I just got my 5-week lab results back. But first, a little background.
I'm 39 and into recreational bodybuilding. I began lifting in earnest about 8 years ago. Soon afterwards I began to suspect that my test was low, because despite near-perfect nutrition and training, I wasn't seeing the results that I thought I should see. So I asked my doctor to test my testosterone levels. He gave me a total T test, and it came out somewhere around 260 , with a 200 - 1000 range. He pronounced me "normal" and sent me on my way. I had all the symptoms; depressed, lethargic, low sex drive, etc. Soon after this, I began using prohormones (self-medicating), with fantastic results. I did many cycles over the years, beginning with androstendione, and including 19-nor, 4-AD, nor-4-AD, 1AD, 1-test, and M1T, with 6-OXO as pct. I reached my peak at 190, about 10% bodyfat, at 5' 7", with a small-boned frame. I was certainly not as big or ripped as AAS users, but much bigger and more muscular than your average gym rat. I've also been on antidepressants for seven years or so.
In June of 2004, after not using any prohormones for about a year, and after learning that prohormones were about to be banned, I went to a different doctor and asked him to check my T. He checked total and free testosterone:
Total T 204, range 260-1000
Free T 52.8, range 50-210.
Because my free T was a hair above 50, he too pronounced me normal and sent me on my way. I should note that I was dieting at the time, and had been for a few months.
I did a couple more cycles of M1T and 4-AD, with 6-OXO for pct. Then I found Swale.
Swale sent me for labs in December of 2004. Here are the relevant results:
Lab test Value Range
FSH 2.2 1.4 - 18.1
LH 3.2 1.5 - 9.3
Prolactin 6.0 2.0 - 18.1
SHBG 17 7 - 50
Testosterone, Free, Weakly Bound:
Total T 481 241-827
Free T 154 34 - 194
BioAvail T 310 84-402
Estradiol 20 13-54
DHT 34 25 - 75
I attribute the fact that my test was much higher in Dec. than in June or in years previous to the fact that I was decidedly NOT dieting (pigging out for the holidays, in fact), and that the 6-OXO taken a couple of months back may have raised it some also. Those are my best guesses. Everything else was normal, including hemoglobin and hemocrit. However, blood sugar was a little high, at 99. Previously the highest it had been was 96.
I began test cypionate shots, the first one at 200mg, and the rest at 100mg. The first week I felt Grrrrreeaat!! That is, until the water retention kicked in. Since then, I've been battleing water retention, and I have slightly irritated nipples. On the average, I do feel better than before but I think there is room for improvment. My sex drive is good 2 or 3 days out of the week. My strength in the gym is up a little. Depression has lifted for most of the week. But the 3 days around my shot, I pretty much feel back to my old self.
After my fifth injection, Dr. Crisler sent me for followup labs, on the sixth day, or the day before my next injection.
SHBG 11 7-50
Testosterone, Free, Weakly Bound:
Total T 556 241-827
Free T 210 34 - 194
BioAvail T 422 84-402
Estradiol 22 13-54
Total Estrogen 153 130 or less
DHT 32 25-75
I should also note that my blood sugar was down to 90, which is the best it's ever been. Believe it or not, my hemocrit and hemoglobin went down very slightly, although still well within the normal range. So there you have it. Comments?
I'm 39 and into recreational bodybuilding. I began lifting in earnest about 8 years ago. Soon afterwards I began to suspect that my test was low, because despite near-perfect nutrition and training, I wasn't seeing the results that I thought I should see. So I asked my doctor to test my testosterone levels. He gave me a total T test, and it came out somewhere around 260 , with a 200 - 1000 range. He pronounced me "normal" and sent me on my way. I had all the symptoms; depressed, lethargic, low sex drive, etc. Soon after this, I began using prohormones (self-medicating), with fantastic results. I did many cycles over the years, beginning with androstendione, and including 19-nor, 4-AD, nor-4-AD, 1AD, 1-test, and M1T, with 6-OXO as pct. I reached my peak at 190, about 10% bodyfat, at 5' 7", with a small-boned frame. I was certainly not as big or ripped as AAS users, but much bigger and more muscular than your average gym rat. I've also been on antidepressants for seven years or so.
In June of 2004, after not using any prohormones for about a year, and after learning that prohormones were about to be banned, I went to a different doctor and asked him to check my T. He checked total and free testosterone:
Total T 204, range 260-1000
Free T 52.8, range 50-210.
Because my free T was a hair above 50, he too pronounced me normal and sent me on my way. I should note that I was dieting at the time, and had been for a few months.
I did a couple more cycles of M1T and 4-AD, with 6-OXO for pct. Then I found Swale.
Swale sent me for labs in December of 2004. Here are the relevant results:
Lab test Value Range
FSH 2.2 1.4 - 18.1
LH 3.2 1.5 - 9.3
Prolactin 6.0 2.0 - 18.1
SHBG 17 7 - 50
Testosterone, Free, Weakly Bound:
Total T 481 241-827
Free T 154 34 - 194
BioAvail T 310 84-402
Estradiol 20 13-54
DHT 34 25 - 75
I attribute the fact that my test was much higher in Dec. than in June or in years previous to the fact that I was decidedly NOT dieting (pigging out for the holidays, in fact), and that the 6-OXO taken a couple of months back may have raised it some also. Those are my best guesses. Everything else was normal, including hemoglobin and hemocrit. However, blood sugar was a little high, at 99. Previously the highest it had been was 96.
I began test cypionate shots, the first one at 200mg, and the rest at 100mg. The first week I felt Grrrrreeaat!! That is, until the water retention kicked in. Since then, I've been battleing water retention, and I have slightly irritated nipples. On the average, I do feel better than before but I think there is room for improvment. My sex drive is good 2 or 3 days out of the week. My strength in the gym is up a little. Depression has lifted for most of the week. But the 3 days around my shot, I pretty much feel back to my old self.
After my fifth injection, Dr. Crisler sent me for followup labs, on the sixth day, or the day before my next injection.
SHBG 11 7-50
Testosterone, Free, Weakly Bound:
Total T 556 241-827
Free T 210 34 - 194
BioAvail T 422 84-402
Estradiol 22 13-54
Total Estrogen 153 130 or less
DHT 32 25-75
I should also note that my blood sugar was down to 90, which is the best it's ever been. Believe it or not, my hemocrit and hemoglobin went down very slightly, although still well within the normal range. So there you have it. Comments?
