6 Month Blood Work in - Nailed it!

[joecoolredbarron]

Happy Friday Fellas - Wrote a diatribe on my TRT experience a week or so ago. I'll spare the novel this round but wanted to celebrate stable and "ideal for me" blood levels. Calls for a double protein shake - and what the hell it's Friday, couple beers tonight!

Might be obvious but I'm fairly new to being dialed in so i get a bit nervous before a lab. The thought of changing and monitoring again...no thanks. I'll feel better with matching labs in couple months but happy as hell with these (and inline with my last labs).

T - 974 (348-1197)
Estradiol - 21.4 (7.6-42.6)
RBC - 4.93 (4.14-5.8)
Hematocrit - 47.6 (37.5-51) - thank you AND your welcome red cross

200 MG/ wk split into 2 doses (huge help with E2 levels lowering) - though i err to the low side of the mark on the syringe so maybe 160-180. 500u HCG 2x per week. Give blood every other month. Feel like a 25 year old (well at least part of me - bones still crack and pop for the first 10 minutes of every morning g2g after that lol).

 

[Milton]

Welcome to the site!

 

[3J]

nice.. these are through readings?

 

[AJAK]

When do you have blood drawn in relation to you injections? Thanks.

 

[gruntwerk]

May I suggest:

It sounds like you're using the standard 3ml syringes, to me if we're measuring small amounts of test why not have a more accurate way to go? The little .1 intervals on the 3ml aren't easy to be exact with. Like you said you tend to lean to the low side of the mark.

Try picking up the exel 1ml Luer lock syringes, the model # is 26050, they clearly have the .1 .2 .3 marked out all the way to 1ml kinda like a 1ml insulin pin, they also have the mid marks for .15, .25, .35 etc, then are also have the 100th marks if you need to get super anal an technical.

I find it way more accurate and easier for small volume, originally got them so I could easily measure 125mg in test e for my self TRT. Now I'll be going to 120mg of cyp a week with IMT.

 

[joecoolredbarron]

Great suggestion on the syringes...good looking out!

Regarding the timing - sorry i left that out - taken the day after my shot ~28 hours after. Since splitting them into 2x weekly there's less of a peak and trough so it makes timing a guess (for me) - any suggestions on the best time to run blood work in relation to every 3.5 day injection schedule?

 

[IMT staff]

Great work!

 

[daleb]

I tried the 1cc luer loks and found they waste too much. I didnt like messing around with the air lock method so i just got some ulticare 25g 1" 1cc syringe needle combos. it only takes about a minute to draw .40ccs of cyp and there is only a few small drops of waste. at 23 cents an injection its a lil more expensive than bulk BD's but when you are messing around with a schedule 3 drug that is strictly monitored and controlled its worth spending a little more to avoid the waste.

this is what i use
UltiCare TB Safety Syringes 25G 1cc 1 inch 100/bx (25110) - drugsupplystore.com

 

[gruntwerk]

So are them Rigs one piece? Meaning you can't change the needle kinda like a slim pin.

I do notice the loss with the exel ones, it wastes exactly .05 ml, so less then a full .1, but you're right it adds up man.

I've been thinking about trying subq and using slin pins to help not lose much.

 

[gruntwerk]

Great suggestion on the syringes...good looking out!

Regarding the timing - sorry i left that out - taken the day after my shot ~28 hours after. Since splitting them into 2x weekly there's less of a peak and trough so it makes timing a guess (for me) - any suggestions on the best time to run blood work in relation to every 3.5 day injection schedule?

Hey you're welcome, but like we discussed above you do lose .05ml each time so that's only half of point one, but sadly it's still 10mg of cyp wasted. I think some loss is inevitable with any standard Luer lock setup or when you change needles to pin. It looks like the single piece rigs like the TB ones don't have much loss as the fella above said, also seems like the least waste would come from an insulin needle. I have giving myself a few IM shots in the thigh with the slin pins lately, it works as the fella Virginian stated. I just go to the leanest part of my quad and push it in real good, I know it hit muscle as I got the usual ache, but it almost hurt worse then using a 25g I think. I may try subq sometime too in order not to waste.

