is a lot more potent of an androgen than testosterone and can have a pretty good effect on libido, mood, energy, etc..


Edit NM. Just saw your second post. If you haven't taken any then it's just because androgel exits your system quickly. For example, refer to the graphs on the left.

[HRTstudent]

I'm unclear what you were on and when...

if you could put up your lab results and note what you were on at that lab drawing then it would help.

[CraigWatts]

I did that HRTStudent. All the pertinent information is in the first post.

Lacey -

I think you've got it right. Basically taking 1/4 packet of Androgel was probably giving me a daily "bump" of T, but not staying in the system long enough to show on the blood test. My last dose of Androgel was the evening before, and I had the test run in the morning.

By the time the test was run, the androgel was out of my system and 200 was my natural production level. Makes sense. Interesting either way.

Thanks all.

[jasondd1]

How long after your last dose of androgel did you test blood