Need Advice from experienced TRT guys
I was diagnosed with hypogonadism a few months ago (testosterone level was 140). I was prescribed 200mg Cypionate once per week. I just got my follow-up blood work done after 10 weeks on TRT. I inject on Monday mornings and my blood was drawn on Friday morning. My testosterone level on TRT came back at 1048. My doctor said that was too high and told me to start injecting once every 10 days. My question is should I follow his orders or stay at every 7 days? I feel good, not super human or anything, but much better than before TRT. I know that the safe and easy answer is just to do whatever my doctor says, but I guess I am hoping to hear that my level is still safe and I can stay at it if I want. What do you experts think? I am 38 years old. Thanks!
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I guess if you don't mind shots, every few days makes more sense...but I am still doing every ten days and feel fine. 200mg every ten days. I believe if you go too high is when estrogen is a problem. I never wanted to turn my body into a medicine cabinet with all the other drugs like E blockers etc.
Everbody is different, there is not 1 plan that fits all.
He is basically telling you to do 0.7ml per week.
Or 0.35ml twice a week.
Or 1.0ml every 10 days.
They all get you to the same place.
But talk to your Dr. about it. Pinning twice a week can become a pain after a year or two.
Also twice a week can possibly give a higher reading on your blood work as less days between your last shot and blood test.
10 days would be a pain to remember and probably involve keeping a calendar.
Once a week is easy, pick one day a week and stick with it. If you find too much fluctuation in how you feel, go to twice a week.
Just my 2 cents worth,.......... I've been sticking myself with the needle longer than I've been here.
Rustyhooker^^^^^^boom
To me, 200mg/week is old school protocol and too much. Taking 200mg/every 10 days is a bit crazier. Your pinning schedule is really dependent on your shbg and how you feel. I think being around 1000tt is fine as long as your bloods check out. Starting trt protocols by most exp. drs are typically 100 to 140 mg every week, split up between 1 to 2 pins to start. This is of course with no ai unless one is needed.
I would just talk to him about trying to stay off the rollercoaster effects of once every 10 days. That shit fucks my hormones bad. Also like the other said, your dose could come down quite a bit too.
I agree i would lower the dose and take twice a week thats how i run mine as well
Try injecting every three days.
I wouldn't think the doc would have a problem splitting and lowering the dose. Right now is pretty much a trial period where they want to get your levels right.
For me, my doc wanted me in the 400-500 range ,but had no problem with me being in the mid 500's
Also at one point they wanted to dose me every 14 days with full knowledge of people "dropping off"
I said to him.." can't I just do inject every 7 days and split the dose in half?"
He said " sure, that's probably actually a good idea, and may start suggesting that to others"
Too my knowledge and from what I have been told......the only reason they don't suggest more frequent injection is because a lot of people don't like needles or want to inject so the docs try to keep it to a minimum.
This last sentence isn't directed to you personally but, at the end of the day, you may as well do it right . Otherwise it partially defeats the purpose and the way you feel and isn't that a main reason you are taking it anyways?
You are too high which will cause issues, I'd discuss with him 1/4 mil every 4 days and recheck in a few weeks. or, 1/2 mil each week.
I think more frequent injections at a lower dosage would be preferable. I hate when doctors tell patients to do an injection every 10 days for testosterone cypionate. Test Cyp is active for 8 days. You won't be feeling it's effects by the time you hit day 10. Testosterone levels will spike over the first couple of days and then gradually decline. You will then repeat the process with your next injection. If you viewed a chart of your testosterone levels, it would look like large waves. To me that isn't ideal. You will feel overall better with a higher median testosterone level which will be achieved by more frequent injections. Try subq injections with an insulin syringe. Fill 100 unit syringe to the 30 mark. Do an injection every 4th day. You'll end up doing 120mg every 8 days. It is a lower weekly dosage but your median testosterone level will be higher than doing an injection every 10 days. Your doctor probably wants to get you in the 900 range. That's my 2 cents.
I personally think you should be on a lower dose for now at least. I don't think where your at is bad but, it doesn't leave you much room either. I would try to be at the lowest levels that you feel good on.
That way it leaves some room to up your dose a bit if you adjust to it too much.
lifezeroHey man same here. my level was slightly higher at 296 but at my age i should be way higher
This is actually my first post on this forum. Hoping i can help with what little i know.
If i were in your shoes i would actually asked to see if you can divide those doses up into twice weekly shots and definitely stay away from a shot every 10 days.
Or if you are wanting to stay at weekly injections, maybe look into hcg during the week to keep you from dipping to far down off the trough.
I have found the doing it weekly was definitely not for me, but maybe it is for you as everybody is different.
