Self RX - in a bind - any input?

[gruntwerk]

I did not realize my name would be somewhat similar to Halfwit as I was mainly thinking about the ape part. What I get a kick out of is that a guy named "Halfwit" is one of the smartest guys in this forum. That's what is odd. (1) Anyways I'm a little confused about the .3ml being equal to .75mg. (2) It's somewhat common to have a little discomfort when injecting. ----So Jab quick to get into the skin quickly and then slow down the speed of injection. As a very rough guideline spend 15 -30 seconds pushing it in. Search PIP, etc in this forum. Check You tube. You should get the hang of it very soon and you will be fine. (3) regarding what problems to look for. Relax..., relax..., That's part of a classic panic attack: the 'what if this problem happens?, or that problem?' You actually have a better handle on this than many other new TRT guys. Between your research, your doctor and mainly this forum, you are going to do great. I mean it. So relax. Everything is going in a great direction. The guys in this forum saved my ass many times. I'm sure they will do the same for you. and (4) Take your T, armidex and HCG as prescribed by Doctor, and then include E2 with your other blood tests when the time comes. HCG should not increase E2 very much, if at all, and has other benefits that you want going on from the start. So include HCG in your protocol from the start.

Lastly, Sounds like you have a kind and caring doctor. Your very lucky, because that's unusual. So hopefully you may never have a reason to do your own TRT. Keep us posted

Ooops. I did not see Halfwit's reply as I think it just popped up now. I'm going to bed.

The name thing is funny and I have to agree on his name, far from a halfwit LOL.

I'm pretty sure .3 is 75mg of the test-e, that's including the ester though so not sure if that's what you meant. If you take 250 and multiply by .3 you get 75. Am I missing something here?

I also appreciate rest of the input and I will start the HCG tomorrow then, just wanted to ask here first before I did. I will relax I know now I was just a little freaked out.

Check the post above to halfwit, I mentioned the progress with the endo in there!

Thanks again dudes.

 

[halfape211]

The name thing is funny and I have to agree on his name, far from a halfwit LOL.

I'm pretty sure .3 is 75mg of the test-e, that's including the ester though so not sure if that's what you meant. If you take 250 and multiply by .3 you get 75. Am I missing something here?

I also appreciate rest of the input and I will start the HCG tomorrow then, just wanted to ask here first before I did. I will relax I know now I was just a little freaked out.

Check the post above to halfwit, I mentioned the progress with the endo in there!

Thanks again dudes.

OK I think I understand that you are using 250 test E mg/ml. I did not see the strength ratio in your post, so I assumed you were using 100mg/ml which is usually what I use. (except I use cyp). Yes relax, you are doing fine.

 

[halfwit]

I knew you would be dissapointed but I still had labs pulled for LH and FSH, doc called me today and said LH and FSH were above normal and TT was still 140's, I didn't get the exact numbers so I have to go get a print out of it. Anyway that would wave towards primary correct? According to the sticky typically high LH and FSH means the pituitary is yelling at the testes but they're not producing hence why it goes above normal.

Endo also called today also and I'm still going to follow up with them on May 20th, they will pull labs there they said to see how the treatment is going. So I still plan to follow up on the cause of all this.

I also figured I was being paranoid, I've had issues with that since I gave up the street drugs - I dodged so many death wishes well using that now I'm afraid my lucks out and one slip up then I'm done LOL. I have been reading more on low TT and high e2 and it really does seem the risks of NOT fixing the hypogonadism are worse than the risk from synthetic test - if you take good care of yourself that is.

I do not need the links to the studies... I trust you read and understood it better than I could. So I will take your word that arimidex wont kill my lipids in low doses.

I am hoping to feel better around 2-3 wees, even a slight improvement. I know the chances are good because like you said just being half way there should be better then TT at 149. I also took an extra .5 of the arimidex as just sort boost and I noticed now that is has been 48 hours I think I can tell a small difference in bloat, is this possible? Seems like I have less water retention already.

I setup an appointment to go deliver blood tomorrow evening, my hematocrit is only 42 right now but I want to stay on it and keep it low normal is possible this way I run less of a risk of it getting away on me.

Phew, so LH and FSH were pulled. Yes, you appear to be EXACTLY in my shoes - primary. The price paid for pain killers over a long period of time.

You're on the right track brother, I'm very excited for you as your entire world is about to change. You'll find yourself watching movies again that you had seen while hypo and be like, "WOW! I totally don't remember it being this way!"

I'm actually kind of jealous lol. Places like this didn't really exist when I lost my ability to make testosterone, so I developed diabetes and other crap that has taken forever to fix. So crazy how a little thing like hormones have such a great impact!

Buckle in, you're in for a treat!

 

[gruntwerk]

Phew, so LH and FSH were pulled. Yes, you appear to be EXACTLY in my shoes - primary. The price paid for pain killers over a long period of time.

You're on the right track brother, I'm very excited for you as your entire world is about to change. You'll find yourself watching movies again that you had seen while hypo and be like, "WOW! I totally don't remember it being this way!"

I'm actually kind of jealous lol. Places like this didn't really exist when I lost my ability to make testosterone, so I developed diabetes and other crap that has taken forever to fix. So crazy how a little thing like hormones have such a great impact!

