Started T Therapy this Week

I hear ya, and that is about right where I’m starting. Low energy, no
libido, no motivation, etc.

From everything I read, 200mg is where a lot end up. It seemed to be the
average, but that was just looking around. I did see a lot of starting
lower, but seemed to creep up to 200. Not much over 300mg out there it
seemed, so I am glad I didn’t go that route. I can def cut the dose weekly
in half. Just have to cut that to .5cc instead of 1cc…

There’s a point where TRT ends and steroids begin. The purpose of TRT is to REPLACE. If we are replacing, then we want our TT and FT to be in the high range. If we use enough T to put our TT and FT into supra physiologic ranges, then we are not replacing, we are doing a long term steroid cycle.

Most guys can get comfortably into the high TT and FT by injecting a total of around 100mgs/week. So it depends on your goals. If you want to balance feeling great with good health, you’ll stay in the high ranges. If not, then proceed at your own risk.

Nash hit all points there. 120mg a week gets me to the tippy top of the range. Past that you risk complications. If it were me I would start at 100mg and take labs after 6 weeks. As I said, you can adjust easier this way then going the opposite and causing issues that you are chasing down. Much much harder.

1 Like

Definitely replacement is goal. But it is what the Dr. ordered so how can
we go against that?

Thanks, this is what I am battling when I mentioned I got some info off the
internet.

“No! Please follow our trt protocol exactly as directed.”

I was asking about having one injection day, instead of T one day, HCG
another and B12 the next.

So I imagine I would hear the same thing if I mentioned I was cutting the
dose.

Blind trust in doctors is dumb. You will find more knowledge here that most docs will ever know.

You need to inject twice a week and to get steadier T levels so the competitive drug anastrozole/Arimidex can be balanced/competitive with steady serum T levels.

Please read these 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, probably not needed if you learn to think for yourself.

Your weight gain may be from thyroid problems and low T, sometimes thyroid problems cause low T.

Post all of your lab work with ranges. No, normal is not good enough.

Many who start on 200mg/week do not seem to be able to get balanced. Your research is selected by things that you want to hear.

1 Like

Most folks come on forums looking for advice but what they actually want is affirmation.

So question I have now is, lower T injection to half, what does this do to
HCG amount?

Thanks, I did read some of them a while back but will revisit.

Guess Hippa doesn’t apply here. lol

Test Serum 194 Range 380-1000

Problem is we are flying blind on E2 right now.

Thy rox ine (T4) - 8.6 Range: 4.5-12.0 - ug/dL
TSH - 2.160 Range: 0.450-4.500 - uIU/mL

Vitamin D, 25-Hydrox y - 11.5 Range: 30.0-1 00.0 - ng/mL Flag: L
Fasting Lipid PanelLC098657 on 07 /26/201 6
Det a i l s
LDL/HDL Ratio - 3.9 Range: 0.0-3.6 - ratio units Flag: H
T. Chol/HDL Ratio - 5.7 Range: 0.0-5.0 - ratio units Flag: H
LDL Cholesterol Calc - 1 31 Range: 0-99 - mg/dL Flag: H
VLDL Cholesterol Cal - 29 Range: 5-40 - mg/dL
HDL Cholesterol - 34 Range: >39 - mg/dL Flag: L
Cholesterol, Total - 1 94 Range: 1 00-1 99 - mg/dL
Trigly cerides - 1 47 Range: 0-1 49 - mg/dL
CMP Comp Metabolic Panel
LC322000 on 07 /26/201 6
Det a i l s
A/G Ratio - 1 .5 Range: 1 .1 -2.5
eGFR If NonAfricn Am - 1 08 Range: >59 - mL/min/1 .7 3
ALT (SGPT) - 7 8 Range: 0-44 - IU/L Flag: H
AST (SGOT) - 37 Range: 0-40 - IU/L
Bilirubin, Total - 0.6 Range: 0.0-1 .2 - mg/dL
Globulin, Total - 3.0 Range: 1 .5-4.5 - g/dL
Albumin, Serum - 4.4 Range: 3.5-5.5 - g/dL
Protein, Total, Serum - 7 .4 Range: 6.0-8.5 - g/dL
BUN/Creatinine Ratio - 1 5 Range: 9-20
Alkaline Phosphatase, S - 49 Range: 39-1 1 7 - IU/L
Calcium, Serum - 9.2 Range: 8.7 -1 0.2 - mg/dL
Creatinine, Serum - 0.7 9 Range: 0.7 6-1 .27 - mg/dL
Glucose, Serum - 1 22 Range: 65-99 - mg/dL Flag: H
Sodium, Serum - 1 38 Range: 1 34-1 44 - mmol/L
Potassium, Serum - 4.3 Range: 3.5-5.2 - mmol/L
Chloride, Serum - 97 Range: 97 -1 08 - mmol/L
Carbon Diox ide, Total - 22 Range: 1 8-29 - mmol/L
BUN - 1 2 Range: 6-24 - mg/dL
eGFR If Africn Am - 1 25 Range: >59 - mL/min/1 .7 3
PSA**LC01 0322 on 07 /26/201 6
Det a i l s
Prostate Specific Ag, Serum - 0.7 Range: 0.0-4.0 - ng/mL

