Began TRT today

[gatornate97]

Hello all!

I am thankful to find such an informative website with all this knowledge to help people like me out.
Just one question, after my first shot today at 20g I have begun to have a headache.i am one that did not get headaches before, so I am just curious to see of this has happened to anyone else.
Any feedback here is much appreciated!!! And thanks for letting me be part of this community.

[gatornate97]

200mg....sorry, on my iPhone and this damn auto correct will get you every time.

[gatornate97]

And HCG as well. I will get better with this so sorry about the multiple post to get my point across. Just feel a bit "off" sort of out of it.

Thanks again for any feedback and responses.i look forward to being an active member while I learn more and go through these treatments.

Thnaks

[gatornate97]

Test-355

Estradiol- 41

PSA- .8

Hemo- 38

[EverettCD]

What type of Testosterone did you inject?

I can count on one hand how many headaches I've had in my lifetime. None since beginning TRT. A quick search on the ole interweb popped this up.

Depo-Testosterone in Detail - Patient Information: Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

swelling, rapid weight gain;
increased or ongoing erection of the penis;
bone pain, increased thirst, memory problems, restless feeling, confusion, nausea, loss of appetite, increased urination, weakness, muscle twitching; or
nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Women receiving testosterone injection may develop male characteristics, which could be irreversible if testosterone treatment is continued. Call your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of these signs of excess testosterone:

acne;
changes in your menstrual periods;
male-pattern hair growth (such as on the chin or chest);
male pattern baldness;
enlarged clitoris; or
increase or decrease in sex drive.
Less serious side effects may include:

breast swelling in men;
headache, anxiety, depressed mood;
numbness or tingly feeling; or
pain or swelling where the medicine was injected.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Link to the full information:
Side Effects of Depo-Testosterone (Testosterone Cypionate Injection) Drug Center - RxList

[gatornate97]

Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it.

It was Test Cyp. Thank you for the link and I have went through those side effects. I don't think anything is serious, just was curious if there was a acclimation period when starting to where your body had to adjust and little headaches and just feeling just a bit off is the normal the initial treatment. Just looking for personal experiences.
Thank you again for your research and educating me on the possible side effects.

[kelkel]

You could easily just have been a bit stressed due to the shot and beginning this process. What put you on TRT and what is your complete protocol?

Welcome to the forum!

[FRDave]

I got a headache after my first shot but it was due to nerves as I was so nervous. Held my breathe the entire time and the shot took like 3 min to inject lol. Immediately got light headed and felt like I was going to pass out.

Honestly though, I think it's just coincidence.

By the way, what is your planned protocol? Is that 200mg weekly or once every 2 weeks? HCG at all?

[ottomaddox]

I get a migraine headache within two days after every shot. I'm allergic to one of the preservatives in it. I use Watson brand test cyp. 200mg/ml.

[gatornate97]

Awesome feedback fellas!! I appreciate the candidness and explanation.

My protocol is 200mg once weekly with HCG injections in the stomach.

I also take 50mg zinc daily

My estrogen levels are a bit high for my age along with my test. I attribute it to not being very particular the last 4 weeks of a stack I did in my mid 20's. I had a child and things happened to where I didn't cycle off appropriately and I believe that's where I began to get all my symptoms. I just got sick of the tiredness, fluctuations in weight, and overall well being to finally have my levels checked.

Now that I am 14 hrs in, it feels like almost a clinching type of tension. In my legs, jaw...almost like a really anxious feeling. I want to pop my jaw, flex, stretch, whatever to relax. Especially my jaw lol.

Just learning my body while on this first go round. Probably just psychological like said above. Looking forward to the benefits.

[FRDave]

Awesome feedback fellas!! I appreciate the candidness and explanation.

My protocol is 200mg once weekly with HCG injections in the stomach.

I also take 50mg zinc daily

My estrogen levels are a bit high for my age along with my test. I attribute it to not being very particular the last 4 weeks of a stack I did in my mid 20's. I had a child and things happened to where I didn't cycle off appropriately and I believe that's where I began to get all my symptoms. I just got sick of the tiredness, fluctuations in weight, and overall well being to finally have my levels checked.

