My HRT Experience

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I’ve been lurking on this board for some time. Great board with a lot of good info on TRT. I had typical symptoms of low test: no energy, no libido, couldn’t concentrate, sacked out on the couch after dinner. Wife complained so I saw an Urologist.

I went to the Urologist and blood test showed a total test of 195. I am 41 years old. Doc put me on one tube of Testim and within a few days I felt it kick in. I could not believe how much better I felt. It changed my life.

I was on Testim for about six weeks but started developing a really bad rash from it. Doc then put me on 200mg of test cyp every three weeks. Felt great but after three months that 3rd week was a killer.

After reading that lower doses more frequently are the way to go, I discussed this with my Urologist. I’m lucky as he is very open about TRT. He said either do 200mg every two weeks or 100mg every week. After reading info from this board and others, I choose 100mg every week to start.

After 5 weeks I had blood work done on day six (day before my next shot). Total test came back 545. I felt much better on 200mg every three weeks than on 100mg every week. I increased the dosage to 120mg every week and had blood work done after 5 weeks, day before my next shot through LEF. Here’s the results on 120mg per week:

Total Test: 568ng/dL range 300-1200
Free Test: 18.5pg/mL range 6.8-21.5
Estradiol: 27pg/mL range for adult male <54

Free test looks great and I think the estradiol looks good (optimal range for male is 10-30) but why is my total test still so low and only increased about 23 points at 120mg per week? I still don’t feel as well as I did on 200mg every three weeks except for the 3rd week.

I am thinking of either going to 200mg every two weeks or maybe upping the weekly dosage to 140 or 160mg and having blood work done in another 5 weeks. I am also thinking about starting a DIM product recommended by members of this board found at Riteway pharmacy.

I have good wood during the night. So good it can wake me at times during the night. Wake up wood is very intermittent. I am wondering if maybe some of the test is aromatizing into E2 so if I take DIM or arimidex it might increase the total test. Doc will not prescribe HCG :frowning:

What’s strange is my nads on 200mg every three weeks shrunk and my sack was pulled tight against my body but I felt great. Since I’ve been on 100mg and 120mg per week my sack has been hanging low and I have had some ED problems.

Could the ED be E2 related or just not enough test? Total test of 568 at the low point seems too low to me and I feel it. I would like it to be in the upper normal range at around 700-800 the day before my next shot. Or am I not thinking about this correctly?

Thanks in advance for any info or ideas.

2

[quote]AZ4Stringer wrote:
I’ve been lurking on this board for some time. Great board with a lot of good info on TRT. I had typical symptoms of low test: no energy, no libido, couldn’t concentrate, sacked out on the couch after dinner. Wife complained so I saw an Urologist.

I went to the Urologist and blood test showed a total test of 195. I am 41 years old. Doc put me on one tube of Testim and within a few days I felt it kick in. I could not believe how much better I felt. It changed my life.

I was on Testim for about six weeks but started developing a really bad rash from it. Doc then put me on 200mg of test cyp every three weeks. Felt great but after three months that 3rd week was a killer.

After reading that lower doses more frequently are the way to go, I discussed this with my Urologist. I’m lucky as he is very open about TRT. He said either do 200mg every two weeks or 100mg every week. After reading info from this board and others, I choose 100mg every week to start.

After 5 weeks I had blood work done on day six (day before my next shot). Total test came back 545. I felt much better on 200mg every three weeks than on 100mg every week. I increased the dosage to 120mg every week and had blood work done after 5 weeks, day before my next shot through LEF. Here’s the results on 120mg per week:

Total Test: 568ng/dL range 300-1200
Free Test: 18.5pg/mL range 6.8-21.5
Estradiol: 27pg/mL range for adult male <54

Free test looks great and I think the estradiol looks good (optimal range for male is 10-30) but why is my total test still so low and only increased about 23 points at 120mg per week? I still don’t feel as well as I did on 200mg every three weeks except for the 3rd week.

I am thinking of either going to 200mg every two weeks or maybe upping the weekly dosage to 140 or 160mg and having blood work done in another 5 weeks. I am also thinking about starting a DIM product recommended by members of this board found at Riteway pharmacy.

