Different Lab results

[kman]

Is it common for labs to have such drastic readings? Got blood work done with one doctor 2 weeks ago and test level came back at 256.Two weeks later same time of day different doctor/lab and test level 358! Not on TRT yet.Anyone else see such drastic readings? Thanks

[Youthful55guy]

Is it common for labs to have such drastic readings? Got blood work done with one doctor 2 weeks ago and test level came back at 256.Two weeks later same time of day different doctor/lab and test level 358! Not on TRT yet.Anyone else see such drastic readings? Thanks

That's not all that drastic of a difference. T levels go up and down within a normal range of vales. many things can influence it. However, both your labs are on the low side. I'd be more interested in seeing your Free T or bioavailable T levels. They are probably very low. It's Free/bioavailable T the matters the most for how we feel.

[Youthful55guy]

You touched on a question I have had for a while now, maybe you (or someone else) can offer some input on it. Is percentage increase or raw numbers the scale used to determine success of TRT / AAS use?

Like, in this example, if we look at the difference just on raw numbers, it's a 100 point increase. But looking at it as a percentage, it is 50% higher.

If we consider some different numbers, like say starting at 1000 and getting that same 100 point increase, that would only be a 10% increase.

I'm sorry if my math wonkiness seems insane lol!

I don't consider percent change as usable information in TRT goal, particularly when we are talking about Total T. The ultimate goal of TRT is to get Free or Bioavailable T within a "good" range that helps us to feel more like we did when we were younger. The exact number for that goal is more debatable. I personally buy into the Life Extension Organization's recommendations that we target the upper 33rd percentile of the range for a guy in his mid to late 20's. Keep in mind that Free/Bioavailable T is most often reported in age-adjusted groups because SHBG normally increases with age which decreases normal ranges for Free T. That doesn't mean the "normal range for a 60 year old guy is optimal, it's just normal for that age. Using the LabCorp test, the upper 33rd percentile for Free T for a 25-30 year old guy is roughly 21-26 pg/mL. This happens to be my goal.