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[zgx]

Hey everyone,

I'm a 31 year old male trying to get back in shape. I hit the gym 5 times a week and been seeing some improvements so far with regards to strenght but fat loss has been difficult (I'm at 19% BF), even when eating small 6 meals a day and taking ~200 gb of lean protein a day with very little simple carb/sugar intake. (I'm 180lbs and 5'8").

I went to see my Dr. to get my T levels checked and come to find out I'm at 261 and his lab range is between 250-1100. So he's going to be putting me on either Androgel/Axiron or injections, whichever I prefer.

A few things are pending, I had to go through another lab work this morning and based on the results we will select a treatment, also I need to find out if BCBS of Florida (PPO) will cover the treatments.

Since I have young children I am most likely going to skip the Androgel if I can and just go for the shots (once a month).

What do you guys think? Thanks in advance, this is a great forum and there seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people to learn from.

 

[IMT staff]

Welcome to the forum! Tons of knowledgeable guys around here! You should absorb everything you can

 

[theguy9129]

shots should be once a week to two weeks from what I have seen.

 

[zgx]

shots should be once a week to two weeks from what I have seen.

Yeah, that seems to be the norm based on what I've been reading on the site so far. I suppose I should bring it up to the Dr. before I start with the treatments. Thanks.

 

[Thunderstruck]

Shots once a week would or should be minimum to keep levels stable.

 

[rikta]

welcome bro ...definetly go with injectables and u muscle gain/fat loss will depond on how much he prescribes for you keep that on mind.

 

[zgx]

welcome bro ...definetly go with injectables and u muscle gain/fat loss will depond on how much he prescribes for you keep that on mind.

Thanks man. I will wait and see, for right now I am just going to read the forum a lot and try to absorb as much info as I can.

I didn't really ask the Dr. much this visit, I only heard that my levels were low but didn't get details as far as other readings. Is there anything I should be asking or perhaps just ask for a copy of my labs?

Thanks again everyone!

 

[methos]

From experience, I highly recommend pinning 2 to 3 times per week. Once per week or less and you are do to ride a crazy roller coaster. If you don't feel like crap now, you will when you start swinging your hormone levels up and down.

Good luck to you. REad everything you can on this board. There is a lot of good info... and people...

 

[BigFella]

No experience yet in injecting, just months of research. At 31 having a level of 261 ain't good.

I'm planning twice a week - almost no peaks and troughs, and smaller injections.

 

[zgx]

I'm about to see the Dr. again tomorrow since my other lab work came back as a candidate for TRT. The woman who called me with regards to the labs again reiterated my options with regards to topicals over/underarms and injectables (once per month). I have no clue as to why Dr.'s prescribe monthly injections where all I see in here are very valid recommendations to inject at least once a week. Everything else seems counterproductive.

Any good questions to ask? I want to get prescribed T I can inject myself but I have no idea about the numbers. Obviously everyone's body is different but should I start with 100mg a week? I need to see first if he'll go for it. Should I even mention Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and Arimidex? He's a General Practitioner BTW.

Also I will be getting a copy of all my labs and last physical and get with Todd from increasemyT about them. Sounds like the best way to go.

Again, thanks for your input and do let me know if there's some specifics I need to ask the Dr.

 

[IMT staff]

If a Dr does not specialize in testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) he/she may just follow the directions on the packet.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
Testosterone Cypionate Injection is for intramuscular use only. It should not be given intravenously. Intramuscular injections should be given deep in the gluteal muscle.
The suggested dosage for Testosterone Cypionate Injection varies depending on the age, sex, and diagnosis of the individual patient. Dosage is adjusted according to the patients response and the appearance of adverse reactions.
Various dosage regimens have been used to induce pubertal changes in hypogonadal males; some experts have advocated lower dosages initially, gradually increasing the dose as puberty progresses, with or without a decrease to maintenance levels. Other experts emphasize that higher dosages are needed to induce pubertal changes and lower dosages can be used for maintenance after puberty. The chronological and skeletal ages must be taken into consideration, both in determining the initial dose and in adjusting the dose.
For replacement in the hypogonadal male, 50-400 mg should be administered every two to four weeks.
Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. Warming and shaking the vial should redissolve any crystals that may have formed during storage at temperatures lower than recommended.

