Ask Anything You Want about TRT Thread........

[Flat Fish]

I have a quick question. I started TRT last month and since then i have been reading alot on this forum.. So i want to get some opinion on my dose.
personal info: 41yo about 50 pounds of weight gained in last 14months after i quit smoking cigarettes. No sex drive or any drive for that matter. bad joint pain so went to the doc. Blood came back fine except for test, he said it was a little low.
blood work:
Free T-4 result: .95 Ref Range: .58-1.64
TSH .99 .34-5.60
ANA range and result is: Negative<1:40
Testos Total 237.7 Range: 300-781

Doc said it was a little low so he gave me a scrpit for test Ethanate 1ml (200mg) a month. After first shot ALL my joint pain went away

My thought is that the 1ml a month blows chicken farts. So me being the resourceful person, i decided to get the first shot from the doc at 1ml then after 2 weeks gave myself my own shot .5ml and then at 30 days (yesterday) i gave myself my monthly shot of 1ml.

So what are the thoughts of the forum? Mega, can you please toss some wisdom my way?

Thanks!

 

[Flat Fish]

also, blood was drawn around 10 am after fasting.

 

[Megatron28]

I have a quick question. I started TRT last month and since then i have been reading alot on this forum.. So i want to get some opinion on my dose.
personal info: 41yo about 50 pounds of weight gained in last 14months after i quit smoking cigarettes. No sex drive or any drive for that matter. bad joint pain so went to the doc. Blood came back fine except for test, he said it was a little low.
blood work:
Free T-4 result: .95 Ref Range: .58-1.64
TSH .99 .34-5.60
ANA range and result is: Negative<1:40
Testos Total 237.7 Range: 300-781

Doc said it was a little low so he gave me a scrpit for test Ethanate 1ml (200mg) a month. After first shot ALL my joint pain went away

My thought is that the 1ml a month blows chicken farts. So me being the resourceful person, i decided to get the first shot from the doc at 1ml then after 2 weeks gave myself my own shot .5ml and then at 30 days (yesterday) i gave myself my monthly shot of 1ml.

So what are the thoughts of the forum? Mega, can you please toss some wisdom my way?

Thanks!

First of all, welcome.

Second, your TT isn't a little low. You are hypogonadal. 237 ng/dl is very low. You need treatment.

Third, 200mg a month is not going to cut it. Most guys need between 100-200mg per week. The problem though is that you need to educate your doctor and show him through blood work results that 200mg/month still leaves you at hypogonadal levels. This is going to be a very painful process if you cannot persuade him without blood work evidence. The fact that he put you on this protocol tells me that he knows very little about TRT so it may be difficult if not impossible. You may want to have a plan B in place

You can't keep running more Test than prescribed since you will run out before a refill is scheduled.

Good luck persuading your doctor o increase your dosage and injection frequency; but start working on Plan B.

 

[Flat Fish]

Hi Mega thanks for your response. Yep i asked the doc on the first shot if he had lost his mind .. he said no.. So i have another appointment on 3-20 with another doc to talk about it.. That is Plan B.

I know you do mention a company on here from time to time that may be able to help me with the TRT... ill take the name if you have it. I may make them plan B instead. I just want to be able to use my Insurance if possible BCBS.

 

[Megatron28]

Hi Mega thanks for your response. Yep i asked the doc on the first shot if he had lost his mind .. he said no.. So i have another appointment on 3-20 with another doc to talk about it.. That is Plan B.

I know you do mention a company on here from time to time that may be able to help me with the TRT... ill take the name if you have it. I may make them plan B instead. I just want to be able to use my Insurance if possible BCBS.

Their name is Increase My T (IMT). Their ad is on the right hand side of your screen. They know their stuff when it comes to TRT.

 

[stolpioni]

How much can bodyfat and bellyfat affect your t levels?

I have 26% bodyfat and a huge beer-belly (looks like I'm pregnant). How much can this cut off? 10%? 20%?

 

[Megatron28]

How much can bodyfat and bellyfat affect your t levels?

I have 26% bodyfat and a huge beer-belly (looks like I'm pregnant). How much can this cut off? 10%? 20%?

I don't think anyone can give you a percentage. No two people are alike and there are a lot of variables. But the aromatase enzyme is found in fat. So the more fat you have the more you are going to aromatize test into estrogen. When the pituitary detects high estrogen levels it reduces the amount of LH sent to the testicles thus telling them to produce less test.

 

[stolpioni]

I don't think anyone can give you a percentage. No two people are alike and there are a lot of variables. But the aromatase enzyme is found in fat. So the more fat you have the more you are going to aromatize test into estrogen. When the pituitary detects high estrogen levels it reduces the amount of LH sent to the testicles thus telling them to produce less test.

