Testosterone Tests

N

nativetroutbum

Member
Now that I'm 36, I want to get my t-levels checked. I believe mine are low. I've noticed there are a number of different saliva and blood test kits on the market. Can anyone recommend a test kit or recommend one to NOT use?

Thank you
 
I have always had mine done by a lab on orders from my endochronologist. However, I have seen studies that indicate that saliva tests are as accurate or, in some cases, more accurate than serum tests. They are also a lot cheaper if you are having to pay out-of-pocket.
 
Thanks for the input. At my age and seeming "health" levels, I'm a ways off from having a working relationship with an endochronologist :o) Most GP's around here won't even permit the testing of T-levels. My neighbor even offered to pay the full price of the test out of pocket, and two different doctors he went to said, "nope"... and he's 39... very strange. He eventually went the route of purchasing a full range of tests from an on-line provider... Cost him about $250, but I don't want all the crazy stuff he had tested, I just want my T-levels checked right now. I'm looking to do one of those "mail-in" tests. They appear to be around $35.00-$50.00, and I suppose I'll stay away from any name brand company that also sells T-booster-supplements so as to minimize any possible bias in the testing.
 
I feel your pain mate... lowering test levels are the devil in a (not great) disguise.
I noticed my levels dropping after my second child was born about 3 years ago - I was 39. Fat started to pile on, particularly around my waist, and muscle seemed so much harder to gain..

I tried all the various 'natural' and herbal test boosters with no noticeable effects.

After seeking a fair bit of advice - including some from people of my age on here - I went to my local doctors. I got a blood test done quite easily, no issues there, but my levels were at the low end of 'acceptable'. And that is 'acceptable' based on a healthy adult male of my age... NOT taking into account a life-long passion to lift ridiculously heavy lumps of circle shaped iron.

Again, after much internet research, I decided I needed a prescription testosterone. Here in the UK, where the health service is free, they dont like to give away much if they can help it!
My first attempt was with a - to be fair, very attractive Asian babe doctor - hence I was more than a little embarrassed, when ramping my situation up, in order to get my testogel, by having to say that I have problems with my virility - especially first thing in the morning - and all that... I'd better just add, incase any extremely hot - and ideally loose and living in London - women folk, are reading this, that I DONT...:cool:

Anyway, apparently, very attractive Asian babe doctors, don't care.. and don't appear to know much about men's testosterone levels... so she 'sought advice', didn't get back to me, and ultimately declined to assist my request.

I left it a couple of months. Got more frustrated. And fatter.
I eventually decided to have another go, and got another doctors appointment. This time with an old fat male doctor.
I gave him the same sob story about my fatness, my lack of sex drive, my health and all the rest of it, and probably bored him into submission, and he signed me up for a daily doseage.

So basically, persevere. Keep trying different doctors. Ramp up your ailments. Throw in a bit about longevity and how you want to see your kids (if you have any) grow up.
You need to ask for the testosterone tests, and any prescription testosterone, by going along the health benefits, rather than the leisure aspect we all really want it for.

And you may be better off trying an old fat doctor rather than a sexy young - unsympathetic - hot doctor.

Just my - long winded - opinion.

Best of luck mate. I've been there:(

Brix
 
So Brix, how has that worked out for you and at what dosage and what are your test levels now? You can leave out the part about your morning wood though. :o

I use three "squirts" of 1.62% Androgel daily. Each squirt has 20.25 mg of testosterone. It keeps my levels at about 800 ng/dl on average which is the higher end for old farts but far from over-the-top. I prefer the daily gel over the twice monthly shots because (1) I don't have to drive to the Doc's office to get a shot and (2) the gel eliminates the highs and lows you can experience with periodic shots.

Of course my lazy coconuts are now the size of raisens but I have enough wood in the morning to heat the whole village of Killingworth! :)

Mr. Bum, let us know how you make out with the saliva tests. Make sure you get your free testosterone level checked as well as total.

O&G :cool:
 
Maybe this will help with finding testing without going through a doctor.

http://www.allthingsmale.com/forum/content.php?129-Testing-agencies-1

There are some broken links at the top of that article that are pointing to www.musclechatroom.com. Just change that part of the link to www.allthingsmale.com they should work properly.

I do not recommend saliva tests for testing sex hormones. They claim that they reveal the "free" hormone levels but there is scientific evidence that the saliva glands actually produce testosterone directly from androstenedione so I would consider it an invalid test for testosterone. Saliva tests are good for testing cortisol though.
 
Interesting Bulldog. I had not read that. I know that here in CT you can go to a lab, such as Quest, which is nationwide, and basically order the test on the spot. That is different from when you had to have a written script from a doctor. However, insurance will not cover a self-test and the cost for just total testosterone is like $400.
 
O&G,

I take testogel, one sachet a day. which I think is 50mg a day. Pre testogel, my test levels were down to about about 260 ng/dl. After a year on the stuff, I was back up to about 780 ng/dl.
Maybe its not enough... I still put on fat easier than muscle these days... that said, and I wont go into gory detail about my morning 'pleasures' but I do feel like I've got the sex drive I had in my teens/20s back again... not that I get to enjoy it that often of course, what with work, kids, gym, always knackered etc...

