Just got these results in. 56 years old former college football player at 190 lbs. 6’ tall. Think I have been a long term low T guy looking back. My wife is an RN and suggested going to a male clinic. Doses not positive, but talked to me about weekly injections, HCG, and anastrozole.
Need to start cardio and some strength conditioning. Weigh 255 now…tried 6 months ago with cardio for 45 minutes x6 days a week smart diet lost 20 lbs but slow going. How do my numbers look and suggestions for what workout to do…thanks guys.
definitely a candidate. Your TSH should be around 1 or lower. You may need to address your thyroid issues at the same time. As a 52 year old who has thyroid issues and is self administering TRT, if you can get your TSH dialed in and get your Total Test and Free Available test where they should be, you will change your life.
So where should his thyroid numbers be? I’m waiting for my blood work to come back and I don’t want the dr to tell me i’m “in range” Yeah. Those ranges are from 0-110 years old…
TSH should be 1 or less.
KSman’s stickys at the beginning of this forum address TSH issues.
Check them out
So what should I ask to rectify the thyroid?
Well, I’m on a prescription thyroid med. Have been for over 10 years. I like Armour Thyroid because it has both T3 and T4 is more closely resembles human thyroid. Its dessicated pig thyroid gland.
After reading some of KSmans posts, I now supplement with iodine and selenium.
So do I ask my provider to put me on thyroid medicine?
That or ask for a referral to an endo for further follow-up. Its all tied together…test, estrogen, thyroid, cholesterol, etc. Cant just treat one thing. You need a holistic approach.
Ok go for my first injection appointment Wednesday. In looking at my labs any guess on what my quantities of testosterone should be? What should I ask for on thyroid medicine. Thanks for any help.
Do to your low SHBG you should inject twice weekly or EOD, anything less and you can expect less results. Their not going to give you thyroid treatment with those numbers.
My issue is I live in a small town in Iowa about 45 minutes from Omaha where my TRT will be. They did offer to drop ship but of course cost is higher. Do I bite the bullet and say drop ship? My insurance will cover but have to get deductible met.
Also wondering if anyone would have suggestions on a potential weight loss medication I could possibly get on?
You get ur test right, the fat will come off. At least it did for me
I don’t think you have any idea what testosterone does, it will change your body composition and give you loads of energy to lose fat. Chemicals will do nothing for you expect cause backwards progress, you can’t eat healthy, workout at the gym and shove drugs in your body and call your lifestyle healthy.
TRT isn’t a magic bullet, you’ll feel alright on TRT but if you don’t eat clean and workout you’ll never know how good one can feel on TRT maximizing the benefits. Get out of the house and exercise and you’ll feel the young again.
Ok so tomorrow is big day with final visitation and start injections. Just curious in looking at my numbers how much Testosterone, HCG, and Arimidex (I believe) are what they discussed with me last visit. As some of you may know I have to drive an hour to the facility for injections, of course they say to do that because it is cheaper! I had studhammer suggest that with my low SHBG numbers I should do bi-weekly injections not weekly. So I am open to what you think I should be getting for quantities and if I should bite the bullet and self-inject (or my wife is an RN) or make weekly 1 hour drives…thanks for any input and suggestions.
Weekly injections will not work for you very well do to your low SHBG, a grown man can inject himself. Absolutely ridiculous.
They are telling it’s cheaper when in fact they are charging you for it. Start thinking for yourself, put your foot down and make the ultimatum. Why should you inconvenience yourself like that, are looking forward to going to the clinic every week for the rest of your life?
SHBG low: can be a sign of diabetes, so you should screen for fasting glucose and A1C. But some guys simply have low SHBG.
Thyroid is complicated and few doctors understand the basics at all. Please evaluate your overall thyroid function via oral body temperatures and posts - see below.
With your mid-range fT3, if body temperatures are low, get rT3 tested, reverse T3, and in the thyroid basics sticky see references to: stress, adrenal fatigue, Wilson’s book.
TSH may be increased because you have not been using iodized salt. But adding iodine when selenium deficient is dangerous/risky. You can find a good high-potency B-complex multi-vit with trace elements including 150mcg iodine and 200mcg selenium.
You can inject 50mg T twice a week with #29 1/2" 0.5ml insulin syringes. Inject subq, not IM, over top of leg.
Take 0.5mg anastrozole/Arimidex at time of injections.
250iu hCG subq EOD will preserver testes
IGF-1=129 means that you are GH deficient. hGH is expensive so you can think about if you are willing to spend $6K per year on that.
DHEA-S is low, take 25mg/day. Find in vitamin isle. Take with meals that have more fats/oils and avoid with high fiber foods.
Please read the stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman
- advice for new guys - need more info about you
- things that damage your hormones
- protocol for injections
- finding a TRT doc
Evaluate your overall thyroid function by checking oral body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky. Thyroid hormone fT3 is what gets the job done and it regulates mitochondrial activity, the source of ATP which is the universal currency of cellular energy. This is part of the body’s temperature control loop. This can get messed up if you are iodine deficient. In many countries, you need to be using iodized salt. Other countries add iodine to dairy or bread.
KSman is simply a regular member on this site. Nothing more other than highly active.
I can be a bit abrupt in my replies and recommendations. I have a lot of ground to cover as this forum has become much more active in the last two years. I can’t follow threads that go deep over time. You need to respond to all of my points and requests as soon as possible before you fall off of my radar. The worse problems are guys who ignore issues re thyroid, body temperatures, history of iodized salt. Please do not piss people off saying that lab results are normal, we need lab number and ranges.
The value that you get out of this process and forum depends on your effort and performance. The bulk of your learning is reading/studying the suggested stickies.
Thanks for the help, the Dr. And I had a good conversation on the suggested treatment. Ended up letting me drop ship T and HCG and arimidex. He said 140 on the T once a week 25 units HCG and .5 of arimidex. I know some said with my low SHBG should lead me to injecting 2x a week. Should I split it and go 70 and 70? Only 25 units of HCG because I am 56 and not worried about fertility…sound ok? Appreciate any and all advice.
That dosage might be too much, typically we see guys hit high normal T levels on 50mg twice weekly. A once weekly injection protocols is just nonsense for low SHBG guys and tells me your doctor’s only good for prescribing medicine, not balancing your hormones. Take AI at time of injection and you can also inject T+HCG together.
I could do 70 per 3.5 days? Or do you suggest doing 50 per 3.5 days? Or do I stick with his 140 every 7 days…the T will be in my hands and he did inject the HCG in my stomach