I’ve been on 75 mg of compounded testosterone cream for about 10 weeks now. I’ve noticed no benefits unless you consider nipple irritation and growth to be benefits. I first noticed this about two weeks ago and my response was to increase my dosage of anastrozole. That seems to have helped a little.
I’m getting blood work today and will follow up with my doctor as soon as I get it back.
And your question is…
[quote]3djedi wrote:
And your question is…;)[/quote]
How to make it go away! Not a fan…
What dose of anastrozole per week and how are the doses divided?
You may be a high dermal T–>E converter and would then need to inject T.
If your T levels are not responding, you are a non absorber and would need to inject and probably have low thyroid hormones. - waiting for labs, hopefully E2 as well.
Thanks for your response, KSman. I had been taking one drop of anastrozole on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I had discovered that I was in extreme over responder back when I was doing nothing other than taking anastrozole to combat my high estrogen level.
My Dr. has also been treating me for subclinical hypothyroidism. I’m taking Armour thyroid. Should be getting my labs any day now.
OK, new blood work is in. In the week to week and a half prior to the blood draw, I often applied only half the dose of testosterone cream while doubling the dose of anastrozole due to the aforementioned nipple problems. On the day of the draw I applied a half dose of the testosterone cream and took my daily dose of anastrozole 2-3 hours prior to the draw.
testosterone, serum: 682 (280-800)
testosterone, free: 14.46 (5.00-21.00)
% free testosterone: 2.12 (1.5-4.2)
estradiol, sensitive: 9 (3-70)
vitamin D, 25-hydroxy: 60.1
Since the blood draw a few days ago, I have stopped applying the testosterone cream while still taking double my usual dosage of anastrozole. The reason I’m doing this is because the nipple issues have yet to completely subside.
Anyway, I see my doctor tomorrow. Any advice appreciated!
Mike
You should always steer a steady course before your labs so the labs tell you something about a stationary dosing. This is sort of useless. FT will always spike for a few hours after application. Your E2 at the test was too low.
Breast tissue takes time to settle down.
You may have some joint aches and mental/mood problems with your killed E2 levels.
TT looks OK, given what you were doing.
Prolactin can contribute to your problem.
Thanks, KSman. Yeah, I wanted to steer a steady course, but I was really beginning to freak out about my left nipple. I would periodically get these strange sensations from it. Not really itchiness, but something like it. And that combined with the fact that it was definitely poking out more just creeped me out. I knew my E2 would be low, but I wasn’t concerned with that because I wanted to combat the nipple issue.
I’m not sure how to proceed now. Is it possible that for me it may be as simple as continuing with the prescribed dosage of testosterone cream combined with just a slightly higher dose of anastrozole?
Also, FWIW, my doctor just increase my dosage of Armour thyroid from 60 mg to 90 mg based solely on my basal temperatures.
A waking body temp of 97.8 is a good target.
Yeah, even on 60 mg/day of Armour thyroid, my temperatures averaged 96.5.
KSman, you mention that my TT looks OK. But as I said earlier, I’ve noticed no benefit being on the testosterone cream, only the nipple issues. Is this because my % free testosterone is low? Could that be due to high SHBG? And if so, is the answer to further increase TT through a higher dose of testosterone? or is it time to consider hCG?
You also mention that prolactin could be part of my problem, but nobody ever suggested measuring that as part of lab work, so I didn’t.
We really do not know your current level of TT, so can’t suggest any changes. If E2 is low, SHBG should be too.
Stick to a protocol and get tested. Test in AM before you apply T cream that day. Low E2 can create the lack of benefit.
The reason I did the blood draw when I did was because of this from another thread from hardasnails:
“I like to see levels about 600-700 2 hours after application then kick in hcg 250 ius ed3day to keep own LH going which is found in all areas of the body as well as the brain. Adding in HCG to many people and personally has given that more sense of well being. One also has to back fill the pathways with dhea as TRT can drop them.”
This is also why I was asking about hCG.
I’m assuming that had I been maintaining my prescribed dosages of testosterone cream and anastrozole, that both my TT and E2 would have been higher. So now I’m thinking that perhaps going forward, I should stick with the originally prescribed testosterone dose and go a little higher with the anastrozole.
But I’m also wondering if perhaps my SHBG – which has always measured high in the past – might be a problem, keeping my % free testosterone at the low end of the scale and that perhaps that is why I haven’t noticed any improvement in libido, etc.
KSman, you mentioned that it takes a while for breast tissue to settle down. Um, how long? Since my nipple issues began about four weeks ago, I’ve cut my testosterone cream dose in half and maintained a “too high” dose anastrozole. nothing seems to be happening. If anything, my nips have gotten bigger and are hard more often when I’m anything but cold. This is depressing and embarrassing. I’m thinking about just not applying the testosterone cream at all…
You could try a SERM and if that does not knock it down, that suggests something other than gyno. If not bilateral, that also suggests something other than gyno.