Buckle in, you're in for a treat!

I would not have pinned without at least getting the LH and FSH pulled first, ultimately I will want to follow up with the endo just to make sure there isn't a medical issue I'm missing. For instance the high TSH and T4 yet normal T3, mind you it's only a smudge over normal but still, thyroid issues run in my family... I've had members with hypo and hyper so definitely want to follow up there. Oddly enough I had a sonogram on my throat done a year ago for throat pain but it was all normal looking, but things can change in a year of course.

So I should be able to feel the arimidex within 48 hours? Like I said I front loaded with .5 day 1 and .5 day too then started noting yesterday I had better wood and looked a little less bloated.

Sucks you ended up diabetic, I had no idea hypogonadism could cause it. Guess it's just one more reason to treat the condition, luckily I haven't shown any signs of being a diabetic and my blood sugars always normal. Sorry it ended up playing out that way for you but I'm glad you were able to manage it and get back on your feet strong.

I can't wait to start feeling the test kick in, should be great as I believe I've been this way for a good few years now. Really excited that I should be able to maintain a healthy BF easier, I always wondered why I struggled so much in order to maintain a healthy BF let alone a single digit one. Even with eating great I've always had that issue and was never able to eat as many calories as most guys my size. Today is my second pin day, well tonight so excited about that and also starting the HCG.

 

[halfwit]

I would not have pinned without at least getting the LH and FSH pulled first, ultimately I will want to follow up with the endo just to make sure there isn't a medical issue I'm missing. For instance the high TSH and T4 yet normal T3, mind you it's only a smudge over normal but still, thyroid issues run in my family... I've had members with hypo and hyper so definitely want to follow up there. Oddly enough I had a sonogram on my throat done a year ago for throat pain but it was all normal looking, but things can change in a year of course.

So I should be able to feel the arimidex within 48 hours? Like I said I front loaded with .5 day 1 and .5 day too then started noting yesterday I had better wood and looked a little less bloated.

Sucks you ended up diabetic, I had no idea hypogonadism could cause it. Guess it's just one more reason to treat the condition, luckily I haven't shown any signs of being a diabetic and my blood sugars always normal. Sorry it ended up playing out that way for you but I'm glad you were able to manage it and get back on your feet strong.

I can't wait to start feeling the test kick in, should be great as I believe I've been this way for a good few years now. Really excited that I should be able to maintain a healthy BF easier, I always wondered why I struggled so much in order to maintain a healthy BF let alone a single digit one. Even with eating great I've always had that issue and was never able to eat as many calories as most guys my size. Today is my second pin day, well tonight so excited about that and also starting the HCG.

Hypogonadism can also cause hypothyroidism.

Don't be surprised if lab work starts looking MUCH better.

 

[daleb]

two things - mainly for those who are new to trt thinking about starting injections. one, your doc was extraordinary generous in giving you 150/wk of en and .5/wk of dex. this is rare. two, do not start injections if the doc will pull the script. op should have asked the doc if they knew trt is for life. most of the time this is not a big deal but docs are not that knowledgeable about trt and may pull the script because its windy outside in 4 months.

endocrinologists generally speaking are not fans of trt. do your research on the endo. fully vet him/her. make an anonymous call to the office and ask what the drs thoughts are on trt. if you get a bad feeling about the endo call ur doc and ask if you can put the appointment off for a few months. then forget to make the appointment. just tell ur doc u want to normalize on your current protocol before you see the endo.

 

[gruntwerk]

Hypogonadism can also cause hypothyroidism.

Don't be surprised if lab work starts looking MUCH better.

I think I would be hyper correct ? High TSH and high t4 with a normal t3? I thought Hypo usually shows up as high TSH with low t3 or t4?

 

[gruntwerk]

two things - mainly for those who are new to trt thinking about starting injections. one, your doc was extraordinary generous in giving you 150/wk of en and .5/wk of dex. this is rare. two, do not start injections if the doc will pull the script. op should have asked the doc if they knew trt is for life. most of the time this is not a big deal but docs are not that knowledgeable about trt and may pull the script because its windy outside in 4 months.

endocrinologists generally speaking are not fans of trt. do your research on the endo. fully vet him/her. make an anonymous call to the office and ask what the drs thoughts are on trt. if you get a bad feeling about the endo call ur doc and ask if you can put the appointment off for a few months. then forget to make the appointment. just tell ur doc u want to normalize on your current protocol before you see the endo.

My doc is very nice and I highly doubt she would ever take me off, I don't think she is typically well versed in TRT... Some folks tend to take advantage of her for pain meds and such because she really try's to be liberal with the medications if the patient insists they need it. She had told me she had no issue with TRT giving my situation but has never prescribed it to anyone else, so she pulled together some basic info from a follow doc she knows who is versed in TRT. She did encourage me to stay healthy, eat healthy and continue to workout to stay healthy. She comes back in June and I will get to have more detailed talks with her on it, right now it's been phone calls and her telling the doc filling in for her what to do.

