Starting then stopping TRT and concerns about damage.

[saveahoss]

I'm 44 years old and have an average build, maybe 25 pounds too much fat, and a bit of a pot belly now. I used to be cut and muscular. I want to get back into lifting and get back into the shape I was 5 years ago, but I have no energy or motivation.

My general doctor tested my testosterone Jan. 1 2014, and it was 250. Dr. prescribed testosterone injections 1ml per month. 3 months later (March 28, 2014) when I saw her she tested again and my T had dropped to 139. That test was done 28 days after my last 200mg injection, so I assume most of the injected testosterone cypionate was gone and my testicular function had gotten way worse or stopped totally. She had me up the dose to 200mg every two weeks and sent me to a urologist. Injected 200mg on 4-1-14 and again on 4-16-14.

April 22, 2014 The urologist gave me a T gel to use daily. He said stop using the injections and tested me again and also for estrogen. April 30, 2014, I got the newest results back: Estrodil level = 144 and testosterone level = 1298. That was taken 6 days after injecting 200mg testosterone cyp. Urologists assistant said Dr. said to stop using the gel and the injections for a month.

My concern is that after starting the TRT it's halted my natural testosterone production and my libido is gone. I've read that it's important to take hCG after using testosterone replacement in order to kick start my testicle (I only have one due to cancer 15 years ago).
I guess I'm just freaking out because I feel like the doctors should have not just immediately given me TRT and now immediately instructed me to stop cold turkey. If I need the testosterone replacement then okay, but I think they are screwing with my body and doing damage without concern for my only testicle.
I've ordered clomid 25mg and I've been taking dim 300mg per day for a week. I feel like they have effectively castrated me, and left me to fend for myself.
I think I should try hCG but I have no idea where to get it and I don't want to wait till next month to ask my doctor about it.

 

[jozifp103]

jesus these guys are idiots. Injections should be done weekly at minimum. Mine are 2x/wk. a month is definitely long enough for it to run out of your system. Gel's are garbage. If you can get back on injections try to get on weekly injections at least. usually 100-200mg/wk is the dose. If the docs aren't willing to help you and you don't mind paying out of pocket give IMT a call. they are the ad on the right of the screen. you won't be disappointed.

 

[saveahoss]

At this point I just want to go back to how it was before the "experts" castrated me. I could deal with 250 natural testosterone levels over this crazy rolercoaster of lab tests, waiting, prescriptions, fighting with insurance about prescriptions, levels too high, levels too low, depression anxiety etc etc etc.
I just want to reset my system and try alternatives to treating my low T after I can get my little testicle to work as well as it did before they started this.

 

[jozifp103]

IMT has great restart programs for your exact situation. They'll get you up an running again. Doesn't hurt to call

 

[grayrh42]

I can understand you being frustrated at this point, but going back to low T can be just as frustrating. I have been on TRT now for 6 mo and have no desire to go back to low T. It takes a lot of research and reading, but understand what you need and not just what the Dr says. Do your homework. Once you get things "settled" in, it is worth it. Not as tired, able to work out, able to have normal erections. It all works for me.

 

[saveahoss]

My experience never yielded any positive results at all. Energy levels never increased. Hard to get motivated to work out. Can't get it up and not interested in sex with my wife. I'd be glad to commit to TRT for the rest of my life if it helped me, but it didn't help. It only screwed me up worse.

 

[Dreaded Pirate Roberts]

Don't stop the TRT get on a proper protocol that gets your testosterone levels up and keeps them up and cut your estrogen. Your life will return to normal. The problems you have experienced are because your doctors don't know what they are doing. They have had you riding a roller coaster up and down every 7 days after the injection your have been baselining. It's grounds for a malpractice suite. They don't understand the half-life of the compounds they are prescribing. They should be prescribing something for your estrogen levels and supplementing HCG to keep up your progesterone levels. Get in touch with IMT and get them your original labs and the last ones and that should be enough for there doctor to get you straight. I recommend a retest in 30 days to tune things. You should have your life back and feel like your 18 again.

 

[Alpin]

Don't stop the TRT get on a proper protocol that gets your testosterone levels up and keeps them up and cut your estrogen. Your life will return to normal. The problems you have experienced are because your doctors don't know what they are doing. They have had you riding a roller coaster up and down every 7 days after the injection your have been baselining. It's grounds for a malpractice suite. They don't understand the half-life of the compounds they are prescribing. They should be prescribing something for your estrogen levels and supplementing HCG to keep up your progesterone levels. Get in touch with IMT and get them your original labs and the last ones and that should be enough for there doctor to get you straight. I recommend a retest in 30 days to tune things. You should have your life back and feel like your 18 again.

You hit the nail in the head dread. As for docs should be prescribing something for estrogen levels...its not always in the cards. All the G.p.s and endos I seen literally freaked out at the small dose AI I was on. They got pissed off when I told them I needed it. They said I cannot treat u and go back to the doc that prescribes the AI cause I dont test or prescribe for Estradiol control.

 

[grayrh42]

As Dreaded said, you need to do your homework. TRT is an individualized protocol for everyone. We are all different and respond to Test differently. Before I even went to my Dr. I was on the boards and Inet figuring out what to expect and how I should "guide" my Dr. He wanted me to do 200mg every other week. I talked to him about it and told him my concerns about the roller coaster ride that would put me on. He wasn't going to do an AI so I got my own. I did bloodwork at Private Labs before and after seeing him. I still do my own labs prior to doing his just so I am sure where I stand.

Take control of your health care, its your life. You have resources available in the board, IMT, Inet you just need to educate yourself and then get on the right protocol.

 

[Daniel_IMT_Staff]

Agree with most of the comments made!

Just want to emphasize that each restart protocol is individual and not decided by intervals of time.

For example:
4 weeks of hCG
6 weeks of SERMs

Use labs to tell you where your hormones are.