Endo won't let patients inject themselves

[Jeffo]

Hello,
I have very low test. I tried Androgel, and it made me terribly anxious. I have anxiety disorders already in the first place. My GP doesn't deal with injections so he sent me to an endocrinologist. Then he made me go off it for three months (I'm halfway through) so I can have FSH and LH tested. (Couldn't afford MRI)

He told me that patients must go in to have injections, and they normally do them once every three weeks (cypionate), which I know is rather ridiculous, with once a week being optimum from what I've read. I'm also bipolar and am afraid of what once every three weeks would do. This is assuming the injections don't bother me like the Androgel did.

What's the standard among most docs/clinics? I know there are people who inject themselves having a prescription under a doctor's care. I'm afraid this may be the policy because they want to sell the Androgel. Are there regulations by state? (I'm in Wisconsin, USA) I could compromise and go in every two weeks but don't know how much it will cost. How would I find another doctor? I'm afraid to just ask, "Do you let patients inject themselves?" because it sounds strange, like we just want the test. to sell or something.

I'm really getting obsessed about this. I really want it to work. I also deal with depression and chronic fatigue. I could tell the Androgel was helping in a way after a while even with side effects, until I saw the endocrinologist. Thanks.

 

[Alpin]

How much Androgel were you on and how long for ?
I got anxiety too when I was not administering my TRT properly.
Taking too high a dose all at once is sometimes the problem, but most of the times you either have elevated or low Estradiol when you feel anxiety.
Testosterone doesn't cause anxiety...
I would find another doc that would allow you to self inject.
Have you had labs done while on Androgel to see where your levels were ?

 

[Alpin]

Those once every 2-3 weeks are not going to help your anxiety....
You will hit supraphysiological peaks of Testosterone and really high Estradiol and then you might feel hypogonadal trough levels before your next injection is to take place.
Is your insurance covering this doc or are you paying out of pocket.
Injections are by far superior. Who knows you might have anxiety cause you still have low T while on the androgel dose you are on.....
I need more information to assess you....

 

[Alpin]

what meds are you on for anxiety....are they helping ? how old are you?
how much do you weigh ?
do you have any past steroid use ???

 

[Megatron28]

It is completely normal to let TRT patients self inject. Just diabetics are allowed to self inject. Your endo is only doing this to make more money. This would be a deal breaker for me. Demand to self inject or get a new doctor.

 

[epmaximustx]

My primary performed the injection weekly at no charge for two months. They billed $20 the last week of feb. I'm curious what will happen going forward.

 

[Alpin]

I wanna know where his anxiety is coming from going on Androgel.....
That's what I'm interested in.
Everything else is secondary after that with self injections e.t.c.

 

[Jeffo]

How much Androgel were you on and how long for ?
I got anxiety too when I was not administering my TRT properly.
Taking too high a dose all at once is sometimes the problem, but most of the times you either have elevated or low Estradiol when you feel anxiety.
Testosterone doesn't cause anxiety...
I would find another doc that would allow you to self inject.
Have you had labs done while on Androgel to see where your levels were ?

Androgel was for almost three months. I did start out low and thought I was getting used to it, but a full packet was awful. I went back down and tried going back up a couple of times but I couldn't handle more than half a gel packet. It made me super anxious and irritable. My test went up about 100 to the low 300s while on the Androgel.

 

[Jeffo]

Those once every 2-3 weeks are not going to help your anxiety....
You will hit supraphysiological peaks of Testosterone and really high Estradiol and then you might feel hypogonadal trough levels before your next injection is to take place.
Is your insurance covering this doc or are you paying out of pocket.
Injections are by far superior. Who knows you might have anxiety cause you still have low T while on the androgel dose you are on.....
I need more information to assess you....

Lot of questions. Anxiety predates all the low test stuff. I'm taking Klonopin and it does help but anxiety has been a lifelong thing. Insurance is covering this doc. I have never used steroids. I have chronic low back pain and have a pain pump which is most likely partly causing the low test.

