TRT Time Table to Feeling Better

[jwh7699]

I've been on TRT since August. My initial T level was 151. My Doc gave me 200mg of CYP injected once a month for the first 3 months, with such a low dose I knew I wouldn't see much results. De***ber they gave me 1 injection of 400mg.

They finally listened to me and started me on 200mg of CYP every 2 weeks. The 28th of this month will be the 2nd month of doing it this way.

I still don't have a lot of pep yet. I know everyone is different, but I was wondering what the typical time line is to feeling good again?

Thanks for reading!!

[J DIESEL3]

Hey jwh have u had any blood work done after you started?

Also every 2 week injections are not really the way to go.One time a week at the very least for injections.Most guys here do 2 per week or every 3.5 days.

As far as feeling better it will take time to get dialed in sometimes so don't give up.I would get bw again and go from that.

[bass]

you will never feel better at this protocol. like J Diesels said, at least once a week for it to work correctly. if i were you i's split the dose to 100mgs per week. sadly your doc is giving you meds he doesn't understand. like GD said its criminal practice!

[jwh7699]

I've had blood work done a few times. They drew it a few days after the first of the bi-weekly doses and it was in the 700 range. Mind you this was only a few days after getting an injection.

I have another round of blood work in a few weeks. They want to draw it 1 week after a 200mg injection to see if this is the treatment protocol they want to stick with.

At 100mg a week, how soon did you start feeling more energized?

[elendil]

good luck sir

[elendil]

dddddd GL

[sparverius]

What's supposed to happen for the second week? You just disappear?

You should be at peak levels a few days after the injection. However with the first injection you will be low because you started at a low level. Each injection, if they are done before the last one has disappeared, will start with a higher baseline. Eventually you reach a plateau.

Here's what the curve looks like for 200mg every two weeks:




And here's what 100mg/week looks like:




Note that the troughs are a lot lower on the every 2 week protocol even though the amount is the same. (this uses 12 days as the half life and I think it's more like 8 in average people and even less in people with high metabolism).

Injecting once a month is totally stupid. After playing with this tool (and reading here) I switched to twice a week.

Do you feel ok starting a day after the injection and then it fades?

[jwh7699]

I don't feel energized yet when I get an injection, but I do feel more tired the further I get from my last injection.

I get my injections from the Veterans Administration so I have to show my level based on blood work before they will change how often they will give me an injection.

[DaRoq]

When I was on 200mg every 14 days (every other Tuesday), it didn't kick in for me until the 3rd injection. My levels would peak by the 3rd or 4th day after the injection, then cruise nicely until the next one. I never felt low at trough, and the higher peak actually felt good. The only issue I might've had was the feeling of high e2 due to high initial amounts following injection, but that was never substantiated by bloodwork. I also never did 100mg/wk to compare, but the 2nd week of my eow cycle never felt that strong even though it was theoretically the same as doing 100mg/wk.

[HRTstudent]

It really sounds like this doctor/team is totally in the dark about TRT!

Monthly injects? Seriously?! Then bi-weekly after you hound them?

I see it this way... even if they agree to weekly injections, what makes you believe they are going to be able to get you to optimal hormonal status regarding the plethora of other hormones that TRT impacts?

Even if you like this doctor or their team, I believe it's in your best interest to find someone who actually knows about HRT in men. Youve suffered for too long on your own. Don't pay someone else to prolong it!

[lovbyts]

Agree with all the rest, you need to talk your doc into 1x a week or let you do it yourself.

[zaggahamma]

did you get your question answered jw?

[JAMIE07652]

For me it took 4 weeks or so for things to kick in ..as the.boys mentioned , I'm on weekly injections .. Good luck stud !

[kelkel]

Also, read GD's sticky at the top of our forum on "How long it takes for TRT to kick in"......

[jwh7699]

Read GD's posting, very good info! I'll defiently keep on them about modifying the dosage frequency.


"I see it this way... even if they agree to weekly injections, what makes you believe they are going to be able to get you to optimal hormonal status regarding the plethora of other hormones that TRT impacts?"

What other hormones should I be concerned about? Thanks!!

[JD250]

^^^^ Read the stickies, HCG, pregnenolone, dhea.........blood work will answer many questions, you're on the right track with your effort to research, keep up the good work.


