Essentially, you’ve taken your car to a brake shop when you actually need the transmission rebuilt. Sure, they can flush the transmission, but that’s about it.
Your doctor is going with the information he has been taught, which includes dosing recommendations of 200mg (at least you’re getting more) every two to four weeks. Keep in mind that there are many more guys going through their PCP for their testosterone than using TRT clinics. While we might think they are not doing well with the protocols, the fact is they think they are. They don’t know what they don’t know.
You have pretty low testostosterone levels towards the end of your month. That would make anyone angry.
So let’s say I pay and allow them to do blood work. Then what? They send a script to my pharmacy? I purchase T directly from them? Is insurance anywhere in the equation?
Also, in re: to nearly everything I’ve read thus far in reply to my OP, are your answers based on experience only (which I value), or do any of you have a degree backing up what you say? Are you competitive power lifters or bodybuilders?
I just wish to know from whence you speak is all. Thanks
That’s a question for primebody. All these clinics are different. Most will send you compounded test from a pharmacy they work with. Some will send an Rx to your preferred pharmacy.
While you may view it as caution, I personally view it as more reckless. You are being given a large amount in one dosing time frame which will only create a large spike, that for a time will put you in a large supra-physiological realm of blood levels until you drop back down. By the time you are ready for your next dosing you are back to being hypo gonadal, unless you increase dose even more, creating an even larger spike. I can imagine that is very stressful on the body. A safer alternative is to start lower dosing more often to eliminate as large of spikes and at the same time not allow as large of a dip and adjust from there. Your right I don’t have a medical degree but that is how I see it.
He IS cranking the amount though. That’s what we’re trying to tell you.
400mg at once is a lot. Like, stereotypical steroid cycle level. Of course, they’d be taking that every week instead of once a month… but for that first week, it’s basically the same thing. You’re getting a steroid cycle level of T for a week then maybe you’re at a reasonable level for the next week, then I bet you have 2 weeks left with your levels as low or lower than you even started with.
You’re getting a months worth of medicine crammed into 1 week. At most, maybe it lasts into the second week. After that you’re going to be low T and feel like shit.
The protocol is shit. The dosage (100mg/week), spread out reasonably, isn’t a horrible place to start. The frequency is the problem. Injecting more often is just going to keep things stable. Instead of your T going to say 2500 and dropping quickly from there, it would keep you at let’s say 800 all the time.
Whether T is your problem or not, I have no idea, but I can tell you you’ll pretty much never have good results with monthly dosing.
I agree, even with Test U, I would pin once a week. More injections needs to be balanced with most people not liking injections, but once a month favors people not liking injections far too much.
On flip side, had some “life happens” stuff that I allowed to keep me from working out bout 3 weeks…
The 100mg/week dose started just before. Will have my azz back at it tmw. Check.
Also having to tidy up my nutrition again since that point. Got it. Check.
Now I must keep at it. We have a whole house remodel going and I gotta not let that stuff distract me from exercise again. To be clear, I say “exercise” bc I do not consider wat I do with weights to be actually lifting…I do my own full body program 3xweek at weights that are intended to make me a bit stronger but am NOT striving for huge or ripped. Presently primary goals are bodyfat loss, strength, endurance.
At age 51, a bad knee, a totally FUBAR hand, a morphine pump in me for pain etc., with over 20 general surgeries on my bod, I simply desire to be appropriately strong, agile & healthy for my age. And I’ll make the executive decision as to what that looks like at the gym and in the mirror. Presently, goal is to drop 25 lbs asap…I’m too flabby. I know most dudes here will say ANY flabby is bad, but I’m nowhere near typical. I’m frickin totally n permanently disabled from serving our country for Chrissake, so I’ll decide wats right for me. May ask advice on specific things cause this is where I go for answers I feel I can trust.
I did not read the entire thread just FYI. I’ve had my own array of issues with HRT for the past 6 years and have a couple recommendations. It also looks like you have a lot on your plate: Pain and stress, which would make it difficult to stay calm for anyone.
#1 It looks like your dose may have been “too high”. Every man likely has an upper limit of blood serum levels of T and a threshold that when crossed, can run into some issues. T and especially DHT is adrenergic and can lead you to feel extremely tense. Lowering the dose isnt a bad idea.
#2 Get your pregnanolone and progesterone checked. With exogenous T, your levels of pregnanolone and progesterone will fall. If either one is low, it can lead to feeling tense and uneasy. hCG can help mitigate these reductions, but both should still be checked. I’ve heard however that pregnanolone levels aren’t measured accurately through blood tests, so take that with a grain of salt.
I cannot tolerate hcg and also feel better with lower doses of T, in the neighborhood of 100 mg/week. I’ve recently learned that if you have low levels of pregnanolone and progesterone, another option to try before lowering your dose is to supplement with both.
I take a relatively high dose of pregnanolone at 100mg twice per day. For progesterone I apply 8 mg of transdermal cream twice per day to my ballbag. So far, this has allowed me to increase my dose back to 200mg of T/week injected as ~28mg/day.
As a Marine who saw action in Iraq, Im going to suggest stop using your service as a crutch to lean on, or you will continue with it til the day you die. Im speaking from experience. I used to say things like these because I felt like I was owed something in return. All you will get is some respect and a lot of eye rolling from folks who dont understand what it means to be in combat. I bet you’ve declined help because you were military tough, I bet you’ve complained about pain because you’re military broken, I bet just about everything you do is validated by your service to this country. Time to move forward and do things right. Stop hoping for understanding, and sympathy due to your service, because Im sure that you are somewhat used to it, so stop bringing it up. Wrap your head around the TRT stuff and be free of the things that are holding you down. 100mg is a better plan. Stop making excuses, and eat right, sleep, and have good sex. You are not the man you are right now. The better version of you is a few months to a year away. Remember this. Flab is flab and all you have to do is take your medicine, live and learn. Nobody here cares about how you look, only you do. So make it a mission to look good naked. If this doesnt motivate you to let go of the past, you will suffer like many soldiers I know. Good day Sir! I salute you.