Doc switched me from Andro-Gel to injections. Need some advice.

[Bigwave70]

I asked my private doctor for a prescription of injectable testosterone because the Andro-Gel that I have been taking hasn't worked out too well. He also gave me a referral to a urologist, who I will be seeing soon.

He prescribed 300mgs. of testosterone cypionate every two weeks. I read in the Basic TRT Overview that it would be beneficial for me to take 150mgs a week instead, in two divided injections.

I had blood drawn and will have the results in a few days. I asked for TT, LH, FSH and E2 levels checked. I'm very curious as to what my E2 levels are. I have experienced various levels of constant anxiety for over 5 months now. For the first two months, my anxiety was so high that it was almost torture. It has subsided somewhat due to the medications (Gabapentin & Seroquel) I'm taking but it's still there. I've been told that it could be caused from my E2 being elevated.

My question is should I take an AI as soon as I start the injections? I want to start the cypionate immediately because I've felt horrible for over five months. I want to start feeling better A.S.A.P. and I want to get off the medications that I'm taking for my anxiety. I have Arimidex on hand and was thinking of taking .50mgs, .25mgs with each 75mgs. of cypionate, weekly. Am I on the right track?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Megatron28]

Getting your hormones dialed in can help with anxiety, but it is no guarantee.

I guess I have some questions for you:

What were your TT and E2 coming in at while on androgel?

How long were you on Androgel for?

What is your body fat %?

Why were you referred to a Urologist?

Did you experience anxiety prior to starting TRT?


----------------------------------

Your answers to the questions above will help us make an educated guess on whether or not you will need an AI while taking 75mg of test cyp every 3.5 days. Some guys do need an AI on that dose and some do not.

 

[IMT staff]

Seriously where do these doctors learn how to do TRT?

 

[3J]

lol they dont... they just take a shot in the dark.. its hilarious

OP, i recommend you start 75mg twice a week, wait three weeks then do labs to see where your e2 is.. once you have that info we can better help you dial in

Seriously where do these doctors learn how to do TRT?

 

[juced_porkchop]

yes 150mg each week is better then 300mg every 2 weeks

 

[Bigwave70]

Getting your hormones dialed in can help with anxiety, but it is no guarantee.

I guess I have some questions for you:

What were your TT and E2 coming in at while on androgel?

How long were you on Androgel for?

What is your body fat %?

Why were you referred to a Urologist?

Did you experience anxiety prior to starting TRT?

----------------------------------

Your answers to the questions above will help us make an educated guess on whether or not you will need an AI while taking 75mg of test cyp every 3.5 days. Some guys do need an AI on that dose and some do not.

I'm waiting on current blood work results. I don't have my initial test results but I believe my TT was around 27.0 ng/dl. Test results I received on 5-16-16 had my TT at 172.6 ng/dl. I should have my current blood work results back by tomorrow.

I've been on the Andro-Gel for about three months now.

I don't have any body fat % results. In the last five months, it has risen. I can feel and see a difference.

I don't know why I was referred to a urologist. At first, my doctor wasn't going to write a script for the cypionate injections. He wanted me to go to the urologist for that. After I explained to him how bad I've felt for the last five months, he agreed to write the script. Do you think I should see the urologist or is it a waste of time since I can get the testosterone and blood work from my private doctor?

I experienced severe anxiety before starting the TRT. Actually, I was still on the steroids when it began. I stopped taking the steroids, thinking that was the cause of my problem, and then it got much worse. It was so bad that at one point I couldn't even sit down. I had to keep pacing back and forth. Laying down to sleep was almost impossible without prescribed benzos. Even then, I could only sleep 2-3 hours, if I was lucky. It was the closest thing to torture that I've ever felt. It has subsided somewhat with me taking Gabapentin and Seroquel but it's still affecting me.

The only diagnosis that I've gotten from any of the doctors that I've seen is "steroid withdrawal". Personally, I don't think they have a clue as to what's causing my anxiety. I've been told that my E2 levels could have something to do with it. That's why I'm posting in this forum. I still don't know what caused, and is causing, my anxiety. The doctors haven't given me a clear cut answer. They just keep prescribing medications to mask the problem. I'm at my wits end. This forum has helped me more than any doctor I've seen. I really appreciate the help.

