Hi guys, me again - sorry, I only seem to post when I need help!

I'm not able to ring my doc at the moment as he's away on holiday for a couple of weeks, so I was just wondering whether anybody knows which blood tests are required for routine checkups after starting T? My boss (who works in the medical field) is awesome and is helping me get all my bloods done, but he just need to know exactly what gets checked. Thing is, nobody actually told me what it is... Minor oversight! T levels are a given, but what about things like liver function or cell count? If anybody has a list or something, that would be pretty awesome.

Thanks guys

disclamer: not medical advice
CBC, HCT, LFT, AST, PT and lipid profile

source:

QuoteHigh-dose androgen administration to female-to-male transsexuals showed many effects in vivo, and appeared to increase weight, increase visceral fat, increase hematocrit, decrease HDL cholesterol, increase endothelin-1, increase C-reactive protein, and increase tHcy. These assessments of cardiovascular risk factors showed convincingly a shift to a more negative risk profile which could be demonstrated to be androgen related, which raises concern for atherosclerotic and thrombotic events.

Yet blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, fibrinolytic markers, arterial stiffness, and levels of vWF, fibrinogen, and interleukin-6 remained largely unchanged. Also, administration of androgens to 293 female-to-male transsexuals with a total exposure of 2,481 patient years (individual exposure varied from 1 to 20 years) was a safe procedure in a retrospective study [89]. There were no major complications. The actually observed cardiovascular mortality and morbidity was not higher than expected on the basis of Dutch health statistics.

This includes an increasing number of female-to-male transsexuals in our population over the age of 50. The observation that cardiovascular risk factors shift to a male-like risk profile has prompted us to encourage female-to-male transsexuals to adopt a healthy lifestyle: avoidance of overweight, a healthy diet, enough exercise, and no smoking. Indeed, in some aging female-to-male transsexuals, we observe the development of the metabolic syndrome. It is our policy to follow up hormone-treated transsexuals throughout their lives to treat and make an inventory of long-term complications. Transsexuals, in their understandable desire to embark on life in the desired sex, tend to sever ties with the clinic that provided sex reassignment.

Dosages of androgens suited for replacement in women are much lower than those needed for sex reassignment in female-to-male transsexuals. Traditionally, in transsexuals, the classical parenteral testosterone esters have been used, resulting in supraphysiological plasma testosterone levels in the first days after the injection. Recent studies with the long-acting parenteral testosterone undecanoate show a much more favorable pharmacokinetic profile [77,78]. Also, transdermal administration of testosterone gel is a major improvement in testosterone treatment. The suitability of testosterone preparations for treatment of female-to-male transsexuals is not different from those used for hypogonadal men [90,91].

The implications of the aforementioned review for androgen administration to women are that it is reasonable to assume that the dosages given to women will be less detrimental to cardiovascular risks than those administered to transsexuals.

I thought the only thing after starting T was just getting blood test to check T levels? There's more blood test ya gota get?

Quote from: Dominick_81 on February 18, 2011, 09:33:26 PM
I thought the only thing after starting T was just getting blood test to check T levels? There's more blood test ya gotta get?

Sometimes they check your liver and some other things as well


To the OP I'm not sure but since I'll have to be getting the tests done I'm just kinda subscribing to the thread to find out. Ultimately it'll come down to what your doctor wants  I've heard of some guys needing a ton of tests while other doctors don't order as many. Good luck with the bloodwork

Quote from: Andrew Scott on February 18, 2011, 09:36:23 PM
Sometimes they check your liver and some other things as well


To the OP I'm not sure but since I'll have to be getting the tests done I'm just kinda subscribing to the thread to find out. Ultimately it'll come down to what your doctor wants  I've heard of some guys needing a ton of tests while other doctors don't order as many. Good luck with the bloodwork

I see. If I continue with my shots, do I have to tell the doctor all the different blood works I need?

And btw Andrew.... you are looking really great!

Thanks man!  Your doctor should know what tests to look for but if not, they should be doing research to find it out. My doctor hadn't had a trans patient before me and said that the tests should be similar to the ones they do for bio guys who have to use testosterone shots to up their T because their body isn't making enough for whatever reason. Our results I'm assuming will be different at first but as we're on T for a long time the results should be similar I believe. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong anyone

Quote from: Andrew Scott on February 18, 2011, 09:51:30 PM
Thanks man!  Your doctor should know what tests to look for but if not, they should be doing research to find it out. My doctor hadn't had a trans patient before me and said that the tests should be similar to the ones they do for bio guys who have to use testosterone shots to up their T because their body isn't making enough for whatever reason. Our results I'm assuming will be different at first but as we're on T for a long time the results should be similar I believe. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong anyone

Thanks.

Liver, kidneys, cholesterol, and blood sugar were a few things that I needed checked. There was also a hormone profile test to check free testosterone, total testosterone, estrogen, ect.

All I know is that my doctor goes crazy and just checks basically everything on the form or whatever.  (One nurse even commented on it a little exasperatedly).  Usually it requires five vials of blood, but we don't do blood tests too often.  I'll see if I still have the form.  It's a lot of stuff, I'm not sure if all of it is necessary but he's very thorough.

Thanks very much everybody, you've all been a massive help! If you do have the form, misocainea, that would be excellent! It's probably good he's thorough, unless you need to pay extra for all those blood tests (in which case, ouch! )

Quote from: Andrew ScottGood luck with the bloodwork

Thank you! I'm long overdue for a check up with my doc and he won't give me another T prescription 'til I go see him, so I'm hoping everything's okay...