Started TRT today

[rugerdooger]

Howdy,
44 years old. Hit that wall about 2 years. Last year my doctor started testing my testosterone levels and they were on the low side with free testosterone almost non-existant. He suggested trt. After a year of indecisiveness and reading Dr. Life's book a couple times my wife and I decided to take the plunge. Just received my first injection of Cypionate this morning. Feeling pretty excited about this treatment. I'm planning on keeping meticulous records, notes, photos of my progress in my workout routine and general well being. My doctor first suggested the patch. After reading these forums for a few weeks and discussing it with my wife I decided to go the injection route. Holy cow! I forgot what a real shot feels like. Oh well. Here we go.

[rugerdooger]

...and I did not realize so many words instantly turn into links in the posts. Sorry for that. Will be more selective from now on.

[APIs]

Welcome. I'm around your age. Believe me, you & your wife will love the new you. Guarantee it...

[steroid.com 1]

Weclome to the club ruger!

Can you post your bloodwork and TRT protocol?

You life is about to change in an most amazing way

[kelkel]

Tell your wife to get ready.........

[flatscat]

Glad to have you and welcome!!!

[bass]

welcome Ruger! and don't worry about the links, we don't have control over it. we'll be following your progress and like the guys said, get ready to love the new you, however, it may take some tweaking to get you an optimal protocol, but once you get there its party time thereafter! what is your complete TRT protocol?

[rugerdooger]

Well at this point I really don't know a lot. I actually forgot to ask the nurse today the amount of cyp I was getting. Felt like a lot but that is just me being a wussy. My doctor is starting me off at once a month. I am going to call the office next week and get all my BW numbers and dosage. I will be able to post it all at that time. My doctor had been planning on starting me with the Androderm and I did not decide until yesterday to go with the injections so I haven't sat down and talked with him directly about the cyp. It was all done over the phone via his nurse. I have been a walking zombie for about two years with zero motivation to exercise. Went from 155 to 215 in about 4 years time. All fat. Typical overweight and unhealthy 44 year old heading for type 2 diabetes and hung like a limp mouse. So this is my Christmas present to myself. My only regret is that I pawned off my power rack a year ago. I am so bummed now.

[bass]

Ruger, I hate burst your bubble but your doctor doesn't know what hes doing. once a month shot is more harmful than beneficial to you. a typical TRT protocol for men is,

every week,
100-200 mgs test, and you can split the dose to twice a week to stabilize peaks and valleys.
AI (adex) 1 mgs per 100 mgs test, split into 0.5 mgs and spread throughout the week
hCG , 250 iu eod or 300 iu 3 times a week or 500 iu twice a week.

[JD250]

Welcome Ruger, exciting stuff huh!! As Bass noted, once a month isn't so good but don't worry too much about it just print a few things out for your doc to read concerning the HALF LIFE of test cyp, he seems like he's willing to work with you on it so you've already got a good start. Also research and talk with him about an AI and using HCG ........no need to panic just be sure to educate yourself and talk with him about it sooner than later.

Happy for ya man, you'll be a new man before long, is your wife ready for that?

[rugerdooger]

Thanks for all the info guys. I actually had planned on discussing a weekly dosage with him to avoid the roller coaster effect I have heard of. That is when I was going to bring up letting me self-administer at home plus the AI and HCG . I figure I will probably have to deal with a bit of a crash before my next injection. That is if I even feel any positive effects my first month. He wants to do BW on me every three months. Does that seem reasonable?

[hwy1378]

I'm on TRT and it works like a charm in two ways. no post cycle for me and I'm keeping all my gains. I will tell you I started seeing the best results about 4 to 5 months in. The stuff from the doctor does make me break out less then ugl stuff. I do 200mg a week split. Plus I'm like a 25yr old in the bed room. I'm 46

[rugerdooger]

Udpdate on my trt. My doctor agreed to split up my injections to every other week. He had no problem with it. From everything I read on this forum though it sounds like I am on a pretty low dose. I will only be getting 100mg every other week. I will eventually try to get him to let me do my own injections. I felt pretty good after getting 200 mg the other week. I'm sure some of that was psychological but some was not as my wife will attest to. Have felt like my old yucky self for the last couple days. I will be bringing in some papers and printouts when I go in for my next shot. I want the HCG and AI. I don't know if it my mind playing tricks with me but I am already feeling slight discomfort in the breast region. Could just be from a few light workouts last week but I wasn't feeling any discomfort until yesterday. I am also going to request BW after two months instead of 3. What is the general consensus on drinking and TRT? I like my beer and bourbon. Just want to make sure I'm not doing any more damage to my liver than I usually do.

