i’ve been on hrt for about two years now. my gp first started me on andro gel then testim (much better) and finally test cyp. currently i’m on 300 mg every two weeks. even though these levels are therapeutic i have received alot of positive side effects.
after reading alot of the posts i’ve been considering lowering my dose to 150-200 mg but injecting once a week. my question is has anyone on hrt felt better with once a week injections over twice a month. also any info on hcg while on hrt would be appreciated. what are the benefits besides keeping the boys active. thanks
Injecting every two weeks is insane and your doctor does not understand what he needs to know.
Many are started on weekly injections and feel like crap at the end of the week. With infrequent injections you can feel worse than before TRT started.
Large dose injections promote more T–>E aromatization and greater E leads to more SHMB, more SHBG leads to lower FT and the lower FT has to compete with increased E at the T receptors.
With elevated E and high T, you can feel crappy with the typical signs of low T, even with very high T levels.
Many are now injecting every 2 or 3 days. I inject EOD to keep things simple with my EOD HCG injections.
You may want HCG to not have small and possibly aching testicles and a shrunken scrotum. Many also report an improvement in mood with HCG. HCG is a water based peptide that can be injected under the skin just as insulin is. No need to inject IM.
You need to be self injecting to manage your TRT the way that you want to. You can also do injections with #29 .5ml .5" insulin syringes into your quads [vastus lateralis] if your skin is thin there. If you carry fat over your quads, use a #25 1" syringe.
In any case, most really need to use an aromatase inhibitor (AI) such as arimidex/anastrozole to get E2 levels to a lower level. This can be the key to everything else working right.
Those of us on HRT have learned the more often we get our shots, the better we generally feel. That said, my doc allows me 200mg/Cypionate week. I inject in my glutes 1/2 (100mg)the dosage every 3-1/2 days, to not only stay feeling predictable, but my E2 levels climb drastically with larger, less frequent shots.
I agree with KSman about T to E conversion as it effects me too. I have found a-dex works wonders at 1.5mg/week for me, some need more, some need less. And, some guys have little or no problem with conversion from T to E. I too would get my E2 levels or Q-Estradiol (same indicator) checked to avoid the nasty side effects of E domination in the male body. I had them, it sucked really bad… Now I don’t have E issues and i’m basically happy again.
currently my doc gives me my injections of cyp at 300 mg every two weeks. he has mentioned that he would have no problem with me giving myself the injection and I would probably split the dose to 100 mg twice a week like yourself. I definately have positive side effects but there are the negatives like shruken scrotum and some acne. My acne breakouts seem to appear more apparent right before my injection and subside right after and I wonder if this problem will remedy itself with more frequent injections.
i mentioned hcg to an endo once and he said ‘thats what guys on steroids do’ needless to say I have not seen him since. My current doc is great in that he listens to my in put and is the first doc to treat a condition that I had been complaining about for years but even he would admit he’s no expert. What would my blood work have to show for him to justify writing a prescription for a-dex or hcg?
If my E2 levels are high I’m sure his initial reation would be to cut my dose of cyp. How can I prevent that.
Like I said I’m currently getting my injections twice a month from my doc at 300 mg. He has told me that he would have no problem with me injecting myself at home and I’ll probably lower my dose to 100 mg twice a week. I have allot of positive side effects but there have been some negatives, like a tight scrot and acne.
My acne breakouts actually flare up right before my injection and subside after my dose and I’m wondering if more frequent injections will remedy that. My current doc diagnosed me as being hypogonadal and took me from the gels to the injections with little prodding from me. Most of the info I have regarding HRT I have gotten from this site and others like it so thanks to all.
Allot of the posts here describe doses much higher than mine and although my dose is on the high end of therapeutic it still is within range. From what I have read however it still seems to me that I should be on an AI or possibly HCG. I mentioned that once to an endo and he said ‘thats what guys on steroids use’ needless to say we have not seen eachother since.