TESTOSTERONE CYPIONATE INJECTION, SOLUTION [WATSON LABORATORIES, INC.]

Too bad those directions are too induce pubertal changes

Make sure your Dr refers you to a specialist when addressing your LowT.

 

[zgx]

I already got the name of an Endocrinologist in my area who according to reviews especializes in TRT. Since I have PPO insurance I don't need a referral. I will probably be making an appointment with them right after my visit with the GP tomorrow morning. I was also checking my Florida Blue insurance benefits plan and they cover TRT's as well as Arimidex but can't seem to find anything regards Testosterone injections (by brand name). We shall see. Thanks.

 

[BigFella]

Hi Z

Docs prescribe monthly injections because they don't presume you can do them yourself. Therefore they prescribe mixes of esters such as Sustanon which are designed to spread out the half life so that your peaks and troughs aren't extreme. That's the plan - unfortunately it fails. If you inject T any less frequently than once a week you are in for a roller-coaster of a ride. And if one of your symptoms are depression, as mine was, you are really screwed.

BTW: I have as yet only personal experience of T cream. My doc prescribed Sustanon 250 every three weeks yesterday and I politely declined as I know a bloody lot more about this than he does.

The T cream is not an ester, so it has a half-life of hours, not days, so I can closely monitor what my body is doing.

So, subject to the above disclaimer - that I have no personal experience of injectable T as yet - that's what I have learned.

I will be insisting on twice-weekly self administered injections of T Cyp or Enanthate, plus 500IU Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) weekly, and I'm also going to try real hard for HGH. I have already learned that I aromatise easily, so I will be continuing the low dose AI.

Using T cream is interesting, because I can play with levels quite easily, with some fun results. For instance I cut out the cream for three days prior to my last blood test (I needed one more failing mark to be approved for legal HRT). Because I'm using bio identical T - not an ester - it goes up and down quickly. And I have also found that I shut down my natural T production quickly. (Those nuts were there a while ago - oh, here they are!)

So after three days without T cream, and treating myself really badly - and getting a low T score - I got stuck into the T cream. Three reasonably heavy applications in 24 hours. I guess my natty production had kicked back in, and the effect of that combined with the T cream led to my having a totally animal session in the gym. (For me! I'm 61, dammit! Gimme a break!) Two weeks later my shoulders are still pumped. Now I can see what this whole AAS thing is all about.

 

[zgx]

Saw the GP this morning with regards to my treatment options. I voiced my opinion with regards to my research and going against a single monthly shot of testosterone. He was very receptive and understood my concerns, he wants me to choose an injectable rather than a topical solution especially because I have young children at home which I agree with. So he referred me to see a Urologist with experience in TRT. I will be seeing him in about 20 days. Below are my lab results from 2 weeks ago:

5'8/180 lb

T Total: 266 ng/dL (250-1100)
Free T: 42.3 pg/mL (35.0-155.0)
Prolactin: 8.8 ng/mL (2.0-18.0)
PSA Total: 0.7 ng/mL (< OR = 4.0)
Creatinine: 1.0 mg/dL (0.3-1.2)
E2: <15 pg/mL (< OR = 39)
T4 Free: 1.4 ng/dL (0.8-1.8)
LH: 2.7 mIU/mL (1.5-9.3)
FSH: 5.0 mIU/mL (1.6-8.0)
Cholesterol Total: 169 mg/dL
Triglycerides: 82 mg/dL
HDL: 38 mg/dL
LDL: 115 mg/dL
AST: 20 U/L 0-65
ALT: 44 U/L 0-45