For anyone coming from my crazy lab results post, this is my explanation for the crappy routine.
Ive been on and off TRT for 5ish years now. My sweet spot is 250 a week, daily sub q injections, with 1000iu of HCG per week with daily injections.
My biggest issue has been finding a doctor who is worth his salt. I started with Illinois alternative medicine years ago. They were good at first. Then they dropped HCG, then they tripled prices, then customer service tanked, etc etc. So I left. Then its been a roller coaster ride of trying to find a doctor who knows dick all about TRT. Or one that doesn’t hate me for doing my own routine. I finally getting on top of my gut issues so i can function again, and have been working on optimizing TRT so i can feel good again. I am totally incapable (due to work) of going anywhere once every 2 weeks for an injection, let alone the stupidity of the idea of once every 14 day injections. I am currently without a doctor for TRT, and was trying to make the most of my last 10 ml of Test C from my last Dr. So I cut myself down to 100 per week to try and make it last a few months. Not a great idea. After the test results came back i upped myself to 200 per week and feel much better. But now Im down to 7 weeks left before i run dry. Not to excited about that. Just got back from different doctor (Urologist) today and it was a disaster. Just a patient conveyor belt. I was disappointed enough to walk out mid appointment.
My HCG supply is good and secure, i have a nice walk in lab for bloods that is not too terribly expensive, i have plenty of knowledge and experience on how my body responds and what it likes, just frustrated by the lack of knowledge and lack of care that comes with TRT from the “medical community.” Roast me in the replies all you want. Just here to vent with this post anyhow. Chime in if you have your own similar experiences.
250mg a week is not TRT for 99.9% of people. Thats your first problem. Second, you’re not likely to get any help from a Uro or Endo period,let alone a high dose. You need a hormone clinic such as Defy Medical or similar to get what you need. Alternately if you’re in a place where AAS are legal or to your risk tolerance you could order UGL testosterone and treat yourself.
Are you suggesting that the Dr’s are idiots because you are taking 250mg/wk test and your numbers are high and they won’t help you?
Your not really giving the whole story.
Why? Because you didn’t get what you wanted?
You can go to men’s clinics like Defy or other online clinics but if your bloods show 1500mg/dl they aren’t gonna give you anything either.
IMO opinion either go UGL of drop the test and let your numbers fall and get a prescription. Even with a script though they are not gonna let you run 250/wk.
250 a week was putting me at about 900 total test. If 900 is or is not TRT levels is a reasonable point. I agree I need to find a decent hormone clinic. Just not a lot of options in my part of the country (very rural Illinois), and I have not been happy with call in clinics.
No, I’m saying a large dose of test only once every 2 weeks for life is a terrible way to treat low T. Not just for the roller-coaster hormone levels, but the inconvenience that comes with every two week appointments. Especially when the drive to get to the appointment is 45 minutes one way.
The 250 a week was my script. Put me at about 900 total test. Im a low responder. At one point I was on a script of 300 per week. Which i think is the highest allowed as a script. Total test was in the 1100-1200 range at that dose. My biggest symptom at the time was fatigue, and going to 300 didn’t help. Turns out I have an intolerance to oats, several different artificial flavors, and a bad sesame allergy, which was causing the fatigue. My digestive system is slowly healing and I’m getting better in that regard.
Actually, my last 3 bloods were a total test of 250, 235, and 145, while being on 100 mg per week. I don’t need additional bloods for a diagnosis or a prescription. I’m sure I did a bad job of explaining the situation. If you have any questions Im happy to answer. I appreciate the interaction. I normally keep to myself about my medical issues, but as i get older i think its good to talk to others who have similar experiences.
I normally just read forums and rarely post. I just realized how out of context this whole thread is without reading my other thread about how surprised i was to see my total test levels be 145 while on 100 mg per week of Test C. My apologies for a total newb mistake. Gentz, you were correct, there was definitely more to the story. Perhaps my original thread about my very low blood results is still caught up in new thread jail? Like i said, I’m definitely new to creating threads.
Edit: To catch everyone up, I had been on a script of 250 per week for a while, bloods typically about 900 total test. Call in clinic. Service dropped to zero and price went to $400 a month so I stopped using the clinic. Had two bottles of test c left. Dropped myself to 100 mg per week to make it last. After about 3 months i started talking to my pcp about it. Got 3 bloods done over the next 2 months (September and October). 250, 235, and 145. All while on 100 mg per week for 3 to 5 months. The 250 number surprised me, the 145 i thought was totally crazy.
TT in the 900s means very little, your FT could be through the roof. TT on it own is a poor metric. You need complete labs with FT , SHBG, and E2 sensitive minimally to gauge dose criteria.
Current tests (october of 2024) on 100 mg per week, by ARUP labs.
TT 145
FT 33 (47-244 ref range)
SHBG 18
Hcrit 46
These were taken by different labs, so a different range for Free Test was used for each. LabCorp used the “Free Test Direct” test for my 2023 test. With a TT of 968 my FT was elevated, while currently my FT is below range.
I know my most recent bloods were incomplete and lacking E2, but my pcp who ordered the tests is not well versed in hormones and i was just happy i got tested what i got tested. He’s a good pcp, but doesn’t feel qualified to deal with hormones. I mentioned E2, but it slipped through the cracks between our conversation and what was ordered. In general I’m pretty sensitive to E2. If my E2 is too low i get sore joints and lose libido, if my E2 is high, like when i was on 300 per week and i hit an E2 of 40, my appetite gets messed up. I currently don’t have low E2 symptoms, so I’m not terribly concerned. I’ll test E2 at my next regular blood test, after I’ve been on my current dose of 200 for a few months.
Leaning towards the UGL route you and Gentz mentioned above. Just gotta figure that out. I’ve only got ~6 weeks left in the bottle at the 200 a week rate and doubt I’ll find any other solution that fast. From what I’ve read so far, and due to my severe sesame allergy, I’m thinking the one Belgian lab because its mixed in MCT oil, which is supposedly coconut based. I was once shipped Test C in sesame before I knew I was allergic and had hives for about 6 weeks. Not fun. It was those injections of sesame that set off my gut problems that I’m only now starting to finally get over.
These posts put things in better context. I see your dilemma now.
Give Marek Health a try. They provide labs, counseling and test. They are geared toward bodybuilders and how we can do what we wanna do and remain healthier. Premier Telehealth & Guided Optimization | Marek Health.
As @blshaw mentioned you could also try Defy.
As far as the carrier oil issue if you decided to go UGL, that will require a bit of research.
