New to Testosterone Cy, got questions.

Hi
Pretty new here. I was here last summer asking about another oral AS.

Been feeling crappy lately. Went to MD. Found low T. I just took another blood test to find out "free t", no results yet. But, my first test was 272, low...below normal, but not low enough for insurance to pay. For 10 ml (200mg=1 ml) I paid only about $120. I put about 1500 bucks on a Benny Card, so I got plenty to use up. So if insurance doesn't pay, no biggie.

My doc just gave me my first shot, 100 mg, my next will be in 7 days. After that he will go to 200 every 7 days. I didn't realize that T count around 600 is considered the lowest that is decent. So I guess Im gonna be getting these injections for a while. I have a few questions.

My first question is- Will I need something to combat estrogen? My doctor doesn't seem to think that testosterone injections at ANY dosage will cause a conversion to estrogen, and by reading here I KNOW he is wrong. So what should I do?

My second is. I would like this T to help me a bit at the gym. I just can't seem to get the results I used to, and I know its because of my age (50). I NOT a big time lifter, I just don't want to be a nasty looking old decrepit man. Will 200 mg every 7 days be enough to help, even a little? I know that it will help with my depression, libido, sluggishness and I am THRILLED that that crap will end, but a added bonus of gym results would be great.

Thanks for ANY advice, its really appreciated.

N

PS. Am I wrong or is it POSSIBLE for an MD to NOT know this stuff? I APPRECIATE HIM finding the low t, and I DON'T want to tick him off by my coming across that I know more. He wanted to give me gel, I said no thanks, how about shots and he agreed, so I owe him big right now.

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Originally Posted by gabagool

Hi
Pretty new here. I was here last summer asking about another oral AS.

Been feeling crappy lately. Went to MD. Found low T. I just took another blood test to find out "free t", no results yet. But, my first test was 272, low...below normal, but not low enough for insurance to pay. For 10 ml (200mg=1 ml) I paid only about $120. I put about 1500 bucks on a Benny Card, so I got plenty to use up. So if insurance doesn't pay, no biggie.

My doc just gave me my first shot, 100 mg, my next will be in 7 days. After that he will go to 200 every 7 days. I didn't realize that T count around 600 is considered the lowest that is decent. So I guess Im gonna be getting these injections for a while. I have a few questions.

My first question is- Will I need something to combat estrogen? My doctor doesn't seem to think that testosterone injections at ANY dosage will cause a conversion to estrogen, and by reading here I KNOW he is wrong. So what should I do?
Only blood test can answer that question. Yes he is wrong.

My second is. I would like this T to help me a bit at the gym. I just can't seem to get the results I used to, and I know its because of my age (50). I NOT a big time lifter, I just don't want to be a nasty looking old decrepit man. Will 200 mg every 7 days be enough to help, even a little? I know that it will help with my depression, libido, sluggishness and I am THRILLED that that crap will end, but a added bonus of gym results would be great.

Yes it will help. It will not turn you into a mass monster so to speak.

Thanks for ANY advice, its really appreciated.

N

PS. Am I wrong or is it POSSIBLE for an MD to NOT know this stuff? I APPRECIATE HIM finding the low t, and I DON'T want to tick him off by my coming across that I know more. He wanted to give me gel, I said no thanks, how about shots and he agreed, so I owe him big right now.

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Is he a GP? Did he mention that he will be doing blood test every so often to get your test and estro levels regulated?

Hey Gaba,

Your Gp should hand you off to an endocrinologist. He will do Peak and trough blood tests...right after a shot and the appx time and day that you are due another. Once he gets you stablilized then you will go for annual blood tests. ANd yes you will see results in the gym. First thing you will notice (after about 30 days or so) is you will feel like yourself again. Energy, focus and good sleep. Sound like a broken record (i'm 57) but i suggest low weights and high reps to get all the tendons and ligaments stretched and strong again. Trust me on this mate...when he turns you loose to do your own injections, you don't want to overdo it. You will give back what you gained. There is some adjustments you can make. Testosterone is monitored by the DEA so some docs are comfortable just getting you to the low end of normal which may not be normal for you so if you tweak it a little...say from 125 to 150 a week you may get into a normal range for you. But test is different, if one is good, two is not better. There are some great educational threads (sounds like you have availed yourself to them) but i downloaded them and printed them out. Copy i am a slow learner but there is so much from guys like kale and big that a read through is not worthy of the time they spend writing it up for guys like us. And if your Dr is not up to date you can start a thread and find out if someone in your area has a reference.

