Pellets -- round two

[61er]

Went for my second set of pellet injections today. Eight hours have passed and i'm not feeling any soreness (yet). Round one was at the end of July (I'd previously been on gel). Round one (12 pellets) lifted TT to 730 (and free 2.9% calculated) from 565 (2.6%) with the gel. By early November I began to show symptoms and was tested on the 8th at 390 (2.6%). I used some left over gel as a bridge -- something I will do next time as well. This time around, 15 pellets. Should be interesting to see if I notice the difference.

[Vettester]

I'm not sure why anyone would put themselves through such a miserable treatment process!

[APIs]

^^Agreed. However, the thought of not dealing with IM Injections for an extended period is attractive though. So in that respect I "do" get it. I imagine it may not be that big of a deal for the OP & some people.

I guess it's just like the fact that IM Injection is not a big deal for most of us on this forum. Yet, the vast population viewing this may be horrified at the prospect of injecting themselves on a routine basis. Basically the same thing depending how you look at it. I guess it comes down to what your tolerances are...

[61er]

Most of my endo's patients are using gels or pellets; "some" inject (including self-inject), he says. He added that some patients found the initial discomfort too unpleasant and returned to gell. None had experience pellet extrusion. For me, this temporary discomfort is a minor price for 3+ months of forgetting about T. (I'm 2.5 days post treatment and slightly sore). Next visit I'll ask for a more precise breakdown of client treatments and conversions.

I'm surprised there isn't more discussion on the board about pellets. They are increasingly popular. Furthermore, from what I've read, E issues are less common, as well as hematocrit issues. Release is very steady and after a round or two you know your dosage and treatment frequency. Pellets have been available since 2008, so they are no longer something experimental.

[lovbyts]

DAMN it just doesnt sound like much fun. Sounds like you need to put your head into one of those cattle shoots sho they can shoot you in the ass like a bull. lol

I HATE needles but I will stick to weekly injections myself.

[kelkel]

Glad your happy with the treatment. Need to hear more people speak about it so members can see learn more about all options and make an educated decision. I've watched the video posted here sometime back showing the procedure and for me, , that's all it took for me to realize I will gladly stick to injections. I just could not fathom that procedure every three months, but that's just me. I'm also very into controlling all aspects of my TRT and I think pellets limit you in that aspect to some extent.

Please keep us posted..

[Vettester]

I'm surprised there isn't more discussion on the board about pellets. They are increasingly popular. Furthermore, from what I've read, E issues are less common, as well as hematocrit issues.

With that said, can you tell us what your E2 level is on the pellets, along with other related labs (DHEA, Free & Bio Test, Thyroid Panels, and the CBC's for your hematocrit)? If I may ask, what protocols of HCG does your endo do to offset the testicular atrophy?

[61er]

Hi,

I appreciate your interest.

The following was reported in the week prior to round two of pellets (Nov 8). HGC has not been discussed. E2 was not tested this round, but was the previous.

Nov 8 (just prior to round two):

Testosterone , Total 391.84 ng/dL 250-890
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin 20 nmol/L 13-71
Testosterone, Free (Calc) 102.5 pg/mL 47.0-244.0
Testosterone, % Free (Calc) 2.6 % 1.6-2.9

Panel Name:CBC with Diff

WBC 5.4 K/uL 4.0-10.5
RBC 5.20 MIL/uL 4.22-5.81
Hemoglobin 15.7 g/dL 13.0-17.0
Hematocrit 48.0 % 39.0-52.0
MCV 92.3 fL 78.0-100.0
MCH 30.2 pg 26.0-34.0
MCHC 32.7 g/dL 30.0-36.0
RDW 13.8 % 11.5-15.5
Platelet Count 236 K/uL 150-400
Granulocyte % 69 % 43-77
Absolute Gran 3.7 K/uL 1.7-7.7
Lymph % 22 % 12-46
Absolute Lymph 1.2 K/uL 0.7-4.0
Mono % 7 % 3-12
Absolute Mono 0.4 K/uL 0.1-1.0
Eos % 1 % 0-5
Absolute Eos 0.1 K/uL 0.0-0.7
Baso % 0 % 0-1
Absolute Baso 0.0 K/uL 0.0-0.1

On Aug 20, three weeks after round one, results included: Estradiol 24.2. T was 728, free T 2.8%.

On July 20, prior to round one, thyroid panel was fine, and included:

Panel Name: TSH
TSH 1.829 uIU/mL 0.350-4.500

Panel Name: T4, Free
Free T4 1.42 ng/dL 0.80-1.80

Panel Name: Prolactin
Prolactin 4.6 ng/mL 2.1-17.1

Panel Name: Somatomedin C, IGF-1
Somatomedin C, IGF-1 244 ng/mL 55-213

Panel Name: T3, Free
T3, Free 3.7 pg/mL 2.3-4.2

[Vettester]

No complaints with the earlier tests you did, they were spot-on! I'm not a big fan knowing that the effectiveness of the pellets will fade out, thus the declining serum level reported Nov. 8. However, if it's working for you then carry on with it.

Are you taking HCG for the testicular atrophy?

[61er]

No HCG . I'll bring it up at the next visit. If size has declined, it's minor. No discomfort. (Does anyone know whether testes continue to shrink after a year of treatment without HCG, or do they stabilize?) There has been a significant drop off of ejaculate.

FYI, still feeling soreness at injection site more than a week after treatment, but will continue with this treatment in the future. The convenience...

[61er]

Hi,

Should I have any concerns? This bloodwork was done three weeks after my most recent pellet treatment. The TT and FT is probably a little high due to small amounts or residual testosterone from the previous pellet treatment. As you can see, I requested some extra panels based on recommendations on this board.

[Jon1000]

Kevin Levrone in on pellets isn't he?

[kelkel]

61 I think it looks pretty damn good. Only questions pertains to your psa. Is that normal for you? Did your doc say anything about it?

[JohnnyVegas]

^^Agreed. However, the thought of not dealing with IM Injections for an extended period is attractive though. So in that respect I "do" get it. I imagine it may not be that big of a deal for the OP & some people.

I guess it's just like the fact that IM Injection is not a big deal for most of us on this forum. Yet, the vast population viewing this may be horrified at the prospect of injecting themselves on a routine basis. Basically the same thing depending how you look at it. I guess it comes down to what your tolerances are...

Agreed. My father in law is on the gel because he cannot imagine injecting himself. He just wants to feel normal and the gel is easy peasy.