TRT Experts – Can You Make Sense of These Numbers

[Johnnyutaaah]

Hey guys – looking to get some feedback on my most recent bloodwork. Been on TRT for almost 3 months now and trying to dial things in. What’s throwing me off is the disconnect between my total T, free T, and SHBG.


Here’s a quick comparison of my labs:

March 26th Labs (at trough – before next injection):


Total T: 238 ng/dl
Free: 44 pg/ml
SHBG: wasn’t pulled in this lab order but did have labs earlier in the year and showed my SHBG was 18
E2: 44 pg/ml


Urologist started 100mg test cyp 1 shot per week.

Pulled labs again on 6/11/25 at trough -

Total T: 383 ng/dl
Free: 96.1
SHBG: not pulled in this lab order
E2: 73 pg/ml

After those results I started pinning 50mg test cyp every 3.5 days.

Blood work results from 7/18/25 (pulled morning before my next injection) -

Total T: 453
Free: 129.8
SHBG: 17
E2: 72
Hematocrit: 48.3

I felt pretty good for the first few weeks but had spicy nipples. Now my dick is dead and my libido is down. Doctor recommended I take an AI but I’ve been hesitant because of the horror stories I’ve read about crashing estrogen. I asked to have anastrozole compounded so I could start at a low dose but doc wouldn’t do it.

I punched my bloodwork into ChatGPT and it said my numbers look great. That although my total test is on the lower end of normal, my free t is in an excellent place. It did recommended taking .25mg ai the day after each injection which I think I’m gonna try on Sunday. It’s saying lowering my estrogen will make me feel a whole lot better.

Any advice from anyone on here who have been in my position or understand trt at a high level please chime in. Should I bump up to 120-140mg a week or stay where I’m at and get estrogen under control?

I’m working on getting leaner to slow down aromatization.

 

[Cyp180]

What does your Urologist say ?

 

[Flex.AF]

How are you doing your injections? What size syringe and where are you injecting? And yeah… get on an ai.

 

[Johnnyutaaah]

What does your Urologist say ?

Noting yet. My appointment is next week.

 

[Johnnyutaaah]

How are you doing your injections? What size syringe and where are you injecting? And yeah… get on an ai.

I’m pinning IM in the glutes. I’m using 25g syringe.

 

[Ateam2023]

bump your test dose up to 130-150 mg weekly, and according to bloodwork add ai if needed,, Im currently using @130 mg test c weekly and my tt is @750 at trough, i am not taking ai currently because i want to seewhere my e2 lands on this dose of testosterone,, i will be getting bloodwork soon to determine whether or not i will need ai,

 

[BamaCrazy]

Because you are being treated by your Urologist I would follow his guidance. Your low SHBG could possibly explain the high E2 and Free T. Getting E2 under control might help increase Total T by minimizing the conversion of Test to estradiol.

 

[Flex.AF]

Switch to a 27 gauge 5/8 insulin syringe and inject delts.
Don’t split the injection, just do 100 mgs in a single shot.
Use a massager on the delt immediately after injection.
Not a lot of people know, but smoking cannabis increases shbg.
Start taking 1 mg arimidex per week.
Increasing your test dosage will just throw stuff off more.

 

[buck]

Switch to a 27 gauge 5/8 insulin syringe and inject delts.
Don’t split the injection, just do 100 mgs in a single shot.
Use a massager on the delt immediately after injection.
Not a lot of people know, but smoking cannabis increases shbg.
Start taking 1 mg arimidex per week.
Increasing your test dosage will just throw stuff off more.

How would changing the syringe or location of injections change the blood work?
He started off with 1x a week injections and had lower T and free T

 

[Johnnyutaaah]

bump your test dose up to 130-150 mg weekly, and according to bloodwork add ai if needed,, Im currently using @130 mg test c weekly and my tt is @750 at trough, i am not taking ai currently because i want to seewhere my e2 lands on this dose of testosterone,, i will be getting bloodwork soon to determine whether or not i will need ai,

Thinking of going up to 120.

Switch to a 27 gauge 5/8 insulin syringe and inject delts.
Don’t split the injection, just do 100 mgs in a single shot.
Use a massager on the delt immediately after injection.
Not a lot of people know, but smoking cannabis increases shbg.
Start taking 1 mg arimidex per week.
Increasing your test dosage will just throw stuff off more.

Thanks for the reply. Never heard anyone recommend going one injection weekly. That’s what I started with and my numbers were pretty low. Switching to twice weekly really upped my free test.

 

[Flex.AF]

Thinking of going up to 120.

Thanks for the reply. Never heard anyone recommend going one injection weekly. That’s what I started with and my numbers were pretty low. Switching to twice weekly really upped my free test.

How would changing the syringe or location of injections change the blood work?
He started off with 1x a week injections and had lower T and free T

Smaller muscle groups allow the medicine to be pushed into your system faster.
1 mg arimidex per week will raise your t levels since you won’t aromatize as fast.
You’re going to need something for SHBG like proviron or cannabis.
Does you doctor know you’re injecting biweekly and are they testing the actual trough day or are you doing that on your own without their knowledge?