So enough about me, congrats on your numbers.

My understanding with the labs is if you want your peak, do bloods 48 hours after you pin, for trough you draw on your shot day but prior to doing your shot. The books I've been reading (doc crisler) suggests you never test blood on a shot day, rather the day before your shot because "you only test where you live at." So I see his point there, so no need to see the trough unless the doc wants it or something, I guess his reason behind that statement is you won't really be staying at that test level for much time considering its your shot day? Nut really sure.

Curious for others suggestions too as I'll be having to do some labs shortly to make sure I get dialed in with IMT myself.

That leads me to my last Q for you, how long after starting your meds with IMT did you provide your first set of labs?

 

[daleb]

I switched to subq. Im using the 1" i just go in at an angle on the stomach fat. It works easy enough. Minimal discomfort.

Those Ulticare 25g1"1cc syringes are one piece, no needle to switch out. I just snap the needle off throw it in my sharps container and throw the syringe away. If i was to estimate the loss itd be around 2mg per injection. at 10mg loss or so for the BD's it adds up. thats 20mg a week, 80mg a month, around 240mg the duration of the 10ml vial. if a person is injecting 50mg/3.5 days they are losing 2.5 weeks off their vial.

 

[gruntwerk]

I switched to subq. Im using the 1" i just go in at an angle on the stomach fat. It works easy enough. Minimal discomfort.

Those Ulticare 25g1"1cc syringes are one piece, no needle to switch out. I just snap the needle off throw it in my sharps container and throw the syringe away. If i was to estimate the loss itd be around 2mg per injection. at 10mg loss or so for the BD's it adds up. thats 20mg a week, 80mg a month, around 240mg the duration of the 10ml vial. if a person is injecting 50mg/3.5 days they are losing 2.5 weeks off their vial.

How do you like the subq versus IM? Did you have to change your dose at all switching to subq or do you find you get the same TT with the same dose for both IM and subq? I have a stock pile of insulin pins so thinking about trying that route for a bit, plus the insulin pin wastes minimal as well.

 

[daleb]

I havent noticed much of a difference. i think its just personal preference. My numbers are a little lower on SubQ but it could be due to it being hot as fuck out where im at.

 

[joecoolredbarron]

That leads me to my last Q for you, how long after starting your meds with IMT did you provide your first set of labs?

Appreciate all the info man. Wondered the same thing about jamming in a slin pin. I'm ~12% bf and shouldn't be too hard to go IM with a 1/2" slin pin.. Selfishly I want to see if this works for any further "self induced treatment" i may pursue in the future (trenA).

To answer your question...IMT's physicians put a lot of stake in symptoms and "feeling" as well as blood work. I think i did mine 3 months after starting. But just an FYI bloods aren't the end all be all for IMT.

 

[gruntwerk]

Appreciate all the info man. Wondered the same thing about jamming in a slin pin. I'm ~12% bf and shouldn't be too hard to go IM with a 1/2" slin pin.. Selfishly I want to see if this works for any further "self induced treatment" i may pursue in the future (trenA).

To answer your question...IMT's physicians put a lot of stake in symptoms and "feeling" as well as blood work. I think i did mine 3 months after starting. But just an FYI bloods aren't the end all be all for IMT.

Good to now they focus on symptoms as well... to many docs have this mindset of "if you're low-normal T" on a lab standard then TRT isn't a good option, to me that's a crazy way to see it. If someone is 350ng/dl and suffers from all the classic low T symptoms then why not treat it? Obviously if there a medical reason why one isn't a candidate for TRT then I get it but there is so much emphasize on "normal" blood work.

 

[joecoolredbarron]

Good to now they focus on symptoms as well... to many docs have this mindset of "if you're low-normal T" on a lab standard then TRT isn't a good option, to me that's a crazy way to see it. If someone is 350ng/dl and suffers from all the classic low T symptoms then why not treat it? Obviously if there a medical reason why one isn't a candidate for TRT then I get it but there is so much emphasize on "normal" blood work.

Todd shares the same philosophy, you're in good hands - I'm interested in your experience with them - let me (the board) know how you make out and good luck!