What do you measure when doing full labs, and where do you want those to sit? Just anywhere in the standard medical range, or are there ones that you aim to have bordering or out of range? If applicable, where do symptoms and sides come in to play when deciding if those out of range are Ok?

AlphaMD's Answer

We tend to start with basic labs pre-TRT, then do larger labs after the first 8-12 weeks depending on symptoms & needs from there. Many men end up dialed in very easily, while others may have a specific issue that needs reviewing. For libido as an example, if it wasn't improved we may look at Total/Free T, SHBG, DHT, prolactin, and estradiol. If you had zero issues & were very happy, we wouldn't need to necessarily check all of those values unless you wanted to. As ongoing labs, we are primarily concerned with Total/Free T & E2.

In terms of ranges for each, Total/Free T can have a very wide range & we have no exact goal numerically as each man feels differently. What is "just right" for one may be "too high" for another. So we use initial & later testing as a guide to see responsiveness rather than mark a goal. For things like E2, we tend to worry around 40+ & look at taking further action around 50+. Though there are outliers which are happy to be where they are as well.

When deciding if being out of range of a test is okay or not, it's again down to how extreme & your outcome. If you're feeling amazing or if you're feeling terrible is the biggest decision maker to sitting outside the norm.