starting TRT next week - help me avoid common mistakes

[inhaus]

So I'm going in to see my GP about trt next week. I already know my levels are low and his receptionist told me he does prescribe trt and is fine with injections and doesn't push gels or anything. I was really excited to hear this and am hopeful that my doctor who I've known for 6 years will help me out so I can avoid the nightmare stories I'm hearing from all of you guys having to deal with idiots. My only worry is that he doesn't understand AI, proper OPTIMAL levels for my age, and half lives and how to control peaks and valleys...

My question is basically should I try and work through all of the AI/HCG/frequency discussion with him or should I just get the script for whatever he's willing to do and then self dial in with ugl AI and frequency using private bloods? My main goal in my opinion would be to get him to prescribe me enough take home test to get me to 600-800ng/dl, for a 28 year old healthy male I don't think that's unreasonable... and do the rest myself.

thoughts and experiences welcome... any tips on what to push or not to push? My strategy in the beginning will be to stress injections and having an eventual goal of not just squeaking in the acceptable range but being normal for my age... Other than that I'm fine with going in for injections for the first few months while we figure things out, but I'll be bringing two crazy kids with me and I'm sure HE will suggest take home injections after a few hectic stressful appointments with crying kids in the room...

 

[deathwagon]

My only advice would be to understand that you may have a long road ahead to feeling better and don't waste time with uninformed medical "professionals". If a doc sets off any of the usual red flags, dump him/her immediately and move on to the next one. And the next one and the next one. Interview them like you would a prospective employee, because that's what they are.

Doesn't know about estrogen in males? Dump them.

Doesn't understand testosterone half life or or proper protocols? Kick 'em to the curb.

Doesn't understand AI's? Punch 'em in the tooth.

Doesn't understand that everyone reacts differently to TRT? Kick 'em in the jimmy.

I've been hypogonadal for over a decade. I ended up having to diagnose myself because of the rampant ineptitude in the medical community. I'm in my 9th month of TRT, my total Testosterone level is still only at 414 (range 348-1197 ng/dL) and I still feel like crap, thanks to incompetent docs.

Hopefully you'll have better luck, but the deck is stacked against you. Don't give up and keep firing doctors until you find a good one.

 

[deathwagon]

One more tip. If your location is anything like mine, it takes 2 to 3 months to get an initial appointment with a doctor. Just assume that the 1st three docs you visit will be completely incompetent. Make appointments now with several doctors, so you already have appointments lined up when the first few you visit turn out to be mindless dolts. That way you don't have to wait months for your first visit, then a couple more months for your next appointments when it doesn't work out with the first group of dummies. You can always cancel your appointments if you get lucky and stumble upon a doc who knows what they're doing.

Do I seem bitter and jaded? I hope so, because that's how I feel.

 

[inhaus]

One more tip. If your location is anything like mine, it takes 2 to 3 months to get an initial appointment with a doctor. Just assume that the 1st three docs you visit will be completely incompetent. Make appointments now with several doctors, so you already have appointments lined up when the first few you visit turn out to be mindless dolts. That way you don't have to wait months for your first visit, then a couple more months for your next appointments when it doesn't work out with the first group of dummies. You can always cancel your appointments if you get lucky and stumble upon a doc who knows what they're doing.

Do I seem bitter and jaded? I hope so, because that's how I feel.

thanks for the tips... I don't know if I could last that long. I did some phone questions and actually found the doctor my kids have been using for 6 years+ is a General practice and I can start seeing him too, this guy said he does trt all the time and scripts injections. I honestly feel like I've had low T since my late teen years and have been blaming my symptoms on "life is just hard quit being a pussy" for a loooong time now until the point my wife thinks i'm cheating on her or not attracted to her and also a sociopath.

Anyways I think I'm going to give it a good 1, 2 with this doctor and if he doesn't play ball correctly I know with a high degree of certainty that I can dial myself in with ugl stuff, bloods, and the help of all the steroidology community and likely would be in better hands doing that than with a doctor who doesn't know or understand trt... I WILL give it a good try, but I am not willing to accept waiting any longer...

 

[Megatron28]

thanks for the tips... I don't know if I could last that long. I did some phone questions and actually found the doctor my kids have been using for 6 years+ is a General practice and I can start seeing him too, this guy said he does trt all the time and scripts injections. I honestly feel like I've had low T since my late teen years and have been blaming my symptoms on "life is just hard quit being a pussy" for a loooong time now until the point my wife thinks i'm cheating on her or not attracted to her and also a sociopath.