Also I believe some of these charts are generated by a generic calculator and don't represent the true curve, they may represent true end point figures but everything I've seen indicates that the curve is more of a "peak--------level------sharp drop" .......which means that you have slightly less than a week of strong, steady serum levels before it drops fast back below an acceptable level............try your best to get them to give you 100mg a week and you'll feel better......and remember that "feeling better" sometimes means that you don't feel anything .....just normal, what I mean is you won't feel like superman you'll just feel like you should....."normal"...... That may be "normal for a 24 year old which is great for us old guys but don't expect to be some sort of super human. Keep us posted man.

[jwh7699]

I agree, I just want to feel normal and not so tired all the time.

So on my next blood test I should ask them to test for ?
Total Testosterone Level
Estrogen
PSA
DHEA
DHT
Luteinizing Hormone
Pregnenolone

Did I miss any?

Thanks!!!

[kelkel]

Take a look at the "Finding a TRT Physician" sticky for follow-up BW. You've been on a while now, you can eliminate LH/FSH.

[steroid.com 1]

Physicians prescribing drugs and not understanding half-life = Criminal!

I don't see anything here about E2 levels...did I miss it?

Also, I'd like to see a full Thyroid panel conducted.

Many symptoms of hypothyroidism are the same as low Testosterone.

Can we see the full BW with ranges?

[GFA]

Would your doc write a script for you? Then you can inject yourself on whatever schedule you want. My doc wrote a script for 200mg/ml 10ml vial and I just inject myself 100mg a week. Watched a few videos and read a few documents on how to do it. 25g 1" needle into the quad. Painless.

[HRTstudent]

You don't need to test LH (or FSH) since you're already on TRT.

You need to specify estradiol sensitive/ultrasensitive and not just "estrogen"

It's also worth checking up on your lipids, SHBG, and free test and/or bioavailable test. Androgens typically have a negative effect on your lipids. Also, monitor your hematocrit and hemoglobin as androgens also negatively effect these as well. You want to avoid "thick" blood.

Might as well check vitamin D since just about everyone here that tested their vitamin D was very low or low, including me.

[zaggahamma]

Read GD's posting, very good info! I'll defiently keep on them about modifying the dosage frequency.


"I see it this way... even if they agree to weekly injections, what makes you believe they are going to be able to get you to optimal hormonal status regarding the plethora of other hormones that TRT impacts?"

What other hormones should I be concerned about? Thanks!!

did u mean youself when u say "you"?

[jwh7699]

I copied the above quote from member hrt

My thyroid levels are at normal levels. My cholesterol was recently up by 30 points, so they put me on a cholesterol lowering drug. I've never had my vitamin D tested. I do take 2000 iu a day of Vitamin D though. I don't have recent copy of my blood work. I go Tuesday for my next injection. I can get a copy then.

Thanks for the tips!!

[zaggahamma]

I copied the above quote from member hrt

My thyroid levels are at normal levels. My cholesterol was recently up by 30 points, so they put me on a cholesterol lowering drug. I've never had my vitamin D tested. I do take 2000 iu a day of Vitamin D though. I don't have recent copy of my blood work. I go Tuesday for my next injection. I can get a copy then.

Thanks for the tips!!

oh I see
So u don't know the other hormones running thru your body?
That's not in that sticky?

[jwh7699]

I read the sticky and just wanted to confirm the hormones that I should ask to be tested:
So on my next blood test I should ask them to test for ?

Total Testosterone
Bioavailable Testosterone
Free Testosterone (if Bioavailable T is still unavailable)
Estradiol (specify “sensitive” assay for males)
CBC
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
Lipid Profile

[HRTstudent]

other hormones that will be effected include dhea, pregnenolone, estradiol... well probably tons... even your thyroid could be effected.

But my bigger point was that if the doctor does not have any extra training in antiaging or hormonal repla***ent therapy then it is only in YOUR best interest to find a new doctor that is. I realize there may be financial restraints but otherwise it would be worth it. Not everyone needs to see Dr Crisler (who doesn't take insurance anyways) but there are plenty of doctors who specialize in testosterone/male hormone repla***ent.

Definitely check out that sticky on finding a doctor.