cycles or 'slow and steady'?
:unsure:
Just wondering about the difference between doing 200mg Test a week for the long haul (that's what my doc's got me on for now for hypogonadism), say a total of 10,000 mg per year, versus doing a couple 2 or 3 month cycles using the same amount. Gonna ask my doc next time I talk to him, but would like y'all's take on this . . .
10,000 thanks
Re: cycles or 'slow and steady'?
Quote:
Originally posted by Tock
:unsure:
Just wondering about the difference between doing 200mg Test a week for the long haul (that's what my doc's got me on for now for hypogonadism), say a total of 10,000 mg per year, versus doing a couple 2 or 3 month cycles using the same amount. Gonna ask my doc next time I talk to him, but would like y'all's take on this . . .
10,000 thanks
Uh-oh . . . You're obviously becoming susceptable to the temptation of everyone that does test for hypogonadism - increasing the dose into cycle range. :D
You're obviously seeing results already from test, and you will continue to see those results until you plateau. But that has nothing to do with the test - everyone plateaus at some point, with or without the test supplementation.
My first questions are how long you've been on the 200 mg. per week, whether this was your starting dose, and how your total test (TT) numbers have been on the lab work before and after. (Remember that you'll have two numbers to be concerned with: the peak number, done two days after a shot, and the trough number, done just before you're do for a shot. The object is to keep both numbers within normal range, recognizing that there will be a significant difference in the numbers over the course of a week.)
You are already at the maximum dose of test on a therapeutic basis - for both enanthate and cyp, the recommendation is 200-400 mg. every two to four weeks. (Many doctors recommend splitting the dose into weekly injections to avoid the peak-and-valley effects of test. This is done according to the guidelines of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. So if you want to read what your doctor has probably read, you can get the AACE guidelines on hypogonadism in an Adobe Acrobat file at this link - great reading.)
Meanwhile, I would advie you strongly not to bump your dose to the point that it would skew your TT test. If you are going to bump it (like the rest of us did :D), make sure you cut the dose about three weeke before your next lab work. If you don't, you'll end up with waaaaaaay too high a TT level, which could make your doctor cut your dose or assume that you don't need test. (The normal TT range is 241-827. I once bumped mine and ended up with a TT level of 1,487. Not cool. Fortunately, I have a hip doctor. Now I adjust the dosing to keep my levels at >300 trough and <900 peak - and there is that much of a difference between the two, even over the course of a week.)
Finally, congratulations - a 1-1/2" gain over the course of a couploe of weeks is outstanding. But be aware of the psychological issues involved so you don't get trapped by biggerexia (technical name muscle dysmorphia) - the "bulked-up GI Joe" syndrome, in which you get great gains but are never satisfied with them. When your growth and development plateau - and they will plateau - accept that that is part of the process and don't get hung up if you don't make further gains for a while. Remember that ultimately, you are on HRT, which puts you in a different position than the "kids" (teens and 20's) that are doing heavier cycles for a finite period, and accept the fact that for your age, you're doing great.