 

[Bigwave70]

Getting your hormones dialed in can help with anxiety, but it is no guarantee.

I guess I have some questions for you:

What were your TT and E2 coming in at while on androgel?

How long were you on Androgel for?

What is your body fat %?

Why were you referred to a Urologist?

Did you experience anxiety prior to starting TRT?

----------------------------------

Your answers to the questions above will help us make an educated guess on whether or not you will need an AI while taking 75mg of test cyp every 3.5 days. Some guys do need an AI on that dose and some do not.

I'm waiting on current blood work results. I don't have my initial test results but I believe my TT was around 27.0 ng/dl. Test results I received on 5-16-16 had my TT at 172.6 ng/dl. I should have my current blood work results back by tomorrow.

I've been on the Andro-Gel for about three months now.

I don't have any body fat % results. In the last five months, it has risen. I can feel and see a difference.

I don't know why I was referred to a urologist. At first, my doctor wasn't going to write a script for the cypionate injections. He wanted me to go to the urologist for that. After I explained to him how bad I've felt for the last five months, he agreed to write the script. Do you think I should see the urologist or is it a waste of time since I can get the testosterone and blood work from my private doctor?

I experienced severe anxiety before starting the TRT. Actually, I was still on the steroids when it began. I stopped taking the steroids, thinking that was the cause of my problem, and then it got much worse. It was so bad that at one point I couldn't even sit down. I had to keep pacing back and forth. Laying down to sleep was almost impossible without prescribed benzos. Even then, I could only sleep 2-3 hours, if I was lucky. It was the closest thing to torture that I've ever felt. It has subsided somewhat with me taking Gabapentin and Seroquel but it's still affecting me.

The only diagnosis that I've gotten from any of the doctors that I've seen is "steroid withdrawal". Personally, I don't think they have a clue as to what's causing my anxiety. I've been told that my E2 levels could have something to do with it. That's why I'm posting in this forum. I still don't know what caused, and is causing, my anxiety. The doctors haven't given me a clear cut answer. They just keep prescribing medications to mask the problem. I'm at my wits end. This forum has helped me more than any doctor I've seen. I really appreciate the help.

 

[Megatron28]

I'm waiting on current blood work results. I don't have my initial test results but I believe my TT was around 27.0 ng/dl. Test results I received on 5-16-16 had my TT at 172.6 ng/dl. I should have my current blood work results back by tomorrow.

I've been on the Andro-Gel for about three months now.

I don't have any body fat % results. In the last five months, it has risen. I can feel and see a difference.

I don't know why I was referred to a urologist. At first, my doctor wasn't going to write a script for the cypionate injections. He wanted me to go to the urologist for that. After I explained to him how bad I've felt for the last five months, he agreed to write the script. Do you think I should see the urologist or is it a waste of time since I can get the testosterone and blood work from my private doctor?

I experienced severe anxiety before starting the TRT. Actually, I was still on the steroids when it began. I stopped taking the steroids, thinking that was the cause of my problem, and then it got much worse. It was so bad that at one point I couldn't even sit down. I had to keep pacing back and forth. Laying down to sleep was almost impossible without prescribed benzos. Even then, I could only sleep 2-3 hours, if I was lucky. It was the closest thing to torture that I've ever felt. It has subsided somewhat with me taking Gabapentin and Seroquel but it's still affecting me.

The only diagnosis that I've gotten from any of the doctors that I've seen is "steroid withdrawal". Personally, I don't think they have a clue as to what's causing my anxiety. I've been told that my E2 levels could have something to do with it. That's why I'm posting in this forum. I still don't know what caused, and is causing, my anxiety. The doctors haven't given me a clear cut answer. They just keep prescribing medications to mask the problem. I'm at my wits end. This forum has helped me more than any doctor I've seen. I really appreciate the help.

Ok, so you have been on androgel for three months. It sounds like you are saying this is the first time you have gotten blood work since beginning Androgel. I am a little confused by your post, so is that correct?

So your anxiety started for the first time ever in your life the very first time you ever cycled AAS (steroids)? Is that correct? If so, please tell us what you ran, for how long, how much and what your PCT was. Do you have pre, mid and post cycle blood work that you can share with us?