"I wanna know where his anxiety is coming from going on Androgel.....
That's what I'm interested in."

Me too!!! I've been researching it way too much and not finding a lot.

Thank you for the replies Megatron and ep. I'm not sure how to go about finding another doctor.

 

[Alpin]

Androgel was for almost three months. I did start out low and thought I was getting used to it, but a full packet was awful. I went back down and tried going back up a couple of times but I couldn't handle more than half a gel packet. It made me super anxious and irritable. My test went up about 100 to the low 300s while on the Androgel.

You're still hypogonadal no wonder you have anxiety. You have seen no improvement from your baseline anxiety prior to TRT cause you are basically the same T wise.

 

[Jeffo]

You're still hypogonadal no wonder you have anxiety. You have seen no improvement from your baseline anxiety prior to TRT cause you are basically the same T wise.

I was much more anxious on the Androgel. My anxiety is now back down to baseline now that I'm not taking it. Anxiety predates all of the low T stuff. I just got waaaay worse when using the Androgel.

 

[Alpin]

I was much more anxious on the Androgel. My anxiety is now back down to baseline now that I'm not taking it. Anxiety predates all of the low T stuff. I just got waaaay worse when using the Androgel.

Hard to say...
did you have your Estradiol tested as well ?

 

[Jeffo]

Hard to say...
did you have your Estradiol tested as well ?

No, I haven't. I will ask for it when the FSH/LH is done in April and see if he'll do it.

 

[Alpin]

So you are off TRT and Androgel at present entirely ?

 

[Jeffo]

So you are off TRT and Androgel at present entirely ?

Yes, that's correct. Unlike my GP, when I went to an endo, he wanted to test my FSH LH (or whatever), having no extra test in me, so I had to go off the Androgel for three months. ! What a pain. I'll get tested in April. I'm very impatient right now.

 

[Alpin]

Yes, that's correct. Unlike my GP, when I went to an endo, he wanted to test my FSH LH (or whatever), having no extra test in me, so I had to go off the Androgel for three months. ! What a pain. I'll get tested in April. I'm very impatient right now.

This is crap medical care you are getting from either of these guys....forgive me for saying so.

 

[Jeffo]

This is crap medical care you are getting from either of these guys....forgive me for saying so.

You're forgiven. What I don't like is my regular doc and the endo are in the same medical system, so they should do things the same way. He puts me on Androgel, sends me to the endo when I have a problem, and then the endo says, "We do things differently here." Again, I don't know how to go about finding a good TRT doc.

 

[Megatron28]

Call IMT. They sponsor the forum here and take care of a lot of the guys here. Read their posts and you will see that they know what they are doing.

 

[Alpin]

You're forgiven. What I don't like is my regular doc and the endo are in the same medical system, so they should do things the same way. He puts me on Androgel, sends me to the endo when I have a problem, and then the endo says, "We do things differently here." Again, I don't know how to go about finding a good TRT doc.

Your GP wanted to grab that kick back for the Androgel. It's so sweet, very few docs can resist it. It's not only u.
My doc was totally against my TRT for the longest time. Long story short, he convinced me to come off and go naturally and he saw nothing was improving for a year and a half. Then he says to me: "you ever tried Androgel"?
I'm thinking to myself you weasel....
All this time you were against it and now you want to give me Androgel ?

 

[Jeffo]

Your GP wanted to grab that kick back for the Androgel. It's so sweet, very few docs can resist it. It's not only u.
My doc was totally against my TRT for the longest time. Long story short, he convinced me to come off and go naturally and he saw nothing was improving for a year and a half. Then he says to me: "you ever tried Androgel"?
I'm thinking to myself you weasel....
All this time you were against it and now you want to give me Androgel ?

I didn't know docs get paid for prescriptions until about a year ago. Well kept secret I guess.

"Megatron28
Call IMT. They sponsor the forum here and take care of a lot of the guys here. Read their posts and you will see that they know what they are doing."

Thank you!