I was actually thinking of going with Defy. There are definitely local based clinics, but way more expensive, and the reviews were limited in scope so it was hard to get a good read on whether or not they know what they’re doing.
Mine is a local clinic and they operate in a few states. The only draw back with my doc there is that he wants to keep all my lab values in range. Including E2. The first doctor I had there wasn’t like that, but she doesn’t work there anymore. So I’m actually looking to switch clinics as well. They give you a 5mL bottle @ 200mg/mL every month, so you can take whatever you want, but just make sure to get your blood levels in check when it comes time to take your blood tests. I’m not into that and would rather have a doctor that doesn’t micromanage as much.
But if that works for you I can let you know the clinic I use. They are a great clinic and very well reviewed. I know they do everything over the phone after the consult, but I’m not 100% sure if they want to see you in person for the first visit or not. Only reason I’m saying that is because I went in for my first appointment.
Total T - 415 ng / dL and 543 ng / dL (Two most recent readings, about a month apart, only got a full panel the second time.)
Free T - 14.0 pg/ML (8.7 - 25.1 pg/mL ref. range)
SHBG - 34.5 nmol/L (16.5 - 55.9 nmol/L)
Prolactin - 15.8 ng/ML
Estrogen - 17.1 pg/mL (8.0 - 35)
TSH - 3.2 uIU/ML
T3 - 2.1 pg/ML
T4 - 1.35 ng/DL
Reverse T3 - 23.1 ng/dL (9.2 - 24.1)
DHEA - 204.0 ug/dL
LH - 2.8 mIU/mL
WBC - 3.6 x10E3/uL
RBC - 4.89 x10E/uL
Hemaglobin - 15.2 g/dL
Hematocrit - 45.4%
Glucose - 86 mg/dL
IGF-1 - 188 ng/mL
Update:
I decided to go ahead with TRT and had a consultation with Defy / Dr. Calkins. My initial dosing is:
Test C - 150 mg (injected 3x a week)
HCG - 500iU (injected 2x a week)
Anastrazole - None (prescribed, but not taking unless I start experiencing symptoms)
Regarding my thyroid levels, Dr. Culkins doesn’t want to touch them for now because I’m not experiencing symptoms associated with hypothyrodism. We will reassess after doing labs in 3 months.
In addition to labs, current state of my physique. Three years between left and right, 175 in both at 5’ 10".
I hope you do well. Why the HCG, did you request it, or did they push it?
Thanks man! The HCG was suggested because of my LH level being on the lower end of the spectrum, and being on testosterone would further reduce the levels. I did ask about starting with just testosterone, and he wasn’t 100% insistent on me using HCG, but thought it would be a good idea in my case.
The only reason to take HCG is to maintain fertility. If you’re trying to have a baby right now, then just wait to go on TRT. If you are trying to have one later, then you don’t need HCG until then.
A lot of guys feel worse in HCG, so unless you need your fertility, then you can save some money and avoid it.
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Greetings,
I have not much to add, but will be following along as I am about to start my protocol also.
Stay Strong
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makes no sense why he’d want to put you on HCG because of some magical LH analysis. I wish they would use more logic in how they treat men on trt. woman as well. I get it hes your doctor and you expect him to know his shit.
Instead look at it this way. You are starting out and you want to get this working asap. Therefore having one variable is the best way to achieve this goal.
In the future you can add HCG for fertility. You will see dozens of men on this forum and other places around the internet tell you that you dont need to stay on HCG full-time to get fertile after years without it. You can literally go ten years without HCG and become fertile after a few months of starting.
The intelligent HRT docs will tell you to use injections for TRT and HCG for fertility. Using HCG for TRT makes no sense. Especially since more than half tend to have some type of side effects from it,
stay on your dose for a good 3-4 months and dont over think it and modify the dose until you have reached that 3 or 4th month. You will drive yourself crazy and spend a year tinkering .
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@enackers - thanks for the detailed comments! After doing more research on my own, this is the approach I’m going to take- just testosterone to begin with.
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I’ve seen guys with vasectomies put on hCG with testosterone and anastrozole. When I asked why they were taking hCG, they explained they were told they needed it to “keep the testicles working”. I’ve heard that multiple times, one guy was 60y/o.
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Yup so misinformed.
Smart man. Get the doc to replace HCG with more T. Now that hcg isn’t there your overall levels will be a little lower.
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Today is the day my TRT journey officially begins as my supplies are supposed to arrive this afternoon. Feeling really pumped, but a bit nervous as well. TRT seems pretty safe and straightforward, but I’ve probably “WebMd” / Internet researched myself into worrying about things that I might need to stress over, especially when I don’t have the full facts / medical history of somebody I’m reading about.
The initial protocol is 150 mg of test-C a week broken up into three IM injections. I’m going to keep a detailed log on my own as far as what I’m feeling noticing, and posting a summary here so I have a good record to go back to should I need to troubleshoot ant issues. Glad to have anyone interested in reading more about my path to becoming more of a stud!
The log is really helpful for keeping sanity and tracking progress, and don’t be afraid to ask questions here.
Try not to worry too much. There’s a lot of good that comes out of this treatment, especially if you are suffering right now. Good luck with it!!!
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Greetings,
Like I said earlier, I will be following. I will probably also pull the trigger this week As well. It will definitely be nice to compare beginner notes.
Now a question for you in case I overlooked it, are you going to be going IM or sub Q?
Stay Strong
Thanks for the support everyone. My first injection (IM) is now complete, and I’m happy to report that it went fairly smoothly. I was expecting to second guess / throw myself into a last minute panic, but I didn’t. Now to just trust in the process, be patient, monitor what’s going on without overanalyzing/obsessing, and reap the benefits of TRT.
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Greetings,
Cool, yeah, gotta trust the process.
You said you’ll be injecting 3x week 150mg per week.
I started a thread you could post in there about the dosing and frequency, appreciate it.
Stay strong
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Oh man. I envy you. I wish I had started on that protocol. My journey would have been much more enjoyable. I may switch to something similar soon. Best of luck to you!
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You better not change a thing. Stick with your protocol or you will never feel right.
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