You have that under control now?
Not under control. I mention above the reason I’m not taking the Metformin, My ‘get it under control’ plan involves dropping the weight. Doing that will be easier once I get my numbers better. I hope.
So I saw the new Endo today.He wanted to talk about diabetes, I wanted to talk about HRT. I have a new finger pricker and instructions to get on the Metformin.
He’s ordered the following tests:
According to the ranges listed on my labs, I’m hormonally normal. No treatment prescribed except for blood sugar. But I don’t feel normal! I’m not sure what to do next.
And how could my other doctor have test results that showed me low for years, even on Androgel, when I now test normal with no HRT for two months? No significant weight loss or other changes.
It just occurred to me the other blood tests were fasting, this one wasn’t. Could that have made a difference?
So you used androgel and did not absorb?
That is a symptom of low thyroid function.
Low thyroid function reduces your metabolic rate, increasing blood sugars, lipids and drives fat gain.
Low T also drive fat gain and decreases insulin sensitivity. You need TRT for a few good health reasons.
Getting T levels up and thyroid function right will lower fat and improve your blood sugar problems. Loosing weight with low T and low thyroid function may not happen.
Please read the stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman
- advice for new guys
- things that damage your hormones
- protocol for injections
- finding a TRT doc
Your labs are inadequate and narrow in scope.
Your blood sugar labs and cholesterol need to be fasting never random.
A1C is the best score to see how you are managing.
You need to read up on low glycemic index foods.
Evaluate your overall thyroid function by checking oral body temperatures as per the thyroid basics explained sticky. There can be expected problems if you have not been using iodized salt.
Signs:
- feeling cold easily
- generalized hair thinning
- sparse outer eyebrows
These are from July and are fasting, I assume it’s why he didn’t make me fast this time.
Cholesterol (fasting) 170 Range <200 desirable
Glucose (fasting) 239 Range 74-100
A1C 8.6 Range 4.4 - 6.4
I’ve been through the stickies. I called the endo’s office and was told he prescribed injections, and his online rating was the best around. And if I had tested low, he might have been fine! He was planning on teaching me to give myself shots when I came in to review the labs.
I took my temperature first thing every morning for about a week and was usually right around 97.0-97.2. It was low enough I tried a different thermometer for comparison and was about the same. (first was a new oral thermometer, second a forehead version that’s always been accurate) I took my temperature shortly after I got home. It’s 79 degrees in my house and I’ve been up moving around. I was 97.7 at around 6pm.
My multivitamin provides 67% RDA of iodine. We use regular table salt that I assume is iodized, but it literally just says “Salt” on it, nothing else. Isn’t most table salt iodized now? I don’t get cold, but I’m obese and in Florida, so it would take a miracle for me to get cold. My outer eyebrows are pretty sparse, I actually noticed it several months ago before I started coming to the forums.
I still want to know how I went up in testosterone after being off Androgel for a couple months. He said I was about mid-normal, do you agree?
Testosterone 301.9 Range 193.0 - 740.0
Estradiol 29.2 Range 7.6 - 42.6 if I’m reading it right. (see the pic above. It’s a little confusing, even to the endo)
Thank You.
You appear to be a uncontrolled diabetic with low thyroid function and low T.
Low thyroid increases cholesterol, decreases fat burn, decreases insulin sensitivity and makes you gain fat and resistant to fat loss.
Take charge, what is your game plan?
Also see if low IGF-1 is contributing to the mix.
Try 500mg metformin with meals!
Are you using a statin drug to lower cholesterol?
If so, do you have muscle soreness or a chronic low level cough? If yes to cough, you have a statin induced CoQ10 deficiency and should take 50mg Ubiquinol form of CoQ10, get the spelling exact. Take 100mg for two weeks and note improvements then see if 50mg will sustain. LEF.com sells Ubiquinol, knownby me good to work in this exact situation. That cough is from a drug induced case of congestive heart failure mechanics from weakened heart muscles.
I’ll start with the statin drug… no. My cholesterol has never been high before, so never even discussed.
I’ve made an appointment with another doctor who will be my new primary care guy, unless he’s not as knowledgeable as I’ve been led to believe. He comes recommended by a friend. The earliest he can get me in is the 17th of November, but I waited a month for the endo so I’m not complaining. He seems to be more pellet oriented, but I’m told he prescribes injections as well. And yes, I will opt out of the pellets.
