I have been lurking around on this site for months and finally decided to join . Thank you all in advance to all that may contribute to my quest for better health .
My story is long but I will try to keep it as short as possible and not leave important detail out .
In 2010 my pcp referred me to an endo for high cholesterol issues . Said endo ran a bunch of test and placed me on statins . I tried Crestor and Lipitor and maybe another that I can’t recall now . I could not tolerate any of them . I thought I was about to die on Crestor . Stopped experimenting with statins as I cannot tolerate .
Endo does more b/w and finds that testosterone is low , tells me I have hypogonadism , puts me on 100mg of T cyp once a week IM . As far as I know rembering back he did very little to find out why T was low . Not much thyroid test and no MRI . He just put me on T , then test TT and CBC once every six months .
About a year in I got him to check Vit D and it came back low . Now take Vit D 5000 ED and levels appear good . I tried lowering that to 2000 IU ED and it wasn’t enough .
I continued to to take 100 mg of T cyp once a week IM , two 1gm capsules of Lovaza ED and Vit D 5000 ED for 18 - 24 months . I started to feel lousy at the beginning of 2013 .
I start doing a lot of research on trt and find this site , read the stickies over and over , read into a lot of other cases . Their is a wealth of knowledge here and I’m greatful to have found it !
After doing my research , I request the Endo to check my FT and E2 along with other blood work and he agrees to check FT but not E2 . So I have my pcp order the E2 test . I requested sensitive E2 and they did ultrasensitive , wrong test I know . The results came back high at 68 pg/ml with a range of < or = 29 . When I bring this to the Endo’s attention he shrugs it off and doesn’t want to discuss AI 's at all . I explain to him all of my symptoms , brain fog , memory issues , blurred vision , mood swings , aching testes drawn up tight to body . He is not sympathetic and does not offer AI’s . Then I ask about Small doses of HCG to go with the T , explained to him I don’t want to lose the boys and there hurting , we don’t offer that here . WTF I’m thinking !
I decide to find another Endo that is more up to date on the life long treatment for hypogonadism . I called at least twenty different Endo’s and asked them all the same question , do you treat side effects that come with TRT until I found a positive response . Had all info faxed to new Dr . . I had initial appointment and showed up with all my research . I requested some of the test from the stickies be done . Explained to him the protocol that I invisioned , T cyp , hcg and AI to keep E2 in check .
New Endo’s response , split T dose up and inject twice / week , I had already started doing this . Get brain MRI , had done and nothing showed up . Ran a bunch of blood work that I will post below . E2 came back in range high . All thyroid test in range and he says is good .
Now I’m thinking we are on the same page he reluctantly agrees to the AI and HCG . I start injecting 300 IU EOD on may 11 along with my 100 mg T cyp in two divided weekly SC injections . Started Arimidex at 1/4 mg EOD . I found I’m an over responder to this so backed off and now do 1/8mg E2D .
My TT high out of range and FT are now double the quest in range high . TT is 1460 with range 250-1100 ng/dl . FT is 378.1 with range 35-155 pg/ ml .
Doc not happy ! Ask what I’m doing , I explain the above and he says I thought you were doing HCG only and nobody does them together ! I come back and say I thought we went over all of this . He fires , I fire back and you know who lost .
My levels are high and I would like to get things in range . Should I make up with Endo and try the Hcg mono thearapy ? My numbers suggest it could work .
but unsure of HCG mono therapy . My numbers point to it may work . Last blood test before this high test were , TT 761 ng/dl range 241-827 , FT 149.8 pg/ml range 46-224 . These were taken on 4/24/13 and high results were taken on 5/29 /13 . Taking the 300ius of HCG EOD really made my T numbers jump up . Could it have been the AI stopping aromatase giving me the higher numbers or a combo of both ?
If I were to stop taking the T and go HCG mono , how long would it take to get a reliable sample drawn ? Do you think T would drop fast and give me bad side effects ? Going to stick to the 300 IU EOD if I go this route . Doc prescribed 1500 IU three Times a week ?? I think this is way too high !?
Suggestions please ?
Latest T results ,
3/8/13. FT. 461 ng/dl range 250-1100 , TT 546 range 241-827
3/25/13 FT. 14 ng/dl range 9-30 , TT 451 ng/dl range 240-950
4/24/13 FT 149.8 pg/ml range 46-224 , TT 761 ng/dl range 241-827 these test are after splitting weekly dose .
5/29/13 FT 378.1 pg/ml range 35-155 pg/ml , TT 1460 ng/dl range 250-1100 ng/dl , these test are after the addition of AI started on 5/3/13 and HCG started on 5/11/13 at 300iu EOD
Age -44
Ht. - 5’10"
Waist - 40
Weight - 220
Balding , can grow goat t and stash but no full beard .
Carry fat in belly and love handles
Health cond . I’ve had knee orthoscopic twice , shoulder once , hand tendon surgery , gull bladder removed a couple years ago .
Symptoms before splitting T dose , tired , moody , not feeling well , testes ached and drawn up tight .
Symptoms a week to tens days after starting HCG and AI , brain fog lifted , more motivated , testes not sore and pulled up as close . Feeling good for a couple weeks .
Now feeling not right . Shaky , some headaches , I’m sure due to high T . Feel like I passed through the sweet spot .
Drugs , with all the surgeries and some teeth pulled their was opiates giving for pain probably used more than I needed . Other daily meds are losartan 100mg for blood pressure , Vit C 1000 , Vit A 10,000iu , Vit D 5000 , Florastor 250mg (probiotic) . Take whey isolate after work outs and do casein before bed on training and night shift days .
Diet , high protein low carb . Lots of fish , steak and chicken , Fruits and veg’s . No white flour products or potato’s .Changed to this way of eating in jan 13 , lost 30 lbs .
Body temps have been reaching normal at mid day , last time I checked . Morning lows 97.3 . Has been a month or so since I checked them .
Training , do cardio and some weights EOD for 45-50 min .
Testes ache , yes . Improved a lot after splitting T dose .
Morning wood , after current protocol yes and dreaming and remembering them . ED issues were showing up a couple months before I left the first Endo . Is what got me started more than anything into my research to feel and get better . ED got better after splitting T dose but not as good as now with AI and hCG .
I will post images of labs and it takes me forever to type .
Original T results from 6/2010
Testosterone 220.2 range 280-800 ng/dl
FT 5.5ng/dl range 5.0 - 21
Bioavailabile T calculated 128.3 ng/dl range 130-680
All blood test were collected as close to 42 hours after last T injected . It is rough keeping a regular schedule to take everything as I work 12 hr shifts and they switch between days and nights every time I’m off a couple days . This shift work is hard on me . It’s like flying to China and back twice per week .
Please if Anyone knows a good TRT doctor near pittsburgh , pa please let me know .