Hope all goes well!
Based on the blood work there has been absolutely no change in Test levels. Sitting at 330 Total. Estrogen at 12.3 via ECLIA METHODOLOGY. I had no success talking about Estrogen Sensitive testing. She felt it made no difference. She advised against Clomid treatment based on the fact Iām still suffering Epiditymitis (not sure on spelling) from my botched vasectomy. She felt like Clomid would make matters worse for me. She recommended trt and had the nurse inject 100mg Cypionate in the office. I have my prescription now with insulin needles. They gave me 30G needlesā¦ I know @KSman recommends 29G. Iām assuming this will still work???
A little on the weird possibly inappropriate and shouldnāt be talked about side of thingsā¦ when the doc said she was going to inject testosterone in the office and called the nurse I instantly got an erection. Itās like the lil fella was listening or something! Thank God the doc didnāt notice. I know itās odd but it happened.
That is a great story! actually should make you happy that you had such a reaction.
ANyway, dr does not care about the e2 sensitive test but gives you the injection and insulin syringes. we just cant win with a dr that is complete and thorough. Yeah 30g should be fine, some use that.
So what protocol did she prescribe exactly? how many injections, how much mg, and i guess subq not IM?
maybe you dont need the testosterone just the nurse and the dr to take home. lol. again great story.
She prescribed 100 mg a week of Cypionate. She recommended a minimum of once weekly shot but said it ultimately up to me. She wrote a script for 20g needles but I told the pharmacy I would prefer the insulin syringes to which they happily obliged me. They brought every kind of syringe they had to the window and let me pick which one I wanted. God bless Texas.
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Do to your lower SHBG you need a minimum two shots and week with EOD being the best choice. After you start TRT your SHBG will become even lower, guys with lower SHBG struggle with TRT as it becomes less effective below a certain point.
Your SHBG is a little lower than mine and I notice a huge difference switching from twice weekly to EOD, it keeps your level more stable and end result is you feel better.
Iām going to attempt 2 shots a week. If I donāt feel better I will look at EOD. Itās a little intimidating right now but Iām sure I will get more and more comfortable with the shots ECT ECT. Where do you recommend SQ shots be given?
I was exactly the same in the beginning, started out once weekly and each time I moved the injections closer together I felt better. You can also use insulin syringes in shoulders for shallow IM. SQ is best in your love handles. SQ works great 95% of the time for low SHBG guys, smoother release I might try in the future.
Iām going for it. Twice weekly first and then once Iām comfortable with the process Iāll at least attempt EOD.
[quote=āalldayeveryday, post:49, topic:232668ā]
Itās a little intimidating right now but Iām sure I will get more and more comfortable with the shotsā¦[/quote]
Iām sure you will too. I had to give my first, solo / at-home injection today and it was almost like a skit from SNLā¦bent a needle and had to push the T into a new syringeā¦but in the end I got it done and from now on Iām just going to inject my T and HCG separately because Iām more nervous about drawing both into the same syringe than the actual injection.
Overall you have to be glad that youāre at least moving things in the right direction. Doctors can be difficult to deal with; they seem to want everyone to fit into a tidy little ācheck boxā instead of diagnosingā¦not just with TRT but anything out of the norm. Even where I go (which is an independent clinic supposedly dedicated to TRT) think Iām weird because I want blood work after 6wks instead of 3 months and Iām not sure how theyāll react when I request the āUltrasensitiveā estrogen test.
Well, I received my first Test injection last Friday. I will perform my first injection solo tomorrow. I canāt freaking wait. I felt great at first but today I feel crashed out. Iām assuming I had an estrogen spike which I needed. My shoulders and other joints seemed much better this week. I had a great chest workout with barely any pain at all. Hopefully splitting the dose and injecting twice weekly will even things out. Wish me luck.
Thatās great man! Looking forward to hearing your progress; it may be āone step forward, one backā as I am learning but hopefully a few months from now itāll be a distant memory.
Amen @shltn, I hope your right. I want to do subq but my doc said IM and everything even the test cyp bottle says āintramuscular onlyā. I have insulin needles and 20 gauge as well as 23 gauge. Donāt ask me how I got so many needles. Ok Iāll tell ya. My doc gave me the 20 gauge. My buddy that cycles gave me the 23 gauge. I bought the insulin needles. I feel like I will have more success if I perform subq.
I wish I could tell you definitively whether IM or SC was better for you but at this stage in my protocol Iām pretty sure I know less than you, I think the medicine will make a positive impact either way itās injected. From the little I know, it seems like SC is just easier on the body in terms of needle pain / not punching holes in muscles and is a little smoother in release. Hopefully one of the others will chime in with much better and/or accurate feedback.
20-23 gauge is insane, completely unnecessary. 25 gauge or smaller is best.
Exactly. When the nurse gave me the injection in office I asked her what gauge the needle was. She looked at me puzzled and wanted to know why I asked. She then told me it was a 32 gauge. I donāt think so lady. It was a fire hose. Probably a 20 gauge. I just want to be successful with my protocol even if I have to stray from her specific protocol.
I donāt think using a different gauge needle would even be considered āstrayingā. Just make sure itās the correct length for IM or SC - whichever you end up going with.
Well I just did my first self injection subq and let me tell you that was a nerve racking experience. I didnāt think it would be but it was. Thatās something Iām gonna have to get used to. Hopefully my body absorbs it and puts it to good use. I was convinced it was all just gonna come right back out. I took an alcohol swab and put pressure on in the hopes it wouldnāt come out then took plenty of time to massage it.
It gets easier I promise! I told you about my first time - it was a train wreck. Then all went smooth for the next couple and then today I had a ābleederā and now itās bruised but like you, Iām hoping the āgood stuffā stayed in there.