Just got in my bloodwork, new to TRT

[daleb]

I figured that. I called the docs office and said I couldn't afford the axiron. Told them to prescribe t.cypionate in its place. Haven't heard back from them yet.

The dr asked why I got the independent labs, I told him I had too much left in my flex spending account so I just ordered one to blow some money, then the next one I added on some hormones. His reply was, "you didn't get the idea from reading internet forums did you?"

He brought up prolactin. Said he wanted to retest in 3 months. I was thinking 2 weeks but 4-6 like prince dianabol said makes sense. Mostly I just played dumb, I didn't bring up the AI figured the less I said the better. I talked to the pharma chick on lunch she said itd be cheap but I wasn't going to worry about it till I got a bad e2 test.

I'm not really worried about my e2 but what would be a worst case scenario time wise to experience high e2 effects?

By the way, doctor was worried about an internet forum but not the 15 lbs or so of back fat ive added on every year for the last decade.

 

[PrinceDianabol]

I figured that. I called the docs office and said I couldn't afford the axiron. Told them to prescribe t.cypionate in its place. Haven't heard back from them yet.

The dr asked why I got the independent labs, I told him I had too much left in my flex spending account so I just ordered one to blow some money, then the next one I added on some hormones. His reply was, "you didn't get the idea from reading internet forums did you?"

He brought up prolactin. Said he wanted to retest in 3 months. I was thinking 2 weeks but 4-6 like prince dianabol said makes sense. Mostly I just played dumb, I didn't bring up the AI figured the less I said the better. I talked to the pharma chick on lunch she said itd be cheap but I wasn't going to worry about it till I got a bad e2 test.

I'm not really worried about my e2 but what would be a worst case scenario time wise to experience high e2 effects?

By the way, doctor was worried about an internet forum but not the 15 lbs or so of back fat ive added on every year for the last decade.

Lol. He's not entirely wrong to be wary of internet forums - there is a LOT of broscience and morons around. Ology is one of the few that keep to actual scientific based data. Best to play it like you did and not mention it to him.

So he wanted you on Axiron for 3 months before bloods? That's a little silly. Dermal testosterone is much faster to absorb and peak. Enanthate/Cyp injections only take 4-6 weeks due to the long half life. Anyhow... Play it how he wants to and do your best to pull things in the right direction without offending him. Unfortunately, that's the reality for most of us. In the meantime you could also hunt for another doc that is more supportive/knowledgeable on the topic and explain your issues with the current doctor. You might find someone great, I did in the end.

Yeah, worry about that when the bloods show it's high. At that point I would bring up the use of an AI. Demand it if need be lol. Some doctors don't even know about AI's being used in TRT and flat out deny you. I've had doctors deny me blood tests for e2 because "it's a female hormone and your a male." Infuriating to say the least.

 

[Megatron28]

I'm not really worried about my e2 but what would be a worst case scenario time wise to experience high e2 effects?

Just things like edema, gynecomastia, acne, pissed off prostate, high blood pressure, bloating, crying, etc.

 

[daleb]

Finally got a script from the dr for the cyp on monday, was supposed to have a 10ml vial waiting for me tonight after work at the pharmacy. Got there and noticed the price they quoted me was different than the price i was charged. Turned out the pharmacy lady tried to run the 10ml vial though insurance but it was declined. So she ordered me 1ml vials. Sounds innocuous bit its not. one 1ml vial costs 25% more than one 10ml vial, and after insurance on the 1ml vial its still more than paying cash for the 10ml vial. so buying 10ml individually would have cost me a LOT of money. I told the pharmacist to get the 10ml bottle, her response, "but insurance wont cover it" i told her i would pay cash for it.

 

[Megatron28]

Finally got a script from the dr for the cyp on monday, was supposed to have a 10ml vial waiting for me tonight after work at the pharmacy. Got there and noticed the price they quoted me was different than the price i was charged. Turned out the pharmacy lady tried to run the 10ml vial though insurance but it was declined. So she ordered me 1ml vials. Sounds innocuous bit its not. one 1ml vial costs 25% more than one 10ml vial, and after insurance on the 1ml vial its still more than paying cash for the 10ml vial. so buying 10ml individually would have cost me a LOT of money. I told the pharmacist to get the 10ml bottle, her response, "but insurance wont cover it" i told her i would pay cash for it.

