Bedrock45 TRT Shenanigans

Pharma TRT
1

I’m trying to see if I’m on the right track with my thinking here… On TRT 3 months/Cholesterol, Triglycerides high…Clean Diet though.

But first, my labs/info:

-age 28
-height 5’10
-waist 34
-weight 240
-describe body and facial hair: Been thinning up top(Shaved Head) Full beard, Hair on chest, stomach, legs, etc. No significant back hair.
-describe where you carry fat and how changed- Mostly in the middle, been losing fat since on TRT, not significantly, but starting to see a bit of definition on upper abdomen and sides.
-health conditions, symptoms [history] Been feeling the typical symptoms of low-t for a few years, but never realized it was possible until this year after researching what could be wrong. Always assumed it was Army or stress related(TBI,PTSD,etc.) No outstanding medical history besides therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury.
-Rx and OTC drugs, any hair loss drugs or prostate drugs ever-No. Not a fan of mind-altering meds or putting something in my body that my body shouldn’t already make.

-lab results with ranges

TT: 517 280-1100 Was 463 first time, so I feel this may be lower than it should for my dose considering I had been drinking with a buddy from Iraq I hadn’t seen in 6 yrs.
FT: 10.74 1.9-27
E2: 48.7 7.6-42.6
T3: 4.4 1.8-4.6
TSH: 1.490 .27-4.2
WBC: 10.2 3.9-11.1
RBC: 5.47 4.2-6.0
Hemoglobin: 16.6 13.2-18.0
Hematocrit: 49.9 38.5-54.0
Platelet Count: 256 140-400
Triglycerides: 280 <150 Again I suspect this and cholesterol may have been spiked from the drinking prior to the draw. However these weren’t tested the first time. Same with Free test…
Cholesterol: 242 <200
HDL: 44 <40
Cholest/HDL Ratio: 5.5 <5.0
-Diet: Meat and potatoes kind of thing. Lots of eggs, milk, veggies, lacking fruits though. Drink plenty of water. Supplement w/ protein shakes. I have a full time job and a retail shop in start up mode, so I have been guilty of choking down some burgers to make up for lost meals and calories from time to time…
-describe training- Free weights 4 days/wk mostly compound movements, MMA training when I have the time, which was 5 days/wk before I opened shop(Started lifting again on TRT after 2yrs off due to a wreck)
-testes ache, ever, with a fever? No, but during the second or third week my skin was warmer and a bit red, about the time the old scrotum began to draw up. No noticeable difference in testicle size, though
-It was like middle school at first! But has since decreased(I suspect due to the E2 at 48)? More than before though.

Dose: 175mg cyp every week

This is an HRT clinic and my visits thus far have been positive. However, the first blood test was a little too basic. I can’t really say what the numbers in question would have been then. During the last visit to get my refill and blood drawn, I told the Doc that while I can recover quicker from a workout and my appetite is like a teenager, most of the symptoms persist. I told her that since my E2 was at 30 when I began, I assume it may have gone up(Obviously I was correct). She said that 30 was okay, but that really I should try to be at 38…whaaaaa? She started going on about how the heart benefits from it(I was thinking “penis prefers 20-30 damn it…”) and said she was ordering thyroid tests, because she feels adex at this point might be unnecessary. Fair enough I guess… She did stay late just to see me after all…

Then today I get a phone call. They tell me my cholesterol and Triglycerides are high and that I need approval from my primary doctor to continue Test Cyp injections. Kind of a leap, huh? I get that they need to cover their asses, but here’s the thing…I told them "I don’t have a primary doctor, because I’m in between coverage and can’t start my insurance with the university I work for till later this month. They said that my refill will hold me over till then, which is true, but that if I want to just go to any primary physician clinic that would do too. I just dropped $375 on this appointment, refill and lab. So I looked on T-Nation at other options in TN and found an Endo whose sub-specialty is TRT…Had them send my records. If I have to go find some random jackass to green-light me, might as well be a TRT jackass. Plus, I think that sends them the message that they may lose my business. I told them it was probably just that I drank in the days leading up to the appt. with a buddy from Iraq I hadn’t seen in six years. I’ve read that can spike cholesterol and triglyceride, but I didn’t know they would order those. It would also explain the TT being lower than expected at that dose.

