I have been taking Androgel for a number of years and I am currently dealing with a perplexing issue.
For all past times, I have had the standard blood test to chart my free hormone levels. I tended to be on the low side and my doctor would gradually increase the dosage.
Then last year I went to a different medical group and they had my hormone tested by saliva. I got tested three different times over an eight month period. My free testosterone was higher then the upper readable levels every time. Two weeks after my last saliva test, I had a blood test done on both the free and bound testosterone levels. They showed I had extremely low levels.
I did some research on the net and found this paper:
Testing: Saliva Vs. Blood | Too Late Schmart | August 2003
It seems that blood testing (testing only the separated serum/plasma) may not be the correct procedure for testing hormone levels in individual who take hormone supplements because the body processes it differently then internally produced hormones.
You may want to get a saliva test done to see if the hormone levels register correctly with the blood test.
I found out from a pharmacist with the drug maker of Androgel, that they did all there drug testing with blood (serum) samples. I wonder now if they would of gotten different results if some participants had their hormone levels checked via saliva or the red blood cells (non serum) were checked for testosterone levels.
Anyone have something similar happen to them or maybe a medical professional can shed some more light?
Cheers,
CDC