Anyways I think I'm going to give it a good 1, 2 with this doctor and if he doesn't play ball correctly I know with a high degree of certainty that I can dial myself in with ugl stuff, bloods, and the help of all the steroidology community and likely would be in better hands doing that than with a doctor who doesn't know or understand trt... I WILL give it a good try, but I am not willing to accept waiting any longer...

Getting a prescription for Test is definitely the way to go. It makes things much easier for you.

 

[inhaus]

Getting a prescription for Test is definitely the way to go. It makes things much easier for you.

I agree... he asked if I had a script before like he would just go off my last doctor's script level so I'm considering worst case going to this plastic surgery place that does trt pitched as like a health fitness trend (they are expensive) and just getting the initial script for a good dose, then quitting them and going back to my doctor with the script and info saying where my level should be at to make it affordable...

 

[halfwit]

I would start it as a dialog. Ask him what he does to control estradiol, and where he likes to keep his patients as far as TT values. Feel free to tell him you've been doing a great deal of research on the subject, so he'll understand where these questions are coming from.

Most likely he'll want to start test only and add medication if needed. That's fine, going a little high with E2 for a short period of time to get another script is worth it. I'd also make sure he allows you to do self injections. HCG can be brought up, but you'll have to approach it from a hormone perspective of being shut down, and possibly from a fertility angle.

Avoid topics such as fat loss, athletic ability, muscle gain, strength, or aesthetics. Keep it to quality of life and well being, and you should be fine.

 

[deathwagon]

I honestly feel like I've had low T since my late teen years and have been blaming my symptoms on "life is just hard quit being a pussy" for a loooong time now until the point my wife thinks i'm cheating on her or not attracted to her and also a sociopath.

Man, I know how you feel. Getting through life has been like wading through waist deep wet cement all the time. I've felt like I'm a total failure, putting in 100% effort and getting nowhere.

If you're not already doing so, talk to your wife. Show her this forum. Let her know that what you're going through is similar to the hormonal chaos she endures during her time of the month, only different, amplified, and never ending. It's a disease, just like any other debilitating illness.

This shit has nearly ruined my marriage, my career, my life. Hang in there. It has to get better.

 

[Megatron28]

Definitely tell your wife what you are going through and ask for her help. Tell her about the journey you are about to embark on.

 

[inhaus]

thanks for the responses guys. good news is, my wife is my number 1 supporter on this, she fully understands trt and has been reading on her own the stories of how it's ruined marriages. I don't like to admit that we've had more than a few arguments about how she feels I don't love her, don't think she's attractive and don't want sex etc... She knows I'm not cheating but feels insecure still and she's smoking hot, I mean she looks like a physique competitor year round and doesn't even lift... genetics/10. would post pic if you guys weren't so creepy

But we have talked about the appointment and she's so excited about having the young loving me back she will likely do most of the talking, cry, and plead as much as she can to get him to stick me right then and there. I quit taking creatine a couple weeks ago so my creatinine won't be elevated and will only talk about doing cardio for heart health etc... I also legit could care less about sex and while I CAN have sex, it is MUCH harder to get things going and maintain it than it used to be. I'm not just trying to get a script to blast and cruise here, this is legitimately a problem that has screwed my life up for many years and I would likely be in a completely different situation had this been handled years ago, but I never let that handicap me, I just adapted...

 

[Megatron28]

thanks for the responses guys. good news is, my wife is my number 1 supporter on this, she fully understands trt and has been reading on her own the stories of how it's ruined marriages. I don't like to admit that we've had more than a few arguments about how she feels I don't love her, don't think she's attractive and don't want sex etc... She knows I'm not cheating but feels insecure still and she's smoking hot, I mean she looks like a physique competitor year round and doesn't even lift... genetics/10. would post pic if you guys weren't so creepy

But we have talked about the appointment and she's so excited about having the young loving me back she will likely do most of the talking, cry, and plead as much as she can to get him to stick me right then and there. I quit taking creatine a couple weeks ago so my creatinine won't be elevated and will only talk about doing cardio for heart health etc... I also legit could care less about sex and while I CAN have sex, it is MUCH harder to get things going and maintain it than it used to be. I'm not just trying to get a script to blast and cruise here, this is legitimately a problem that has screwed my life up for many years and I would likely be in a completely different situation had this been handled years ago, but I never let that handicap me, I just adapted...

Pics of your wife or we don't believe it. Have her hold a small sign saying "Thanks 'Ology".

