-
11-12-2010, 02:31 PM #1
Results from today's appointment...
Total Testosterone 316.5
Sex Hormone Bind Glob 69.8
Free Testosterone 37
He put me on one injection of testosterone once a month of 200mg. He did mention he would increase the dosage and frequency of injection if I thought the effectiveness seemed to drop off after a couple weeks. Got my first injection today. Have one scheduled for December and January. I am excited...was hoping for biweekly and 300-400mg but the door has been opened!!!!! Your thoughts????
-
11-12-2010, 03:34 PM #2
Which testosterone are you getting (cyp, enth,) ? I am definetely not equipped to give you any super educated advice but that sounds like a long stretch in between shots. Wouldn't that make the levels fluctuate and produce side effects? Not hating, just asking. Congrats on getting it started by the way.
-
11-12-2010, 04:29 PM #3
Great you are starting...some more input will be forth coming...I bet you are excited!
-
11-12-2010, 06:14 PM #4Banned
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- Californication
- Posts
- 5,656
Sorry, but you need weekly shots at minimum. Tell your doctor to study half life 101. Can you provide your stats? Your free test will improve if you lower your SHBG. Did your doctor test E2??? I'm going to take a stab and say he probably didn't based on the dosage protocol he is putting you on. Muy importante that you check the E2 and administer some AI if needed. Also, would be nice if your labs included other panels such as LH/FSH, PSA, etc.
BTW, most guys on HRT take 100mg to 200mg every week, some break the injections up into twice a week to keep their serum levels stable. Congrats on taking the first steps, but this protocol will need some refinement if you're going to make progress.
-
11-12-2010, 06:40 PM #5
From the reading I have done I am not suprised at all in your response. I guess I am celebrating the fact he didn't send me away with nothing or some damn gel. He is pretty easy to work with. I am a little afraid he will take offense to me telling him his job. Any ideas on how I should approach him? Right now I am thinking I will wait a week and tell him I feel no change, which will most likely be the truth. Then I may find a way to inject some information regarding half life and such. Any medical articles or factual data you guys might know of might be helpful. Being from central Wisconsin I think we are a little behind on the HRT scene. Thank you for your help. I do have the full blood work report but I don't know what numbers you are looking for. I may post all the information I was given. Thanks again.
-
11-12-2010, 06:51 PM #6
i was a little lower, i believe
total = 212
free - 67
200mg test cyp eow... it took about three injections to smooth things out, with out the lousy feeling of the crash.
I'll tell you right now,,,, once a month don't cut it if it is cyp, which it probably is if you are in the US.
-
11-12-2010, 08:09 PM #7
I just started also 3 weeks ago, I was a total of 202. After some mystery about what type of test he was giving me (he told me it was propionate ) I found out it was Cypionate after I looked at the vial. He also started me at 100mg saying that it's a standard starting point for everyone for the first month. I definitely feel the difference from a week ago though. Didnt feel anything the first week, 2nd week my sex drive was on fire and I felt pretty good, Third week and I am really feeling a crash. Had my blood work done again a few days ago and I have another week before my next injection. I'm sure I'll have blood work done again before my next injection so he can see my levels at 2 and 4 weeks. Hopefully I'll get to self administer weekly injections after we get my levels pinned down. Congrats on getting started!!
-
11-12-2010, 08:13 PM #8Banned
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- Californication
- Posts
- 5,656
Tell him that you were reading various journals from the Endocrine Society, which is all over the Web. He should appreciate that your research came directly from his peers (Then again, I had a Endo fire me when I did this). You could tell him that you've read numerous articles discussing the half-life feature of testosterone , and that the recommended protocol is to work in conjunction with the half-life.
Post up the labs, that would be great. Stats?? Is this doc for or against testing estrogen?
