First follow up bloodwork - and a couple of crazy numbers.

[freshmaker]

47 yr old male. 6'2". Today, 190lbs. Two weeks ago I was 175. One week ago I was 180. I don't know if this is a result of the test or creatine that I have been loading for the past 30 days or so. Bodyfat was 6% in february - not sure what it is now. more on that in a minute.

I had been running roughly 100mg a week of test cyp for 7-8 weeks. No AI or HCG .

Blood test last week, 1 week after last 100mg injection:

Estrogens Fractionated, S
Estradiol: 23.3 pg/ml ref 7.6 - 42.6
Estrone, Serum 39 pg/ml ref 12-72

Free testosterone : 8.1 pg/ml ref 6.8 - 21.5
Serum Testosterone 411 ng/dl ref 348- 1197

TSH 2.2 uIU/mL ref 0.45 - 4.5
T4, Free 1.38 ng/dL ref 0.82 - 1.77

IGF-1 338 ng/ml Ref 94-252

Some thoughts / questions:
IGF is high. I'm not on any hgh or anything else. No idea why this would be. Thoughts?
I think the test numbers are ok, considering it was a full week after my last shot. I get a mid-week crash after the shot, so I have started splitting shots into twice a week, 75mg each time. I started this last week. The nurse (I still have my dr's office do the shots, about to change that) gave me a full 100 monday - she didn't know I had changed to 75, and that shot me through the roof, mentally for 48 hours. I really didn't enjoy that.
E2 - seems fine to me. Any thoughts?

I have been at 175lbs for 9 months. All of a sudden I have gained 15 lbs. I'm a pretty strict paleo eater. Three changes in the past few weeks:
1. More test as above.
2. Creating loading for the past 30-40 days
3. I ate sugary stuff almost daily last week with my kids for fun - probably about 300 calories a day for 6 days.

I'm wondering if all 3 have combined to have me retain huge water. I've lost a lot of definition, but definitely am gaining muscle mass. My scale, which offers a body fat measurement that I ignore, says that I'm at 6.2% bodyfat still, for whatever that is worth.

Appreciate any wisdom and experience you may have to offer!

[sirupate]

I believe creatine loading also increases water weight...may be part of the equation. My son did that for a while when he was lifting for football and I remember that being a potential problem. Your estradiol looks about mid-range, so if that is working for you, it seems OK.

You also can retain water weight as your testosterone dose increases, so that may be a factor too.

As you say, you need to be doing the injecting yourself for convenience if nothing else.

[bullshark99]

Numbers do look fine, perplexed about the IGF???? Years ago I did the creatine loading deal and recall getting bloated, lots of water weight. Any A.I?? E2 looks ideal but you made no mention of A.I. the additional T also could conribute to water weight, Anyhow at 6% you must be exteremly lean?

[phoenix44]

6% is insanely hard to stay at. Do you have any pics?
That's a few weeks from walking on stage.

[Brohim]

Some guys have naturally high IGF-1. At least you won't need HGH. As far as your test numbers you took it after 7 day's so number's are as expected. If you only ate 300 cal's extra per day of sugar then no way you gained 15 lbs. of fat. It is water weight from TEst and creatine.

Sounds like you metabolize test pretty quick if you are crashing midweek. You should feel better splitting shot's. Just curious why you jumped from 100mg to 150 per week?

[freshmaker]

6% is insanely hard to stay at. Do you have any pics?
That's a few weeks from walking on stage.

Well, I look bloated and puffy now! I'm just tall and skinny. I bounce between 6 - 9%.

[freshmaker]

Some guys have naturally high IGF-1. At least you won't need HGH. As far as your test numbers you took it after 7 day's so number's are as expected. If you only ate 300 cal's extra per day of sugar then no way you gained 15 lbs. of fat. It is water weight from TEst and creatine.

Sounds like you metabolize test pretty quick if you are crashing midweek. You should feel better splitting shot's. Just curious why you jumped from 100mg to 150 per week?

My question is whether the Test leads to water retention. Any data on that?

I have read that on creatine, if you don't drink enough water, as your muscles pull water your body goes into dehydration mode and starts hanging onto every drop. That's gotta be part of it. Never seen it like this before.

I bumped it up based on how I have felt over the past few weeks as shot days have shifted around a bit and such. 100 a week feels like too little and 200 is too much. It's not scientific but I'm going to give it some time and see how it works.

[kelkel]

Go back to your normal dosage of 100mg. Start injecting yourself and split dosage to 50mg every 3.5 days. Bet it would help you out greatly.

[freshmaker]

Go back to your normal dosage of 100mg. Start injecting yourself and split dosage to 50mg every 3.5 days. Bet it would help you out greatly.

Appreciate the thought. What is it that you think it will help? The dr and I are guessing at what would put me into high normal, mutual guess was 75 2x a week. They showed me how to do the shot today and set me up with a prescription.

Would love to here more from you on this.