Could my Test really have gone up so much?

[Beetlegeuse]

...or is something else the more likely cause?

57 YO, diagnosed this winter with low Test (103 total/3.8 free) & hypogonadism, presumably simply the consequence of aging, placed on one 4mg Androderm patch per day. Test numbers initially went to 273 total (11.3 free), then declined to 220 total (free unknown).

Despite the low numbers, I still felt noticeably more energetic, better endurance. Not a huge difference, but noticeable.

Because my numbers went into decline, I was switched to 1.62% Androgel, 20.25mg pump, two pumps per day. Felt better still. Not "roid rage" better, not like I was 25 again, but better.

Had my first bloodwork after about two months on the gel and my numbers came back 2050.0 total and > 52 free. The 2050 looked suspicious to my doctor but it seemed to be backed up by the free Test, which was performed (later) by an outside lab.

But I think something is screwy. I don't believe it. Why am I not rutting like some teenaged satyr, deflowering every virgin that crosses my path? Why is my face not covered in zits?

Maybe I got careless and got some gel on the crook of my elbow that morning, the site where the blood sample was drawn from. And maybe some testosterone gel-impregnated skin got into the hypodermic needle. Or maybe the lab screwed something up. But after six months of testosterone supplementation, I think it is reasonable to presume my own organic faculty for producing Test is completely shut down.

Is it remotely possible that I could get to 2050 entirely on two pumps of 1.62% Androgel (applied two hours before testing) with no natural Test production? Do these numbers give you to think the sample somehow got contaminated? If my numbers really are that high, shouldn't I be walking around with a permanent bulge in my trousers?

This concerns me because I know the next step will be to reduce my dosage if I re-test and the new numbers are anywhere near that high. So especially if my screw-up is responsible, I don't want to repeat my mistake. If I want to be certain to avoid any potential contamination, is there a preferred alternate application site to the arms? Backs of the legs, maybe, in the crooks of the knees?

[Schwarzenegger]

Last time I got tested I was told to not use any test gels or bust a nut 24hrs before test. Since u used it 2 hrs before ur test it was more than likely from that and potential contamination. U could get tested again and not use for 24 hrs before test to see if consistent levels

[Bonaparte]

2,000 ng/dl is roughly half of what most of us have on cycle (equivalent to maybe 250-300mg of test E). So no, I wouldn't expect you to turn into some monster, as there is more to those pubescent side effects you're describing than test levels.

[Rusty11]

I'm on testim and about a year ago bw showed a total t level of 4400. My endo was concerned and said #s don't lie. I wanted to tell him how ridiculous he sounded, but refrained. Two days later another test showed a t level of 490. Doc raised my dose. Anyway, do not apply on the draw arm for two days prior from now on. It was either a contaminated sample or lab error.

[Beetlegeuse]

...It was either a contaminated sample or lab error.

Thanks, Rusty, that was what I suspected. I'll have to take more pains to make sure there's no contamination next time.

[Beetlegeuse]

My re-test Total T was 234. I'd only applied the gel to my legs for four days prior. The 2050 test obviously was wonky.

When I was on the patch and got down into the 220s, they switched me to the gel. I don't know how low my numbers can go before they switch me to the only remaining alternative -- injections -- but I'm probably pretty close.

My total Test was 103 then I was diagnosed. Which shocked me because I didn't suspect I had any hormonal problems. It had come on gradually enough that I thought the state of my energy level and weight gain were normal consequences of aging. So my initial reaction was to beg off on injections. I have no fear of injections but I'm not keen on the idea of sticking myself. And I also had reservations about the hormonal fluctuations and the logistic complications of living with hypodermics.

After I'd got broke in on the patch, even though Total T was only 220, my energy and well-being were noticeably better (placebo effect? who cares?). On the gel, it's been better still.

In the last seven months, I've gone from borderline high blood pressure back to where it was when I was 20, 110/70. I'd had a lingering case of irritable bowel syndrome (the IBS was KILLING ME because I couldn't drink beer), but I'm now symptom-free for the first time in years. I've lost 15% of my bodyweight and my cholesterol and hemoglobin A1C are back down to 'normal' levels, even though I still eat pretty much whatever the hell I want. In fact, I'm eating a bit more on account of I'm back to bicycling for two hours, six days a week, which is more endurance than I could muster when my Total T was down to 103.

So the patch was a boost. And the gel was a bigger boost. So if there's yet another boost to be had from switching to injections, I'm to the point where I crave that further improvement enough that I'm willing -- eager even -- to take on learning to stick myself, and to live with the mood swings and all the rest.

[Beetlegeuse]

Because the 2-pump number was still a little low, my urologists raised my gel dose to three pumps a day. And I've started following the advice from the John Crisler video, applying the gel to my flanks without rubbing it in with my hands. My total Test has stabilized in the low 400 range (tested 2 hours after application) and I are a happy camper.

[dreadnok89]

Its really just about you feel. If im at 400 i get terrible anxiety