[bass]

drinking will effect your testosterone anyway and yes your liver as well, so why do it?! 100 mgs eow will make you feel like crap! you need a minimum of 100 mgs per week because by day 9 you will have ZERO testosterone in your blood if not close to it! tell your doctor about the half life, test will start declining at day 5.

[JD250]

I'm particularly fond of bourbon and beer but to be quite honest since I started TRT, lost weight and cleaned up my diet I've become a serious lightweight, as such I've found that I don't really care much to drink very often anymore. I really don't know why or how but I just don't WANT to have a beer or a shot very often, I feel like shit after a few beers and can't see straight after a couple shots so I pretty much all but quit drinking, I still have one on rare occasion, no regrets about cutting back at all. Go into this thing slowly, one step at a time and see how you feel in a couple months. A normal TRT protocol won't affect your liver, Jim Beam Black on the other hand.........

Keep talking with your doc, your blood work should reveal that your levels are very low by the end of the second week and then he can adjust from there, make sure to communicate with him how you feel and WHEN you feel that way.

Your off to a decent start, keep reading up and educating yourself bro.

Bass is correct about feeling like crap after a week or so..... keep talking with the doc.

[steroid.com 1]

I really don't have anything to add other then your Doctor is prescribing a drug without any consideration to half life. Testosterone has about a 72 hour half life...maybe less...you do the math.

bass is correct, 100 mg every two weeks (even 50 mg per week) is largely ineffective when you consider about 70 - 75% of that dose will make it into your bloodstream where it can do its magic.

You need to get your E2 tested. If your nips are starting to show neg sides that is not good. If you have high levels of aromatase it will convert all of that Testosterone into estradiol which you do not want at all. If you have elevated E2 levels you will need an inhibitor.

When your testes start to hurt you will be screaming for hCG .

This Doctor doesn't now what they are doing and you could/will end up hurt for it.

[zaggahamma]

best of luck with it...sure you'll enjoy

dont worry about the crazy links

[JAMIE07652]

Welcome to the club ! .. As I did , you will regret not starting sooner ! Do what these guys say < gym < diet< test ... and you will be amazed !!!

[bullshark99]

Welcome Ruger, do this right and it will be a life changing event! We are roughly the same age and I have been on the beter part of the year, big difference. Just want to "echo" what Bass said, 100mgs every 2 weeks may do you more damage than good?? Again, Im still relitively new to this but I beleive 50mgs per week will totally shut you down, natural production that is. I stopped for 2 months this summer and I was a train wreck, didnt even think it was possible to gain weight as fast as I did not to mention feeling like shit. You "may" feel good for 5, 6 days after your injection then crash for a good week before your next. Remember your body will no longer be making its own T. Going on such a small dose may seem like you are "supplementing" additional T but (others here can correct me if Im wrong) what I think is actually happening is you are shuting off your own production completly and adding only 50 mgs evry 2 weeks, which means maybe 35mgs will actually be absorbed and used. When you get your blood work done (I personally) would do it the day before your next injection to show the Dr how low you may be in hopes of him bumping you up higher. just my initial feeling?

[FONZY007]

At one point I ran out of syringes and at day 10 started to have sides from

[zaggahamma]

At one point I ran out of syringes and at day 10 started to have sides from

really wow

[FONZY007]

really wow

Broke out like no other..

[calisun]

Enjoy the new vitality!

[rugerdooger]

Update: Discussed weekly test protocol (including HCG and AI) with my doctor. My doctor felt more comfortable referring me to an endo and I agreed. I have also been doing my homework and have a list of doctors in my area that specialize in HRT just in case my appointment with the endo doesn't go the way I want it. So we shall see.

[kelkel]

So skip the endo if you insurance allows it. Just because they hold that title does not mean they know TRT at all. Go directly to a doc that specializes in it.

[zaggahamma]

So skip the endo if you insurance allows it. Just because they hold that title does not mean they know TRT at all. Go directly to a doc that specializes in it.

agree
many of endo's FAIL

[Brohim]

you need 80mg per week minimum; most do 100mg if it's cyp. Good luck on your doc shopping.