CBC (Includes Diff/Plt)**LC5009 on 07 /26/201 6
Det a i l s
Baso (Absolute) - 0.0 Range: 0.0-0.2 - x 1 0E3/uL
Basos - 0 Range: - %
Eos - 2 Range: - %
Eos (Absolute) - 0.2 Range: 0.0-0.4 - x 1 0E3/uL
Hematocrit - 44.2 Range: 37 .5-51 .0 - %
Hematology Comments: -
Hemoglobin - 1 4.7 Range: 1 2.6-1 7 .7 - g/dL
Immature Cells -
Immature Grans (Abs) - 0.0 Range: 0.0-0.1 - x 1 0E3/uL
Immature Granulocy tes - 0 Range: - %
Lymphs - 21 Range: - %
Lymphs (Absolute) - 2.3 Range: 0.7 -3.1 - x 1 0E3/uL
MCH - 27 .1 Range: 26.6-33.0 - pg
MCHC - 33.3 Range: 31 .5-35.7 - g/dL
MCV - 81 Range: 7 9-97 - fL
Monocy tes - 1 1 Range: - %
Monocy tes(Absolute) - 1 .2 Range: 0.1 -0.9 - x 1 0E3/uL Flag: H
Neutrophils - 66 Range: - %
Neutrophils (Absolute) - 7 .2 Range: 1 .4-7 .0 - x 1 0E3/uL Flag: H
NRBC -
Platelets - 1 89 Range: 1 50-37 9 - x 1 0E3/uL
RBC - 5.43 Range: 4.1 4-5.80 - x 1 0E6/uL
RDW - 1 3.9 Range: 1 2.3-1 5.4 - %
WBC - 1 1 .0 Range: 3.4-1 0.8 - x 1 0E3/uL Flag: H

Your Arimadex dose is reliant on the amount of testosterone you are taking. But not HCG it stays the same. Between 250mg and 500mg twice a week is the going advice. 250mg seems to work well

Your doctor really has his own ideas. The B-12 should give you a boost of energy rather fast. I am going to guess that is why he gives it to you. Not that it is a bad thing at worst you just did not need it.

The hcg dose has more to do with your goals. To preserve fertility I’d take 250iu EOD. To keep your boys from shrinking, 250iu E3D is sufficient.

Nash, If you haven;t been taking hCG, will it be beneficial to start? Or do you have to start taking it before your testicles start to shrink?

May depend on how long you’ve been without hcg. If it’s a relatively short time, then they will most likely bounce back. If it’s been years, most likely too late. Having said that, there’s no reason not to try it. Hcg has other benefits. Some guys get a sense of well-being. I’d try it for 3 months and see if it helps.

It’s been about 6 months on Testim and 6 weeks on IM injection. I think I may give it a whirl. My testes have shrunk and I’m still 25% on kids, although leaning towards not having them.

1 Like

I run 140mg per week and have for the last two years without hcg. About six months ago, I tried it, and my balls got swole up like they used to be, and I got tired of having to readjust, tired of them getting wet when I took a dump, etc. . .so I quit the hcg. But, I’m pretty sure if I started up again, the boys would get swole again.

I really didn’t blind trust my doctor, remember he didn’t do anything but say I was fat and take Vitamin D. lol Thing is he is probably right and most likely in his years has seen TRT cause more problems than it solved. A lot could be like what you are talking about, not being administered right. He did seem to let out that he knew about therapy, he said some do it as a “hobby”.

Thanks for all the info, I see a lot of your posts and amazing they are from like 5 years ago and still ring true.

You have KS in your name, by any chance in the Kansas City area?

So drew up .5ml T for the am. Half what I did at the start of the program. The given protocol states 1mg anaztrzole 2x a week, should this be cut in half or .25s? Probably will do 20-30 units subQ at end of week which will take me to 120-130 total for week.

This all sound about right?

You will want about 1mg of adex per 100mg of test. So split the arimadex and take .5mg twice a week. Some are over responders so if it drives your E2 down to low you would reduce dosage but that is most common.

Ya, that is about what I used so should be pretty close. Will have to see
how this half dose of T works this week.

I am near KC: 66047.