My Latest Bloodwork Results

I started HRT in April 2007 or thereabouts. I started with total T of 108. My doc (a D.O.) was all for helping me. He suggested creams or a patch but I asked for injections and he said OK. I started with 1cc of Cyp every 2 weeks.

I noticed the crash after about 10 days and after reading a lot of what KSMan wrote on here and through PMs (Thank you!) I started EOD shots using an insulin syringe. I was taking 14ius EOD. Voila! No more crashing!

A visit or 2 later, I asked for Adex and he gave it to me after I plead my case and gave him some literature on it. A couple more visits go by and I ask for HCG and he balked on that. I provided him literature on that as well. I kept asking and eventually he called some other docs and did some reading and agreed on the HCG.

I had actually started HCG prior to him giving me an RX for because I knew it was beneficial. M doc knew this. I have been very open with him from the beginning.

So, I started with 1cc cyp. Added in .25mg adex and eventually 250ius of HCG, all done EOD. That brought my T levels to in Jan of 2009 (this year)
total test: 807 (300-1100)
free test: 207 (35.0-155.0) Doc didn’t care it was high
free test percent: 2.57 (1.5-2.2) Doc didn’t care it was high either
estradiol: 37 (0-54)

My cholesterol numbers were a little high and that was his main concern with that visit.

He finally agreed to give me the HCG RX after these tests but he wanted another series of tests. This visit was also the one where the above numbers were obtained. I told him I already had started to clean up my diet so he wanted another series of tests done to see if my cholesterol numbers were any better to determine where to go.

Between the tests, I felt my estradiol was too high so I increased my adex dose to .5mg EOD. I use pills so that was a natural progression as far as cutting them up. I also increased my cyp dose (on my own, never said anything to doc) to 1.5cc every 2 wks which broke down to 22 ius EOD. The reason I did this was to see how high I could get my total T but be within normal.

So, I was at 22ius Cyp, .5mg adex, and 250ius HCG EOD.

I started to feel the effects of low estriadol (unemotional, achy, lack of sex driver) so I bought a pill cutter and was able to cut the pills into approx. .33mg (1/3 of a pill). I was taking that for about a week and a half before the last series of blood work.

To recap: I was at 1.5cc Cyp, .33mg adex, and 250ius of HCG EOD.

I had bloodwork done. The results I obtained (via telephone) yesterday were:
Total T: 1050 (300-1100)
Free percent: 3.4 (1.5-2.2)
Available T: 363.3 (35.0-155.0)
E2: 16 (0-54)

I didn’t ask about my cholesterol numbers but were told they were better.I also received some instructions from my doc to back down about 30% on cyp dosage. Remember, he doesn’t know I increased my dose and I plan to tell him all this when I go back in May for more bloodwork.

I am going to back down to 18ius EOD til then (vs. originally 14ius EOD) which is a 20% decrease of what I was doing. That should still place me supraphysiological in the free and available, but I was there already with 14ius and HCG. No real reason for this other than I want to.

I know this is long-winded but I wanted to tell some of you that getting this dialed in takes time but it’s well worth it. I feel GREAT and my workouts are going very well. I also seem happier and feel very positive about things now. I admit I got lucky in having a doc that was willing to work with me and learn with me to get me where I want to be.

So, I’m going to coast into my next bloodwork on the current protocol of 18ius cyp, .33mg adex, and 250ius HCG EOD and take it from there.

On a side note, I found a compounding pharmacy that will make adex capsules at any strength needed. However, it’s not really cost effective ($25 for custom dose capsules that last a month VS. $8 for 30 1.mg pills I have to try to cut into 1/3s that lasts 3 months) . If I eventually find out I need a weird number like .487543mg, I will use the compounding pharmacy.

I hope to have this dialed in towards the end of this year but honestly, I don’t see how I can feel better than I do now. I was never very vascular before but new veins are coming out and the only thing I can contribute it to is the HRT.

Thanks for reading this!

Oh, some of you are going to want to know this:
I’m 38, 6’1, 240, 20% bodyfat and use the 5/3/1 workouts with a prowler for conditioning. I don’t follow any diet and eat what I want which is slowly changing. I can’t jump into clean eating but am slowly integrating it in.

Congrats on hitting your HRT sweet spot and finding a doc that is willing to work with you.

Is there any reason why you aren’t taking liquidex? You mentioned that you were private messaging with KSMan and it seems that he would have suggested this as he usually does. It would be much easier to find exact dosages this way rather than trying to cut up your pills - and much, much cheaper.

There is no specific reason for this at all. I forgot it existed… He did mention it but I had a script for the pills so I used it.

Looks like I am off to get some…Thanks for the words and the reminder!

Blake,

Does your doc know about the EOD injections and how this improved things?

When you lower your T dose, you lower the need for adex.

Yes, he knows about the EOD injections. I have a couple of friends who go to him now also and I have informed them of the EOD shots as well.

I know I’ll have to tweak my adex usage again but it seems kinda fun to me to try and figure out what I need.

I wish my doc was as open minded. He doesn’t want to prescribe self injections because he thinks it would be illegal

[quote]Ironmantrw wrote:
I wish my doc was as open minded. He doesn’t want to prescribe self injections because he thinks it would be illegal[/quote]

I know it’s no easy thing, but find a new one.