You are going to join the living again. Just keep in mind that you feel like hell now and you are going to feel great within 4-6 weeks. Then, around 4-6 months down the road you will just feel NORMAL. the great feeling is just in relation to how bad you feel now. So when you get to that plateau, don't overdo it (experience talking here) cause then it takes a while to get it back. Normal is cool...it is what we were until the boys went on hiatus.

I had a real low T level too...141ng/dl

Doc prescribed Test Cyp at 200mg per month to start off. He know's it's too low, but they have to start somewhere. That first shot was on a Thursday. I felt fantastic that evening, and the following two days after. We're talking night and day difference. But by the Sunday, I could feel the old ailments creeping back. By the time the following Thursday came around, I couldn't wait for the next shot. I have found that 200mg once per week is a good number for me, but into the third week, I was beginning to feel tired, and lost quite a bit of libido again. Plus my nipples were getting sensitive, my nuts showed signs of shrinkage, and I was aching again.

I didn't have the patience to wait for a delivery of an anti estrogen, so I went to the local vitamin shoppe and purchased a test booster which specialises in shutting down the estrogen receptors, and activating the 2nd messengers.

I feel much better even after a couple of days. Bloating is going away, and water retention is getting better. Sensitivity has gone already. Libido is back. Plus it's helping tremendously in the gym.

I put it down to the possibility that SHBG was rendering the testosterone useless, which is now being freed up again.

Even on a low dose of Test, I think it's important to use anti estrogens. I'd be interested to read if you experience the same 'hitting a wall' feeling after 3 or 4 weeks.

Good luck!

(This was my first use of AAS for 15 years. Back in the 90's I was a serious BB, and used AAS regularly)

Are any of the overcounter anti-E supplements real/and or beneficial? OR are they like test.. if not from a DR, or a supplier.... then they are supplements therefore range from junk to minimal effectiveness?

Forgive me for asking,k but what is SHBG?

/salutes

You will feel it in the gym in about 5 weeks and will see some pretty good gains for a few weeks. Then they will slow down but you will still see improvement in one form or another, whether it is strength or endurance doing cardio or work around the house. You will feel good again. It will aromatize if you drink alcohol a lot or very often and you will feel it in your nips. I started getting some fuzzy feelings in the nipples from upping the dosage from 200 a week to 300. I went down to a local supplement store and got a bottle of stuff called aromidex. It is one of the new Eto Kiev 17 something or others and the stuff actually worked. I upped the dosage 1 tab a day and over a period of a few week my balls actually returned to normal size and they where raisens to start with. I was really impressed will buy some more bottles and put away before the FDA bans them.
Any ways good luck with your therapy!

Hey Gabagool, How did you get your GP to even consider testing you T level? I mentioned it to mine after feeling better just from some Pred for some arthritis and he said I'm too young to have that problem. I'm 43, it may be too young but nowadays teenagers are having heart attacks too!

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Originally Posted by busboy

Hey Gabagool, How did you get your GP to even consider testing you T level? I mentioned it to mine after feeling better just from some Pred for some arthritis and he said I'm too young to have that problem. I'm 43, it may be too young but nowadays teenagers are having heart attacks too!

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Tell your doctor to burn his degree ... He doesn't know what he's talking about.

Yes, absolutely. There are plenty of guys in their 30's with low T. Find another doc.

I had a test workup trying to get on a trt study. I learned that consuming lots of hard liquor and consuming lots of certain medications they give to cancer patients to help them bear their pain will make one's test levels go down temporarilly. I only had access to the liquor and drank like 1/2 pint for like 5 nights prior to the blood work but it wasn't enough. i was 41 yrs old.

Something to think about if making a couple of short term lifestyle changes could make a big financial difference in your wallet. I'm just a regular newbie here though, don't claim any special knowledge but might be worth looking into if it could make the difference between your ins paying for it or YOU paying for it.