Prescribed 200mg every 3 weeks

[Monty1]

So I got my prescription from an endo (who specializes in fertility problems which I don't have but is the only I could find), for 200mg every 3 weeks.

I read that the injection frequency should be 1 week at most and I don't want to waste time experimenting and experiencing the "roller-coaster" I read people describing.

I'm 26 and have never used any anabolics. Here is the relevant blood work (in units used in Canada):

Free T3 5.3 (3.5 - 6.5)
Free T4 17 (9 - 23)
TSH 2.68 (0.3 - 4)
FSH 1 (2 - 8)
LG 4 (2 - 6)
Estradiol <70 (<150)
Total prolactin 5 (2 - 18)
Cortisol 243 (170 - 720)
Testosterone 12.0 (8.4 - 28.8) (346 ng/dl)
Free testosterone 5.5 (3.6 - 11.2)
SHBG 34.2 (10.0 - 70.0)

Should I try to convince the doc to change anything?

Thanks!

 

[jomamma007]

So I got my prescription from an endo (who specializes in fertility problems which I don't have but is the only I could find), for 200mg every 3 weeks.

I read that the injection frequency should be 1 week at most and I don't want to waste time experimenting and experiencing the "roller-coaster" I read people describing.

I'm 26 and have never used any anabolics. Here is the relevant blood work (in units used in Canada):

Free T3 5.3 (3.5 - 6.5)
Free T4 17 (9 - 23)
TSH 2.68 (0.3 - 4)
FSH 1 (2 - 8)
LG 4 (2 - 6)
Estradiol <70 (<150)
Total prolactin 5 (2 - 18)
Cortisol 243 (170 - 720)
Testosterone 12.0 (8.4 - 28.8) (346 ng/dl)
Free testosterone 5.5 (3.6 - 11.2)
SHBG 34.2 (10.0 - 70.0)

Should I try to convince the doc to change anything?

Thanks!

Abosultely. Once every 2 weeks is a rollercoaster my friend. Once every 3 weeks will put you lower then you are now by the 3rd week.
If you can get the injections to take home i'd do it. 70mgs per week is not that bad and can put most at 700 test levels and you shouldn't need an Aromatase inhibitor (AI). If you aren't able to take your own injections home then don't bother. Contact the board sponsor IMT and they'll hook you up.

 

[Megatron28]

Yeah... I injecting once every three weeks is a recipe for failure. Are you self injecting? If so, just ignore him and do it more often. If you have to go it for injections you will have to persuade him or look for new doc that knows what he is doing.

 

[Megatron28]

Ohh. Did you talk about trying a restart with your doc?

 

[halfwit]

Ohh. Did you talk about trying a restart with your doc?

I saw that too. Such low LH/FSH, I'd hope they at least ruled out pituitary issues...

OP: If your doc doesn't at least join the 21st century with male hormone replacement, you need to start looking for a new one. Three weeks is roughly 3-4 half-lives of the testosterone (depending on which data you use it's either 5 days or 8 days), which puts you damn near ZERO benefit at the time your next pin comes into play. That's just cruel for them to do that to you as the inevitable crash really sucks.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Monty1]

Thanks guys.

He does let me keep the stuff so I can find another clinic to inject (he is 2 hours away), so I could potentially just do it myself, though I wouldn't want to mess up an injection (but not even slightly afraid of needles).

I asked him about Clomid and hcg if that's what you guys mean by restart, he said that they aren't used very commonly in Canada and that he doesn't know anything about them and therefor doesn't want to subscribe them. Not sure about the former but can't really argue with him about the latter.

It's actually a private clinic, I paid for the consultation, and ongoing bloodwork and prescriptions(for which I am insured). I practically had to beg my family doctor to give me a simple testosterone check and after she did she got a low result "but within range" and refused to do anything else. I have found it is next to impossible to find a new GP in Canada, at least some areas. I went to a walk-in and explained my case to a sympathetic doctor who sent me a referral to the only real expert I found in the area. The appointment was set to September 2014.

The doctor who prescribed me the 200mg actually knows that endo and recommends I see him as well, but in the meantime I'm "stuck" with him.

Would being on TRT now (I will try to convince him to use 70mg/wk or do it myself) mess up with restart attempts in the future? Also, as I got my first 200mg injection yesterday, how would I go about changing to 70mg/wk? Just wait 3 weeks and start again?

Thanks!

 

[toco]

Thanks guys.

He does let me keep the stuff so I can find another clinic to inject (he is 2 hours away), so I could potentially just do it myself, though I wouldn't want to mess up an injection (but not even slightly afraid of needles).

I asked him about Clomid and hcg if that's what you guys mean by restart, he said that they aren't used very commonly in Canada and that he doesn't know anything about them and therefor doesn't want to subscribe them. Not sure about the former but can't really argue with him about the latter.

It's actually a private clinic, I paid for the consultation, and ongoing bloodwork and prescriptions(for which I am insured). I practically had to beg my family doctor to give me a simple testosterone check and after she did she got a low result "but within range" and refused to do anything else. I have found it is next to impossible to find a new GP in Canada, at least some areas. I went to a walk-in and explained my case to a sympathetic doctor who sent me a referral to the only real expert I found in the area. The appointment was set to September 2014.

The doctor who prescribed me the 200mg actually knows that endo and recommends I see him as well, but in the meantime I'm "stuck" with him.

Would being on TRT now (I will try to convince him to use 70mg/wk or do it myself) mess up with restart attempts in the future? Also, as I got my first 200mg injection yesterday, how would I go about changing to 70mg/wk? Just wait 3 weeks and start again?

Thanks!

Put it frankly: YES

 

[Megatron28]

Self-injecting is easy. Ask a nurse to show you how to do it. Or there are a lot of videos on YouTube. Just search for how to inject testosterone. We have a sticky in the TRT forum that you should read as well on injections.

Try doing 70mg/week. That should have you feeling a lot better in 4-6 weeks. Run lab work in 6 weeks. Check your total testosterone (TT) and estradiol (E2). Starting donating blood every 56 days as taking exogenous testosterone increases your hematocrit. Giving blood lowers it.

 

[Monty1]

Will do, thanks.

I'm also worried, after reading these and other forums some more, that the doctor won't prescribe me any more T after 3 months. He said he wants me to be off the stuff for my appointment with that other doctor in september, and I didn't give it much thought when he said it but I read that going off after being on isn't the best idea either. Hopefully I'll manage to convince him...

 

[Spunkey71]

Will do, thanks.

I'm also worried, after reading these and other forums some more, that the doctor won't prescribe me any more T after 3 months. He said he wants me to be off the stuff for my appointment with that other doctor in september, and I didn't give it much thought when he said it but I read that going off after being on isn't the best idea either. Hopefully I'll manage to convince him...

Give the guys at IMT a call, it doesn't sound like your doctor is interested in what is best for you.

 

[Megatron28]

Will do, thanks.

I'm also worried, after reading these and other forums some more, that the doctor won't prescribe me any more T after 3 months. He said he wants me to be off the stuff for my appointment with that other doctor in september, and I didn't give it much thought when he said it but I read that going off after being on isn't the best idea either. Hopefully I'll manage to convince him...

That would be a terrible idea. You were hypogonadal before. Taking exogenous testosterone completely shuts you down.

Ask your doc if he would remove his testicles to stop them from producing testosterone if he was the one going in for a consult.