Back on trt at 40 yrs old with different doc.

[pbarby]

Relaxed primary care doc tested me for low t in 2013...600. Went off symptoms and started trt; 1cc per month in office of watson test: 1cc=200 (I know...rollercoaster). After several months...worked up to 1.5cc 2x per week at home (it was AMAZING!).

Wife and I wanted baby (low sperm, tiny/soft testies)..so I came off trt (hcg) and knocked her up 2 months later.

2 years later (who needs strong libido with newborn) went to see urologist (vasectomy) and talked about trt (primary care doc retired). Blood test showed 325. Due to prior experience, was ok'd for 1cc 2x per week (sol pharma india, 1cc=200) based on symptoms. Blood test 2 weeks later (4 injections) showed 1400. Dr said WAY TOO HIGH and cut me down to 0.5cc 2x per week.

My questions: was 2 weeks after starting trt too soon for blood test? Could trt and my own testies be producing the high results? My testies haven't shrunk.

I'm going for another blood test Friday (2 weeks since being lowered to 0.5cc 2x per week). Would I be out of line if I pushed to increase trt to get me to 1200 (top of range)?

New dr is used to prescribing gel and pellet implants and rarely prescribes at home im...I don't want to ruin the new relationship.

Side note...I have low platelettes. Have been on prednisone for 2 months w no stabilization (chronic itp). Next is rituxan and off prednisone. Hematologist is OK with trt and works together with new trt doc (urologist) assuring constant communication and sharing lab results.

Thanks

 

[Megatron28]

Normally you should wait 6 weeks before getting blood work after starting TRT. And again 4-6 weeks after making a protocol change. This is assuming you are using an ester lick Cypionate or Enanthate. Please indicate what you are using.

Also 400mg per week is way higher than a typical TRT dose of testosterone, so it makes sense that your TT was coming in above nor all. Typical dosages for TRT are 100-200mg per week.

Are you also checking Estradiol levels?

There is a sticky thread in this forum called the Basic TRT Overview. I encourage you to read it.

 

[pbarby]

Normally you should wait 6 weeks before getting blood work after starting TRT. And again 4-6 weeks after making a protocol change. This is assuming you are using an ester lick Cypionate or Enanthate. Please indicate what you are using.

Also 400mg per week is way higher than a typical TRT dose of testosterone, so it makes sense that your TT was coming in above nor all. Typical dosages for TRT are 100-200mg per week.

Are you also checking Estradiol levels?

There is a sticky thread in this forum called the Basic TRT Overview. I encourage you to read it.

Thanks Megatron. I'm embarrassed that my questions could have been answered by the sticky. The sticky brings up a lot of questions w/ answers I didn't consider.

Cypionate is the ester.

My new primary care doc (also works with my eurologist and hemotologist) ran my TT, LH and FSH. When I was found to have low plateletes every test known was run as well including bone marrow biopsy. All normal.

Estradiol was run too but not brought up when dose was lowered. Wondering if they ran the wrong one as talked about in sticky.

I'm going to read over the sticky several times and take notes to speak more intelligently and ask the dr questions during my next visit (especially w AI and hcg if it becomes necessary)

Also going to check out private labs as a long term check-in after tests start becoming normalized with dr.

Thanks again.

 

[pbarby]

After two weeks on 400mg test c (inject 200mg 2x p week), labs showed1400 tot test. I was lowered to 200mg per week. 2 weeks after lowered amount new blood test (last friday) showed total test still at 1400 and free test at 400. Asked about estriodol level and was told not to worry about it yet, that we need to get test level below 1200 and was lowered again to 100mg per week.

The sticky said blood test after 5 or 6 weeks and I'm at 4 weeks with 2 blood tests. Im trying to understand the timing and how taking half the test c still produces similar total test at week 2 and week 4?

I'm one of those guys that thinks more is always better...I'm guessing too much test c for trt could throw my estriodol out of wack and I would be much better off with a lower dose?...or is it just too soon to tell?

Minimal (sporadic) testicle atrophy during weeks 2 and 4.

I'm also on prednisone, so I'm not 'feeling' better but have been able to work out longer with heavier weights. Also, libido was strong after week 2 but seemed to diminish late last week and into this week. Could a lower test c dose actually help with that too?

 

[cruiser1019]

Just my opinion, but your doc is testing too soon. The half life of Test C is about 10 days. It's sad to say but most docs do not have a good understanding of trt. I'm sure you found that out by reading thru the trt threads. Starting at 400mg without an AI could have spiked your E2 & be causing your libido issue. Keep reading & learning

 

[Jimstigator]

I'd roll with that 100mg a week for a while. Split into two doses if possible. More is definitely not always better, especially in TRT. Without HCG added in, testes will shrink over time, back to what you remember the first time around. At those high T doses, you would have likely needed in AI, but at 100mg a week, you might get away without one.

-Jim

 

[3J]

off topic question here...

when you came off trt, what hcg dosage did you run???
trying to get the wife pregnant right now and its not happening, so im considering coming off myself

 

[pbarby]

Hi 3j...as a former client, it'll be an honor answering your question.

0.1 cc injected into belly fat 2x per week, 3 weeks before stopping test c. I was given 10k iu (two small bottles after mixing) and kept injecting hcg after stopping test c until I ran out of hcg.

Testes started returning to normal after a week or two and full size after about a month of hcg.

When I had my sperm count checked (innexpensive...lots of places online) before hcg I had a few 100k swimmers but a majority of them were 'deformed' per the lab (sounds scary). After the hcg was all gone and I went for another count and all the parameters they check for were normal...including the deformed ratio. Few weeks after that, prego test was positive.

