What’s up HeadHunter, I have a few ?s for you that are kind of rambling in nature. I’d appreciate your patience in reading through it - heck, the school year IS over, right?!
I would start a thread on the board, but since this is only Day 1 I’ll hold off a bit longer before I post.
A little background:
Like you, I’m a teacher. Like you, I’m a big guy.
What’s been happening the last 2 years or so is that my energy levels have been dipping more and more. I find myself needing more and more coffee to get through the day, to the point where I actually started brewing coffee at work, b/c if I didn’t get coffee in me at 10 am I wouldn’t get any work done during my 2 hour pause (we’re on block schedule) and if I didn’t get coffee in me at 11:45 am, I couldn’t make it til the bell @ 2:35. I teach junior high.
A few years ago, I didn’t even drink coffee on a regular basis. Now, in only a few years I went from no coffee to only once in a while to 2x a week to 4x a week to every day to 2-3x a day!
Many Fri and Sat nights I wouldn’t go out b/c I was just 2 damn tired and unmotivated.
I’d lose weight and as soon as I slacked, the weight jumped back on. I started lifting again on a regular basis 2x in the last 2 years and both times, the only improvement I saw was in my tris. WTF?
I started tearing up more: at a sad song, at a sad memory, during a movie…
I delayed decision after decision, I was racked by anxiety and self-doubt.
I have also been depressed on and off for years, and have felt my social skills start to decline on and off.
I wasn’t bursting with confidence and energy and that made me more socially anxious.
Oh, and I haven’t had much sex the last few years, and when I did little jimmy often disappointed
So finally, I was tested 10 days ago and my doctor determined I had low T and prescribed Androgel. I don’t remember the exact amount, but it was in the low 300s - I’m 33 btw.
So today was my first application of Androgel, 5 g packet. It absorbed really quickly and was not messy at all.
I decided to search for Androgel here on T-Nation, and now I’m more and more confused.
I plan on writing down some questions for my doc and for my trainer (who’s been a competitive bber for years and has significant experience with pharmaceuticals both for himself a/w/a for his clients- he specializes now in coaching bbers and contest prep).
But for now, I have some ?s for you:
Are you sure about your comment that “thick skin” prevented Androgel from being absorbed properly. What does thick skin mean? Your skin is actually thicker? Or does it have to do with how much fat and muscle are on your arms?
Next, why should we only apply it to arms and chest? Is it b/c the veins are closer to the surface?
How do I know whether my skin is thick?
I may not need ongoing therapy: what do I need to do to come off? I’m sure my doc and trainer will know, but I’d like your opinion as well.
I just had gyno surgery- do I have to worry about gyno from this?
Should I ask my doc for Novadex or Clomid? Pick up REZ-V? Or another anti-estrogen that’s non-scrip? For example,
Gaspari’s product has a good rep.
One last thing: I’d try Biotest’s Alpha Male stacked with REZ-V but the Alpha Male alone would run $90/month!
and…
For now, my insurance is covering Androgel with only a $1 copay!
So as you can see, it’d be foolish of me to try a Biotest stack for approx. $130 a month when i have the real deal for only $1…
Thanks for any advice, thoguhts, etc