@highpull You are right. Everybody responds differently and there is no way to tell unless trying.
I have been waiting to get a consultation with a doctor for a while but as it looks it’s taking too long.
I’m thinking about starting since my test is already here. Since my HCG is not here yet I could start test only for 6-8 weeks and add HCG then. I don’t think any atrophy to the testicle will happen in such a short period.
Since no HCG will be included what dosage would you guys suggest?
@aliel I started 20mg daily, I think this is a standard starting point for most progressive TRT doctors. However some prefer more aggressive approach and start at 30mg daily.
I would take 150mg once a week. Of course, if you wanted to take less more often, you can. Of the hundreds of guys I personally know on TRT, none are injecting daily or even every other day, so all I know about that is what I’ve read here.
Good luck. Whatever you do, settle on the dose prior to adding the hCG.
I don’t think weekly dosing isn’t an optimal choice, sure your estrogen is only 15, but your FT is mid-range and expect a decrease in SHBG on TRT after 6 weeks which will essentially make you a low SHBG guy increasing your free hormones which may convert over to estrogen.
I would do twice weekly dosing at a minimum, more frequently if having issues with estrogen/water weight. Almost everyone will see a decrease in SHBG on TRT and I believe yours may drop below <20.
I think that’s a good starting point however I might try 3 times a week at first.
Since I will be injecting subQ I think 3 times a week should be better in smaller quantities. I will probably follow your previously suggested protocol of injecting MWF but instead of 35mg I will probably take 47.5mg to equal 142.5mg a week since I won’t be using HCG right away.
I will do thrice weekly since I want to do subQ for the moment. Since I have no experience with injections I think it will be easier to start with. I am thinking MWF. Do you have any advice on timing? Lets say Monday 8AM, Wednesday 4PM and Friday 8PM to keep levels more stable?
One concern that I have is that of the complete blood count. Specifically the lowish MCV. I have been taking 95mg iron daily 1 hour before food and two hour after caffeine and the response to HCT and HGB is there since both of them are higher than the previous test. The MCV on the other hand is lower which is really surprising. Last MCV result was 83.1 and today it’s 82.4. Maybe the higher testosterone will help it.
Edit: Forgot to add that previous blood count was at 10 AM fasted and today’s it was after lunch if it makes a difference.
Lastly I really want to thank all of you guys since you are extremely helpful even though you know me. I really appreciate it. @systemlord @highpull @vonko1988
You are looking for consistency, so if you are going to inject, make it either in the am or pm, but not both. I’m ready to go in the morning and more tired at night time, morning injections suits me best.
I was mostly worried about the injection timing from Friday to Monday since it is spaced out 72 hours instead of 48 hours M-W and W-F. Maybe after the T levels are saturated it won’t make a big difference? Or I could inject 45mg on Monday, 45mg on Wednesday and 52.5mg on Friday to make up for the timing difference. I might be overcomplicating things actually but I just want to be sure before I start.
Any opinion on the MCV?
If you aren’t feeling like crap Monday before the shot then you’re fine in my opinion. You could always do a Monday AM injection if you aren’t already, if needed. I’m not sure what time of day you said you were doing your doses. I do Mon/Wed/Fri, PM for all of them and it’s been fine that way.
I was unsure about the time of day but convenience wise AM is the best. I could inject before work and I could be part of my morning routine and I am sure I won’t forget an injection.
Regarding the day split I could always go by feel as you mentioned and if I am feeling good by Monday morning then I’ll be fine.
Out of curiosity what protocol are you following?
Mon/Wed/Fri, 60mg each, 180mg/week
I would watch it closely and make sure iron is in your diet, mine was low right before iron deficiency struck, but my iron was below range for awhile before MCV to drop below range.
@aliel
HCG is going to make you ever getting dialed in much harder. You’d be amazed how much not losing 1/8 of your testicle size becomes less of a priority when you feel like crap.
Just another variable unfortunately. I’ve read some people have sensitivity issues that it improves drastically, some say it makes them feel like shit.
This whole TRT thing would be a lot easier if it were more black and white.
That’s why I decided to not use it for the moment. Hopefully I’ll be dialed in later when I use it. I’m even thinking of using it a couple of months every year just to save that 1/8 of the size 
. Well honestly I’m mostly concerned about fertility. I just don’t want to risk it.
Well officially first pin done. Went smooth expect it took me forever to load the syringe with a 29G needle. I will go look if I find some larger ones just to draw the oil out of the vial. Injecting was probably around 20-30 seconds so no biggie.
The hardest part was to measure out the oil in the syringe. I took it to the 19cc mark which translates to 47.5mg since my test is 250mg/ml. I looked up a couple of videos but I still don’t understand if the oil in the syringe tip is extra or part of the measurement.
I could feel my hands shaking a bit while injecting. I hadn’t felt this nervous in a while lol. Hopefully during the next injection on Friday I feel more calm.
Welcome to the club 
This is what sucks most for me. Also the bubble inside, that reduces a bit the quality I inject. Sometimes I manage to get the bubble almost non-existent, but other times not
Thank you
The bubbles were a bitch to get out lol. I am going to try a 22 or 23G needle on Friday to see how much easier it is. Hopefully they fit my insulin syringe since it has removable needles.
Well today it was my first injection of the third week. Mood and side effects wise I’m pretty stable to the point that I somewhat feel the same as I did before starting TRT. However I’ve had some shitty sleep because of my kids so I have sleep in total 4-6 hours per night.
I did develop a big problem with the injections. First week was perfect, injections smooth to the navel area, no lumps no pain.
Second week I started getting lumps and they are painful when I touch them. Redness and itchiness started happening on the last three injections. I can handle the pain and the lumps however the itching is driving me crazy.
My testosterone is enanthate made by Norma in Greece and it comes in 1 ml ampules. I transferred it right away to a sterile vial and I been filling syringes from the vial. I tried to be as sterile as possible however since it was my first time doing it I have my doubts. Maybe the oil is contaminated. Maybe I react badly to the oil.
I’ve tried injecting at a 45 degree angle, straight, I’ve tried pinching, I use an alcohol swab, I rub the injection site for two minutes right away and also after twenty minutes. I don’t know what more I can do.
I’m thinking of two options:
- I’ll prefill syringes straight from the ampule when I break them so I have one less process of transferring the oil to the vial. Hopefully will keep things more sterile.
- I can try to inject intramuscular in delta and quads, however I didn’t want to mess with any changes after at least 8 weeks. I can suck it up and handle the itchiness if needed for six more weeks and then change.
If indeed I have a reaction to the oil will injecting IM be better than SubQ? I could try shallow intramuscular like @dextermorgan
So what do you guys think? Any help is appreciated before the itching drives me crazy.
Edit: Forgot to mention I can’t source any other testosterone beside the one I’m using legally through a pharmacy where I live so I am stuck with this one. Just found info in English on the leaflet and the oil is castor. It also contains benzyl benzonate.
@systemlord @highpull @vonko1988 @dextermorgan @ncsugrad2002
@aliel
Don’t get in your own head about the sterility. The oil is fine. It’s a learning process and in time you’ll get better at the injections. When I did sub-q I’d inject slowly and then leave the needle in place for about 15-30 secs, then I’d pull it halfway out and leave it there for 5 secs and then remove. Gently massage the area afterwards. Don’t apply much pressure though. Just massage it in so the oil spreads out a little bit. This will help with the lumps. In time your skin will get used to the shots and you’ll have less physical issues like itching. I wouldn’t change anything yet. Again though, don’t get in your head. Your shit is sterile and it’s fine.