-
11-12-2010, 08:29 PM #9
wow.....so this freak is going to inject you with one shot it will peak around day 4/5....be GONE a few days later then oh boy u get to come back 3 weeks later though....take vettes advice that endocrine study that you just read might help u get his head out of his rectum
-
11-12-2010, 09:08 PM #10Banned
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- Californication
- Posts
- 5,656
It's sad to say, but if I had a choice of living with a 300 score and no meds, or get 1 injection of "T" per month, I'd just stick with the 300 score and call it that. At least with the no meds routine there's no crash either. A good portion of the experienced members here can relate to knowing how it feels to crash. I had to go through it twice with doctors, not doing it again. The dark zone really gets noticeable after about 21 days.
-
11-12-2010, 10:56 PM #11
Thanks for the information...especially the crash. The last thing I need. I am already too irritable and have terrible mood swings. Maybe I can head this off before day 21 with another shot. Thank you very much for the advice. He really is a good man...maybe a little too inexperienced in HRT. I believe he mentioned biweekly shots but wanted to start things slow. I guess that may be his way of handling a situation he doesnt quite understand. Maybe I will complain of crashing or whatever to him late next week and see what he says about it. He is very considerate and loves to prescribe so I just need to be patient and handle this with tact. Thank you all again...please continue with the feedback. If you have any "one-liners" I could give out as far as reasons he should up my dosage...please let me know.
-
11-12-2010, 10:58 PM #12
-
11-13-2010, 07:22 AM #13
Blood work results...probably way more than you need but I am not sure what is needed so I will post everything...
White Blood Cells 5.4
Red Blood Cells 5.10
Hemoglobin 16.2
Hematocrit 48.6
MCV 95.2
MCH 31.8
MCHC 33.4
RDW 11.8
Platelet count 213
MPV 5.8
Neutrophil 51.1
Lymphoctye 36.9
Monocyte 8.2
Eosinophil 2.7
Basophil 1.1
ABS neutrophil 2.8
ABS Lymphoctye 2.0
ABS monocyte 0.4
ABS eosinophil 0.1
ABS basophil 0.1
Sodium 137
Potassium 4.4
Chloride 100
Carbon Dioxide 27
Anion Gap 14.4
BUN 19
Creatinine 0.94
Glomerular Filt Rate 87
Glucose 89
Calcium 9.7
AST 26
ALT 28
ALk Phosphatase 73
Bilirubin Total 0.6
Total protein 7.1
Albumin 4.6
Globulin 2.5
A:G ratio 1.8
Cholesterol Total 250
Triglycerides 54
HDL 64
Chol/hdl ratio 3.91
LDL 175
Testosterone total 316.5
SHBG 69.8
Free Testosterone result 37
Hemoglobin A1C 6.0
EST AVG Glucose 126
Prolactin 14.8
TSH 2.44
ESR 7
Prostate SP AG SCRIN 0.8
My Stats...
Weight 195
Height 5'11"
Thank you for looking this over...Last edited by BrysZ; 11-13-2010 at 07:37 AM.
-
11-13-2010, 09:47 AM #14
Yes I get your point, please remember that I now have the opportunity to work with my doctor to obtain a dosage that works. He is a good doctor and friend, maybe a little under-educated in HRT, but he is an all around family doctor and has many irons in the fire so to speak. One thing I do know for sure is he will want me to benefit from the treatment and if I am not getting sufficent results, or worse yet...getting side effects, he will adjust accordingly. What I need is solid advice so I know how I should proceed with him. I think this is a very positive step...at least that is the way I am viewing it...far from where I need to be, but positive nonetheless.
-
11-13-2010, 10:46 AM #15
Hey...just a thought: tell him with your excitement about this new lease on life that you started searching online and came across a very educational cutting edge forum with members (in your age range) who have been on HRT for awhile now and they all seem to think that dosing more often keeps your test levels better and prevents you from feeling worse off than when you started. That you are simply thrilled to learn all of this since HRT is still such a new thing and with these guys who have gone before you, you feel so lucky to have found the site....and that they all seem very level headed and articulate with tons of info so you wanted to share this with him: the general consensus: dose more often or you drop! saying.. "man-oh-man this is the last thing I want to happen!" and then the doc might think..Oh yes! Makes sense! So let's dose more often.