Now that I am 14 hrs in, it feels like almost a clinching type of tension. In my legs, jaw...almost like a really anxious feeling. I want to pop my jaw, flex, stretch, whatever to relax. Especially my jaw lol.

Just learning my body while on this first go round. Probably just psychological like said above. Looking forward to the benefits.

200mg weekly is a pretty high dose. What is your HCG protocol like?

The majority of us started off with 100mg split into two injections weekly, every 3.5 days. From there, some have to go a bit higher, and others like myself were able to drop down to 80mg weekly. The two injections weekly (sat morning and tues night for me) help keep your serum levels stable throughout the week, as well as cause less E2 spike, allowing many to not even need an AI like Arimidex . The goal is to use as little test as possible while feeling great so that you don't encounter other issues like high hematocrit levels which can be deadly.

[gatornate97]

My HCG protocol is 50mg weekly.

I take it the same day, subcutaneous, as my Test.
I asked about the AI as I have high levels of estradiol and the Doc said I wasn't at a significant enough level to prescribe that. To use the zinc and that should be good for now.

My total test is 355...I actually asked today that maybe we should take the shots twice weekly to maintain serum levels after researching. He seemed to think that once every 7 days would be sufficient.

From my research, I have read that an optimal level of total Test should be 500-700...I do not know how they find optimal dosing, but I assume we start here at 200mg and after my first lab in 60 days and adjust dosing then. Should I suggest a lower dose to start?

[powerlifterty16]

200 is a very high dose, your doc should have started at 100....you might feel worse at 200.
optimal t varies but id say it is 650-850.

[gatornate97]

200 is a very high dose, your doc should have started at 100....you might feel worse at 200.
optimal t varies but id say it is 650-850.

If you don't mind, can you expound on the statement of "feeling worse"

Is this dose amount something I should insist on changing next appt?

[Brett N]

My protocol is -

All doctors are different but mine Has me take Test 2x a week sub Q (3.5 days)
HCG is taken in between Test shots (roughly 42 hours after 2x a week)
AI is taken 24 hours after test.

This is my understanding - The HCG is taken in between because it will also cause you to have a small spike in your test levels because it is increasing the amouunt of Test you naturally produce. The AI is taken 24 hours after the test because that is when the test level will peak which is also when you will be converting the higher levels of it to estrogen.

Amounts are different for everyone on all but I was started on 50mg test C 2x a week. This reduces highs and lows. Also, I am only 2 weeks in but I really don't feel a dramatic difference yet. If I was feeling those symptoms, I would be on the phone. Just my opinion.

I wouldn't really insist on changing anything. Let your doctor be the doctor. Explain your symptoms, if things do not get better, explain what has changed. You will get dialed in, it is a little trial and error for everyone if you read through all the threads. All bodies are different.

[gatornate97]

My protocol is -

All doctors are different but mine Has me take Test 2x a week sub Q (3.5 days)
HCG is taken in between Test shots (roughly 42 hours after 2x a week)
AI is taken 24 hours after test.

This is my understanding - The HCG is taken in between because it will also cause you to have a small spike in your test levels because it is increasing the amouunt of Test you naturally produce. The AI is taken 24 hours after the test because that is when the test level will peak which is also when you will be converting the higher levels of it to estrogen.

Amounts are different for everyone on all but I was started on 50mg test C 2x a week. This reduces highs and lows. Also, I am only 2 weeks in but I really don't feel a dramatic difference yet. If I was feeling those symptoms, I would be on the phone. Just my opinion.

I wouldn't really insist on changing anything. Let your doctor be the doctor. Explain your symptoms, if things do not get better, explain what has changed. You will get dialed in, it is a little trial and error for everyone if you read through all the threads. All bodies are different.

Thanks for the feedback.

Something is concerning me though...it seems everyone is using AI's but my Doc has said I didn't need it yet....Just to take 50mg Zinc

My estradiol was at 41 before program.
Is it weird that I am not on some sort of AI?

[Brett N]

It's impossible for me to say and know for certain I am correct.

For me, my Total T was not as big of an issue as my free T. The doctor had the thought that I was converting a lot of my Test to estrogen. The AI would stop me from converting even more with the added test.