Good luck and have fun making a baby. My boy is now almost two, healthy, with no Dr concerns during pregnancy and since birth.

 

[3J]

so 0.1cc would be 1000iu twice a week correct??

and thanks for the kind words.. yea i need to do this and get the wife knocked up lol

 

[pbarby]

Yes...it lasted about 2.5 month.

3jr.!

 

[3J]

10k iu wouldn't last 2.5 months though...

i should only last 5 weeks??

 

[pbarby]

10 weeks is what I remember. Maybe each small vile was 10,000 and I did 20,000 over 10 weeks...but that doesn't sound familiar. I remember mixing 1cc of the water it came with it and the powder for each of the 2 viles. I got it from Costco pharmacy (and it took over a week for them to get it.) Sorry, I can't be certain if each vile was 5000 or 10,000 at this point...but 10,000iu total sounds more familiar than 20k

 

[daleb]

3j, i used ur hcg freezing guide. its easy n slick. 10k iu on month 3 same original vial. great way to save $$$$

 

[pbarby]

I've been lowered to 100mg p/wk. (200mg per cc of test cyp) from my last post (200mg p wk). I now inject 0.25cc alternating thighs every 3.5 days. Labs came back at a consistent 750 total, 2.5 free and a 49 e2.

Doc put me on arimidex; 1/4 pill day after im. After 4 weeks my total dropped to 585, free t increased (by %) to 2.8 and e2 down to 32. Doc told me to add 1/4 arimidex pill per week (3/4 tot p wk) and wasn't concerned about total t dropping. I told her I had 3 beers the day before (I rarely drink at all) but doc said it doesn't matter.

Current symptoms...acne (shoulders/arms...some painful) mood swings (much better than before), still some mental fog but better than before, and better but not ideal sex drive.

My ?s

DOc doesn't want to do any more blood draws until 4 months for full labs despite increasing arimidex dose. Should I push for more tot, free and e2 tests since adding more arimidex?

Should I split the current test c dose (100mg p wk) into 3 im (every 2.3 days) to be in line with arimidex dosage (1/4 pill following day of im...3/4 pill per week)?

Could 3 beers day before blood draw for a lightweight drinker cause my total t to drop?

Thanks

Btw...most likely unrelated...I came off prednisone a few months back and platelets dropped. While searching for a Splenectomy doc, platelete count started rising and now back to reasonable range of 114k. Not getting Splenectomy at this point.

 

[cbburrr]

since your testosterone is injected ( exogenous) those 3 beers should not change a thing. If you want to get bloods done you can always go do them yourself and change the adex dose as you see fit.
I dont see any benefit from pinning three times a week, keep it the same

Retin A is great for acne, as well just washing your body with nizoral shampoo.
If it still bugs you you can add in low dose accutane. It's controversial on whether or not to use, but I use it at low dose one month on and one month off and it works wonders.

 

[pbarby]

Thanks CB. I've read that splitting the dose could help with estriodol conversion. Maybe IM this amount of testc more than 2x per week wouldn't matter in that regaurd.

Any idea what could have caused the total test to drop? Could the arimidex be part of it? Diet and exercise has been the same.

My thought is I want to increase my test c injection amount as I want to be close to 1000 free t and find the right dose of arimidex or ai to get my e2 in the low 20s. I'm feeling a little discouraged since the doc wants to keep me here for about 4 months. Although my current range is "acceptable" medically I still feel foggy (and other symptoms) to want to keep tweaking.

 

[Mprtz]

I've been lowered to 100mg p/wk. (200mg per cc of test cyp) from my last post (200mg p wk). I now inject 0.25cc alternating thighs every 3.5 days. Labs came back at a consistent 750 total, 2.5 free and a 49 e2.

Doc put me on arimidex; 1/4 pill day after im. After 4 weeks my total dropped to 585, free t increased (by %) to 2.8 and e2 down to 32. Doc told me to add 1/4 arimidex pill per week (3/4 tot p wk) and wasn't concerned about total t dropping. I told her I had 3 beers the day before (I rarely drink at all) but doc said it doesn't matter.

Current symptoms...acne (shoulders/arms...some painful) mood swings (much better than before), still some mental fog but better than before, and better but not ideal sex drive.

My ?s

DOc doesn't want to do any more blood draws until 4 months for full labs despite increasing arimidex dose. Should I push for more tot, free and e2 tests since adding more arimidex?

Should I split the current test c dose (100mg p wk) into 3 im (every 2.3 days) to be in line with arimidex dosage (1/4 pill following day of im...3/4 pill per week)?

Could 3 beers day before blood draw for a lightweight drinker cause my total t to drop?

Thanks

Btw...most likely unrelated...I came off prednisone a few months back and platelets dropped. While searching for a Splenectomy doc, platelete count started rising and now back to reasonable range of 114k. Not getting Splenectomy at this point.

If I understood you correctly, you were taking 0.25mg arimidex twice a week and E2 came back at 32?
Then the doctor doubled your AI dose?

If so, be careful. I would think 32 is a pretty good place to be and twice the AI is likely to be too much. Low E2 can cause a lot of misery and takes a while to bounce back from.


EDIT: just re-read and saw it was a 50% not 100% increase in AI. I'd say my concerns are still valid but maybe less so.

 

[pbarby]

Thanks mprtz. I was taking 0.25 arimidex twice per week...now I will begin taking 0.25 three times per week. So, weekly dose will increase by 50%. I'd like to be down in the low 20's w e2 and realize the potential side effects of going below 20...which is why I'm surprised doc doesn't want to draw blood again for 4 months.