Endo Visit and Update

[sirupate]

Had my endocrinologist appointment yesterday...had done BW last week. Endo had upped my Androgel dose to 10gms./day last October and this was the first follow-up visit. I have been on the gel for just over a year with varying results...but generally better results than no TRT. BW #'s

Free T: 47.0 range 8.7 - 55.0

Total T: 1750 range 280 - 800

All other BW numbers were in range, or very close to range values. As you can see, the total T number is pretty out there and the endo suggested cutting back to 7.5 gms. of the gel for now. I must be aromatizing a bunch of the T I am getting from the gel...but endo doesn't test for estrogen, so I am guessing.

I asked the doctor about switching to IM administration and he is going along with that. He wrote 200mg. Test. Cyp. every other week as a starting point with follow-up BW in about two months. I am OK with that strategy for now. It is quite possible that every week dosing doing will be OK with him after I show that I can do as he instructs for now. Meds should be at my place within several weeks (mail order pharm.).

The gel became pretty "bothersome" at the 10gms./day dosage. You end up putting the gel everywhere to get it all spread. Androgel is also very expensive at about $1500 per 3 mos. supply (not my cost).

I am hoping for better results with the IM method and know most of you here recommend that over gel. Hopefully less expensive than the gel for my employer to pay too. So, my update and something I view as good news for me on the IM route.

Jeff

[JohnnyVegas]

I had no idea gel was so expensive. You are going to save a ton of money.

I would break your dose up and do 100mg/week. I know you want permission from him, but you can simply buy pins online if you change your mind.

Your levels are high. I am no expert, but I think moving to 200mg every two weeks could drop your levels. They are currently high, so maybe that is one of his goals.

Don't worry about injecting (if you haven't before) the fear is MUCH worse than the actual experience. I find it to be painless with a 23g.

[sirupate]

I had no idea gel was so expensive. You are going to save a ton of money.

I would break your dose up and do 100mg/week. I know you want permission from him, but you can simply buy pins online if you change your mind.

Your levels are high. I am no expert, but I think moving to 200mg every two weeks could drop your levels. They are currently high, so maybe that is one of his goals.

Don't worry about injecting (if you haven't before) the fear is MUCH worse than the actual experience. I find it to be painless with a 23g.

Got to get over that injecting hump...but I don't expect it will be a problem. I was only paying about $70 for a 3-month supply of Androgel, but my employer was paying the rest. Still a lot of money for someone to have to pay. My co-pay for test.cyp. could be about the same as was my co-pay for Androgel. Sort of depends on how my doc. ordered the meds for me.

I know that free testosterone level is what we are primarily concerned with, but are there health risks from a very high total testosterone level assuming that the free level is within the normal range???

Jeff

[zaggahamma]

This doc sounds very reazonable howz it been workin 4 u gains,Etc?

[JohnnyVegas]

Got to get over that injecting hump...but I don't expect it will be a problem.

I stood in the bathroom for what seemed like an eternity with sweat coming out of every pore. I was SHOCKED at how painless it was once I finally worked up the courage. I have to go fast, pushing in slow is less comfortable for me.

[zaggahamma]

I stood in the bathroom for what seemed like an eternity with sweat coming out of every pore. I was SHOCKED at how painless it was once I finally worked up the courage. I have to go fast, pushing in slow is less comfortable for me.

same here with the speed...gotta get past the skin fastly...lot of nerve endings

[sirupate]

This doc sounds very reazonable howz it been workin 4 u gains,Etc?

The TRT was helping my weight lifting with gains of 10-20% on most lifts after a few months...until I quit my gym and began to workout at home. Mostly doing lots of sets/reps with lots lower weight now, so have actually gotten smaller in terms of muscle mass. My wife and I do P90X quite a bit which gets you in pretty good shape, but doesn't do anything for mass. I got on a diet too last September and lost about 30 pounds. I dropped a size in everything I wear.

Oh...and this endo doc is very conservative. It's taken me a year to get to the point of IM administration. I brought up the idea to him early on in my treatment proposing to inject myself in the quads. He thought that was a bad idea then...I think he felt it would be too much meds in too small a muscle group. This time around he didn't even advise an injection site and didn't require "training" for me or my wife which I had expected. So, things are good. I am anxious to see how much swing in levels I feel over a two week injection period.

Jeff

[sirupate]

I had no idea gel was so expensive. You are going to save a ton of money.

I would break your dose up and do 100mg/week. I know you want permission from him, but you can simply buy pins online if you change your mind.

Your levels are high. I am no expert, but I think moving to 200mg every two weeks could drop your levels. They are currently high, so maybe that is one of his goals.

Don't worry about injecting (if you haven't before) the fear is MUCH worse than the actual experience. I find it to be painless with a 23g.

Johnny V:

I did the math (posted near top) on the comparison between androgel and test.cyp. The doctor is actually giving me more with the injectible than my largest dosage of the gel. We'll see how that works out in my next BW in about 7 weeks.

Jeff