Basic HRT show up as steroids on a test?

[muldoon]

Hello everyone-

I'll be as quick as possible w/ my story. I'm 33, have suspected low T for a few years, had 3 lab tests done. The first 2 came back 314ng/dl, 2nd was 312. My doctor was giving me the runaround saying these were "normal" and I shouldn't be experiencing any problems. I sought out an Endo for a 2nd opinion. In the meantime, I acquired some Testosterone cream from overseas to see if it would indeed help my symptoms. I apply between 50-75 mg daily and it has worked quite well. 3 days before I saw the endo, I stopped it to return to baseline. He ordered another T test along with prolactin and free Testosterone. Naturally, I felt awful again after stopping, so I took the tests and restarted the cream. Today I went back for the results and my free T was 176ng/dl. So we started talking about replacement therapy options. However, he wants a sleep study done 1st and an MRI, which is fine w/ me. But to my surprise he ordered yet ANOTHER total and free T test to be done immediately, along with an "anabolic steroid" test. Now, I didn't think 4 of the same tests were going to be required but I guess I was wrong so I was currently on the cream when I had the test today. The steroid test was a urine one and I told them I did not have to urinate at the time and was late for work. They gave me a cup and told me to return it in 2 days.

My question is: Will the amount of cream I'm using (which is bioidentical testosterone) show up as an "anabolic steroid" on the test? Or is the dose and half-life too weak to even be detected? I'm trying to do this the legal way so I can have regular exams to confirm prostate health and more acceptable levels of Testosterone and I don't want to mess it up by having something show up on my urine test.

Thanks for any info.

[zaggahamma]

why the weird font/color....i had to copy and paste and magnify that shiat...lol

well good question i'll bump it for you as i always wondered if trt doses would show as weird on a blood or urine test and always wondered if an athelete can/could be on trt????

[muldoon]

Well I went back and took the urine test there and hoped for the best. He just happened to be strolling by so I grabbed him and asked why he ordered such a test when my levels are so low to begin with. He said alot of times, especially with people who take supplements that are "unregulated" by the FDA, the supplements (I take L-arginine, initially because of poor libido and ED, but have increased my intake for workouts) can contain some pretty nasty ingredients including "steroid-like substances" and it could be playing a part in my low levels. He said if for some reason I come back positive then he'd just tell me to stop taking the L-arginine.

Just self medicating to a mild degree has vastly improved my mood, sex life, and given me some pretty astounding gains in the gym and in my appearance. I can't even imagine what I'd feel or look like if I were at the top of the normal T range for an extended period of time.

[muldoon]

Well, for anyone interested, the cream I'm using did show up on the anabolic steroid test. It was detected as "testosterone" in an endless list of steroids. I had stopped it for 1 day and returned the next, hoping it would be out of my system by then.

The bad news is that it wasn't, and my endo will not put me on TRT. The good news is that I now know what dose of this cream puts me where. I went from 312ng/dl to 978ng/dl. My bioavailable testosterone was in the 600s, which was "through the roof" according to him. I blamed it on a form of L-arginine that I was taking, as he said many supplements can contain steroids, so I went with it.

Overall, I got the info I needed from the experience. My MRI turned out fine and I now have a pretty damn good level of test from a product that is cheaper than getting TRT through my insurance anyway.

[zaggahamma]

Well, for anyone interested, the cream I'm using did show up on the anabolic steroid test. It was detected as "testosterone" in an endless list of steroids. I had stopped it for 1 day and returned the next, hoping it would be out of my system by then.

The bad news is that it wasn't, and my endo will not put me on TRT. The good news is that I now know what dose of this cream puts me where. I went from 312ng/dl to 978ng/dl. My bioavailable testosterone was in the 600s, which was "through the roof" according to him. I blamed it on a form of L-arginine that I was taking, as he said many supplements can contain steroids, so I went with it.

Overall, I got the info I needed from the experience. My MRI turned out fine and I now have a pretty damn good level of test from a product that is cheaper than getting TRT through my insurance anyway.

glad it worked out for you bro

[6ymr47]

I have a few questions here.

1) I thought there was no test for synthetic testosterone using urinalysis. Synthetic and natural hormone are identical being the only way to detect is the ester by which is not excreted in the urine. From my research a Test/Epitest ratio would be ran then confirmed by blood testing.

2) You said he gave you a urine steriod test, I thought steriod testing was done via blood panel? Did you see these results yourself? Sounds fishy.