[springguy45]

Welcome to the club bro. Many of us have been on HRT for years and I for one must say that it really changed my life, in the beginning, but after a time it leveled off to a nice level and now I am just crusing along. I use my urologist for my HRT Rx and also use androgel . I started like you at 2x/month which sucked finally got on once per week injections and have been using the gel for 10 or more years. Yes I started young on HRT and it is a life long commitment. My ins pays for the gel and my copay is like 20 a month. Dr. visit was 4x that and it became a hassle to go to the office once a week. Most docs wont allow you to do your own injections for one they dont get any money either from you or your ins so for them it is financial. Good luck on the journey stay healthy cut back on the beer and whisky they are both test killers, for a while anyway, then you will find you dont like it as much...lol

[rugerdooger]

Should have listened to jpkman. Endo was a big waste of time. Thankfully, I was able to find a doctor through a local compounding pharmacy. I see eye to eye with him and am now his patient for trt. Starting out with 100 mg cyp per week. Split up in to two injections. Basically 50 mg every 3 or 4 days. Trying to figure out if I should go 3 or 4.

Very small needle compared to what I was skewered with in De***ber. 25g 5/8 straight in to the outer quad. Didn't even feel it.

[steroid.com 1]

Should have listened to jpkman. Endo was a big waste of time. Thankfully, I was able to find a doctor through a local compounding pharmacy. I see eye to eye with him and am now his patient for trt. Starting out with 100 mg cyp per week. Split up in to two injections. Basically 50 mg every 3 or 4 days. Trying to figure out if I should go 3 or 4.

Very small needle compared to what I was skewered with in De***ber. 25g 5/8 straight in to the outer quad. Didn't even feel it.

You got the right guys this time...Congrats!

Make your injection protocol every 3.5 days. In other words, Monday morning 50 mg and then Thursday night 50 mg.

If you're taking an aromatase inhibitor take that 12 to 24 hours after each injection as the AI has about a 50 hour half life and test peaks about 72 after injection so both peak at the same time.

This should do you well ruger.

gd

[zaggahamma]

Good to hear broski keep us posted on how u do...
3 or 4 times huh? What did that ass ever do to u?

[rugerdooger]

Good to hear broski keep us posted on how u do...
3 or 4 times huh? What did that ass ever do to u?

3 days or 4 days between injections is what I was referring too.

[bass]

3 days or 4 days between injections is what I was referring too.

LOL, am i the only one that gets JPK's jokes?!

Hey Ruger, congratulations, moving forward to a better life.

[JD250]

Sounds good man, keep after it and give this thing time, in a year you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner.

Bass, you're not the only one that gets JPs jokes, I got one......once.

[JAMIE07652]

Welcome and good luck !

[zaggahamma]

Lmao
Fvckers

[hwy1378]

Good luck man! I've been on TRT for a little over a year and looking and feeling my best now. Best thing I ever did. I was in 200mg a week but when I cut it back to 100mg I lost the puff and got more cut and vascular. I guess I was retaining water and didn't know it. I lost a lot of belly fat also. If you have any question feel free to message me.

[rugerdooger]

Well I've just finished my 3rd week of trt and all I have to say is goodbye expensive blue pills. I don't know how often I can visit this forum anymore because some of these Avatars are starting to drive me insane. (Especially the Erica Campbell one.) Oy Vey. Seriously though I will start another thread with my BW, results, progress and stuff. Just have to find myself a good avatar....

[socalfun64]

Nice going Bro! I've been following along and am about to start a thread on my situation and progress. I've learned alot from all you guys.

[hwy1378]

Well I've just finished my 3rd week of trt and all I have to say is goodbye expensive blue pills. I don't know how often I can visit this forum anymore because some of these Avatars are starting to drive me insane. (Especially the Erica Campbell one.) Oy Vey. Seriously though I will start another thread with my BW, results, progress and stuff. Just have to find myself a good avatar....

Well here are my results after a year and one month on TRT. I continue to tweak my dose based on my blood work. Believe it or not 200mg put me into a 1150 range.... I was looking bloated and didnt feel great. so now im on 150mg and my range went down to 650. I feel great and get all the benefits. I got rid of the bloating and my skin calmed down. I have become much more vascular and much harder down there when duty calls. My libido also went up. I started also taking 5mg every other day of DHEA. I did just start a cycle of Anavar with it but after 3 weeks of a six week Anavar cycle I cut it down from 50mg a day to 30mg a day and feel much better. I guess everybody's body is different.... Some guys on here might say why even bother taking 30mg of Anavar but I have to listen to my body. The 30mg is getting me much more cut and vascular and works for me. after the 6 weeks I will stay on the TRT and I just started My HCG from my Doctor which I love.