20mg Test E EOD & 100iu HCG ED - Bloodwork

Pharma TRT
1

Here is my bloodwork from a month ago on 20mg Test E EOD and 100iu HCG ED:

PROGESTERONE *0.59 nmol/L 0.70 - 4.30

D.H.E.A. SULPHATE 9.750 umol/L 5.73 - 13.40

TESTOSTERONE *49 nmol/L 8.64 - 29.00

FREE-TESTOSTERONE(CALCULATED) *1.08 nmol/L 0.20 - 0.62

SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOB 42.2 nmol/L 18.30 - 54.10

FREE ANDROGEN INDEX *116.11 Ratio 24.00 - 104.00

17-BETA OESTRADIOL *202 pmol/L 41.00 - 159.00

CRP - HIGH SENSITIVITY 0.09 mg/l 0.00 - 5.00

I’m 21 y/o, and I’ve been on TRT for two years now because of three testicular torsion surgeries. I’m still not dialled in, and I still feel awful.

I spent 18 months essentially self medicating under a doctor who wrote me a script for Sustanon and offered no advice or support. I then moved to my current doctor who I am very happy with, but unfortunately it is still taking a long time to get dialled in.

After the above bloods which were taken just over a month ago, we changed my protocol to 12.5mg Test E EOD and kept HCG at 100iu EOD. I’m not due bloods until early Jan because of the christmas break.

Despite the levels being ridiculously high across the board, I actually felt relatively good with the above bloods. However, since dropping down to 12.5mg EOD I’ve felt awful. No libido, difficulty maintaining an erection with my girlfriend, and worst of all extreme fatigue, brain fog and severely impaired cognitive function.

Does anyone have any advice for my current situation? I understand this is a topic I should be discussing with my doctor, and I am, but I also value second options from forums like this too.

My main concerns are E2 and low progesterone. I’ve tried supplementing pregnenolone in the past but it has always left me with a racing heart beat. I’m not even sure if the progesterone reference range on the test is for men. Thanks in advance.

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2

You are high SHBG so should be injecting less frequently, like once a week.

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SHBG was much higher than it’s been over the last two years. It usually hovers around 30, I suspect the increase was from the massive increase in E2 from my previous protocol.

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Why did you start an EOD protocol?

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To get as stable levels as possible to control E2 without the use of an AI. Less peaks/troughs means less spikes to E2.

I was originally on 25mg Test E EOD alone and my TT was 25nmol/L and E2 150. Adding in 100iu HCG daily doubled my TT and added 50 pmol/L to my E2.

6

The HCG also increases estrogen, controlling estrogen inside the testicles with arimidex isn’t going to happen, arimidex can’t affect estrogen produced inside the testicles, therefore decreasing HCG is the only course of action.

7

I’m due for bloodwork after the christmas break. If E2 remains high on 12.5mg Test E EOD and 100iu ED I will half my HCG dosage.

Can I ask your opinion on my progesterone levels? I’m confused as to how DHEA-S levels are being maintained but progesterone is so low.

8

Seems like you should drop the HCG… My E2 got a bit out of hand when I was taking HCG and test, so I ended up stopping the HCG and that definitely helped lower E2. I felt no different when I stoped the HCG. Also not testicular atrophy which is always a good thing!

I’ve also suffered badly with brain fog, memory loss, impaired cognitive function and bad fatigue. Could be to do with your high E2 and low progesterone. But there are a number of other reasons for those sides. Did you check cortisol and thyroid?

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I’m only 21 so I wan’t to stay on HCG for fertility reasons. When I wasn’t on it I did personally experience pretty bad testicular atrophy.

I didn’t have cortisol checked because I wasn’t sure whether to get saliva or serum samples taken. Here are my thyroid bloods from when I was on 25mg Test E EOD alone:

FREE T3 5.83 pmol/L 3.10 - 6.80

FREE THYROXINE 15.500 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.6 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.20

I’m currently supplementing with transdermal pregnenolone to raise progesterone, but every time I apply it I get quite bad pain in the arteries in the back of my hands and lower arm. Do you think my low progesterone levels are a concern?

You said you used to have brain fog and impaired cognitive function, what was the cause and how did you fix it?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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There are some Drs who like to backfill pathways - with dhea, preg

Some don’t. My Dr doesn’t. He says dhea can increase e2. And he does not care about preg

I personally only inject t.
I know you want the HCG for testes and that’s fine

I would not bother with preg esp since you got sides from taking it

11

Hello everyone.

My doctor changed my protocol from 20mg Test E EOD and 100iu HCG ED (bloods for this protocol can be found in the first post) to 12.5mg Test E EOD and 100iu HCG ED.