Use coupons from Prices, Coupons and Information - GoodRx. 10ml vial should cost you about $45.

 

[daleb]

I have some money left in my flex account. Any ideas for things i can buy or lab tests I could order that I might need? BTW the closest labcorp or any other commercial lab place is 150miles away from me.

 

[Megatron28]

I have some money left in my flex account. Any ideas for things i can buy or lab tests I could order that I might need? BTW the closest labcorp or any other commercial lab place is 150miles away from me.

Needles/Syringes or other supplies. You can purchase blood work now and use it later -- just check to see how long it is valid for.

 

[ROUSH8692]

Wow. Just saw this. You have a couple concerning issues on your blood panel brotha.

First off, it looks like your body is making a ton of RBC to try and get oxygen into the blood from your sleep apnea it seems. Get that fixed ASAP because TRT only makes your RBC production even higher, usually. Blood clots are a huge risk with this as are strokes and such

Second, do you have any issues with headaches, eye problems, or any pain behind eyes? Reason I ask is your Prolactin levels are high, and that usually is only caused by a prolactinoma. This is usually a benign tumor, but it could be the cause of all of this Testosterone included! Get that MRI checked out ASAP if you can just to make sure.

Third, eat better brotha. Your cholesterol is not the best. Not a big deal, but try to get a little better.

This information is just kind suggestion for a brother in TRT. Please keep us posted

 

[daleb]

A little update.

I was prescribed 200mg every 2 weeks. Initially I did 100mg every week but didn't really feel right so I dialed it down to 50mg every 3.5 days, which I seem to tolerate a lot better. Lately I'm feeling better. The biggest problem I have is with hydration. I feel hung over from time to time despite not having a drink in over 10 years. I cramp easily. My forearms and hands get tired easily. Pedylite helps, so does adding salt to water but it doesn't fix things. If I could get to the bottom of this I'd be even better.

Im at the 4 week mark. I could get some bloodwork done, but the nearest labcorp is 3 hours away. Since I have deviated from the script my dr gave I think it would be best to know what my levels are before I have a checkup. The local labs are much more expensive, so expensive it justifies a road trip and a hotel stay/mini vaca. Im thinking the end of next week or the week after.

Should I get the Hormone Panel for Females + Prolactin again? Any other suggestions?

 

[Megatron28]

A little update.

I was prescribed 200ml every 2 weeks. Initially I did 100ml every week but didn't really feel right so I dialed it down to 50ml every 3.5 days, which I seem to tolerate a lot better. Lately I'm feeling better. The biggest problem I have is with hydration. I feel hung over from time to time despite not having a drink in over 10 years. I cramp easily. My forearms and hands get tired easily. Pedylite helps, so does adding salt to water but it doesn't fix things. If I could get to the bottom of this I'd be even better.

Im at the 4 week mark. I could get some bloodwork done, but the nearest labcorp is 3 hours away. Since I have deviated from the script my dr gave I think it would be best to know what my levels are before I have a checkup. The local labs are much more expensive, so expensive it justifies a road trip and a hotel stay/mini vaca. Im thinking the end of next week or the week after.

Should I get the Hormone Panel for Females + Prolactin again? Any other suggestions?

That would work for blood work. You definitely want to see where your TT, HCT and E2 are coming in at. I would try to wait two more weeks though if you can manage to be patient.

By the way, I thing you mean 200mg, not ml. Big difference.

You issues may be due to TT or E2 not being optimal. Give it time. 4 weeks is when the TRT often just starts kicking in.

 

[daleb]

I finally had enough of the fatigue, cramping and dehdration, went to the GP that scribed me TRT. He ordered a round of bloodwork and a urinalysis. I was trying to get something for my high prolactin, but he wanted to verify with another prolactin test first. He is onboard with HCG. At first he was confused about it then I explained that I might want to have kids some day and that they will atrophy without. He understood and is generally ok with it, just gonna consult with an endo on dosage and whatnot. Here is the peliminary bloodwork that came in. Of note my TSH is way down. From 3.73(0.450-4.500 uIU/mL) on 11/27/15 to 1.90 today. RBC went from 5.92 to 5.22. Hematocrit from 50.9 to 45.6. ALT 33 to 45. AST 16 to 45.

Here is the print out, more to come. I apoligize for the formatting.

