Went from T-injections to Androgel. Balls came back a bit in size, Libido better.

[TGraham]

Greetings,
I started with a baseline T of 160. I tried Testim and we did not get along, tried the patch, than shots.
.5ml injections of T-Enanthate twice weekly had my T up to 1486 (<1100) and 414.6 (<155) free (blood taken at lowest point in weekly cycle.)
I felt great in an Andro sort of way but E was triple digit, I was puffy and my balls shrank like hell.
My next doc gave me Arimidex and asked me to try Gel as it may be better for me than testim was. I tried 5mg daily and I felt pretty good but had symptoms of lowish T in the evenings but felt even better than shots in some ways.
I tested my blood 2 weeks into gel treatment. I skipped my morning dose and tested over 24hrs after last gel dose. It was 230 (>250) with free of 46.7 (>35) but I felt pretty good anyway. I was likely 700 or better on days when I took the medication. MY BALLS GOT A BIT CLOSER TO THE SIZE THEY WERE. Perhaps the lack of sky high T got the brain to balls radio working again.

Any thoughts?

If I didn't feel bad, Could it be better for my natural production if I stayed with the gel/lower T levels occasionally? permanently?

Here are the two blood tests.



.5ml t-enanthatate 2xW (blood taken day before 2xW shot)


FSH [L] < 0.7 mIU/mL 1.6-8.0


LH [L < 0.2 mIU/mL 1.5-9.3


ESTRADIOL [H] 102 pg/ml


HCG TOTAL QN <2 mIU/mL <5


PSA TOTAL 1.3 ng/mL <=4


HEMOGLOBIN [H] 6.0%


TESTOSTERONE TOTAL [H] 1486 ng/dL 250-1100


TESTOSTERONE FREE [H] 414.6 pg/mL 35-155

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.0 Androgel (blood taken before meds that day)


FSH [L] < 0.7 mIU/mL 1.6-8.0



LH [L < 0.2 mIU/mL 1.5-9.3



ESTRADIOL [H] 61 pg/ml



HCG TOTAL QN <2 mIU/mL <5



PSA TOTAL



HEMOGLOBIN [H] 6.0%



TESTOSTERONE TOTAL [H] 230 ng/dL 250-1100



TESTOSTERONE FREE [H] 46.7 pg/mL 35-155

Thanks,
TG

[sirupate]

That's sort of interesting...going from injections back to gel and thinking it might be better. Some guys here do think less can be better for TRT. I went from gel to injections only recently. I don't feel as good from the injections as I did on the gel, but I figure some more fine tuning is needed before a decision to switch back should be made. In fact, the endo yesterday offered to put me back on gel, but I told him let's experiment a bit first.

As background, the endo had me on 200mg. test. cyp. every two weeks. My mid-point blood work had total test. at 861 (280-800 range) and free test at only 16.7 (8.7-55 range). It seems clear to me that I must be aromatizing a bunch of that test. on a two week injection schedule. No wonder I don't feel as good as I did on the gel. We are going to try weekly injections at a lower level and see how I feel. Something like a little over 300mg./mo. divided into four injections.

The hard thing about this is that experimenting takes a long time to find a sweet spot, or so it seems to me. Endo won't see me again for three months, so that will be the next experiment point and summer will be half gone.

[Ratt]

As background, the endo had me on 200mg. test. cyp. every two weeks. My mid-point blood work had total test. at 861 (280-800 range) and free test at only 16.7 (8.7-55 range). It seems clear to me that I must be aromatizing a bunch of that test. on a two week injection schedule. No wonder I don't feel as good as I did on the gel. We are going to try weekly injections at a lower level and see how I feel. Something like a little over 300mg./mo. divided into four injections.

Are you self injecting? If possible you should split you injection into 100 mg weekly instead of 200/eow. It would provide more stable levels and and prevent the aromatization of the larger dose of T into E.

[Ratt]

If I didn't feel bad, Could it be better for my natural production if I stayed with the gel/lower T levels occasionally? permanently?

With the introduction of an external source of T whether it be gel or IM injections your body will slowly stop producing its own T.

[sirupate]

Are you self injecting? If possible you should split you injection into 100 mg weekly instead of 200/eow. It would provide more stable levels and and prevent the aromatization of the larger dose of T into E.

Self-injecting...yes. And yes, I am hoping that more frequent injections will lower the conversion to E2. Initial dose will be more like 80mg./wk. After BW on that, we'll see what level the doctor recommends.

[steroid.com 1]

OP - Are you and were you taking hCG as part of your protocol? I can only surmise not since your balls were shrinking. Your assessment is probably correct: the reason the boys are probably coming back now is that your T dose is at a lower ratio. Either way, you will still need hCG for a lot of important reasons that you should research here on the site.

[TGraham]

OP - Are you and were you taking hCG as part of your protocol? I can only surmise not since your balls were shrinking.

gd,
No HCG yet. I have an appointment with another endo next week. I am hoping to get it from him.

[jlguitar]

Some men like the gels better because they convert to dht more than shots and dht is a very androgenic hormone responsible for libido,body hair,deepening of voice and overall well being.