Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: wuzzie on October 23, 2019, 03:23:20 PM
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Hi ladies, I am taking two pumps of Tostran weekly. My latest blood test showed a reading of 9 nmol which seems quite high. Do any of you know what the reading should look like while on this hormone replacement? (I know we're all slightly different).
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Sorry can't help mine is less than 0.1. But have a feeling that is in the normal range, hopefully one of the other ladies will be able to help more.
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Hi wuzzie - what is the ref range given with your result - some of the labs do vary somewhat? Just at random the first result came up from this NHS trust https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/pathology/tests/testosterone/ with female range as: Female: 0.7 – 2.8 nmol/L so on the face of it that does seem high. However spot checks may not necessarily mean a lot. eg how often do you apply the T and where on the body, which product do you use, and when was the blood test taken in relation to time of application of the T, and where on your body was the blood taken from?
Also T on its own is not necessarily an indication of bioavailable T. The lab should have also carried out SHBG test and from this you can approx work out the Female Androgen Index. T binds to SHBG so if SHBG is high then less T is available. Not sure of the implication even so, if T is quite a lot higher than the ref range upper limit?
Last measurement mine was 2. something - a bit above our lab range (marginally) but FAI was low due to SHBG.
Remind us what HRT you are on? I know I've chatted to you!
Hurdity x
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Thanks Hurdity. I'm on Prof Studd's regime - Estrogel, Utrogestan and Tostran.
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hi hurdity
my SHBG has come down from 135 to 116 and my testosterone level also from 0.8 to 0.6 does that mean SHBG is high or low or do i need testosterone ?
estrogen reduced also from 195 to 104
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Wuzzie my latest bloods the range is 0.00 - 1.90 pmol. .different lab t but it's still in the same ballpark as hurditys. .
I' hope you dont mind me saying but are you sure it says 9 rather 0.9.?
With the tostran do you use the two pumps in one day?
What I'm thinking is. With testogel 50mg sachet lasting 10 days gives 5mg daily. The tostran I was given originally delivers 10mg per pump. It's not more than the testogel over a week but it's more in one hit, particularly if you use 2 pumps at once so depending on how close to application time the test was it might explain it.
Might be an idea for doc to repeat the test xxx
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Oh I thought you said T was 9 . I'm confused :)
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It definitely says 9.0 not 0.9. I apply Tostran one pump twice a week. It seems to have shot up....the lab commented on it. I have sent the blood test to Prof Studd so presumably if he thinks it's too high he'll get in touch. I'll maybe go down to one pump.
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Wuzzie. They will probably repeat test. Xx