I read the sticky on new posts, and some stickies by KSman, so I am starting my own thread for my “case”. Per the advice, here’s what I have:
Age: 54 years
Height: 5 ft 11 inches
Waist: 31 inches
Weight: 172 pounds (naked)
Body/Facial Hair: Still pretty “heavy”. Increasing near wrists (which I think is a result of TRT).
Body Fat: 9% before beginning TRT March 15 2013. Don’t know current BF %. Appears to have not changed much. Carry on waist, mostly around back, very little noticeable “love handles” up front, more dominant on back around waist.
Health Conditions: Low T (see lab results below), high “normal” cholesterol.
No Rx, except for T pellets and anastrozole (both from a compounding place used by my BodyLogicMD doctor, who I don’t think is an idiot, see more on that below). The anastrozole, right now, is .25 (one-quarter) mg twice a week. First, and only so far, insertion of 1200mg T-Cyp pellets on March 15 2013. Due to go back June 24, 2013. No OTC, not even ibuprofen, ever.
Supplements:
Acetyl-L-Carnitine: 2 gram ED.
Vitamin E: 800 IU ED.
Omega 3: 2250mg ED. EPA: 1500mg ED. DHA: 750mg ED.
NAC: 1200mg ED.
NOW Super Enzymes: 3 Caps ED (Amylase: 20k USP, Protease: 20k USP, Lipase: 3400 UPS. Betaine HCL: 200mg. All per capsule).
Niacin: 1500mg ED (flush free!).
NOW ZMA (ZMA 2400mg, B-6: 15 mg, Magnesium: 450mg, Zinc: 30mg).
Iodoral: 1 tablet ED (Iodine: 5mg, Iodine as potassium salt: 7.5mg).
Resveratrol: 2 ED (2 caps provides: trans-Resveratrol: 400mg, Polyphenols: 160mg).
“Rosavin Plus”: 2 caps ED (each cap provides 150mg standardized 3% Siberian Rhodiola); I plan to stop this (too costly, and I honestly don’t know if it is beneficial).
R-Lipoic Acid: 200mg ED (I’ve read this form is more bioavailable than ALA).
CoQ10: 800mg ED (includes 10mg BioPerine ostensibly to aid in absorption).
DHEA (Spray; Nature’s Plus “Lipoceutical Delivery System”: 2 sprays ED providing 25mg DHEA total.
Vitamin B complex (“B-Bright” from Jarrow Formulas): 1 cap ED.
Vitamin D: 10k IU ED.
Vitamin K2 (as MK-7): 100mcg ED.
My BodyLogicMD doctor prescribed the DHEA, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and the anastrozole, all from the compounding firm he uses. I discontinued all because of pricing, especially the anastrozole which I was paying $20/mg! (Nine .25mg capsules for $45!). I now get all those elsewhere. I have a rather urgent question about the anastrozole I have purchased elsewhere as a “research chemical”. More on that later (below my lab results).
Lab Results: My doctor had me take a blood test, it seemed like they took a quart for all the tests he ordered! Below is a partial summary. If you need more please ask! NOTE: These are results BEFORE beginning TRT on March 15, 2013. I have marked out of range with a *.
Estradiol, Ultrasensitive: LC/MS/MS: 27 pg/mL. Range: < OR = 29 pg/mL.
LIPID Panel:
*Cholesterol, Total: 231, Range: 125-200 mg/dL
HDL: 51, Range > OR = 40 mg/dL
*LDL: 145, Range: <130 mg/dL
*Triglycerides: 177, Range <150 mg/dL
CHOL/HDLC Ratio: 4.5, Range: < OR = 5.0 (calc)
NON HDL Cholesterol: 180, Range: mg/dL (calc) “Target for non-HDL cholesterol is 30 mg/dL higher than LDL cholesterol target”
Cardio CRP (R): 0.5 mg/L, Range: none given but note that for > 17 years age that <1.0 (which I had) is “lower relative cardiovascular risk”.