This is just my thoughts on what i would look into, as a shot every 10 days is way too long for me.
cheers!
It's simple, if u feel good with 200mg a week, ur gnna feel great with 400mg a week, and if u take 600mg a week ur gnna feel awesome.
10 days is too far apart. You going to have valleys and peaks in your hormones. Minimum would be once every 5-7 days. Ideally at least 2x per week like MON/THURS
Living4ThePumpThe more frequent injections the better since you're more stable in terms of hormone levels and thus you will have less side effects. Micro dosing is the way to go, daily injections or every other day. Dosage is totally individual, you'll have to try and see what dosage works for you. Start low, for example 10mg daily or 20mg every other day and work up if needed.
eddoThat does sound like a high dose 200mg so your doc is right to lower. But before messing with the dose yourself I’d stick with the doc protocol but ask about adding HCG.
Do you have primary or secondary hypogonadism? If secondary (problem with pertuitry, low to nil LH,FSH)
you may find running HCG along with your testosterone really beneficial, aswell as keeping the plumbs plump it can also maintain fertility or even reverse infertility.
This can be prescribed by your doctor as standard procedure for TRT so maybe mention it? I know after adding HCG I felt a lot better as it does also increase your testosterone created by your testes too.
If your primary hypogonadism (problem with the testicles, normal LH FSH, then HCG will have no effect unfortunately)
Hey guys new to the site but I figure I’d chime in. I’ve been running trt for about 5 years. I’ve toyed with dosages and frequencies throughout this time and I’ve found that 100mg of test c every 6 days works best for me. I never really hit a “low” and I don’t gain weight on this dose either. I’m not trying to gain muscle while running trt so I’ve found it’s a perfect maintenance dose for me. I think you need to fine tune what works best for you by trial and error. Hope this helps, good luck!
I would just go with 100 mg every 5th day. 200 mg every 10 days would lead to unstable blood levels. You would be bottom out days 7-10
I use 125mg per week, once per week and 500iu hug. In your situation i’d Swap to 100mg/e5d’s personally. You’ll still have test levels right at the top of natural levels, if not over but it’ll give you less of a peak and a trough and it’s not too much of a pain in the arse injecting every 5 days.
Edit: just noticed this thread is 5 months old, how you getting on bud?
AnonDo doctors ever prescribe an AI and Test for TRT? Or do they only just prescribe Test?
My dr prescribed anastrozole along with my test but I have really high estrogen
Once a week is giving you higher highs and lower lows. Every ten days is going to give you a lower low but you'll still be experiencing a high spike followed by a slow decline.
No, you should be an equal partner in your healthcare. Discuss 1/2 mil every 4 days to keep your range tighter and more even. Then tweak as needed after a few weeks.
Thanks Greg. I’m going to go back to e5d instead of every 10. I used to do this for years but I got lazy sometime in the last year I guess. Not really something I didn’t know but a great reminder.
I have over 3 years experience with TRT and I’m currently prescribed 300mg a week of cypionate that I inject Monday and Thursday .75ml. My advice to you is if you’re happy with how you feel on the weekly dose, then keep the 7 day dose. When you have your follow up blood draw next I would take a half dose exactly 10 days from your scheduled appointment. Yes, you’re going to feel like shit for a little bit but at the end of the day you need those levels to be lower than previously.
It’s a game with the insurance companies to even get Test prescribed and they want to see numbers in certain ranges and you’re too high right now on paper.
This is providing you have no prior health issues such as High BP, pre diabetes etc...... Some guys I know go every 6 months for their blood draw. I prefer every 3 months since I’m running other gear and I like to know where my liver enzymes, cholesterol levels etc..
You can try different dosing, if you don’t mind pinning more often to see how you feel, Hell sub q is even an option now days!
The peak and valleys are what you’re trying to avoid and you won’t know until you experiment.
Plenty of other useful posts here for you my brother, glad to see everyone chiming in and hope the best for everyone!
Rustyhookerprescribed 300mg a week of cypionate
Thats not by a doctor.....maybe quack in a box. Post up bloods.
Always 1 A HOLE in the bunch that knows everything!
You’ve left that Rusty hook in for far too long!
Go get your Tetanus Shot and when you feel better, just maybe you’ll utilize that big number under your name for something good!
It's clear you're gaming the system and the doc would NOT have prescribed you 300mg if he knew what you were doing.
Yes Sir you’re correct! My Doctor does know my full history of gear use and pushed my prescription to the max for what the insurance is going to cover. It took over 3 years for me to (game the system) to get to the 300mg and I’ll never be prescribed anything higher.
Like a lot of us on this board, we have competed or pushed our bodies to the extreme! In doing so we’ve done whatever it takes (gear/substance) to win or achieve those results but don’t think about the consequences later on in life!