What so you estimate your body fat % to be? Do a google image search for Body Fat % and give us your best estimate.

Yes, the urologist sounds like a waste of time and money. I would ask you doctor to explain what he referred you.

"Steroid Withdrawal?". No such thing. You aren't take morphine. AAS is not physically addictive.

Hopefully your blood work comes in soon. Next time you may want to get private blood work. You typically have the results back in 24 hours.

 

[Bigwave70]

Ok, so you have been on androgel for three months. It sounds like you are saying this is the first time you have gotten blood work since beginning Androgel. I am a little confused by your post, so is that correct?

So your anxiety started for the first time ever in your life the very first time you ever cycled AAS (steroids)? Is that correct? If so, please tell us what you ran, for how long, how much and what your PCT was. Do you have pre, mid and post cycle blood work that you can share with us?

What so you estimate your body fat % to be? Do a google image search for Body Fat % and give us your best estimate.

Yes, the urologist sounds like a waste of time and money. I would ask you doctor to explain what he referred you.

"Steroid Withdrawal?". No such thing. You aren't take morphine. AAS is not physically addictive.

Hopefully your blood work comes in soon. Next time you may want to get private blood work. You typically have the results back in 24 hours.

This will be the second time that I've gotten blood work down since beginning the Andro-Gel and the third time overall since the anxiety hit me.

I've cycled steroids on and off for the better part of ten years. I never had any problems with anxiety in the past. It hit me out of the blue and it hit me hard................I had made the mistake of staying on the steroids for a year straight. I was in a bad, head on collision car accident and suffered multiple injuries. I stayed on that long because they were helping my injuries heal. I took low dosages of cypionate (@200mgs.) and 600 mgs. of equipoise weekly. The last few weeks I substituted 600 mgs. of deca instead of the equipoise. I was told that the more anabolic steroids were better for tendon and ligament tears and that testosterone, in high amounts, can weaken tendons and ligaments so I kept the dosage low. I had nolvadex and HCG for my PCT but was told by the doctors treating me that I should stop taking everything. They were baffled by my extreme anxiety and blamed it on the steroids and anything else pertaining to them. Looking back, I shouldn't have listened to them but I was desperate...........I do not have any pre or mid cycle blood work done. I had post cycle blood work done. That's when my TT was measured around 27.0 ng/dl. and I was prescribed the Andro-Gel.

I did a Google image search like you said and I estimate my body fat percentage to be around 14-15%

The doctor referred my to a urologist because, at first, he wasn't going to prescribe me the cypionate. He wanted me to go to the urologist for that. I plead my case that the Andro-Gel was not working very well and that I needed to switch to the injections immediately. Thankfully, he listened to me. I guess I'm in no need of a urologist now.

One thing that I've learned from this forum is that most doctors know very little about anabolic steroids and TRT. "Steroid Withdrawal" is all I heard from them. At the time, though, I would have listened to anything told to me from them. I just wanted the anxiety to subside. It was complete hell to deal with and I'm still suffering from it, just to a lesser extent.

I'll post my blood work results when I get them. I'm very curious to see where my E2 levels stand. I think it may be the root of my anxiety issues. Hopefully, I'll be able to get my health back.

 

[Scratchersink]

Hey brother,
To let you know, your not alone on this one.
Long Story short, i ran a cycle for 9 months, and stopped, did PCT, and started experiencing horrible anxiety.
The last 5 months i have suffered from it, been to the ER, tried Buspar for anxiety, and have Xanax on hand.

So after all the independent research i have done, i estimated my free testosterone to be around 2500ng while i was on cycle for the 9 months. i got off but messed myself up and i believe i completely shut my self off. I tested my test four months ago and found my testosterone was at 237ng. So imagine being at 2500 then dropping to 237. I believe it caused a major toll on me mentally.
Though Anxiety is truly all in your head, i think there is some play in it. I have now started TRT and do test cyp injects and my anxiety has subsided substantially. Keep your head up, get away from any anxiety meds if you can. One thing that helps me is i carry my Xanax where ever i go, and just knowing that, makes me feel better. Havent taken xanax for 2 months.

I heard Androgel causes you to fluctuate too much and causes too high of aromataze to estrogen. I honestly say in my opinion, test cyp is the way to go.