Metabolic Panel:
Glucose: 86, Range: 65-99 mg/dL
Urea Nitrogen (BUN): 22, Range: 7-25 mg/dL
Creatinine: 1.18, Range: 0.70-1.33 mg/dL
Sodium: 145, Range: 135-146 mmol/L
Potassium: 4.1, Range: 3.5-5.3 mmol/L
Chloride: 105, Range: 98-110 mmol/L
Carbon Dioxide: 25, Range: 19-30 mmol/L
Calcium: 9.6, Range: 8.6-10.3 mg/dL
Protein, Total: 7.6, Range: 6.1-8.1 g/dL
Albumin: 4.5, Range: 3.6-5.1 g/dL
Globulin: 3.1, Range: 1.9-3.7 g/dL (calc)
Albumin/Globulin Ratio: 1.5, Range: 1.0-2.5 (calc)
Bilirubin, Total: 0.7, Range 0.2-1.2 mg/dL
Alkaline Phosphates: 91, Range: 40-115 U/L
*AST: 56, Range 10-35 U/L
ALT: 39, Range: 9-60 U/L
Hemoglobin A1c: 5.5, Range: <5.7 % of total Hgb “decreased risk of diabetes < 5.7”
Vitamin D, 25-HYDROXY LC/MS/MS:
*Vitamin D, 25-OH, Total: 27, Range: 30-100 ng/mL
Vitamin D, 25-OH, D3: 23, Range: none given
Vitamin D, 25-OH, D2: 4, Range: none given
TSH: 1.36, Range 0.40-4.5 mIU/L
T4, Free: 1.2, Range: 0.8-1.8 ng/dL
T3,Free: 3.1, Range: 2.3-4.2 pg/mL
Dihydrotestosterone, LC/MS/MS: 36, Range 16-79 ng/dL
CBC (includes DIFF/PLT)
White Blood Cell Count: 9.6, Range: 3.8-10.8 thousand/uL
Red Blood Cell Count: 4.68, Range 4.20-5.80 million/uL
Hemoglobin: 15.6, Range: 13.2-17.1 g/dL
Hematocrit: 45.7, Range: 38.5-50.0 %
MCV: 97.7, Range: 80.0-100.0 fL
*MCH: 33.3, Range: 27.0-33.0 pg
MCHC: 34.1, Range: 32.0-36.0 g/dL
(And much other CBC stuff of you want it.)
DHEA Sulfate: 73, Range: 25-240 mcg/dL
Insulin: 11, Range: <23 uIU/mL
LH: 1.8, Range: 1.5-9.3 mIU/mL
Prolactin: 6.0, Range:2.0-18.0 ng/mL
PSA, Total: 0.8, Range: < OR = 4.0 ng/mL
Testosterone, Total, LC/MS/MS: 527, Range: 250-1100 ng/dL
Testosterone, Free: 55.1, Range 46.0-224.0 pg/mL
Testosterone, Bioavailable: 120.4, Range: 110.0-575.0 ng/dL
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin: 44, Range: 10-50 nmol/L
Albumin, Serum: 4.8, Range: 3.6-5.1 g/dL.
Why my BodyLogicMD doctor is not an idiot. He took one look at my SHBG, my Free and Bioavailable T and said “you need help!” He said he wants my Free near 220, near top of range, and my Bioavailable much higher too. My E2 looked “in range” but he knew once I am on TRT it could increase, but since it was not above the high, he put me on a, in my opinion, very low dose of anastrozole. My LH was “almost” low, and IMO it is certainly not optimal. I suppose now that I am on TRT it may get lower, but don’t care as long as my Free and Bioavailable T get much higher, and my E2 remains where it is or lower.
I have been doing a lot of reading here, and as far as E2 is concerned, it seems I should go by how I “feel”, and adjust through lab results thereafter. And that’s what I need help with. I found just through internet searching a place where I bought 30 mL, at 1mg/mL strength, anastrozole as a “research chemical” . However, I do not know yet if its real or not. I’ve been taking it for about a week.
I know I should not, and therefore will not, post where I got it from. What I need help on is if any of you experienced guys can help me with if this place is legit or not, or even better, who is a legitimate place from which to purchase. That means a PM or something like that because I have no intention of “publicizing” from where I purchase currently.
I am due back in my non-idiot doctor’s office June 24, and I’m not sure yet if it’s for another insertion, or to schedule tests to see “where I am at”, I think the latter and I will call. It seems like four months would be at the very end of the usefulness of the pellets in me now.
As soon as I get more results I will post an update on this thread of mine. I am particularly interested if KSman would spend some of his valuable time with me.
Thanks Very Much in advance for any helpful suggestions or “nice” flames!