Started TRT, Week 1. Doubt and Insecurity

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

Hello,

So I started TRT exactly 1 week ago. Just did my 3rd shot, SubQ with insulin syringe, test C 250mg/ml, I’m doing 0.22ml twice a week. I did this by myself, did not consult with doctor…but I did blood tests for a year, and my total T was 300, then 360, and last time I tested few weeks ago, 250. I’m 37 years old, 180cm (5"11) tall 78kg (170lb) weight.

My SHBG is low, 22.6 nmol … so from that I’m guessin that my free T is also very low.

I do feel low energy and tired all the time, I’m having extremely hard time recovering from my Muay Thai trainings, very hard to build muscle and very hard to loose belly/chest fat. Easy to get tired. I’ve been training for 2 years.

I’m opening this thread because I’m having self doubts about all of this, and honestly I’m not sure what I’m looking for… maybe reassurance or something. It’s not something I can openly discuss in a bar with friends, and my family is not very into health and fitness and body chemistry.

Every time I do the injection, it’s harder…and I’m standing in the toilet for 10 minutes before I dare to stab myself with the tiny insulin syringe. Thinking, how the hell am I gonna do this for the rest of my life? Not to mention testicular shrinkage, and other (possible) side effects.

I know it’s been only 1 week, and I should wait at least 3 more until I see if it has positive effect on me or not. If it does not,or I feel worse, i can and should stop?

I’m planning on testing my blood again in 3 weeks to see what the numbers are, but also I’m waiting for subjective feeling to change. So far, I feel as I always felt… so the only thing I have now is self doubt.

If i do succumb to self doubt, and if I don’t get any subjective changes in mood, energy etc. after 4 weeks, how much effort is it to get off of it?

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Have you done any research at all on this ??? I’m so tired of reading the same stuff time and time again from people !!!

I wish nobody would respond to you with answers or advice, just so you have to go back and actually educate yourself on trt ….

1 week …… really, and your not superhuman yet? I can’t imagine that, must be bunk gear or this trt stuff is all bogus.

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You’re misunderstanding. I’m not expecting to be superhuman, I’m very uneasy about the idea of having to inject myself twice a week for the rest of my life…
And if I stop after 2 months, my own natural production will be in the sh**ter…so there’s that.

As for education, yes, I spent a year learning about it. I did not ask “why am i not superhuman after 1 week”, and if you don’t bother reading (and paying attention) at what people are writing, you should not be replying to them either. I did not write what you think I wrote.

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Ohh you read up on this for a year and think after 2 injections you’re supposed to feel changes lol …. Sure you did pal :+1:t2:

Also if you stand there and can’t stick a tiny insulin syringe in your belly fat than quit now.

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Actually, more than a year. If you actually read what I wrote instead of just the title, you would’ve seen:
“I know it’s been only 1 week, and I should wait at least 3 more until I see if it has positive effect on me or not.”

4 to 5 weeks is when people start noticing subjective changes to their mood and energy levels, and I acknowledged already that 1 week is not enough for anything.
What I was looking for is somebody that at the beginning of their treatment had same feelings as I have, and maybe a bit of encouragement.

Instead… I got you. Brilliant.

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If I had a patient expressing doubts like these, I would discourage them from TRT. By the way, you only have to do it as long as you’d like to feel good.

No, there isn’t that. Athletes run two month cycles all the time, dozens of times in their lives, and their own HPTA returns to normal function. Dozens of times.

Is the actual injection the issue? If so, look into using a transdermal Versabase cream.

Zero.

Good luck sorting this out. I’d look for a doctor and get professional help.

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your dose is TOO LOW.
a) get a new doc
b) start at something like 0.25ml 3x week which is roughly 150mg, or 0.2ml 3x week which is 120mg

you need more frequent and higher trust me
at 3x0.25ml my free was shit, like 15 or so, had to go to 0.34ml 3x week and still not amazing high

8

I would feel horrible at these levels.

Most don’t see significant changes until 6 months and still show improvement 12 months in.

TRT isn’t a quick fix.

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Steady states are achieved in 4-6 weeks, so testing at 4 weeks may still be too early. You can even see changes in levels at 8 weeks, that differ from where levels were at 6 weeks, which I’ve seen repeatedly regardless of the type of therapy, oral and injectable T.

Also, I’m not a fan of SQ and it doesn’t workout for everyone. I would have started out with IM in the deltoid.

As far as whether TRT is worth the hassle, two injections per week doesn’t sound so bad considering all the benefits of TRT.

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I spent the last 8 months playing with creams after doctor giving me 5 months of one shot a month which was a disaster… Cream initially had good levels then absorption problems. Hated the ups and downs, 500 levels then back to 140. I have very little LH so I am secondary hypo.