Like I said my Doc is great, he always listens to my input and is the first person to treat a condition that I had been complaining about to others for years but by his own admission he’s no expert. All I have to do is ask however and he’ll order a blood test.
My question is, what should I have my blood tested for and what levels will he have to see for him to put me on HCG or a AI. I’m trying to prevent a high ED level = a lowering in my cyp dose response
If you’re still producing any T at all, and go on HCG, your numbers may climb drastically, but based on what you have said not likely… The lower the T dose, the more often will help prevent the conversion of T to E. Lowering your dosage will also lower the “roller coaster” hormone ride you are on.
Some people are sensitive to acne, some aren’t. You never know.
If you ask for:
Free T
Total T
% Free T
SHBG
Q-Estradiol
and something else VERY important is to get your thyroid checked. Testosterone (HRT) is shown to lower Thyroid levels. It did mine. About six months after starting on shots, I started to feel crappy, tired, moody, etc. I read on the internet about the T /Thyroid connection, got my b/w done and my Thyroid levels had dropped. Just like I had read… My doctor adjusted my dosage and all is well.
The one thing you may have missed in point is, if you do your own shots you can get any test results you want. No brainer, right? If you “accidentally” not fill the syringe to the right mark your test results might be low and your doc would increase your dosage.
Disclaimer: NOBODY would ever intentionally do that.
Next point, if your nads hurt, ask for HCG to see if they will drop back to their happy place like before. The raising of your T levels shouldn’t matter how you get there, just get there. I hope this helps…
[quote]lastcall704 wrote:
Like I said I’m currently getting my injections twice a month from my doc at 300 mg. He has told me that he would have no problem with me injecting myself at home and I’ll probably lower my dose to 100 mg twice a week. I have allot of positive side effects but there have been some negatives, like a tight scrot and acne.
My acne breakouts actually flare up right before my injection and subside after my dose and I’m wondering if more frequent injections will remedy that. My current doc diagnosed me as being hypogonadal and took me from the gels to the injections with little prodding from me. Most of the info I have regarding HRT I have gotten from this site and others like it so thanks to all.
Allot of the posts here describe doses much higher than mine and although my dose is on the high end of therapeutic it still is within range. From what I have read however it still seems to me that I should be on an AI or possibly HCG. I mentioned that once to an endo and he said ‘thats what guys on steroids use’ needless to say we have not seen eachother since.
Like I said my Doc is great, he always listens to my input and is the first person to treat a condition that I had been complaining about to others for years but by his own admission he’s no expert. All I have to do is ask however and he’ll order a blood test.
My question is, what should I have my blood tested for and what levels will he have to see for him to put me on HCG or a AI. I’m trying to prevent a high ED level = a lowering in my cyp dose response
thanks [/quote]
The spike of T leads to a spike of DHT later that stimulates the acne and that takes a while to break out. You are seeing a time delay.
“My question is, what should I have my blood tested for and what levels will he have to see for him to put me on HCG…”
Wrong question. No blood work indicates a need for HCG. You need a doc that will treat your symptoms and in some cases, that has nothing at all to do with lab work. TRT shuts down the HPTA and HCG will keep the testes working.
As for AI, you need a basic serum E2 test, typical range 0-53. Anything in the 30’s or higher is a problem. But levels not above 53 are “lab normal”. You need a doc that will treat your symptoms and not say “that is normal”, that really means that your doc is ignorant. You can get your own E2 tests via LEF.org and find anastrozole on your own and make dose adjustments without a doctor. E2=17-20 is considered optimal and presents no cholesterol risks.
LC,
I was breaking out regularly using 1.5mg/week of adex with my 200mg/week test. I have been on 2mg/week of adex for three weeks, and haven’t broken out since. Of course, I am on T-cyp now, before I was on Sust., that may have been the difference I 'm not sure. You may want to try an AI, or more of an AI.