10 Weeks In - Slow But Steady I Guess, Is This Normal?

Got my 10 week blood work back today. Started 10 weeks ago with Testosterone Cypionate 140 mg/mL and moved to 180 at week 5. Today, went up to 200 and will be tested again in 5 weeks. I was hoping for better total and free numbers, but at least they are going up, i guess they should be though. Anyone see anything wonky about my bloodwork, and is it common to not have a higher # after 5 weeks at 180, or is that just how I responded to that dosage. Im 48 years old, 6’3 245, eat pretty clean, and work out 4 times a week. No Ai or HCG.

At 5 weeks you should be seeing near peak levels, I wouldn’t expect much higher levels. You also need to keep a close eye on your iron status, MCH and MCHC are low.

I would add more iron to your diet. Your ALT levels are mildly elevated, may be caused by poor diet. A free PSA this early in the game isn’t a cause for concern. I would argue PSA is more reliable.

Do you feel any different than pre-trt? 185mg has my total T at 2000, free T at 36 and my SHBG is close to yours at 39. Weird

My diet is basically the same every day. Turkey burgers, chicken, red meat 3-4 times a week, alvocados, rice, nuts, limited fruit, a couple protein shakes, Green Veggies, cottage cheese. About 2800 Calories. Suplements I take 25mg DHEA, 25 mg pregnanolone , Vit D, b12, K, A, C, Mag, ZMA, Boron and take Welbutrin for mild anxiety.

Somewhat I guess, better gym time, better recovery, some morning wood. Libido, nothing changed alot. Some body recomp, but I was coming off rotator cuff surgery 6 month slothfest, so that was going to happen either way. Do you think 5 weeks at 200 (vs the 180 I was just on), will do anything, Im kinda bummed now!

Your answer will depend on who you ask. If I were you and 180 put me at 550 total T I’d be doing 210mg next. Some guys here are fine with a 500-700 total T but I’m not. You’re a rare case where a higher dose don’t effect you much. You’ll likely need more than 90% of people here to get you in the higher end of the range. Give yourself enough time at each new dose to know how it effects you.

My liver enzymes improved on TRT, now that I have been off TRT for 5 months, liver enzymes while in range are slightly higher. I have seen this when I stopped TRT for a week and had routine lab testing.

So 7 weeks later, after being on 200 once a week here are my numbers

Total T 589.66 (up from 555.29 on 180/wk)
Free T 11.9 (exactly the same from 7 weeks ago)
SHBG 37 up from 33
Estradiol 47 Up from 37
HCT 47.5 down from 48.3
ALT 22
MCH 30.9
MCHC 32.8

The only other number that has changed that is concerning is Ferritin at 28 down from 54 last test.

I am so discouraged, I was hoping for some bump going from 180 to 200 and although there was a total T bump, no free T.

Is there any recommendations for a fast metabolizer like myself (if that’s even the proper term) I was thinking of going twice a week, but right now I go in office for my injection, and to get it sent to me is 2.5 times the cost, so thats not cool, neither is the drive there twice a week.

So currently 220 once per week
No AI
Sublingual HCG twice a week (its included and in doing it just to keep by testicles from sucking in, which was starting to happen) I know the Sublingual is not what is recommended, but its free and why not.

Your TSH is high. I’m not familiar enough with how to read the other thyroid numbers to tell if this is an issue. Someone else should chime in.

You’d benefit from twice a week injections, do them yourself. Your E2 is way too high from 1x/week. Should be a 15-25 T to E ratio.

Is this Testosterone Cypionate? If so that’s a huge dose for only a 589 TT. However, it seems like you need a higher dose of T to get your FT up (should be closer to double what you currently have). Your TT also has room to go up.

Just for the sake of clarity - you said you started at “140 mg/ml” then 180, then 200…

They only make the T Cyp in 100 or 200 mg/ml doses. To get a 140mg dose from the 200, you’d be using .7 ml (0.70 * 200 = 140) and for a 200mg dose you’d use 1 ml…

That changes if your vial is dosed at 100mg/ml instead of 200… Just want to make sure you’re actually taking what you think you’re taking…'cuz I’d be suspicious of numbers that low at trough…From most people I would expect a much higher trough than mid 500s on 200mg/wk.

Exactly what I was thinking. No way his T is that low taking monster doses like that. Also, his E2 is out of wack from the 1x injection.

I’d also stop the HCG until the initial T protocol is down.

I was thinking that too. At first I just chalked it up to someone using the wrong unit, which is very common (and makes my head hurt) but who knows, maybe the dose isn’t 140mg or 180mg, etc and significantly lower

I agree, very hard to understand how his T would still be that low on a 180mg+ dose

Yes, I am sure it is/was 200mg/wk of Cyp. The doctor says he has almost no other clients that have this low of T with this dose, talks about fast metabolizing and to split doses in a attempt to bring it up at trough. Although that may help, I am trying to understand why this is happening, and what else that could be effecting.

You need to make other arrangements because these office visit for your injections serves one purpose, to drain your wallet so these doctors can make a living which isn’t your problem. You estrogen is high and testosterone suboptimal, increase your testosterone will increase estrogen and you are already estrogen dominant.

The larger the dosage, the high the estrogen, so you need lots of little doses more often. There’s no excuse why you can’t inject T at horme, children are taught to self inject insulin at home.

Then your doctor hasn’t’ been prescribing TRT for very long. You are a hyper T metabolizer and/or hyperexcreter.

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Thanks. I can inject, its just due to my insurance covering office injections, but not covering at home whatever they call it. it goes from 65 to 195 a month, and im cheap and poor, lol, but I get what your saying.

That makes no sense. You just need them to cover the prescription for T itself, which they’re paying for anyways if they’re injecting you at the office. It should be cheaper for the insurance company to not have to pay the doc office to do it.

I pay $60 for 2 1/2-3 months of t cyp, minus insurance, so there is no reason it should go up that high.

Tell me about it, I’ve gone around and around with them today, either pay 195 to get everything sent to me, or go in office twice a week for 65.

through a normal doctor? I couldn’t get anyone interested, so ended up going to this mantality place, which for the price seemed good, but its obvious i cant just do once a week. So ill have to ponder this a bit.