Six weeks ago I started subq EOD at about 77 mg a week. First 4 weeks ups and downs so you can’t judge anything the first 4 weeks. If you do you will be chasing your tail. I started to feel nice effects after 4 weeks or so. I believe it is symptom relief AND blood levels. Levels after 5 weeks are 90 ft out of a max of 240. Total of 460 out of 900. I tested at trough right before my injection. I am going to probably raise my dose.

Now, I feel for ya and I don’t think people should jump on your ass about questions. Maybe they don’t remember when they started the journey and how bad they felt.

I don’t prescribe to your dose is too low crowd either. I do know that my symptom relief matches my levels pretty good. I knew my levels were rising when certain things like sleep were improving. I will probably go to close to 90 mg a week. I felt great at around a free t of 150 and a total close to 600 but that was me and we are all different.

I hated needles but now, it’s not a big deal. I’d inject twice a day if I knew it would make me feel better (diabetics do!). I have had anxiety for a long time but it has improved with TRT and i use 27 gauge 1/2 inch. I may go to 29 gauge. Subq has worked for me and I really don’t know if there is much of a difference after 6 weeks that way. I can tell you that when I started a crap once a month protocol and went off after 5 months I crashed and felt like total shit. I HAVE to treat though. My levels were half what the minimum levels listed out there.

Hang in there and just stay the course for at least 4 weeks, preferably 6.
Good luck

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You are doing 110 mg a week. I think that is a good dose to start. Remember your testicles will shut down. Mined ached when I started, and when things crashed because of lack of adsorption on cream they would ache again so don’t be surprised at that. To feel better I could care less if my nuts shrink. At least they won’t sag and be viewable from behind at the gym! I am 57 so fertility isn’t high on my list. My SHBG is lower than yours. I believe it was one point above the minimum but I am patient right now as I see hope. I am sure it will be up and down still but I’ll have to ride the wave.

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I agree, 110 mg is average and not low by any stretch of the imagination. A 22 SHBG level isn’t low, but TRT will decrease it, so don’t be surprised to see is in the teens on TRT. You shouldn’t worry about SHBG because you have no control over it.

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That’s actually how long it took me.

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If SHBG is low then FT will be higher.

Understandable, you need more comprehensive blood work and using a doctor would be handy.

Fairly easy with a basic PCT

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It took me 3 months. :grinning:

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What is your reasoning for IM over subq?

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SQ is overrated, works well for a small percentage of men, more men feel better on IM.

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Sorry edited to state I am asking @systemlord about his statement above but it was deleted on posting?

Do you have a reason for saying that as a quick search for “which is better for TRT subq or IM” has lots of hits across many different sites (articles and forums, research papers, transmen’s sites, sales pitches) stating subq is a better choice.

Personally I now do a mix of both (stomach and ventrogluteal mainly) and honestly wish someone would do a double blind study on a group of men who state they are having issues unless they inject every -insert specific time here-.
So if on dailies they are given test on maybe 3 days and just oil the other 4 times etc.
I would wager there would be a small amount who definitely are affected if they don’t do daily, every three days, every two or whatever but most would not be able to tell the difference.
When I started I could definitely tell how my test and oestrogen were at just by feelings. Then I started reading actual papers and getting blood work and realised no I couldn’t tell I was just buying into the hypochondria of it all.
I do believe the way that’s best for you is the way you find easiest and that may change so mix it up if you want to.

sorry edited to add, Not a med pro and dont pretend to be.

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As an owner of a TRT clinic, posts like this are upsetting, I’m I an not sure why you’re putting yourself through all this anguish, is it to save a few bucks by going telemed or grey market instead of going though a clinic/doc?

If injecting yourself is a big concern, find a place that will do it for you on the weekly, or try the pellet insertion procedure if you really hate needles because that’s a very small procedure only every 3-4 months.

Although this forum has a great deal of expertise in the technicalities of AAS, TRT and a host of training topics, you shouldn’t be trying to use it as a sounding board for your insecurities with the process. All that says to me is that you are taking approaches to treatment that are shortcutting and creating anguish in the process.

Personally, I started with getting pinned at a clinic, and I probably would’ve had anguish over doing it myself if I started from day 1 doing it at home, after a few months it becomes really benign as you get used to the process. Now I would happily pin at home because I have seen how it’s done so many times by professionals who are trained in doing so. Personally, I would never drop the lifeline of a local clinic (not only because I own one), because the staff there are a support network for questions I have on different aspects of my health, and to provide the right checks and balances when it comes to bloodwork, symptoms, etc. That is what my clinic provides to our clients. I’d be astonished if you aren’t back here in 2 months saying “I upped my dose and now I have sensitive nipples, am I getting man boobs, what do i do?!”.

If you live somewhere that clinic service is unavailable to you, I understand and I am sorry you’re having to go without support, but if you live somewhere you can get support through a clinic, it will be much better for you than looking for this forum to provide reassurance to the process of injecting and whether TRT is the right path for you.

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Poll’s on forums and various reputable doctors saying the same thing.