I have good wood during the night. So good it can wake me at times during the night. Wake up wood is very intermittent. I am wondering if maybe some of the test is aromatizing into E2 so if I take DIM or arimidex it might increase the total test. Doc will not prescribe HCG :frowning:

What’s strange is my nads on 200mg every three weeks shrunk and my sack was pulled tight against my body but I felt great. Since I’ve been on 100mg and 120mg per week my sack has been hanging low and I have had some ED problems.

Could the ED be E2 related or just not enough test? Total test of 568 at the low point seems too low to me and I feel it. I would like it to be in the upper normal range at around 700-800 the day before my next shot. Or am I not thinking about this correctly?

Thanks in advance for any info or ideas. [/quote]

Couple points.

Your E2 level is fine. You do not need DIM or an AI. If it aint broke, don’t fuck with it.

I would go with even more frequent injects than once a week. Im talking about every 3 days. Your injecting to infrequently, thats the problem. Many on every 3 day injects with only 100mg per week are doing great.

You need HCG no matter what. If it means getting a new doc, do it. Check out Dr John Crislers paper about HCG. Just google him and go to his website.

I think with HCG, more frequent injects you will be rocking and rolling. You may or may not need more T. People ignorantly throw in more T thinking it will fix everything. Thats like trying to stuff more gasoline in a car with a flat tire.

How is thyroid function(T3, T4, TSH?)

How is IGF-1? These all may be issues.

Honestly, a T level in the mid 500’s is alright for a guy your age. You throw in hCG I bet your gonna get another 100 points, put you in the mid - high 600’s, and you will be set for life.

3

Thanks Plymouth.

I was leaning towards more frequent injections. Is 100mg every 5 days okay or do you guys recommend more frequently with 30mg every other day?

I was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease two years ago and had my regular blood work done recently just for that. GI doc does a full thyroid panel as Celiacs and thyroid issues are common. My thyroid panel came back normal.

I thought my E2 looked good so like you said if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

I have read the article and wish my doc would prescribe HCG. I may try a new doc or get some elsewhere and follow Dr. John’s HCG procedure in his article on HRT.

4

[quote]AZ4Stringer wrote:
Thanks Plymouth.

I was leaning towards more frequent injections. Is 100mg every 5 days okay or do you guys recommend more frequently with 30mg every other day?

I was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease two years ago and had my regular blood work done recently just for that. GI doc does a full thyroid panel as Celiacs and thyroid issues are common. My thyroid panel came back normal.

I thought my E2 looked good so like you said if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

I have read the article and wish my doc would prescribe HCG. I may try a new doc or get some elsewhere and follow Dr. John’s HCG procedure in his article on HRT.

[/quote]

I would go with every 3 day injects. Thats 10 injects a month. At 400mg per month, that would be 40mg per inject.

You can ask your current doc if he would be willing to work in conjunction with Dr Crisler. He charges 300 up front, then 50 per consultation. Basically, he tells your doc what to do, what to monitor and how to do it. You can either try that, or show him Dr J’s paper on HCG protocol and convince him.

Do not be afraid to argue with your DR. Most think they are a god/knowitall, yet I have found the most knowledgable people in endocrinology are those that have never taken an endo class(like myself). Most MDs/endos/urologists are completely clueless to matters of HRT.

5

The “lift” you get when you start injecting goes away and is not sustainable.

Don’t blame your latest protocol, it would happen anyways. When you inject more often, you will stop falling into a hole, but you will be “level” all the time.

Injecting every 3 weeks is insane and many here can’t believe that a doc would do that unless he was insane. So no surprise about the HCG ignorance.

HCG is a QOL and self-image issue… unless you are trying to have kids. One’s wife or GF will have some feelings about shrinking testicles as well.

As for E levels, you have noctural wood, that is good, but if you loose morning wood, that is too much E for you.

With weekly injections, blood work should be at day 3.5, not day 5. In any case, do BW at 1/2 way through the injection period. This should be done before playing with the dose.