Low T levels on Androgel

[mike51183]

I have been on androgel 10mg daily for the past 3 years. My dr recently wanted to check my T levels while im not using the gel so I stopped applying the gel 48 hrs before the blood test. my total T levels came out 138 which is very low. My question is, is it normal to have such low T level only 48 hours after last application or should I assume that the gel therapy is no longer effective and switch to shots?
Thanks for the help,
Mike

[zaggahamma]

welcome to the board
mike...did you test during the 3 years without going off the gel before giving the blood or only this one time when you waited the 48 hours?

[mike51183]

hello jpk. My Total T level was 258 before starting trt treatment.The first test I had was taken 3 years ago when I first started using the gel @7.5mg a day, I was off the gel for at least 24-48 hours before taking that test. I do not remember the exact T level numbers but I do remember that they were within the normal range <probably in the lower end of normal>. the gel is only suppose to keep t levels elevated for 24hours or so, however, the manual/prescribing information says that T levels should remain within the normal range for at least 5 days after stopping use not fall below baseline after only 48 hours.

[Stat1951]

I'd say the packet insert was incorrect. Your levels - from the gel (whether AG or Testim) start getting absorbed into the bloodstream and metabolized out of your bloodstream via your P4500 enzyme system in a very short order. Testosterone - once it hits the blood stream - has a very short half-life. Think about it for a second. If levels stayed high (for up to five days) with each packet you put on daily, your overall levels would just keep climbing and climbing. Why do they have you put it on daily if it stays well in normal ranges for 5 days?

An IM injection of Test Cyp could - as an example - maintain levels in normal ranges from Day 1 (injection day) into Day 5 or maybe even Day 7... but not the gels.

Personally, I did very poorly on the gels (20 grams of AG didn't even get me quite to 500 Total T and 20 grams of Testim got me to about 525 Total T). Even with switching to the shots, we found that I was dropping to low normal levels after only 4 or 5 days (turns out that I have a super efficient P-450 Enzyme System). So we went to IM shots twice a week (50 mg every 3.5 days) and it keeps my levels consistently in the 650 - 700 range - and with using half as much actual testosterone (on top of having a super efficient _450 system, I turned out to be a "poor absorber" also as far as absorbing through the skin).

[mike51183]

appreciate the feedback stat. You bring up a good point,the insert states that patients returned to pretreatment levels by the fifth day after the last application but it doesnt make much sense to me either that the gel would last that many hours. Anyway I am going to call the dr on Monday morning and see if I can get re-tested while on the gel. Not too sure why he wanted to test my levels while off the gel but this way I know for sure what the deal is.
Mike