You say your curious where your E2 levels are, and they are the root of your anxiety, thats why your having anxiety. None of this causes anxiety except your mind. But i understand how you are thinking, so get your E2 checked, and i bet your anxiety will subside. Even if its normal or high(if its high you will know how to fix it)

keep your head up man! alot of good guys on this forum who will help you thru it

 

[Megatron28]

This will be the second time that I've gotten blood work down since beginning the Andro-Gel and the third time overall since the anxiety hit me.

I've cycled steroids on and off for the better part of ten years. I never had any problems with anxiety in the past. It hit me out of the blue and it hit me hard................I had made the mistake of staying on the steroids for a year straight. I was in a bad, head on collision car accident and suffered multiple injuries. I stayed on that long because they were helping my injuries heal. I took low dosages of cypionate (@200mgs.) and 600 mgs. of equipoise weekly. The last few weeks I substituted 600 mgs. of deca instead of the equipoise. I was told that the more anabolic steroids were better for tendon and ligament tears and that testosterone, in high amounts, can weaken tendons and ligaments so I kept the dosage low. I had nolvadex and HCG for my PCT but was told by the doctors treating me that I should stop taking everything. They were baffled by my extreme anxiety and blamed it on the steroids and anything else pertaining to them. Looking back, I shouldn't have listened to them but I was desperate...........I do not have any pre or mid cycle blood work done. I had post cycle blood work done. That's when my TT was measured around 27.0 ng/dl. and I was prescribed the Andro-Gel.

I did a Google image search like you said and I estimate my body fat percentage to be around 14-15%

The doctor referred my to a urologist because, at first, he wasn't going to prescribe me the cypionate. He wanted me to go to the urologist for that. I plead my case that the Andro-Gel was not working very well and that I needed to switch to the injections immediately. Thankfully, he listened to me. I guess I'm in no need of a urologist now.

One thing that I've learned from this forum is that most doctors know very little about anabolic steroids and TRT. "Steroid Withdrawal" is all I heard from them. At the time, though, I would have listened to anything told to me from them. I just wanted the anxiety to subside. It was complete hell to deal with and I'm still suffering from it, just to a lesser extent.

I'll post my blood work results when I get them. I'm very curious to see where my E2 levels stand. I think it may be the root of my anxiety issues. Hopefully, I'll be able to get my health back.

My guess is that you never fully recovered after being on for a year. It is hard enough for your HPTA to recover after a year of being on with PCT. Without PCT is going to be even tougher. So it may come down to you needing to now be on TRT for the rest of your life.

By the way, hCG should not be used during PCT as it is suppressive to your HPTA. It should actually be used while on cycle to minimize testicular atrophy.

Injections work a lot better than androgel. You should be feeling better as soon as you get dialed in.

 

[Megatron28]

Hey brother,
To let you know, your not alone on this one.
Long Story short, i ran a cycle for 9 months, and stopped, did PCT, and started experiencing horrible anxiety.
The last 5 months i have suffered from it, been to the ER, tried Buspar for anxiety, and have Xanax on hand.

So after all the independent research i have done, i estimated my free testosterone to be around 2500ng while i was on cycle for the 9 months. i got off but messed myself up and i believe i completely shut my self off. I tested my test four months ago and found my testosterone was at 237ng. So imagine being at 2500 then dropping to 237. I believe it caused a major toll on me mentally.
Though Anxiety is truly all in your head, i think there is some play in it. I have now started TRT and do test cyp injects and my anxiety has subsided substantially. Keep your head up, get away from any anxiety meds if you can. One thing that helps me is i carry my Xanax where ever i go, and just knowing that, makes me feel better. Havent taken xanax for 2 months.

I heard Androgel causes you to fluctuate too much and causes too high of aromataze to estrogen. I honestly say in my opinion, test cyp is the way to go.

You say your curious where your E2 levels are, and they are the root of your anxiety, thats why your having anxiety. None of this causes anxiety except your mind. But i understand how you are thinking, so get your E2 checked, and i bet your anxiety will subside. Even if its normal or high(if its high you will know how to fix it)

keep your head up man! alot of good guys on this forum who will help you thru it

Actually, we see a lot of guys here experience increases in anxiety when their hormones are out of balance. Hormones do affect your brain. I disagree with your belief that anxiety is entirely a mental construct. We also see a lot of guys who get on TRT and are able to get off anxiety meds that they have been on for years. Not all of course, but there is a good success rate.

