CBC and Estradiol? Without those, the TT value reveals practically nothing other than that you're indeed within the male range (or not, as the case may be). To explain that, your foremost risk of TRT would be too high of RBC, Hematocrit and/or Hemogloblin [for an as yet not understood reason, IM is the most often correlated to that phenomenon than other administration methods]. In other words, your blood becoming too thickened/dense. And that may or may not be an indication (as the aforementioned can either occur with or without the following coinciding) that too much of your dose volume is being converting into Estrodial from Aromatase (which will greatly increase your risk of blood clots as a direct result); in short, your dose volume and/or interval (even both), being too much for your body to handle. Those two, the CBC and Estrodial, WITH the TT will let you know either way, where they cannot/wouldn't alone.
It is therefore CRITICAL to have had your TT *and* CBC *and* Estrodial run every THREE months for the first year (during your "adjustment period"). And then at least once per year thereafter, and for that very reason. Basically, every time your dose volume and/or administration interval OR method changes SIGNIFICANTLY, those three labs, if nothing else, SHOULD BE ordered. Better safe than sorry. The two aforementioned adverse effects are your absolute biggest, most probable, negative effects you COULD encounter from TRT, IF those factors aren't the right "fit" for your body.
Because of the many variables between dose volume AND administration interval AND even administration method, your Total Testosterone level alone doesn't, even CANNOT, reveal whether or not your current TRT regiment is at an appropriate volume and/or interval for you. That *and* CBC *and* Estrodial, however, are. It takes the triad to paint the entire picture. Together, they let your doctor know IF your TRT requires adjustments, or not.
In short: so long as your CBC, Estrodial and TT are all within normal MALE range, you're golden. IF one or both or even all are not, then you're in need of some fine-tuning, pronto.
However, with that said, it is not uncommon for those on IM and at a bi-weekly administration (and at the "normal dose volume"; as in not "low"), to be within or else even above the 1,000 range at "peak" (seven days after administration, in the fourteen days cycle). BUT! Your ACTUAL T level, or which is your "mean average" of those fourteen days, WILL BE LOWER than this value. Even SIGNIFICANTLY so. That is because the "bell curve" for this combination will be like a mountain's peak... a steep, sharp incline ("uptake/absorption") and decline ("excretion/depletion"), before and after it. And that is the reason quite a lot of us decide, with our doctor's oversight, NOT to remain on the standard fourteen day administration interval/cycle. By shortening the administration interval and/or also slightly reducing the dose volume, our TT level will actually even out a LOT more (no more sharp, steep "peak") and we will actually ALSO (because of "overlap"; because IM's active period is fourteen days regardless of how often we administer), it will remain in a HIGHER level for a LONGER period of time over our entire cycle. So literally, we're getting more "bang" for the "buck" (as it were; well, actually literally too as it happens).
Indeed, less dose volume x shorter administration interval REALLY is more, than higher dose volume x longer administration interval.
So yes, TT value alone, really doesn't say much. That is, not without knowing other particular details to put it into the correct perspective. In other words, while two or more of us could share our TT level, the variables that got us there will be WIDELY different if we're NOT getting the same "mileage" (as it were)... or that is more specifically, NOT on the same administration interval/cycle x dose volume x administration method.