Many members here have to educate their docs...kinda goes with the territory...
ps: do not tell him it is BB forum but a Hormone Replacement Therapy forum
-
11-13-2010, 11:53 AM #16Banned
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- Californication
- Posts
- 5,656
I hear what you're saying, and it's good to have a friend within your doctor. If that's the case, then you should be able to be pretty open with him and discuss your concerns without having to worry about bruising his ego. Like Slimmer mentioned, you could tell him about the male health forums ... Tell him that you hit about 5 of them and they all say the same thing. You could point him towards Dr. Crissler with All Things Male, which will also validate a lot of what we're discussing.
BTW, on your BW, there's no LH/FSH. This is one of the "key" things to test so that you know if your condition is leaning to be primary or secondary. It also allows the doctor to take a further look into the area of concern, meaning it might warrant a MRI or testicular evaluation depending on the types of numbers that come back. This is also helpful to know in case you want to consider adding something like HCG down the road. If you're secondary hypo like me, trust me when I say that you will want to implement some HCG down the road.
-
11-13-2010, 09:01 PM #17
Thanks to everyone.
I am going to mull this all over and put together a plan of attack. I will post a new thread and be very hopeful in getting feedback from you all. In the meantime I am going to search for supporting data.
-
11-13-2010, 09:27 PM #18
-
11-16-2010, 10:22 PM #19
My first attempt to adress my concerns regarding my low-t treatment...
I have copied and pasted a letter below I have created to hopefully begin discussions with my doctor. Please provide feedback as you deem necessary. Thank you so much for all your help...
Dr @#$%^&*,
To begin I want you to know that I am very grateful for your help and I want to thank you for identifying a possible solution regarding my recent diagnoses of Low-T. I am very excited to pursue this option. From what I have read I truly agree it is the correct course of action.
Since my last appointment on the 12th of November I have been researching Low-T and Hormone Replacement Therapy. I have read medical articles and joined a forum on the internet of men who are also Low-T. I understand that I am in the implementation stage of this new “process”, but I have found a couple of reoccurring items I would like to discuss with you. I wrote you this letter rather than call you and bother you at work so you could “read my thoughts”, if you will. I was hoping after you had time to read this and had a rare free moment we could talk either on the phone or face to face about my concerns.
To begin I am concerned about the half-life of testosterone . The articles I have read state anywhere from 5-8 days and prefer using a weekly injection to prevent what they call an “emotional roller coaster”. Some fellow “Low-T” guys refer to the third week as the “dark zone”. I find this a little alarming since I am already very concerned with my current restlessness, irritability and mood swings.
Another concern I have is the possible conversion of testosterone into estrogen. I have read where an Estradiol test is used, specifically an “ultrasensitive” assay for males, to watch for estrogen increase, especially E2. Side effects from this increase seem to range from water retention to gynocomastia. I read that if conversion of testosterone is apparent through subsequent tests after a baseline is established further testosterone conversion into estrogen and be prevented with an aromatase inhibitor.
I want you to know that I am not in any way attempting to tell you how to do your job. I have a great deal of respect for you and I feel grateful that we can work together to get me “back on track”. I would also like to add that I am always curious about the medications and treatments I receive so I am merely being my usual compulsive self and not in any way questioning your decisions. I hope you can help me to understand the enormous amount of the information I have been finding on the internet. It is truly a struggle to make sense of it all.
Thank you again for your time and your help. I am looking forward to discussing this with you further.
Sincerely,
BrysZ
-
11-16-2010, 10:31 PM #20
-
11-16-2010, 11:15 PM #21
not so sure I like ..I want you to know that I am not in any way attempting to tell you how to do your job.
since he might not hear the word "not"...which could be inferred as you actually telling him what to do..no need to bring this up....no attention should be given to this thought
also...I like what Vette mentioned about your reading 5 or so forums...reason being: if you mention one forum which you joined, the doc might actually ask you which one....ONE OF MY DOCS DID THIS..... so if you say a few forums then you can avoid this specific reference...
also not keen about this: and not in any way questioning your decisions. I hope you can help me to understand the enormous amount of the information I have been finding on the internet.
you are questioning him so why broadcast it? plus I would stay away from the word "internet"...this bugs doctors to no end...my 02!Last edited by SlimmerMe; 11-16-2010 at 11:22 PM.
