!! HELP !! Do I need TRT?

[jm1429]

Hello everyone, I need some advice. This is all very new to me and I am reading alot but DAMN....it is confusing.
Info... 39 yo, 5' 9", 190lb, 16%bf?? hitting the gym hard. Anyway... I know a couple people who are on test (for muscle gain) and thought that may be for me also. I went to my doc to get bw and talk to him and come to find out my fatigue, mood, low libido etc are causes from low t. I got my bw results and want to know what you guys think...
Testosterone = 364 (norm 280-1100)
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin = 38 (norm 13-71)
Free Test = 59.5 (norm 47-244)
Free Test % = 1.6% (norm 1.6-2.9)
Test Bioavailable = 176.6 (norm 131-682)
Albumin = 4.8 (norm 3.3-4.8)
LH = 2.2 (norm 0.6-12.1)
FSH = 5.5 (norm 1.0-12.0)
Estradiol = 15.7 (norm 10-42)
My doc put me on.. Depo Test, 200mg per ml, at 0.5ml every 2 weeks. (100 mg every 2 weeks). I have givin myself 3 injections so far and next set of bw in 4 weeks. I dont feel any different really except the nuts seem to be a little smaller maybe. I am just not sure I need this right now in my life and if i decide to stop 3,6, or 12 months from now what is my natural test going to be like????
Sorry for the long post but I wanted to throw out all the info I could for everyone.
The knowledge this forum has is amazing!!! Thanks.

[steroid.com 1]

First, welcome to the forum there is much here to help you on your TRT journey.

Read/study the stickies at the top of the forum noted as IMPORTANT you will find many answers to your questions.

Based on your blood work and age I would say you are classic for Age Related Androgen Deficiency...meaning you're getting old man

Your Doctor needs to understand the half life of your Testosterone ; consider it peaks at about 72 hours after injection and has a half life of about 6 days or so. The injection protocol he has you on is seating you on a hormonal roller coaster. Consider that many of us inject twice a week to keep serum levels stable and consistent.

The first thing you need to do is go on weekly 100 mg injections where 200 every two weeks is a very poor protocol for many reasons notwithstanding increasing your Estradiol levels (read the stickies).

You're testes are shrinking because you are HPTA suppressed now and you're not taking HCG (read the stickies) to keep you testicles alive...in essence right now they are dying.

You need HCG in your protocol to keep your testes alive and making a restart easier.

You're Doctor doesn't know what he/she is doing which is fairly typical so you need to learn this on your own and manage your care or find a Doctor who understand TRT protocols for men.

[kelkel]

Exactly what GD said. Be sure you get proper follow up bloodwork. Examples are in the stickies. Proper protocol is everything. Self-education is key here so begin your journey. Read up!

welcome!

kel

[jm1429]

Thanks guys. So GD if I understand you correctly I need to bump up to 100mg per week (2- 50mg injections)?? I thought 100 mg every other week was pretty low. How do my other bw numbers look?(not the test numbers) What would be some ideal numbers for my test? Should I wait to get on HCG to see my levels on my next bw(4 weeks)? Sorry guys... I have read the stickies but still confused on most everything. Maybe I should just stop and wait till shit gets worse??
Insurance wont cover any of this because they say I am not low enough.

[steroid.com 1]

Yes, 100 mg every split into two 50 mg.

Your other labs are fairly consistent with a man your age...but they are normal...not optimized of course.

Start HCG as soon as you can.

[jm1429]

Ok, How much HCG should I start off with? After reading more and more I am guessing 500iu a week??? (2 - 250iu injections) Maybe that is too much. Can anyone give me some info where to buy it? I found it local but its in a 10ml bottle and I think I only need a 5ml bottle. (10 weeks worth). IF I can get a script from my doc the price on the 10ml is $95. How does that price compare to what you guys are paying?