O/T Couple of Hormone Questions

[Hypo-is-here]

you might want to clarify exactly what "FINE" is when the doctor tells you you are fine...

"fine" as in "within the reference range" or "fine" as in "it is within the reference range and approximately where it should be for your age"

if it's the first, then you may be within the reference range but be abnormal for your age.

This is perfectly correct.


In kindherb42 case though his testosterone level is as ok as it gets both in terms of bloods and symptoms (he deosn't have symptoms of low testosterone).

kindherb42,

There is no point having estradiol checked whilst on tamoxifen or for some time afterwards as the result is meaningless.  Estradiol in the blood will not be the same as that which is allowed to access the estrogen receptors( ERs) due to tamoxifen being a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) lowering the effects of estrogen at a bioavailable/free level.

[kindherb42]

This is perfectly correct.


In kindherb42 case though his testosterone level is as ok as it gets both in terms of bloods and symptoms (he deosn't have symptoms of low testosterone).

kindherb42,

There is no point having estradiol checked whilst on tamoxifen or for some time afterwards as the result is meaningless.  Estradiol in the blood will not be the same as that which is allowed to access the estrogen receptors( ERs) due to tamoxifen being a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) lowering the effects of estrogen at a bioavailable/free level.

Yeah I want to get another blood test, but was going to wait until I have been off of the Tamoxifen for some time to get my real hormone values.

Can you recommend how long I should wait after being off of the Tamoxifen before getting another blood test?


Something else I was curious about which is probably stupid question, but, say somebody gets a bunch of blood tests done...could that lower testosterone levels since some blood (which contains testosterone) is being taken from the body?

[Hypo-is-here]

Can you recommend how long I should wait after being off of the Tamoxifen before getting another blood test?

Your doctor should be perfectly aware of the answer to the first question if he understands anything.

Something else I was curious about which is probably stupid question, but, say somebody gets a bunch of blood tests done...could that lower testosterone levels since some blood (which contains testosterone) is being taken from the body?

No, it is negligible.

[moobius]

Can you recommend how long I should wait after being off of the Tamoxifen before getting another blood test?

Studies in women receiving 20 mg of 14C tamoxifen have shown that approximately 65% of the administered dose was excreted from the body over a period of 2 weeks with fecal excretion as the primary route of elimination. The drug is excreted mainly as polar conjugates, with unchanged drug and unconjugated metabolites accounting for less than 30% of the total fecal radioactivity.

[Hypo-is-here]

But then you have its effect on the HPTA to take into account

[kindherb42]

In all honesty, I don't think my doctors really know when it would be out of my system and would just make up a number, because it seems like members on this site know a lot more about this type of endocrinology.

I was thinking maybe wait about a month or two being off of it?  Then another 6 months from then get it checked again

[moobius]

nolvadex isn't going to have a strong impact on the HPTA. give it two weeks to clear your system and maybe another month for your natural hormones to stabilize and you'll probably be fine. (6-8wks) anything longer won't hurt, just depends on how soon you want/need the tests

[Hypo-is-here]

6-8 weeks is considerably longer than two weeks, hence my point.