56, Ready for TRT - Numbers & Plans

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

Definitely DO NOT inject only once a week. Side effects include, peaks and valleys of your T levels, estrogen peaks, etc. Things you just don’t need. Split your prescribed dose in two and try sundays and wednesdays or some combo that suits you.

I am on 25 units of HCG should i split that too? I like the thoughts of splitting it better but he said I would be alright.

I dont use HCG, so I’m afraid I dont have any experience to share with you on that. Sorry.

Should I do a Sunday/Wednesday split of 70mg? What about my 25 units of HCG? SHould I split it also or just once a week?

You don’t do HCG once weekly, inject HCG 2-3 times weekly.

Ok new to this…the Dr. is drop shipping my T and HCG, and arimidiex. My script is for 140mg once per week, which concensus is I should do that with 2 injections of 70mg on Sunday then again on Wednesday. He prescribed 25 units of HCG so do I divide that 25 units into 12.5 and just put it in the same syringe as the testosterone? I had my first shot yesterday in the clinic…a shot in the stomach was 25 units of HCG and a shot in my butt with the T and half a pill of arimidiex.

So any clarification how I should administer at home without running out of one or the other before I get a new shipment would be appreciated…you guys are great.

You need to use insulin syringes and inject T in the shoulders and or thigh muscles, no need to shoot the butt. It’s ideal to inject HCG and T together if it fits in syringes. TRT will make you a low SHBG guy, you may need to split shots up EOD if symptoms don’t resolve after many months.

Systemlord…thanks for your responses. They of course gave me bigger needles for the T and insulin needles for the HCG. Can I use the larger needles they gave me (does 30 sound right)??? to combine T and HCG…or should I use the smaller insulin needles to do both HCG and T together?

Another question should I start with the Sunday/Wednesday routine for a month, then return to the clinic for my normal blood work and see how things are going? Or do I spread out the dose of 140mg a week out so I am giving it EOD? SO to be clear if I decide to do 70mg of T on Sunday/Wednesday along with 12.5 units of HCG do I take my half a pill of arimidex just once a week? IF I go EOD do I split those 12.5 units of HCG up or just shoot it with one dose or just twice a week? Want to make sure I give myself the best possible results.

As long as you inject T-Cyp every 3.5 days that fine, HCG has a shorter half life, injecting once weekly is no good, 2-3 time weekly or EOD. Split AI up and take at time of T-Cyp injection. Just make sure if clinic wants labs wait minimum 2 days after injection to get bloods drawn. T peaks in 24-48 hours.

SO just curious they are drop shipping me supplies and medicines. If I go rogue and do the 2 times a week injection route I will run out of needles…how do I handle that?

Ok this is a bit off topic but I had my first injections yesterday, 140mg Testosterone, 25 units HCG, and my little pill. I literally dreamed all night long and for this 56 year old guy they were X rated and that hasn’t happened in YEARS. I know it was probably just a coincidence but wow!