37 in Dallas Area Trying to Get a Handle on TRT

Pharma TRT
1

Been on TRT for 4 months, details in this first post represent pre-TRT values. Later changes will be described in follow-up posts.

-age
37

-height
6 feet

-waist
36 inches

-weight
205 pounds

-describe body and facial hair
Full head of hair. Facial hair has always been scruffy (not bushy) with none on cheeks and little along jaw line between sideburns and chin. Facial hair takes weeks to show significant growth. Hairy arms and legs, almost hairless chest, normal / bushy pubes.

-describe where you carry fat and how changed
Most fat in stomach area and some around love handles.

-health conditions, symptoms [history]
Frequent depression, especially through winter, reasonably healthy otherwise.
Occasional (not constant) heartburn.

-Rx and OTC drugs, any hair loss drugs or prostate drugs ever
Adderall (hardly take it anymore, used to take 30 mg 4x daily for a few years)
In the past, I’ve been on and off several anti-depressants as necessary but nothing recently
Infrequently take ibuprofin for muscle pain and (generic) Claritin for allergies
No hair loss or prostate medications ever
Took iodine (Iodoral) for a while to build up iodine levels, now infrequently as supplement

-lab results with ranges
Lab test from 6/17/2014:
Estradiol: 31 (range <41)
FSH: 5.1 (range 1.4-18.1)
Total Testosterone: 192 (range 240-871)
TSH Third Generation: 1.802 (range 0.550-4.780)
T4: 12.2 (range 4.5-10.9)
T3 Uptake: 32.0 (range 22.5-37.0)
Free Thyroxin Index: 3.9 (range 1.7-4.2)

-describe diet [some create substantial damage with starvation diets]
Almost always eat 3 meals a day, frequently fast food. Mostly eat meat, very few vegetables. Not a great diet, but not starving.

-describe training [some ruin there hormones by over training]
Little to no exercise.

-testes ache, ever, with a fever?
Not really, no.

-how have morning wood and nocturnal erections changed
Morning wood very rarely for a few years, never noticed nocturnal erections.

2

First post is accurate as a baseline profile from before I started TRT in August 2014. Based on previous blood test results, I asked for test. cyp., Arimidex and hCg as described in the TRT: Protocol for Injections sticky. The doctor only prescribed 0.5 mL test. cyp. (200 mg/mL) IM weekly. I went with 0.2 mL test. cyp. (200 mg/mL) SC EOD instead for three months before a follow-up appointment and subsequent blood tests.

In those 3 months, my body became noticeably firmer all over, my waist size dropped briefly from 36" to 34" and there was very little fat in my torso anymore. My nearly hairless chest sprouted hair in new areas across my (limited) pecs and my facial hair became much thicker and grew much faster. My weight slowly climbed after starting TRT from 205 up to 220. Mentally I became much more confident and far less emotional, basically began feeling like a man for the first time in a long while. Also got strong morning wood regularly every morning, something I hadn’t had with any regularity in several years. Much hornier more frequently too (in a good way). Overall the improvements were far better than I’d imagined. Started walking a good amount too (easing into the whole exercise thing).

New lab results from 12/1/2014:
Total Testosterone, Serum: 468 (range 348-1197)
Free Testosterone (Direct): 12.2 (range 8.7-25.1)
Estradiol: 45.7 (range 7.6-42.6)
Other results for tests included in LEF Male Comprehensive Hormone Panel Blood Test available if interested (not sure yet how to attach files if even possible).

3

Following my first 3 months of TRT described earlier (including blood tests), I asked the doctor to increase my prescription to 0.3 mL test. cyp. (200 mg/mL) EOD (a 50% increase from what I’d been injecting) and asked that he add Arimidex and hCg as well. He ignored hCg completely, said no to Arimidex and increased my prescription to 0.3 mL test. cyp. (200 mg/mL) daily (3x what I’d been injecting). Nothing was said about following up, so I decided on a blood test after 1 month.

For the first 2 weeks at this dosage, if anything changed it wasn’t significant enough to really notice. After that everything went downhill. Mentally and emotionally I became a complete mess, plus felt really worn out all the time with no energy. Libido plummeted as well. Fat started showing up around my tummy again pushing my waist bigger and hiding what muscle I’d gained before. Almost any physical exertion made me sore (similar to pre-TRT days). I could probably go on, but basically it felt like I went back to square one (or worse). Finally got another blood test on 1/23/2015.

New lab results from 1/23/2015:
Total Testosterone, Serum: >1500 (range 348-1197)
Free Testosterone (Direct): >48.0 (range 8.7-25.1)
Estradiol: 209.7 (range 7.6-42.6)
(Others included in the package)
DHEA-Sulfate: 391.1 (range 102.6-416.3)
PSA: 0.8 (range 0.0-4.0)

So following this doctor’s directions, my free and total testosterone are literally off the scale, and my E2 is well over 200. I just got this a couple of days ago, so I haven’t been able to speak with my doctor yet. Immediately I decided to cut my current dosage in half and cut back to 0.3 mL test. cyp. (200 mg/mL) EOD.

Long before this point, I was thinking I needed to find a different doctor who at least had some experience prescribing appropriate medications (and appropriate dosages) for TRT. Now I’m certain I need to find a different doctor. I’m in the Dallas area (live in Forney), so any recommendations that anyone could send my way would be awesome!

Getting my physical and mental health in line is my top priority right now, so I’d love to hear from anyone with any other advice / recommendations / comments about the direction I’m going with this.

Thanks!

4

There are 7 stickies in this forum, please look at:
advice for new guys
finding a TRT doc

You can find anastrozole as a research chemical on the WWW if need be.

Please post these labs:
RBC
HTC
AST/ALT
CRP
Homocysteine
fasting total cholesterol
fasting glucose
IGF-1 some day

These are not very useful:
T3 Uptake: 32.0 (range 22.5-37.0)
Free Thyroxin Index: 3.9 (range 1.7-4.2)

Need TSH, fT3, fT4
More info in thyroid basics sticky
Low thyroid function can make you fat, especially with low T
Have you always used iodized salt?
Please check oral waking and mid-afternoon body temperatures, this is the bottom line for thyroid function.

Could you be vit-D3 deficient? Taking any vitamins? Get much sun exposure? This might explain or contribute to winter depression.

5

Can’t say full name but look up Dr. “E” at Kaner Medical group in Bedford. He is open to AIs and hcg. Has me on clomid right now to see if we can get levels to hold since I’m still young(ish) 30yr.