I did not know that about the endos... My appointment is a month out, I told my doc I wanted to still see the endo just to follow up on testing not for meds. I'm kind of concerned about the high thyroid hormones. Maybe I should push it out another month until I actually see my normal PCP?

 

[halfwit]

I think I would be hyper correct ? High TSH and high t4 with a normal t3? I thought Hypo usually shows up as high TSH with low t3 or t4?

TSH is the signal from your brain to commence conversion of T4 into T3. If you have a high TSH, but low T3 (or normal), and high T4 - your brain is SCREAMING for more T3, but not getting it. It's one of the first stages of metabolic shutdown.

Hyperthyroidism is where your brain has turned off the TSH signal, but your thyroid continues to convert T4 on its own accord.

I know it seems backwards, but they look at the active hormone (triiodothyronine (T3)) when determining thyroid function. I don't know the exact pathway in which testosterone is linked, but they are connected. Same with your adrenals and pancreatic system.

 

[gruntwerk]

Makes plenty of sense, only asked because the part time doc (the one filling in for my PCP) had mentioned it's hyper but after doing some reading I had seen what you just mentioned above. She tried explaining to me that it wouldn't be considered hypo unless the T3 and T4 were low, so I would fall under hyper. Guessing she doesn't know much about the thyroid honestly because most of what I read correlates to what you're saying.

Hopefully now being on test-en my thyroid levels will just go back to optimal on their own, did my fist blood donation last night too so that was cool. My hematocrit was only 42% but I figured it's best to keep it down so hopefully I'm not fighting a battle later. I do look forward to the test kicking in... it's been so many years now since I had a strong libido, I mean I still have some libido left and don't have any serious ED issues but the erections could be much stronger and libido should be way higher at 29.

It's going to be nice to get that feelings of drive, the energy, libido, better mind set, focus, mental clarity, can't wait for all of it. Also excited that physically it should change some stuff too, I'm willing to bet with a shift up in TT and down in e2 will make it much easier to squeeze of the last bit on my lower belly fat, I should also make some new lean mass without even trying per-say. Most of all I hope it helps making maintaining an healthy weight easier, I'm sure it will.... in my current state I can't eat nearly as much as I should be able too.

 

[halfwit]

Yeah, just a misinformed or misspoken doc. You will see a change in thyroid function, but I can't tell you by how much. I dropped TSH by a full 1.2 points, but was right at the clinical hypothyroidism level for TSH. I'm now much closer to the middle, but on the bottom end for T3/FT3 after TRT.

 

[daleb]

my tsh was around 4. now its 1. free t4 was low now its midrange. It takes awhile for the trt to work. i started early december and im just starting to feel like a human being.

If ur doc is really nice, see if she will scribe you HCG or are you primary hypogonadal? It will speed the process up if you are secondary hypogonal. Then you are good to go and draw the envy and scorn of trt patients struggling to find a doc to let them self inject and or get put on a real trt protocol.

 

[halfape211]

My doc is very nice and I highly doubt she would ever take me off, I don't think she is typically well versed in TRT... Some folks tend to take advantage of her for pain meds and such because she really try's to be liberal with the medications if the patient insists they need it. She had told me she had no issue with TRT giving my situation but has never prescribed it to anyone else, so she pulled together some basic info from a follow doc she knows who is versed in TRT. She did encourage me to stay healthy, eat healthy and continue to workout to stay healthy. She comes back in June and I will get to have more detailed talks with her on it, right now it's been phone calls and her telling the doc filling in for her what to do.

I did not know that about the endos... My appointment is a month out, I told my doc I wanted to still see the endo just to follow up on testing not for meds. I'm kind of concerned about the high thyroid hormones. Maybe I should push it out another month until I actually see my normal PCP?

Remarkable that she asked another doctors opinion. Kudos to her! Most doctors do not want to show their lack of knowledge, and they don't get paid enough to do the extra work. That's why a great many doctors do not attempt to help those with low T problems.

 

[gruntwerk]

my tsh was around 4. now its 1. free t4 was low now its midrange. It takes awhile for the trt to work. i started early december and im just starting to feel like a human being.

If ur doc is really nice, see if she will scribe you HCG or are you primary hypogonadal? It will speed the process up if you are secondary hypogonal. Then you are good to go and draw the envy and scorn of trt patients struggling to find a doc to let them self inject and or get put on a real trt protocol.

I am very lucky with my doc, she's awesome. I still wonder where 150mg will put me.

As for HCG, I am using it but I'm primary anyway, I decided to use it anyway to back fill the other hormones we talked about above. I've read quite a few folks saying it gave them an increased sense of well being. Tomorrow is the end of week 1 and the start of week 2 so hopefully a few more weeks and the magic will start to happen!!!

 

[halfwit]

I am very lucky with my doc, she's awesome. I still wonder where 150mg will put me.

As for HCG, I am using it but I'm primary anyway, I decided to use it anyway to back fill the other hormones we talked about above. I've read quite a few folks saying it gave them an increased sense of well being. Tomorrow is the end of week 1 and the start of week 2 so hopefully a few more weeks and the magic will start to happen!!!

I'm primary, and those are exactly what I've experienced. That and a bit more enjoyment during sex.