Is there a reason you made such a huge change? If I’m reading it correctly you went from 160mg/week to 20mg/week? Is that right or is there a typo?
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For Testosterone? Went from: .8ml + HCG per week to 1ml JUST T.
Previously:
(.8ml WEEKLY TOTAL) -.4ml 200mg/ml Test Cyp & 400UI HCG 2x per week + 2 grains armour thyroid/35mcg cytomel
To
.1ml WEEKLY TOTAL 200mg/ml Test Cyp (split up in DAILY injections) + 2.5 grains armour thyroid/50mcg cytomel
This reads as 20mg weekly. Is that really what you’re doing?
Sorry that is a typo. I meant 1.0ml weekly total.
I couldn’t find my more recent previous lab result. I just found it. Keep in mind one is from Quest labs, and one is from LabCorp, and the injections prior to the readings.
Labs from 3/24/20 (From Quest. Last T/HCG injection was 6 days prior)
Total Test - > 1322 (250 - 1100 ng/dL)
Free Test - 101.7 (46-224pg/mL)
Estadiol sensitive 42.8 (8.0 - 35.0)
SHBG - 74 (16.5 - 55.9)
Free T4 - 0.8 (0,8 - 1.8)
Free T3 - 3.0 (2.3-4.2)
For these labs, my protocol was:
.4ml 200mg/ml Test Cyp & 400UI HCG 2x per week + 2 grains armour thyroid/35mcg cytomel
Labs from 5/29/20 (From LabCorp. Last T injection was 4 days prior)
Total test 1309 (264-916 ng/dL)
Free Test 15.3 (8.7-25.1pg/mL)
Estradial sensitive - 28.7 (8.0 - 35.0)
(SHBG not taken, but likely high due to Total T/Free T ratio. LabCorp mistakenly missed lab)
T3 - 193 (71-180) (Free T3 not taken,LabCorp mistakenly missed Free T3)
Free T4 - 0.72 (0.82 - 1.77)
IGF-1 - 165 (88-246)
CRP - 45 (0-10)
Homocysteine - 10 (0.0-14.5)
Iron - 39 (38-169)
My protocol leading up to this was:
1ml WEEKLY TOTAL 200mg/ml Test Cyp (split up in DAILY injections) + 2.5 grains armour thyroid/50mcg cytomel
Your T is low. Don’t make knee jerk reactions until that’s dialed in. You might not need anything at all.
@enackers Not trying to make knee jerk reactions, but I’ve been on T for 7 months now, and am not seeing any difference. The libido is still low (which I hear improves in 3 weeks), and weight issues still remain. Previous to TRT, my T was much lower. Free T was at 7.5 before, and my weight was actually at a better point then. The plan now is to add back HCG and dial my T back from 1ml/week to 0.9ml/week. It seems my high SHBG is the thing that is preventing my free T to be higher, correct? I’m not sure what I can do for this besides load more T into me?
And the fact that I’m still seeing no difference despite a large improvement in numbers has me convinced there are other issues going on, outside of hormones. My hormones seems to be getting in the right order. The inflammation seems high, and possibly there is another culprit to the weight gain and low libido?
For reference, my previous labs were:
Labs from 5/29/20 (From LabCorp. Last T injection was 4 days prior)
Total test 1309 (264-916 ng/dL)
Free Test 15.3 (8.7-25.1pg/mL)
Estradial sensitive - 28.7 (8.0 - 35.0)
(SHBG not taken, but likely high due to Total T/Free T ratio. LabCorp mistakenly missed lab)
T3 - 193 (71-180) (Free T3 not taken,LabCorp mistakenly missed Free T3)
Free T4 - 0.72 (0.82 - 1.77)
IGF-1 - 165 (88-246)
CRP - 45 (0-10)
Homocysteine - 10 (0.0-14.5)
Iron - 39 (38-169)
My protocol leading up to this was:
1ml WEEKLY TOTAL 200mg/ml Test Cyp (split up in DAILY injections) + 2.5 grains armour thyroid/50mcg cytomel
My latest labs were:
(Labs were taken having taken the morning dose or Testosterone, but skipping the 2.5 grains of armour thyroid that morning)
Testosterone Total – 1940 (264-916)
Testosterone Free – 29.6 (8.7-25.1)
Estrogens total – 143 (40-115)
Estradiaol sensitive – 28.7 (8.0-55.0)
SHBG – 88.6 (16.5-55.9)
IGF-1 – 114 (95-290)
Free T3 – 3.0 (2.0-4.4)
Free T4 - .73 (.82-1.77)
Reverse T3 – 14.5 (9.2-24.1)
TSH - <0.006
CRP – 1.01 (0-3.00mg/l)
Sed Rate (ESR) – 4 (0-15)
Thyroglobulin Antibody <1.0 (0.0-0.9)
Protocol has been .9ml Test Cyp weekly, split up in daily doses + 800IU HCG weekly, split up into 2 doses. 2.5 grains armour thyroid + 50mcg Cytomel daily.
Questions:
My Testosterone is high, but I’ve been told by one provider that he suggests skipping T injections 6 days before getting labs, otherwise the numbers will be inflated. I take injections daily, and took one that morning.
SHBG is still high, and it doesn’t seem like that has ever gotten much lower in all previous labs. Is this something I just need to accept and as a result, keep a higher total T, so enough transfers over to Free T?
I’m surprised my Free T4 is still low, given I’m taking 2.5 grains of armour thyroid. Would this indicate a higher dose is needed? Free T3 and reverse t3 looks good. Maybe no adjustments needed?
IGF-1 has ALWAYS been low. I was under the impression that higher T would also mean high IGF-1. Is there nothing outside of adding peptides to address this?
CRP was in range, as was Sed Rate (ESR). Perhaps in the INCREDIBLY high CRP reading in May was a fluke? I did change up my diet since then, and was recovering from an injury at that time as well. Not sure how much this played a factor in the CRP reading.
I will be seeing my doctor soon. Always good to get other observations. Thoughts are appreciated.
Normally people get labs at trough, so the morning before an injection or day before or whatever, but def not right after. It makes it really tough to compare results when the timing for your tests changes because there’s such a large swing from peak to trough if you’re not injecting very often.
Most people measure at trough though, that at least makes it a little easier to compare values between different labs and people
Have you treated your sleep?
I will be adding HCG to my 135mg weekly T protocol to see if it helps with it.
Just not sure at what dose to add it yet.