Well I guess I am a bad patient. I didn’t follow his IM instructions and went ahead and did a SC injection using my #29 0.5ml 0.5" [50iu] insulin syringes. Everything went just as expected.
<-Here are my latest Lab results from blood taken 10/8/13.
Brief update and two question. After a week of SC testosterone injections I swapped over to IM injections. I did not like the small lumps being caused by the SC injections (even though they went away in ~3 days). I have been happy with the results. I got my post Testim lab results in today but have not yet discussed the results with my Dr. One thing I don’t understand is the free testosterone units.
Two Questions:
-
My first two sets of lab results provided FT with a unit of pg/mL. The last labs reported it in NG/DL. By my conversion 20.8 NG/DL is 208 pg/mL which is over an order of magnitude greater than my previous results (45.1 pg/mL and 9.2 pg/mL). What gives?
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When I went to use my HCG this morning I noticed that the majority of the liquid was frozen. I thawed it out using my hands and injected as normal (and increased the set point on my refrigerator). This ws a new mixture of HCG and I hate to throw it out but is is still good after being frozen for several days?
After ~5 weeks on 60mg of T 2X per week and 250iu hCG SC 3X per week, my lab results are as follows:
Testosterone, Serum 1196 ( 348-1197 ng/dL)
Free T 25.9 (8.7 - 25.1 pg/mL)
DHEA Sulfate 178.5 (138.5 - 475.2 ug/dL)
Estradiol 83.7 (7.6 - 42.6 pg/mL)
PSA 0.9 (0 -4 ng/mL)
Today I sent a request to my Dr. to add Arimidex/anastrozole to my treatment.
[quote]PKNY wrote:
You don’t need an AI with an E2 of 15.
Reading the clinical trial data on the Androgel insert shows men with 3 pumps do better
than those on 4 (total T and free T). That said, you will get a little lift from the 3 pumps, but it
won’t build any significant muscle.
Your Free T is very low along with your E2 which leads me to believe that you aren’t
converting much to DHT (raises libido and builds muscle). To raise all, you will need a lot more
Testosterone, way more than you would get even if you were to be prescribed 4 pumps A-gel.
After a year of Androgel, my copay with the Androgel coupon went from $10 to $50. I told my doc that
my insurance also informed me that they were no longer paying for it and I wanted shots (I lied). He tried to
give me a new coupon, but I told him that the coupon is only good for 12 discounts and then its over (this is true)
plus insurance will no longer cover it.
- I don’t know if they checked with my insurance, but they ended up bending and switching to injection.
If you can’t get them to switch, you can try another GP. You could also just order Hcg from safemeds4all
which would raise your natural Test and E2 levels, but it won’t get you to the free T and total T levels needed
to build significant muscle. Call around to local compound pharmacies and ask for names of local Dr’s that
prescribe a lot of Test, than make an appointment with that Dr.
Good Luck.
[/quote]
Would you vouch for that HCG supplier ?
Sorry for the hijack
Yes.
[quote]imgaym wrote:
Two Questions:
- My first two sets of lab results provided FT with a unit of pg/mL. The last labs reported it in NG/DL. By my conversion 20.8 NG/DL is 208 pg/mL which is over an order of magnitude greater than my previous results (45.1 pg/mL and 9.2 pg/mL). What gives?[/quote]
The larger one was calculated and the smaller one was directly measured. Unless their units were wrong, the only explanation I can think of is that the directly measured free T only picks up a fraction of the actual free T, so the numbers are not directly comparable with the calculated free T.
There are lots of different tests for free T (and other hormones like estradiol) that are not directly comparable in absolute numbers. Different labs also use different machines or machines that are differently calibrated, or machines that might be more sensitive in some ranges than others. For that reason what is important is not the absolute number but where you fall in the range provided. That is why everyone is always asking posters to post the ranges.
seekonk, you are right in that there is different machines and different ways to measure analytes. However, the ranges are in general, the population that the particular lab is doing service for. For instance, I work at a VA lab in arkansas. Our reference ranges are based on older men…generally. So, our testosterone reference is something like 867 or something like that for the normal HIGH! lol The normal low I think was something like 250 or something close to that. So, you have to keep the population the lab is serving in mind as well.
Macmathews - I have ordered twice from safemeds4all.com and have had no problems.
I got another question for you guys. After I followed up with my directlabs.com test resylts, my Dr directed me to take 1 mg of anastrozole 3X per week. This is three times the dose that KSman’s protocol for Injections calls for. I am taking 60mg of T 2X per week, and 250 iu hCG 3X per week. Does 3mg/week of anastrozole seem ok as a starting point? My Estradiol measured 83.7 (7.6 - 42.6 pg/mL) lastweek without anastrozole.
WAY too much. start with .25mg twice a week with or the next day after injections.
Yes, that is a huge starting dose.
Ok thanks! I have already taken my 1st 1mg pill today. I will back down on the subsiquent doses to something no more than 1mg per week.
This Dr. knows his stuff so I wonder why there is such a discrepancy? I will be sure to ask at my next office visit.
If I were you, I would not take another dose of arimidex until next week. Then, start taking .25 mg as per my comment above.
Please becarefull with the adex, I had high e-2 like you and took 1mg, it gave me sever ED that I have never had, dont have labs but believe it must have crashed my E-2. I do weekly shots of 100 mg and after a couple of weeks recovering lol I just took this weekly injection with .5mg. I found out that that stuff is no joke, well for me anyway.
Thanks guys, the main reason I requested arimidex was that I have been having ED issues for the past few weeks. I was expecting it to improve my situation. Are you saying that I should not have this expectation (even at a lower dose)?
Not at all. I am saying that ED can result from having too high, or too low E2. It is VERY easy to “crash” your E2 with arimidex. You should start slow with it.
I got my lab results back today. Blood was taken on 1/28/14 after being on 1.5mg/week of Arimidex, 120 mg/week T and 750 iu/week HCG.
Testosterone level 1438 NG/DL (292-1052)
Free T 39.4 NG/DL (4.8 - 25.0)
Estradiol 26 PG/ML (<=63)
Prior to getting these results, we decided to cut my T injections back from 120 mg/week to 100 mg/week. Based on the above lab results this seems to be a good plan.
Imgaym, when were these labs from as far as time after last injection? What does your treatment schedule look like and bloods drawn?
Thanks
Mike
I have T injections on Sunday and Thursday. Blood was taken Tuesday morning. What is the normal protocol for timing your injection before blood work?
[quote]imgaym wrote:
Macmathews - I have ordered twice from safemeds4all.com and have had no problems.[/quote]
Looked at their site - they seem to require a prescription though, or is that just for show?
[quote]imgaym wrote:
I have T injections on Sunday and Thursday. Blood was taken Tuesday morning. What is the normal protocol for timing your injection before blood work?[/quote]
I’m also curious about this. I recently started injections and have yet to go back for follow up tests. I inject twice a week and was wondering what day is best to have the blood work done.