This is based on anecdotal information of course.

 

[Bigwave70]

Hey brother,
To let you know, your not alone on this one.
Long Story short, i ran a cycle for 9 months, and stopped, did PCT, and started experiencing horrible anxiety.
The last 5 months i have suffered from it, been to the ER, tried Buspar for anxiety, and have Xanax on hand.

So after all the independent research i have done, i estimated my free testosterone to be around 2500ng while i was on cycle for the 9 months. i got off but messed myself up and i believe i completely shut my self off. I tested my test four months ago and found my testosterone was at 237ng. So imagine being at 2500 then dropping to 237. I believe it caused a major toll on me mentally.
Though Anxiety is truly all in your head, i think there is some play in it. I have now started TRT and do test cyp injects and my anxiety has subsided substantially. Keep your head up, get away from any anxiety meds if you can. One thing that helps me is i carry my Xanax where ever i go, and just knowing that, makes me feel better. Havent taken xanax for 2 months.

I heard Androgel causes you to fluctuate too much and causes too high of aromataze to estrogen. I honestly say in my opinion, test cyp is the way to go.

You say your curious where your E2 levels are, and they are the root of your anxiety, thats why your having anxiety. None of this causes anxiety except your mind. But i understand how you are thinking, so get your E2 checked, and i bet your anxiety will subside. Even if its normal or high(if its high you will know how to fix it)

keep your head up man! alot of good guys on this forum who will help you thru it

Thanks for your input. You're right. There are a lot of good people on this forum. I've learned a lot from them. Their help is much appreciated. I've gotten little help from doctors. They don't understand steroid use/hormonal imbalances and some just really don't care. I've learned more from this discussion forum in a week than I have from 5+ months of various doctors "care". I'm still learning. Maybe one day I'll be able to help someone else out.

I took my first injection of Cypionate today. I'm going to do 75mgs. on Wednesdays and 75mgs. on Sundays. My doctor wanted me to take 300mgs every two weeks. That's a rollercoaster ride that I learned from this forum not to take.

I'm sorry that you experienced anxiety. I feel bad for whomever says they suffer from it. I've never experienced anything like it. I'm still suffering from it but it has subsided considerably. But, basically, I've suffered from various levels of non-stop anxiety for 5 months now. It came out of the blue and hit me like a ton of bricks. I still believe my E2 levels caused it, though. I'll know soon enough when my blood work comes back.

Thanks again, bro.

 

[Bigwave70]

My guess is that you never fully recovered after being on for a year. It is hard enough for your HPTA to recover after a year of being on with PCT. Without PCT is going to be even tougher. So it may come down to you needing to now be on TRT for the rest of your life.

By the way, hCG should not be used during PCT as it is suppressive to your HPTA. It should actually be used while on cycle to minimize testicular atrophy.

Injections work a lot better than androgel. You should be feeling better as soon as you get dialed in.

I took my first Cypionate injection today. I'm doing 75mgs. on Wednesday and 75mgs. on Sunday. I'm waiting for my blood work to come back. I have some Arimidex on hand if my E2 levels are high.

Should I keep taking the Andro-Gel for a couple of weeks while I wait for the Cypionate to kick in? In the Basic TRT Overview, it states that it could take 3-6 weeks, maybe even longer, to start feeling better. I'm thinking that I should continue the gel for at least a few more weeks. Any thoughts?

 

[Megatron28]

I took my first Cypionate injection today. I'm doing 75mgs. on Wednesday and 75mgs. on Sunday. I'm waiting for my blood work to come back. I have some Arimidex on hand if my E2 levels are high.

Should I keep taking the Andro-Gel for a couple of weeks while I wait for the Cypionate to kick in? In the Basic TRT Overview, it states that it could take 3-6 weeks, maybe even longer, to start feeling better. I'm thinking that I should continue the gel for at least a few more weeks. Any thoughts?

If it was me I would probably continue for just one week. Not two.

 

[Bigwave70]

If it was me I would probably continue for just one week. Not two.

Thank you.

 

[Milton]

Great read, keep us posted.