The bloods are as follows:

GLOBULIN 25.4 g/L 19.00 - 35.00

HBA1C (MMOL/MOL) 32.52 mmol/mol 20.00 - 42.00

FERRITIN 47.5 ug/L 30.00 - 400.00

TRIGLYCERIDES 1.28 mmol/L 0.00 - 2.30

CHOLESTEROL 3.6 mmol/L 0.00 - 4.99

HDL CHOLESTEROL 1.41 mmol/L 1.00 - 1.50

LDL CHOLESTEROL 1.61 mmol/L 0.00 - 3.00

NON-HDL CHOLESTEROL 2.19 mmol/L 0.00 - 4.00

FREE T3 5.16 pmol/L 3.10 - 6.80

FREE THYROXINE 14.200 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.53 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.20

TESTOSTERONE 23.3 nmol/L 8.64 - 29.00

FREE-TESTOSTERONE(CALCULATED) 0.470 nmol/L 0.20 - 0.62

17-BETA OESTRADIOL *162 pmol/L 41.00 - 159.00

SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOB 38.9 nmol/L 18.30 - 54.10

PROLACTIN 314 mIU/L 86.00 - 324.00

PROSTATE SPECIFIC AG(TOTAL) 0.889 ug/L 0.00 - 1.39

I’ve felt a lot worse since the adjustment. I struggle to achieve and maintain an erection, I have no libido, I feel exhausted all the time and struggle to get up in the morning, and I have had quite intense brain fog which has impacted me a lot since it’s university exam season.

I’ve sent these bloods to my doctor but he usually takes a few days to reply because he has a lot of clients.

Can I get some thoughts on these bloods? I do not want to start an AI, so it’s either a further dose reduction in HCG or Test E.

Thanks in advance.

12

What is your doctors reasoning for cutting your dosage by 30%? That’s 50mg weekly, jesus!

Your Total T was only 671 ng/dL and E2 44 pg/mL. I’m assuming he wanted estrogen lower, if so what should have been done is either 18mg EOD or 10-12mg daily injections. Since changing the dosage you are no longer in a stable state and are going to be experiencing functuations for the next 6 weeks.

Erections and libido will be hit and miss for the next 6 weeks, but I’m assuming this was the wrong move and likely will need another adjustment to your dosage as 12.5mg is absurdly low.

This doctor isn’t going to be able to dial you in this decade, you’re wasting time with this doctor.

13

How long on protocol?

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He dropped my dose from 20mg EOD to 12.5mg EOD because my levels were well above all of the reference ranges.

I was just assuming what his next move would be based upon what he has done previously. He actually increased my dose to 15mg Test E EOD and kept HCG at 100iu every morning. He wants to get more bloods in six weeks and then adjust HCG accordingly to control E2.

15

672 ng/dl doesn’t fall above the reference range

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The only thing I see above ranges is estrogen by a small margin and isn’t a problem unless you have symptoms, Total T and Free T are within the reference ranges.

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My latest blood work on 7.5mg Test E & 100iu HCG both injected every day.

Thyroid Hormones

TSH 2.07 mIU/L (Range: 0.27 - 4.2)

Free T3 6.09 pmol/L (Range: 3.1 - 6.8)

Free Thyroxine 14.600 pmol/L (Range: 12 - 22)

Proteins

Albumin 44.2 g/L (Range: 35 - 50)

SHBG 32.7 nmol/L (Range: 18.3 - 54.1)

Hormones

FSH X <0.3 IU/L (Range: 1.5 - 12.4)

LH X <0.3 IU/L (Range: 1.7 - 8.6)

Oestradiol 220 pmol/L (Range: 41 - 159)

Testosterone 28.4 nmol/L (Range: 8.64 - 29)

Free Testosterone - Calc. X 0.651 nmol/L (Range: 0.2 - 0.62)

Free Androgen Index 86.85 Ratio (Range: 24 - 104)

Prolactin 250 mU/L (Range: 86 - 324)

DHEA Sulphate 7.660 umol/L (Range: 5.73 - 13.4)

Progesterone 0.565 nmol/L (Range: < 0.474)

I’ve been feeling bad. Libido and erection quality varies from amazing to non existent on a day to day basis. I’ve also been feeling extremely anxious generally mentally unstable with regards to irritability and emotion control.

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Apologies for the delayed response.

I was referring to my original blood work prior to making adjustments to my protocol when stating that a number of values were above the range.

I’ve just had some new blood work done, could I please get your opinion?

19

Your estrogen is high (59 pg/mL), you either need to drop the HCG or decrease your dosage.

Remember estrogen is being produced inside the testicles secondary to testosterone converting to estrogen in the aromatase enzymes in fat tissue.

Someone should tell your doctor to stop testing Free Androgen Index, it’s absolutely useless as is testing FSH and LH which TRT is known to suppress.

Amazing levels for such a small daily dosage, wow!

20

Thank you for your advice.

It’s not my doctor who orders the tests. I order them through a private company and all of their tests containing testosterone and estrogen also contain LH and FSH.