 

[Flex.AF]

How would changing the syringe or location of injections change the blood work?
He started off with 1x a week injections and had lower T and free T

27 gauge in the delt won’t lose any oil. If that’s a variable, from bleeding or leakage. Z tracking helps with larger syringes but its completely unnecessary and 100% easier if you just switch to a smaller pin.

 

[buck]

Smaller muscle groups allow the medicine to be pushed into your system faster.
1 mg arimidex per week will raise your t levels since you won’t aromatize as fast.
You’re going to need something for SHBG like proviron or cannabis.
Does you doctor know you’re injecting biweekly and are they testing the actual trough day or are you doing that on your own without their knowledge?

I have never seen where smaller muscle size cleaves off the ester faster then in larger muscles. Allowing it to get into a free state any faster where the muscles can use it. If that is what i wanted i would go with a shorter ester. It would seem blood flow would be what causes circulation as opposed to muscle size i would think.

From my own blood work over the decades the amount that testosterone goes up when lowering E2 is pretty negligible at most

27 gauge in the delt won’t lose any oil. If that’s a variable, from bleeding or leakage. Z tracking helps with larger syringes but its completely unnecessary and 100% easier if you just switch to a smaller pin.

I used large the 25 gauge needles for IM injections for decades and never had any oil leakage. Even when i used larger i did not notice any loss.

 

[Flex.AF]

I have never seen where smaller muscle size cleaves off the ester faster then in larger muscles. Allowing it to get into a free state any faster where the muscles can use it. If that is what i wanted i would go with a shorter ester. It would seem blood flow would be what causes circulation as opposed to muscle size i would think.

From my own blood work over the decades the amount that testosterone goes up when lowering E2 is pretty negligible at most




I used large the 27 gauge needles for IM injections for decades and never had any oil leakage.

Thats what you do.
I’m trying to help get this guy squared away by optimizing what he’s doing and not changing the dosage his doctor is prescribing. If he goes in and gets the arimidex like I’m saying, that would be an unarguably positive change on his bloodwork. 2 injections in larger volume syringes, over 1 mil, is not measured or administered as thoroughly as using the 27 gauge insulin syringe. They have almost no dead space compared to IM syringe. Furthermore, 27 gauge is not larger than a 23 or 25 gauge. Don’t be the guy drawing with the 25 and injecting with the 18. Thats a real thing people mistake more often than one would assume.

 

[Ateam2023]

 

[buck]

Thats what you do.
I’m trying to help get this guy squared away by optimizing what he’s doing and not changing the dosage his doctor is prescribing. If he goes in and gets the arimidex like I’m saying, that would be an unarguably positive change on his bloodwork. 2 injections in larger volume syringes, over 1 mil, is not measured or administered as thoroughly as using the 27 gauge insulin syringe. They have almost no dead space compared to IM syringe. Furthermore, 27 gauge is not larger than a 23 or 25 gauge. Don’t be the guy drawing with the 25 and injecting with the 18. Thats a real thing people mistake more often than one would assume.

I realize you are trying to help but misguided help is not a big help.
I have done thousands of IM and thousands of sub-q injections.
I never wrote 27 gauge is larger then a 23 of 25. My typing could have been better and should have proof read it before posting.
Dead air space is taken into consideration in manufacturing the syringe. And is negligible at best.
Don't be the guy that thinks micro managing issues that are not an issue will make any real difference in blood work.
Ester and dosing pattern make up the vast vast majority of how the drug is released. And E2 levels. There can be variables over time if things like the amount of aromatase increases over time.
I can only go by my 25 years of Dr. prescribed TRT, multiple blood work every year from different protocols, cycles and what i have read

 

[Flex.AF]

Could be

I realize you are trying to help but misguided help is not a big help.
I have done thousands of IM and thousands of sub-q injections.
I never wrote 27 gauge is larger then a 23 of 25. My typing could have been better and should have proof read it before posting.
Dead air space is taken into consideration in manufacturing the syringe. And is negligible at best.
Don't be the guy that thinks micro managing issues that are not an issue will make any real difference in blood work.
Ester and dosing pattern make up the vast vast majority of how the drug is released. And E2 levels. There can be variables over time if things like the amount of aromatase increases over time.
I can only go by my 25 years of Dr. prescribed TRT, multiple blood work every year from different protocols, cycles and what i have read

Maybe take a lesson here instead of saying I’m misguided. He’s asking about TRT not doing a cycle.

 

[BamaCrazy]

Smaller muscle groups allow the medicine to be pushed into your system faster.
1 mg arimidex per week will raise your t levels since you won’t aromatize as fast.
You’re going to need something for SHBG like proviron or cannabis.
Does you doctor know you’re injecting biweekly and are they testing the actual trough day or are you doing that on your own without their knowledge?

This sounds like bro science. Why do you think smaller muscle groups allow the medicine to get into your system faster?

 

[Flex.AF]

This sounds like bro science. Why do you think smaller muscle groups allow the medicine to get into your system faster?

A lot of bro scientists have theorized this, but my doctor confirmed it works.

 

[buck]

This sounds like bro science. Why do you think smaller muscle groups allow the medicine to get into your system faster?

I have known no bros that say that and in 25 years of dealing with Dr for TRT not one has used the small muscle theory.