-
11-17-2010, 08:12 AM #22
Thank you for your feedback...here is a new revision...please let me know how it reads...
Dr NXXX%%%,
To begin I want you to know that I am very grateful for your help and I want to thank you for identifying a possible solution regarding my recent diagnoses of Low-T. From what I have read I truly agree it is the correct course of action.
Since my last appointment on the 12th of November I have been researching Low-T and Hormone Replacement Therapy. I have read medical articles and joined a number of HRT forums on the internet of men who are also Low-T. I understand that I am in the implementation stage of this new “process”, but I have found a couple of reoccurring items I would like to discuss with you. I wrote you this letter rather than call you and bother you at work so you could “read my thoughts”, if you will. I was hoping after you had time to read this and had a rare free moment we could talk either on the phone or face to face about my concerns.
To begin I am concerned about the half-life of testosterone . The articles I have read state anywhere from 5-8 days and prefer using a weekly injection to prevent what they call an “emotional roller coaster”. Some fellow “Low-T” guys refer to the third week as the “dark zone”. I find this a little alarming since I am already very concerned with my current restlessness, irritability and mood swings.
Another concern I have is the possible conversion of testosterone into estrogen. I have read where an Estradiol test is used, specifically an “ultrasensitive” assay for males, to watch for estrogen increase, especially E2. Side effects from this increase seem to range from water retention to gynocomastia. I read that if conversion of testosterone is apparent through subsequent tests after a baseline is established further testosterone conversion into estrogen can be prevented with an aromatase inhibitor.
I have a great deal of respect for you and I feel grateful that we can work together to get me “back on track”. I would also like to add that I am always curious about the medications and treatments I receive so I am merely being my usual compulsive self. I am hoping you can help me to understand the enormous amount of the information I have stumbled upon...it is truly a struggle to make sense of it all.
Thank you again for your time and your help. I am looking forward to discussing this with you further.
Sincerely,
BrysZ
-
11-17-2010, 08:38 AM #23
hey...could you please post this in plain text so it would be easier for us to then switch to bold? to make comments? thanks
-
11-17-2010, 08:43 AM #24
No problem...I also removed some of my many "quotes"...lol
Dr %%^&*@#,
To begin I want you to know that I am very grateful for your help and I want to thank you for identifying a possible solution regarding my recent diagnoses of Low-T. From what I have read I truly agree it is the correct course of action.
Since my last appointment on the 12th of November I have been researching Low-T and Hormone Replacement Therapy. I have read medical articles and joined a number of HRT forums on the internet of men who are also Low-T. I understand that I am in the implementation stage of this new process, but I have found a couple of reoccurring items I would like to discuss with you. I wrote you this letter rather than call you and bother you at work so you could read my thoughts, if you will. I was hoping after you had time to read this and had a rare free moment we could talk either on the phone or face to face about my concerns.
To begin I am concerned about the half-life of testosterone . The articles I have read state anywhere from 5-8 days and prefer using a weekly injection to prevent what they call an emotional roller coaster. Some fellow Low-T guys refer to the third week as the “dark zone”. I find this a little alarming since I am already very concerned with my current restlessness, irritability and mood swings.
Another concern I have is the possible conversion of testosterone into estrogen. I have read where an Estradiol test is used, specifically an “ultrasensitive” assay for males, to watch for estrogen increase, especially E2. Side effects from this increase seem to range from water retention to gynocomastia. I read that if conversion of testosterone is apparent through subsequent tests after a baseline is established further testosterone conversion into estrogen can be prevented with an aromatase inhibitor.
I have a great deal of respect for you and I feel grateful that we can work together to get me “back on track”. I would also like to add that I am always curious about the medications and treatments I receive so I am merely being my usual compulsive self. I am hoping you can help me to understand the enormous amount of the information I have stumbled upon...it is truly a struggle to make sense of it all.