I haven't had a blood test done in nearly a year now, so if my levels have dropped again, maybe I will be able to increase to one and a half, or two sachets a day.
I agree that the gel is so much more practical than getting weekly injections.

Brix
 
Brix, that's a decent level but not much above average for your age. You could go to 1200 ng/dl and still be within what I would call acceptable and "natural" levels. I run around 600-800 ng/dl on my dosage of 60 mg/day. (I will find out my levels Tuesday when I get my blood test results.) However, that 60 mg dose is not comparable to the same amount of injected T as the efficacy of the gel is, I am sure, less than the shots. If they were comparable, that would put me anout 420 mg/week which is considered a weak novice cycle in bodybuilding circles. Most non pro's run about 1 gram per week and the pros in excess of 2 grams per week, some very much higher. However, T becomes less effective per dosage as you get above 500 mg to 1 gram per week so the cost/benefit ratio probably peaks about 500 mg or so.

My wife is somewhat anti-bodybuilding and thinks the pros are real freaks. However, she 100% supports my use of Androgel and constantly reminds me to take it and makes sure I pack it on vacation! It certainly takes the edge off aging. My non-supported levels are below 100 ng/dl which is rather depressive. :o
 
Some of the tests I've seen on the internet are blood tests... you prick your finger, put a few drops of blood on a piece of paper, drop it all in a sealed test-tube thingy, and send it in the mail for analysis. I suppose I'll opt for the blood test vice the saliva test just to be sure.
 
I do need to get my bloods tested again. Long overdue but just been too busy working.

I dont want to increase and use two sachets a day without speaking to the doctor first, mainly because suddenly three months prescription will only last one and a half months, and they might just get suspicious and think I'm selling it or something!

I hear ya with the women folk. My wife does - occasionally :( - appreciate the increased side effects of the testosterone, and the 20-something sexual appetite, but just doesn't understand why I am not ripped AND massive, after having taken this stuff for a year and a half!:confused:

Yeah, I gave up trying to explain science to her years ago...
 
WooHoo! My testo results came in at 1106 ng/dl. Highest ever. The only difference I made was to spread it more thinly over a larger area to try and improve absorption. Since my PSA was only 0.2, the Doc had no problem with that level. BP was 106/70, lowest ever. I wonder if there is a corelation? I doubt it but who cares? Bring on the dancing girls!
 
Brix, I previously spread the gel over my upper arms, shoulders and traps and now include the sides of my abdomen and my inner thighs. I have probably doubled the coverage area and the absorption appears to have increased by about 50%.
 
O&G,

That's very interesting. I have so far only spread it on my upper arms, shoulders, traps and abdomen too, but think I will try spreading it about a bit more too then.
I had considered applying some to my calves, just because I am a liuttle bit obsessed with having great calves!

My only problem is that I usually apply the gel immediately after my shower, after my morning workout, before I go to work. I then find I sweat quite heavily at work (especially when its hot - and I appreciate that 'hot' by British standards is probably your mid winter - as it is at the moment, and I have to wear heavy body-armour over my shirt all day)
Will this cause the gel to sweat out of me and be wasted?
If so, I may have to wait until I get home of an evening and apply it before bed or something?

Brix
 
As long as you do not start sweating for about 1-2 hours after putting on the gel, you should be OK. Otherwise, some may be lost to your clothing as you sweat but probably not an appreciable amount. I would not bother putting it on the calves as it is not a true topical cream. It just uses absorption through the skin to reach the blood stream so you want to keep it close to your large arteries.

I am curious as to your occupation since you state you wear heavy body amour. Do you ride horses and knock other blokes off their mounts with long sticks, guard the Queen, transport millions of pounds of gold everyday, etc.?
 
I'm a British Bobby, a cop. But one without a gun... just have to reply on my charm and wit to win over the bad guys... so usually that fails and I just jump on them... hence I need to stay big and strong!

I was 280-290lb, or thereabouts, for quite a few years, when I was a bit younger and much stronger... I would have had to have had a shire horse to guard the Queen. And anyway, this country doesn't have millions of pounds of gold anymore... I think we gave it all away to the EU...:(


I had read about a steroid gel - not sure what - that could be rubbed in to the skin and absorbed into the local muscle group, and being as calves are the furthest away, it made some sense to try and apply directly to them. But I see your point.

Unfortunately, as I'm often running late for work, and it has been a bit unusually warm over here recently, yes, I am sweating a bit within an hour of applying my gel. Would it make sense to apply it towards the end of the day? I know the recommendation (on the directions) is that morning is preferable, but if I am sweating it back out again, that may be a more sensible approach?
 
@Brix -

1st - game on for tomorrow at Trent Bridge

2nd - don't ever apply to your face or else it will almost certainly pass to the Mrs or Ms/kids
 
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