Jan 15, 2016 Absolute Neutrophils (auto) 4.82 K/uL 1.80-7.70 K/uL
Jan 15, 2016 Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT/SGPT) 45 U/L 0-41 U/L H
Jan 15, 2016 Albumin 4.2 g/dL 3.5-5.0 g/dL
Jan 15, 2016 Alkaline Phosphatase 68 U/L 40-129 U/L
Jan 15, 2016 Aspartate Amino Transf (AST/SGOT) 39 U/L 0-37 U/L H
Jan 15, 2016 Basophils (%) (Auto) 0.3 % 0.0-1.5 %
Jan 15, 2016 Blood Urea Nitrogen 15 mg/dL 6-20 mg/dL
Jan 15, 2016 BUN/Creatinine Ratio 17 10-20
Jan 15, 2016 Calcium Level 9.3 mg/dL 8.4-10.4 mg/dL
Jan 15, 2016 Carbon Dioxide Level 29 mmol/L 20-29 mmol/L
Jan 15, 2016 Chloride Level 101 mmol/L 98-107 mmol/L
Jan 15, 2016 Cholesterol Level 151 mg/dL 50-200 mg/dL
Comment: Cholesterol Reference:
50-200 mg/dL Desirable
201-239 mg/dL Borderline High ( moderate risk )
>/= 240 mg/dL High ( high risk )
Jan 15, 2016 Cholesterol Ratio (LDL/HDL) 4.04
Comment: LDL/HDL RATIO LDL/HDL
MALES FEMALES RELATIVE RISK
1.00 1.47 1/2 AVERAGE
3.55 3.22 AVERAGE
6.25 5.03 2X AVERAGE
7.99 6.14 3X AVERAGE
Jan 15, 2016 Cholesterol/HDL Ratio 6.04
Comment: CHOLESTEROL/HDL RATIO - T-CHOL/HDL
MALES FEMALES RELATIVE RISK
3.43 3.27 1/2 AVERAGE
4.97 4.44 AVERAGE
9.55 7.05 2X AVERAGE
23.39 11.04 3X AVERAGE
Jan 15, 2016 Creatinine 0.9 mg/dL 0.7-1.2 mg/dL
Jan 15, 2016 Eosinophils (%) (Auto) 2.3 % 0.0-7.0 %
Jan 15, 2016 Glomerular Filtration Rate Calc > 60 mL/min
Comment: GFR values less than 60 mL/min/1.73m2 may indicate impaired
renal function. However, all values should be interpreted
with respect to the patient's clinical status and age.
Please note that GFR declines with age in healthy people.
This estimate is only accurate for stable and unchanging
serum creatinines. If patient is of African-American
descent results should be multipied by 1.21.
Jan 15, 2016 Glucose Level 90 mg/dL 70-105 mg/dL
Jan 15, 2016 HDL Cholesterol 25 mg/dL 40-60 mg/dL L
Comment: HDL Reference: >45 Desirable
35-45 Moderate Risk
<35 High Risk
Jan 15, 2016 Hematocrit 45.6 % 40.0-54.0 %
Jan 15, 2016 Hemoglobin 15.2 g/dL 14.0-18.0 g/dL
Jan 15, 2016 LDL Cholesterol, Calculated 101 mg/dL 0-130 mg/dL
Comment: LDL CHOLESTEROL
0-160 MG/DL NORMAL
<130 DESIRABLE
<100 LOW RISK
100-170 MODERATE RISK
>170 HIGH RISK
Jan 15, 2016 Lymphocytes (%) (Auto) 29.8 % 5.0-50.0 %
Jan 15, 2016 Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin 29.1 pg 26.0-34.0 pg
Jan 15, 2016 Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concent 33.3 g/dL 30.0-36.0 g/dL
Jan 15, 2016 Mean Corpuscular Volume 87.4 fL 79.0-100.0 fL
Jan 15, 2016 Monocytes (%) (Auto) 11.4 % 2.0-14.0 %
Jan 15, 2016 Neutrophils (%) (Auto) 56.2 % 40.0-92.0 %
Jan 15, 2016 Non-HDL Cholesterol 126 mg/dL
Jan 15, 2016 Platelet Count 229 K/uL 140-440 K/uL
Jan 15, 2016 Potassium Level 4.4 mmol/L 3.5-5.1 mmol/L
Jan 15, 2016 Red Blood Count 5.22 M/uL 4.70-6.10 M/uL
Jan 15, 2016 Red Cell Distribution Width 14.0 % 11.5-14.5 %
Jan 15, 2016 Sodium Level 139 mmol/L 133-145 mmol/L
Jan 15, 2016 Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) 1.90 uIU/mL 0.270-4.200 uIU/mL
Jan 15, 2016 Total Bilirubin 0.3 mg/dL 0.0-1.0 mg/dL
Jan 15, 2016 Total Protein 6.9 g/dL 6.0-8.3 g/dL
Jan 15, 2016 Triglycerides Level 126 mg/dL 25-150 mg/dL
Comment: Triglyceride Reference:
151-199 mg/dL Borderline High
200-499 mg/dL High
>/= 500 mg/dL Very High
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Bacteria None Seen
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Bilirubin Negative Negative
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Blood Negative Negative
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Clarity Clear
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Color Yellow
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Glucose (UA) Negative Neg to 1+
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Ketones 1+ Negative H
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Leukocyte Esterase Negative Negative
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Nitrite Negative Negative
Jan 15, 2016 Urine pH 7.0 5.0-9.0
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Protein Negative Neg To Tr
Jan 15, 2016 Urine RBC None Seen /HPF 0-2 /HPF
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Specific Gravity 1.015 1.005-1.030
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells None Seen /HPF
Jan 15, 2016 Urine Urobilinogen 0.2 EU/dL <1.0 EU/dL
Jan 15, 2016 Urine WBC None Seen /HPF 0-2 /HPF
Jan 15, 2016 White Blood Count 8.6 K/uL 4.5-11.0 K/uL