I would just be going with the flow and stating my case, but the Doc was unavailable to talk and had written a note on the labs discussing a possible switch to cream. It seems this time no fucks were given about my opinion. The second lab results just don’t look reliable enough for them to jump the gun this way. I will straight up star home-brewing if this gets too stupid. Never had high cholesterol…No family history of heart problems that I’m aware of and I eat pretty healthy. Sorry about any typos. I hammered this out in my office at work. Am I wrong on my theory that it could have been the alcohol?

2

Please read these stickies: - a lot of reading

  • advice for new guys, note first paragraph, read me first
  • protocol for injections
    – please inject twice a week and do labs always 1/2 way between injections
  • thyroid basics
    – using iodized salt?
    – check body temperatures

E2=48 is horrible!

So that is a lot of reading that will lead to more and focused questions.

3

I don’t think your wrong on the alcohol, I have seen especially the trigylcerides vary by 100 plus points within a 24 hour period (me) from a fried chicken dinner, no shit, other numbers in a lipid panel will not vary this much so its possibly elevated above normal ranges but this may be a single abnormal reading and def nothing to freak about. What I find odd is you say you have been on TRT for 3 months at 175mg(hefty dose) and your TT is only in the 500’s? This should well be in the 800-1000 range on that particular dose?? You must only be dosing once a week and not the standard split and got a reading on a decline?

5’10 240 frame- how is sleep, do you snore? Ever been tested for sleep apnea?

4

Please update. I’m going there today. If they think that E2 level is good I’m a little worried now. Will they let you sign a waiver about the cholesterol? Keep in touch on this.

5

Thanks for responding. I have been reading and absorbing as much as possible, though being able to retain everything in the stickies will take more than a few passes. That is why I posted this. Not necessarily to get an answer I can find in my own reading, but to see if my logic is sound with regard to the information I provided. I know It’s a long winded post, but I just wanted to be detailed in my account and case thread. Thanks for taking the time, KSman.

jkyle, I do think timing and protocol were a big reason for the low number. I’ve been considering going to EOD.

I don’t think height and weight are an issue. In fact, I don’t even look 240 in my opinion. I think I was meant to be taller. I wear a size 13 shoe and have a decent reach. I just somehow carry 240 well. Never been obese… Never will.

6

[quote]shinylid wrote:
Please update. I’m going there today. If they think that E2 level is good I’m a little worried now. Will they let you sign a waiver about the cholesterol? Keep in touch on this. [/quote]

Don’t stress it too much. The Doc doesn’t necessarily think my level is good, she thinks 38 is ideal for heart reasons. I would say that you should just see what your blood work says and go from there. A lot of people have a hard time finding a doc open to TRT, so at least you won’t have that problem. If you need to get this going, they are a good place to start. I just don’t think that the are considering my circumstances around that blood test properly. I don’t regret going there, as I have seen improvement over the short time that I’ve been on it. I will say that she doesn’t necessarily care what the people forums think, and don’t bring up E2 in there unless you have a study in your hand, because she’s got one on her desk that she’ll point out to you. My plan is to shop around docs until I find one with an open mind anyway, now that I’m on it. Are you already on TRT and making a switch, or are you getting started? If it’s the latter, you’re fine. A lot of guys on here have a hard time getting anywhere with it.

7

Thanks for the response. I’m just starting out. I’m hoping to at some point find a doc to treat me that isn’t an aging clinic employee. It would be much cheaper for sure. Hope things work out for you. Are you on The Rogan Boards by chance?

8

Bedrock, wasn’t saying your obese buddy. I often do sleep study tech work and sometimes the parameters of you frame will be a prime candidate for sleep apnea even if its a solid as a rock 240, so apologize if you took it that way. More anatomy related discussion, i have a simple solution for doctors on this subject and their studies.

First I ask if they have ever taken the medication being prescribed to me and are aware of its effects personally or they have just read about it? This usually at least can bring about further conversation, next I carry a folder with my labs and notes from that particular time frame and how I was feeling, symptoms etcâ?¦.

at this point a couple things are gonna happen, they are going to know your serious and will work with you, think your a pain in the ass and give you what you ask for to get you out of their hair and let you figure out the protocol for them, or dismiss you in which case you will find another doctor.