I’m looking for advice or to hear others experience that went from self prescribed to doctor prescribed.
About 5 years ago I tested a TT of 219 and was told by my doctor I was ok. I knew I wasn’t and took matters in my own hands.
I tried clomid which got me up to low 400s but I quickly dropped back down to low T ~ 200 after stopping clomid.
I have the bloodwork documentation for this. However I’ve been self prescribed for approximately 4 years now.
The first two years it was basic but I was taking too high of a dose and using an AI. Now that I’ve gained much more information, things have gotten much harder. Go figure! When I was dosing closer to 180mg a week and using an ai, I functioned well but tt was much too high for me to be comfortable with long term.
Now I’m trying to maintain realistic and sustainable numbers and just can’t get dialed in. I’ve been working at it for a couple years now and a I’m feeling defeated.
Has anyone been able to do this without having to stop their self prescribed trt for an unreasonable amount of time?
Would old lab work suffice to document low T?
Also, I really need to avoid having a doctor document that I self prescribed. I don’t mind talking about it with them but don’t want that going into some permanent record.
I’m not sure how to proceed and any insight or advice, especially from those who have accomplished something similar would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
What sucks is you’re going to have to come off in order to show Dr. your low levels.
I wouldn’t mention that you’ve self prescribed before. Your dr. will likely think you’re shopping for steroids.
Pre TRT I already had a really good muscular build. Besides numerous blood tests for low Test, my dr. made me get a pretty extensive steroid panel to make sure I wasn’t shopping for steroids. Somewhat annoying, but I understood at the time.
Thanks for the response.
Was that through insurance? I have insurance but I’m to the point I’d go through a trt clinic or telemedicine if needed.
I definitely won’t be putting myself through hell for a year to convince any doctor. I’ll stay self prescribed if that were my only option.
If you want insurance to pay for TRT then you must play the game of androgen deprivation therapy, but I tell men it’s a mistake to expect managed healthcare doctor to be educated in sex hormones and most hormone doctors are operating in the dark because they specialize in other areas of medicine. TRT is low rent, low profit and not worth the time of doctors specializing in other much more profitable areas of medicine.
Hormones aren’t even taught in medical school, what is taught is TRT or high endogenous testosterone levels causes prostate cancer, I feel sorry for the fools that believe this based on anecdotal evidence using unproven testing methods no longer used since 1940.
Unless you have very good insurance, getting TRT through a provider is ill advised, if you have an HMO, don’t bother at all. Go local or a telemedicine clinic and pay cash, you tend to get better care going this route.
I’ve asked a similar question before but think I may have worded it poorly.
Possibly 5-6 years ago I went to a Dr through my HMO. I experienced ED and lack of libido so requested my hormones be checked. Dr tried to shoot the test down saying I’m fit so it must be good. I insisted so he put in for the bloodwork. My TT came back close to 200 (below range) and he simply sent me the paperwork saying “everything looks good!”
I suffered on for a couple more years but then took matters in my own hands. I tried clomid then went to self aquired injections. That’s where I’m at now.
However, I now have much better insurance, a PPO so could easily self refer to different doctors where the HMO it was a year just to change doctors.
Also, I’m willing to go the private clinic route if needed.
BUT how do I make that transition?? Would any Dr or clinic be ok looking at my previous bloodwork or would I have to stop my current treatment to receive care (a prescription)?
Has anyone here successfully made that transition and how’d you go about doing it?
It’s not as hard as you make it out to be, if you have bloodwork done in the last 90 days that would be enough, if not the new doctor will order new labs.
The only difference going private is you are paying for everything, cutting out the insurance company you get to sidestep all the BS in range is normal, insurance companies are always installing roadblocks to prevent medical treatment.
Thanks man, I agree. He didn’t give shit about how I felt and when I explained my sexual failures which was big reason I was there, he simply said “it’s called getting older”. I was probably 35 at that time…
This is a dangerous doctor, low testosterone causes disease and it should be malpractice. I would love for him to experience low testosterone someday and have a doctor say the same thing to him.
I would leave a bad Yelp review if I were you, be polite and professional, but dog him not sounding like you’re foaming at the mouth, then people will listen.
Doctors within insurance networks get referrals all day long and there is little pressure for him to deliver a positive outcome and how they are so complacent and cold.
It almost seems like they want you unhealthy and sick creating a consumer of medical problems for the future, it’s why they are taught to treat the symptoms never really caring as to the cause of the symptoms.
@mtman
If you end up needing a private side doc that would be willing to prescribe you email me. Email in bio. Runs about $150/month which includes the T & syringes they ship you. There’s a ton of docs just like mine. So if you can’t find one let me know and I’ll put you in touch with mine.