Thank you again for your time and your help. I am looking forward to discussing this with you further.
Sincerely,
BrysZ
-
11-17-2010, 09:28 AM #25
-
11-17-2010, 11:15 AM #26
-
11-17-2010, 04:11 PM #27
Are you getting closer to your final letter?
-
11-17-2010, 04:40 PM #28
Yes...in fact I made the last change you suggested and sent it after work today. Thank you all again. It doesn't cover everything but I think it may get conversation started between patient and doctor. I will try to educate us both and make the most of this opportunity. I will keep you all posted...
-
11-17-2010, 04:42 PM #29
Great...it goes with the territory....having to educate the docs! That is why this forum is so important. Good for you to get the ball rolling and being patient enough to hold tight to get what you want. It will pay off!
-
11-17-2010, 05:05 PM #30Banned
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- Californication
- Posts
- 5,656
-
11-17-2010, 05:13 PM #31
-
11-17-2010, 06:50 PM #32
I understand... I merely started off with written communication because he is extremely difficult to get a hold of and I can express myself more throughly in writing...especially this medical jargon. After this its all verbal and I will become more and more persistant. I just want to be careful because I believe many doctors would have not prescribed me injections at 316...I don't need to piss him off. I really appreciate all your help...
-
11-17-2010, 06:54 PM #33
Vette...can you help me to understand this LH/FSH better I did some reading and I see its an indication of a secondary testosterone condition indicating a possible need for HCG ? Is that sort of correct? Also is there anything else in my blood work that I should draw his attention to? Thank you...
-
11-18-2010, 09:04 AM #34
Please help me with step #2...
For those of you that have been helping me through my initiation of HRT and my first step to initiate open communication with my doctor toward a succussful treatment program...I would like to discuss step#2. You have read my letter to my doctor which was the first indication to him that I was not "happy" with my current treatment plan. I expect he will be contacting me very soon and if not I will call him or stop in to see him.
I want to review exactly what I want to happen from here on out...I believe I have most of it correct but I want to be 100% sure so I am hoping you all would critique my plan of attack....
My goal, even though I already had one injection of 200mg last friday (11/12), Is to request an ultrasensitve Estradiol test to set a benchmark for possible estrogen increase and if an increae is apparent to add an aromatase inhibitor (Arimidex ). I will also ask to test my luteinizing hormone (LH) and my follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to determine if I am experiencing testicular atrophy and whether or not human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG ) is required. I am also going to request weekly injections of testosterone at a minimum of 200mg, which corresponds with the half-life of testosterone (5-8 days), to avoid peaks and valleys, if you will.
Please review the above statement for accuracey and whether or not it makes any sense at all. I do not want to sound like an idiot...but I believe I am finally starting to understand...Thank you as always for all your time and assistance!!!
-
11-18-2010, 09:09 AM #35
You can and should get lh and fsh checked, but i am afraid it is too late to base your condition on and establish a baseline from the results - by the time you get your bw done they will have been effected by the exogenous t you have already injected. And you will know if you are experiencing atrophy bro - just look down.
-
11-18-2010, 09:49 AM #36
-
11-18-2010, 09:50 AM #37
-
11-18-2010, 03:14 PM #38
I can't believe doctors are prescribing once a month injection protocols for TRT. That is a terrible plan and based on ZERO science. Print this out and bring it in and then ask him how a once a month protocol makes any sense.
-
11-20-2010, 07:43 AM #39Associate Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Posts
- 192
awesome charts, thanks frawnz
-
11-20-2010, 09:55 PM #40
dont know how i missed it b4 but your final request asking for 200 ew sounds a little high especially going from 200 a month even though 200 ew would be better....too high to start/request imo
Thread Information
Users Browsing this Thread
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
First Test-E cycle in 10 years
11-11-2024, 03:22 PM in ANABOLIC STEROIDS - QUESTIONS & ANSWERS