TRT and Me

Format:
Personal information → Labs → experience with Dr. → questions.

-age 31
-height 6’ 5"
-waist 36"
-weight 230lbs
-describe body and facial hair - Patchy hair on chest, little hair on arms.
-describe where you carry fat and how changed - belly
-health conditions, symptoms [history] Crohn’s disease (10 years)
-Rx and OTC drugs, any hair loss drugs or prostate drugs ever
Lialda and Gabapentin

-describe diet - 2500-3500 Calories, 150-200g protein
-describe training - Squat, bench press, OHP, deadlift, and power clean (Heavy-Light-Medium intensity 3 days a week.)

Labs

Component Your Value Standard Range Units
TESTOSTERONE, BIOAVAILABLE 123.1 110.0 - 575.0 ng/dL
SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN 24.0 10 - 50 nmol/L
ALBUMIN 4.60 3.6 - 5.1 g/dL
FREE TESTOSTERONE INDEX CALCULATED 58.6 46.0 - 224.0 pg/mL
Testosterone, Total 357 250 - 1100 ng/dL

FSH 2.18 1.50 - 12.40 mIU/mL
VITAMIN D 25 OH TOTAL 50.6 30.0 - 100.0 ng/mL
PSA SCREENING 0.597 0.000 - 1.400 ng/mL
TSH 0.628 0.270 - 4.200 uIU/mL

Lipid Panel
TRIGLYCERIDES 80 <150 mg/dL
CHOLESTEROL 207 <200 mg/dL
HDL CHOLESTEROL 59 >40 mg/dL
NON-HDL CHOLESTEROL 148 <130 mg/dL
LDL CHOLESTEROL 132 <100 mg/dL
CHOL HDLC RATIO 3.5 <=5
VLDL 16 5 - 30 mg/dL

IRON 62 45 - 160 ug/dL
INSULIN 4.3 2.6 - 24.9 uIU/mL
%A1C 5.2 <5.7 %

Metabolic Panel
SODIUM 136 135 - 145 mEq/L
POTASSIUM 4.3 3.4 - 5.1 mEq/L
CHLORIDE 103 98 - 109 mEq/L
CARBON DIOXIDE 22.0 23.0 - 31.0 mEq/L
GLUCOSE 94 70 - 99 mg/dL
BUN 15 6 - 26 mg/dL
CREATININE 1.2 0.5 - 1.2 mg/dL
CALCIUM 9.1 8.5 - 10.5 mg/dL
PROTEIN, TOTAL 7.2 6.4 - 8.3 g/dL
ALBUMIN 4.6 3.4 - 5.2 g/dL
BILIRUBIN TOTAL 0.3 0.0 - 1.0 mg/dL
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE (ALP) 52 40 - 129 IU/L
AST (SGOT) 24 0 - 40 IU/L
ALT (SGPT) 30 0 - 50 IU/L

Complete Blood Count
WBC 4.2 4.0 - 11.0 x1000/uL
RED BLOOD CELL 4.77 4.34 - 5.60 xMil/uL
HEMOGLOBIN 14.5 13.0 - 17.0 g/dL
HEMATOCRIT 42.7 38.6 - 49.2 %
MCV 89.5 80.0 - 100.0 fL
MCH 30.4 26.0 - 34.0 pg
MCHC 34.0 32.5 - 35.8 g/dL
RDW 12.3 11.9 - 15.9 %
PLATELET 272 150 - 450 x1000/uL
MEAN PLAT.VOLUME 7.4 6.8 - 10.2 fL
NEUTROPHIL % 49.5 %
LYMPHOCYTE % 39.9 %
MONOCYTE % 7.4 %
EOSINOPHIL % 2.5 %
BASOPHIL % 0.7 %
NEUTROPHIL ABS CT 2.1 1.7 - 7.7 x1000/uL
LYMPHOCYTE ABS CT 1.7 0.6 - 3.4 x1000/uL
MONOCYTE ABS CT 0.3 0.3 - 1.0 x1000/uL
EOSINOPHIL COUNT 0.1 0.0 - 0.5 x1000u/L
BASOPHIL ABS CT 0.0 0.0 - 0.2 x1000/uL

Went to the Dr. today for the follow up and asked for the protocol per the sticky. He fought me HCG and Anastrozole. He said he was the biggest doctor doing treatment for TRT in the state, and that I should listen to him because companies ask him to give talks on TRT.

Anastrozole he said is for breast cancer, and I shouldn’t have problems with E2 if my FSH is that low. When I asked about HCG for fertility reasons, he said that he doesn’t dispense HGH or anything like it because it is too expensive and the FDA is more behind Testosterone. I explained that it wasn’t HGH, but that I needed it for LH levels and to keep my testes viable. He still said that he doesn’t know how to prescribe it, and that it is only given out at age clinics. He doesn’t believe it will be a problem for me, and I should wait 3 months and test my sperm.

For the Testosterone, I got the home injections for Cyp, which made me happy. He prescribed 400mg every 2 weeks, IM, and that no one does it SC. Anyone doing it SC is doing it wrong, and that it is done IM to prolong release. (I am going to start SC once I figure out how long I need to wait after the initial 400mg(2 m/l) we did today.)

I am going to try my family Dr, who I trust more, to see about HCG.

Questions

How long before I should start the SC injections, considering I got 400mg today.

What do I need to know about HCG to change his mind? Research? Studies?

Can someone PM a source for AI and insulin syringes? (I know how to google for the AI, but I would rather just hear about a trusted source. For the syringes, I just want a cheaper option than the pharmacy.)

If people are regularly injecting 15 times a month, do you re-use syringes or needles? Is that safe?

Thanks in advance. The wealth of knowledge on this board is great!

400 mg/2 weeks with no AI? That’s…not ideal. Frankly 200 mg/week is kinda high to be starting off with IMO. I’d rather start at 100mg/week and wait for bloods. Since you are self-injecting why not only do 100mg/week and see? If nothing else, instead of 400mg at once every 2 weeks, inject 100mg Monday morning and 100mg Thursday night to spread out those peaks and valleys. You’re probably gonna need an AI in all likelihood.

[quote]46and2 wrote:
400 mg/2 weeks with no AI? That’s…not ideal. Frankly 200 mg/week is kinda high to be starting off with IMO. I’d rather start at 100mg/week and wait for bloods. Since you are self-injecting why not only do 100mg/week and see? If nothing else, instead of 400mg at once every 2 weeks, inject 100mg Monday morning and 100mg Thursday night to spread out those peaks and valleys. You’re probably gonna need an AI in all likelihood.[/quote]

I was planning on sticking with 125mg for now. I’m hoping for a source for the anastrozole soon. I expected to start it in a week or two.

I’m one week out from my initial 400mg injection, and I’ve gained about 10-13lbs. I assume I’m retaining water. I am trying to get my PCP, who didn’t prescribe my TRT, to test my E2. Does anyone have links for studies around E2 and TRT? I searched, but I found a lot of people talking about getting treated, but no sources for convincing my Dr.