 

[Megatron28]

So your Doc didn't check any of the important things? Looks like you wasted your time and money.

You alt and ast are starting to get up there. Try taking 600-1000mg of NAC daily. It will help. Are you taking lots of Tylenol nor anything?

Good to see that your TSH looks better.

 

[daleb]

He ordered prolactin and some other tests, they just had to be shipped out to be done, they will be here Tuesday. I did take 600mg of asprin this morning, its not something I normally do - hardly ever take painkillers. I wanted to wait a few more weeks for the hormone parts. Whatever he misses I will get done outside or ask for it directly. I will get the NAC.

 

[Megatron28]

He ordered prolactin and some other tests, they just had to be shipped out to be done, they will be here Tuesday. I did take 600mg of asprin this morning, its not something I normally do - hardly ever take painkillers. I wanted to wait a few more weeks for the hormone parts. Whatever he misses I will get done outside or ask for it directly. I will get the NAC.

Aspirin would affect your kidneys, not your liver. It is based on how the drug is metabolized and excreted.

 

[daleb]

I checked the bottle, it was acetaminophen.

 

[Megatron28]

I checked the bottle, it was acetaminophen.

aka Tylenol.

 

[daleb]

Some more labs came in, looks like he didnt order an Estradiol test. I can assume that since T levels are still on the low side a good amount is aromatizing - yes I am fat but have lost some weight since my last dr visit.

The LabTech had a tough time getting blood out of my vein, my blood was really dark and thick.

Prolactin 15.7 ng/mL range 4.0 - 15.2 ng/mL was 17.5 ng/mL
Testosterone 379ng/dL range 400 - 1080 ng/dL * last injection was 50mg 1/13/16 @ 8pm
Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy 31 ng/mL range 30-96 ng/mL

I can somewhat explain the 379 test number to the DR because the timing works, my script was filled on the 12-8-2015 so if i did 200mg/2weeks that would mean my last injection would have been on the the 6th of january. My next injection of 50mg/3.5days would normally be tomorrow morning 1-17-2016 but since he didnt get the Estradiol lab maybe I should wait... or not say anything to the dr and just take my 50mg as planned... I knew I should have mentioned to him to check my Estradiol.

 

[Alpin]

Are u drinking enough water?
Going in for these labs?
Highish HCT i see

 

[daleb]

Ive tried everything for hydration. Im drinking over a gallon a day. Ive tried pediylite, flu rehydration packets from the World Health Orginization, water with baking soda. It all helps a little bit, but it doesnt completely make it go away with prolonged use. The WHO packets help the best but i still cramp up and have the fatigue.

I just had this labwork done on friday, the clinic has a quick turnaround.

 

[Megatron28]

If you use the one I talk about in the FAQs thread (link below in my signature) you usually get your results back in 24 hours.