This is coming from austinites vitamin thread here > http://forums.steroid.com/supplement...ns-thread.html

Zinc
Dosage: Minimum 11 - 100 mg
Info: Needed for a healthy immune system, helps fight skin ailments. Required for the health of skin, nails, and hair. Aids in the growth and maintenance of muscle. Required for protein synthesis, aids with detoxifying the liver, zinc lozenges can helps reduce the duration of colds. Enhances the sense of taste and smell.
Assimilates best with: Copper, Boron, Calcium, Phosphorous, Selenium, Vitamin A & E, and B-Complex.
Antagonist(s): Excessive sweating, grains have an unabsorbable form of the element. Excretion of any fluids will deplete zinc levels in the body.

I don't see anywhere that it says anything about reducing the test to estrogen conversion or really anything at all that would have an impact on your estradiol numbers. I take 100mg of zinc a day but it is for my skin + all the other benefits.

Your doctor may very well be doing one thing at a time to see how it effects your body. Usually, they have a blood test taken at the 6 week mark and that may be where he would introduce something else. Too many things done at one time could give you bad information. If you have questions I would suggest asking him to explain. Tell him you want to be a well informed patient and know how your body is acting with each step that is taken.

[Brett N]

Just to remind you, I am fairly new at this also so I can only tell you what things have been done in my own situation to me by my doctor. Everyone and every doctor is different so don't think you are not being treated right just because our protocol is different. I think things will workout good for you, I would mention the headaches if they continue though.

[tox2501]

I've seen references for Zinc being used to lower E2. I'm going to try to find the original article.

EDIT: Found it but I cant post links yet its under Forum: Hormone Replacement Therapy > Forum: "Before you start HRT- what your doctor probably hasn't told you or doesn't know!" > HRT Info (Part 2)

[powerlifterty16]

If you don't mind, can you expound on the statement of "feeling worse"

Is this dose amount something I should insist on changing next appt?

200 mg is a very high trt dose and for some people it is a cycle. it can put you in the supraphysiologic range which causes symptoms as bad as low t does!

as for your question of an e2 blocker, your dr sounds like he is on the ball. You said he told you that you dont need one YET which leads to believe he is not opposed to the idea like a lot of clueless drs are. With trt, you are supposed to start it, and then get bloodwork 6 weeks later. If e2 s high, add an e2 inhibitor, if it's low be thankful you dont need one, and continue on your way until your next labs. if you dont need an e2 inhibitor you are lucky. 41 is high bu not terrible.

[gatornate97]

I've seen references for Zinc being used to lower E2. I'm going to try to find the original article.

EDIT: Found it but I cant post links yet its under Forum: Hormone Replacement Therapy > Forum: "Before you start HRT- what your doctor probably hasn't told you or doesn't know!" > HRT Info (Part 2)

Thx for the link!
What a great read! Very informative and went ahead and read all 3 parts.

So glad I found thus site and that this community really tries to educate one another.

[gatornate97]

200 mg is a very high trt dose and for some people it is a cycle. it can put you in the supraphysiologic range which causes symptoms as bad as low t does!

as for your question of an e2 blocker, your dr sounds like he is on the ball. You said he told you that you dont need one YET which leads to believe he is not opposed to the idea like a lot of clueless drs are. With trt, you are supposed to start it, and then get bloodwork 6 weeks later. If e2 s high, add an e2 inhibitor, if it's low be thankful you dont need one, and continue on your way until your next labs. if you dont need an e2 inhibitor you are lucky. 41 is high bu not terrible.

Yea he has already talked about an AI in arimidex . Just wants to see how the Zinc goes first.

Really not sure on the dosage amount. I am not going to lie, I want physiological effects from this therapy. But I do not want the potential hazards associated with super elevated serum levels. So I hope I do not fall into that category.

Just curious since I am new to this....Researching all the papers, it all seems to say to have a DRE done in conjunction with the PSA

My PSA count was .8
I did not have a DRE done before starting this therapy.

Has anyone else gone that route? And how has everyone's PSA trends been looking to the peeps well into their therapies?