I'm just trying to figure out if I'm hypogonad or just fat. What I mean is, have there been people showing hypogonad results and then cut off some bodyfat and all of a sudden scored in the optimal (700+) ranges?

 

[Megatron28]

I'm just trying to figure out if I'm hypogonad or just fat. What I mean is, have there been people showing hypogonad results and then cut off some bodyfat and all of a sudden scored in the optimal (700+) ranges?

To figure out if you are hypogonadal you need to get blood work done. If the results show you are hypogonadal, the next step is to try and figure out why if possible.

Obesity can contribute to causing hypogonadism. But unfortunately you may have become obese because you were hypogonadal. Chicken or the egg type problem. Figuring out which one came first - hypogonadism or obesity - is often a question that will go unanswered.

You can obviously try to lower your body fst % and see how your testosterone levels respond. But a lot of guys find it extremely difficult to do this while in a hypogonadal state.

 

[Atlaz]

Can you have the benefits of DHT without the side effects (hair loss) ?

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15251256

r e d d i t.com/r/steroids/comments/2r9xms/the_power_of_dht/

If you reduce DHT levels it defeats the whole purpose or TRT.....so what are the optimal levels of DHT without having side effects?

 

[pdelta]

Chiefy is basically saying that the more you push on something (I.e. Testosterone) there more it pulls on other things (I.e. estradiol and hematocrit). Actions often have reactions in your body.

You often hear guys talking about "getting dialed in". That is finding the point where you are getting the good effects of testosterone and mitigating the negative effects. The higher you take up your TT the more likely it becomes that you will have to use other medications while on TRT.

Well said.

 

[pdelta]

Can you have the benefits of DHT without the side effects (hair loss) ?

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15251256

r e d d i t.com/r/steroids/comments/2r9xms/the_power_of_dht/

If you reduce DHT levels it defeats the whole purpose or TRT.....so what are the optimal levels of DHT without having side effects?

I have been on TRT for a few years now. If I use injectables my E2 is elevated. If I use creams or gels, my DHT is elevated. It like Megatron said you have to find your sweet spot. That can take some time.

 

[Atlaz]

I have been on TRT for a few years now. If I use injectables my E2 is elevated. If I use creams or gels, my DHT is elevated. It like Megatron said you have to find your sweet spot. That can take some time.

and after trials and errors how long did it take you to find the sweet spot?

 

[pdelta]

I have decided on TRT creams. I think the mimic the bodies own natural T cycle the best. I apply to my armpits. I get the best absorption with the least DHT conversion. My total T is around 675. I haven't measured DHT in a while but my PSA is around 1.7, not bad for my age. It took me about two years of experimentation with a butt load of blood tests to find my sweet spot.

When I want to gain a few pounds I personally like Ostarine. Very clean gains with some fat loss and it doesn't affect my prostate very much.

 

[Burt]

Hello! If a person comes of TRT after 12 months at 200mg a week, didnt run HCG through the cycle, PCT with clomid and nolva for 4 weeks but balls are still shrunk.

Would it be wise then to wait to give the body time to recover on its own or Run HCG then do another PCT with clomid and nolva.

 

[Atlaz]

If you donate blood every 2-3 months are blood clots ( related to TRT) still a concern?

 

[Un1baller]

Hello all. I am starting TRT in a few days, thread is here: steroidology.com/forum/testosterone-replacement-therapy/677369-starting-trt-25-y-o-survivor-let-s-do.html

My question is: I will be doing subcutaneous 50 mg test injections every 3.5 days with 29 gauge .5 inch insulin needles. I will backload them with 21 gauge needles. I plan on doing the injections into my stomach but I feel like I would prefer to do them in my glute. Does anyone know if that would be okay? My glute seems less intimidating.

 

[random3]

I'm trying to get a PM out to MBB though my post count is too low

 

[Megatron28]

If you donate blood every 2-3 months are blood clots ( related to TRT) still a concern?

I didn't know blood clots were a concern on TRT. Where did you see that blood clots are a risk?

 

[Megatron28]

Hello all. I am starting TRT in a few days, thread is here: steroidology.com/forum/testosterone-replacement-therapy/677369-starting-trt-25-y-o-survivor-let-s-do.html

My question is: I will be doing subcutaneous 50 mg test injections every 3.5 days with 29 gauge .5 inch insulin needles. I will backload them with 21 gauge needles. I plan on doing the injections into my stomach but I feel like I would prefer to do them in my glute. Does anyone know if that would be okay? My glute seems less intimidating.

I do the same thing (same size needle and type) except that I go IM with it. I would recommend doing that rather than subq as you will get lumps under your skin with subq.

But you can do subq anywhere you have body fat. Glutes, delts, quads are all good spots if you don't want to do stomach. I recommend sticking to the same places one does IM injections just in case you put the needle in a little too far.