My game plan involves diet and exercise. Metformin’s side effects are an issue when my job often puts me far from a restroom. So diet, exercise, and weight loss are the plan. I know it seems lacking but looking at the chart from the American Diabetes Association, my 8.8 isn’t an emergency. http://clinical.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/1/9.figures-only
Do not start a statin drug.
I was asking if you were using a statin drug.
That’s what I was saying no to, I’ve never used one because I’ve never needed one. I wasn’t saying I’ll start a statin drug, I was starting my response by answering your question about the statin drug. Sorry about that, it made sense in my head.
I did have a question about iodine supplements though. As I said before, my temperature always runs low, in the mornings right around 97 degrees and right now, about 6:20pm, it’s 97.6. My eyebrows definitely seem thin on the outside, brain fog, low energy…
Anyway, I was going to start supplementing iodine to see if it makes a difference, but I see my doctor in two weeks and he’ll be testing. Should I wait until after the tests to start iodine?
Labs may not provide much guidance.
Higher dose iodine leads to high TSH which makes the TSH lab rather unuseful.
I was prescribed .5ml SC twice a week.
Testosteron cypionate 200mg/mL intramuscular oil 1 10ML bottle
The syringe prescribed was 1ML 27G 1/2
The only thing we talked about was SC, but he initially prescribed what was clearly intramuscular syringes, I had to call to get that changed. The testosterone prescription is listed as intramuscular, is that okay for SC, or is it a different prescription?
He gave me a GoodRx card, which brought the bottle down from around $95 to around $82. Does that sound right for a 10ml bottle?
I didn’t leave the pharmacy with it, because the pharmacist said the testoserone would expire about the 28 day mark according to the manufacturer, but it should be enough testosterone for ten weeks.
According to GoodRx there is a generic available.The GoodRx price is $28 generic vs $86 Depo-testosterone.
Does anyone know how they compare?
When I called Walgreens they told me the cash price is $115 and the discount club brought it down to the $85 range. I asked about the generic and she said that was the generic. What am I doing wrong?
The following are the results after around 7 weeks of .5 SC twice per week Test Cyp. There are 8 pages of labs, so I went through the stickies and posts above and included everything I saw that was requested. My results are in bold with the reference range to the right.
The treatment directed is:
Test Cyp .75x2/week
Anastrozole 1MG TAB X3/week
Nature-Throid 65MG Tablet every morning
The treatment plan I’m actually planning is:
Test Cyp .75x2/week
Anastrozole .5MG TAB X2/week (with the Test)
Nature-Throid 65MG Tablet every morning (I’m open to suggestions on this)
He also wants me to take more D3 , and start taking DHEA.
Suggestions, advice, warnings…all are welcome!
Still hoping someone will weigh in on my labwork and my plan, but I wanted to mention that I started Metformin today and Anastrozole last night, so I didn’t start the Nature-Throid yet. Three new prescriptions in 24 hours seemed a bad idea. Still not sure about the Nature-Throid anyway.
But my question is about the itchy injection site and a 10ML bottle I’ve been using for about 8 weeks. One pharmacist said the vial should only be used for 28 days but it’s a 10 week supply. Three injections ago I had a red, itchy splotch for about three days. Two injections ago I had no reaction. Now last night’s is red and itchy again. I asked a different pharmacist about it and she said it should be fine, and I might be allergic. But I was fine for like 10 shots, so why am I suddenly allergic? I can’t find anything on the Perrigo website about it expiring after a certain period after the first time it’s pierced. Still looking though.
So you’re increasing your Test Cyp from 200mg/wk to 300mg per week?
Good job on not listening to the Anastrozole 1MG TAB X3/week direction - probably too much.
How did you feel with E2 at 89.5? Any symptoms? If no symptoms of high E2 then I would be conservative with Anastrozole to avoid crashing E2. Then again, I guess at only 1MG of Anastrozole per week to 300mg of Test. Cyp. that IS conservative.
FWIW - my injection sites on my belly have become itchy the past few days, and I just started a brand new vial of test, so who knows…
Hello, from Cocoa Beach
Hi Cocoa Beach!!
No, I’m only going from 1mg to 1.5mg Test Cyp per week. Was doing .5mg twice, now .75mg twice.
I’ve got to get the kid to school and head for work, I’ll address your other questions tonight.
And thanks.
I was on Androgel for years with no AI so I’ve probably been high E2 for a long time, but he never tested. So I feel normal, but normal for me might mean all the symptoms of high E2.
And when I say red and itchy, I mean a spot about the size of my mouse is red with a lump under it. It itches a lot! If others have this and it’s not unusual I can probably deal with it. I’m just concerned I’m giving myself an infection twice a week.