 

[jolter604]

O second the pics, prefer from behind. Wait Now I'm being creepy yeah I'm a creep. Creeping on the downlow. Oh that was me going into song mode.and that is all

 

[inhaus]

Pics of your wife or we don't believe it. Have her hold a small sign saying "Thanks 'Ology".

I guarantee this will never happen as she would not like me posting pics of her on the internet and would certainly not hold a sign for pics...

 

[halfwit]

Pics of your wife or we don't believe it. Have her hold a small sign saying "Thanks 'Ology".

BRB, looking for shemale pics to photoshop in sign!

Life will begin again inhaus, it's not even something I can put into words just how different things are when you take the reigns back. I'm honestly still amazed to this day how my marriage survived 10 years of that life.

Prepare to be reborn.

 

[inhaus]

BRB, looking for shemale pics to photoshop in sign!

Life will begin again inhaus, it's not even something I can put into words just how different things are when you take the reigns back. I'm honestly still amazed to this day how my marriage survived 10 years of that life.

Prepare to be reborn.

Yea, we've been married for 7 years and have a very strong marriage. We would never divorce, it's just not in the vocab or how we think, we are a great team it's just she thinks I literally hate her/or are not attracted to her etc...

ok, here is a picture, she'd kill me if she knew I put this up so I'm going to remove it tomorrow. She could do physique with not much training IMO and she has crazy biceps and back muscles for doing basically nothing.

 

[Megatron28]

Yea, we've been married for 7 years and have a very strong marriage. We would never divorce, it's just not in the vocab or how we think, we are a great team it's just she thinks I literally hate her/or are not attracted to her etc...

ok, here is a picture, she'd kill me if she knew I put this up so I'm going to remove it tomorrow. She could do physique with not much training IMO and she has crazy biceps and back muscles for doing basically nothing.

Thanks! Your secret is safe with us.

 

[inhaus]

quick update, had my appt today.


in short, it wen't AMAZING. could not have pictured it going better. He is fully ready to do trt, he saw my bloods I brought with me and said he just wanted to draw right then and reconfirm and then start trt. He said I can do an MRI if I want to but he doubts he'll find anything so it's up to me to do it if I want because it's expensive.

He said he's cool with injections and asked my wife if she'd be willing to do them for me right there. He said he's ok with levels in the 600-800 ng/dl range as long as we stay away from going over 1000. He generally doses one shot every 2-4 weeks which isn't bad if it's 2 weeks IMO at least while we get started but he's sending me home with it so I'll probly just put up with whatever until I get my go ahead to do it at home.

Wife and I are super excited for this journey to begin. Should have blood results back to confirm tomorrow (he order total and free t). I didn't sleep well and he drew at 10:30am and didn't really care about being too late, said he was just trying to satisfy the insurance company because they want 2 low readings... Hopefully will go in for first shot wednesday or thursday!

 

[halfwit]

I'd either bring him in information showing that every 2 weeks is sub-optimal, or do it at least weekly on your own and inform him later as you want to maintain steady levels of hormones. Then, if you're not satisfied, you can move to E3.5D.

Now the journey begins. I'm excited for you!

 

[inhaus]

I'd either bring him in information showing that every 2 weeks is sub-optimal, or do it at least weekly on your own and inform him later as you want to maintain steady levels of hormones. Then, if you're not satisfied, you can move to E3.5D.

Now the journey begins. I'm excited for you!

thanks halfwit, he actually said that the benefit of the gel is that it's a more consistent level since you apply every day or whatever it is. Even though i'm not interested in the gel i'm glad he said that because now I can bring it up to him like "hey you said we want to avoid highs and lows and be more consistent, what about 1/week shot?" and maybe tell him i've been reading how it's common to do 1/week or 2/week smaller doses. I don't think the frequency is going to be a struggle at all, he seems like a very reasonable dude.

 

[halfwit]

thanks halfwit, he actually said that the benefit of the gel is that it's a more consistent level since you apply every day or whatever it is. Even though i'm not interested in the gel i'm glad he said that because now I can bring it up to him like "hey you said we want to avoid highs and lows and be more consistent, what about 1/week shot?" and maybe tell him i've been reading how it's common to do 1/week or 2/week smaller doses. I don't think the frequency is going to be a struggle at all, he seems like a very reasonable dude.

Awesome. Sounds like you're good to go for now. Just don't forget to watch estradiol, and make sure you rotate those sites! I didn't know about scar tissue when I started, and have a gnarly spot in my right quad as a reminder.