I meant No Disrespect to RustyHooker or anyone else on this board! I only meant to share my situation with our fellow members!
Hope Everyone is Attaining their Goals and Doing Well!
Right, so your suggestion falls under drug abuse not TRT. That is NOT what the poster is looking for.
Thank you JohnnyBravo. .75ml of 300mg twice per week is 450mg total per week correct?
I totally agree with you about the insurance companies. In fact, my doctor said something that already had me thinking that.
I have no prior health issues and I give blood every 12 weeks or so, just to be a good citizen. Is my current dosing what you would consider to be safe? That is, if I haven't experienced any sides on this dose yet, am I safe to assume that I won't?
I have never experienced the peaks and valleys yet, and I'd like to avoid that at all costs. Also, just from a laziness standpoint, I don't want to have to track my pinning for every 10 days. Every Monday is a lot easier to remember.
No, he’s saying .75ml of 200mg/ml twice a week. 300mg per week, like he said. That’s the highest dose I’ve seen prescribed. I thought the 200mg/week my doc prescribed me was a lot.
Thirty years of Gear and a Great Doctor! My very first blood draw for TRT came back at 34! Doctor had me come back again thinking no way that low, must have been some kind of mix up or contamination. The 2nd draw came back at 43.
I played the game until I got to the 300mg weekly that I could live with and also it was the most the Doctor was going to prescribe! Lol
It’s 300mg total a week. 200mg prescription broken down into (2) .75ml doses weekly.
If you’re feeling good off your dose now, why change it? I’d keep the (1) every Monday injection, until it’s time to have your blood draw. Obviously keep an eye on your BP and anything else that seems to be different from what you’re use to and write it down.
I run 450mg of Test Prop along with my 300mg prescription weekly and have had zero issues in the past 3 years.
I drop the Prop 2 weeks before my blood draw and my prescription I stop 10 days before. Bloods are consistently between 600-700 every 12 week draw.
Donate blood is very helpful as well!
Do you have a suggestion of a device I should buy to monitor my own BP at home?
Omron make good quality and accurate (for digital) BP Monitors.
jayiskthe Classic Pink Lady Fleshlight. great for lowering BP.
I wasn’t suggesting to go out and purchase one now, sorry brother. I just meant that BP is something to keep an eye on over time. If your BP was fine prior to your TRT and is still normal after these 10 weeks, no rush to go by a machine.
However, I purchased one from Walgreens for around $60. Cuff size is very important in reading your BP properly. I tend to have larger arms so I needed a larger cuff size.
Good to know. So BP and Hematocrit won't change overnight on my current dose correct?
It shouldn’t overnight but always things to be aware of!
Everyone’s body is different and reacts differently to everything!
I switched myself from 200mg test cyp every week to every 10 days myself (140mg per week). I didn’t notice a big difference and I feel great. When I do a cycle I just keep it there and add something else. I’ve done it by stacking dianabol, tren e, and boldenone. That was great and I had no problems. Next time I’m thinking of just adding 250 mg of tren e for 10 weeks. I do 2 cycles a year with 16 weeks off more or less. I’ve taken tren e at 350 mg per week before and honestly it wasn’t a lot different. I like to take the least that gets me what I want and work hard. I know people have the more is better attitude but I don’t. Try not to burn yourself out is my thinking. Also, by keeping the test steady I don’t freak out my doc by accidentally coming in to the office at 2500. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t test for the other stuff and I can get a test mid cycle and see my liver numbers and all. I’ve only seen liver function in the high normal range and barely out of range hematocrit. Oh, and when I cycle I just mix them together and inject more frequently. For example I’ll mix test and tren and inject every 5 days. I’ve been using insulin syringes that are 1mg so that works with my cycle. Be easy on yourself and enjoy the sport a long time. I’m still the fittest guy in the 50 year old range I know. I like that.
OldCruiser, may I ask why did you switch yourself to every 10 days? I am finally feeling good after a long time and I am scared to lose it...
Well, like I was saying I think the less you take for the desired result the easier it is on your body. Also, if I go to the doc and have a test level over 1000 he’ll cut back my prescription. I’m my experience, the doctors don’t usually make reasonable adjustments. Like when it wasn’t high enough he switched me from 100mg/wk to 200mg/wk. if it’s too high I bet he switches me back. He also said it’s ok to take all of it once a month. No joke. So I do what I see as reasonable without taking too much. If you stay on 200mg a week then I think it’s a safe bet that your labs will slowly drift out of normal. TRT isn’t supposed to mess up your body. It’s about finding “normal” again. If you want to occasionally mess up your numbers in a controlled and educated way, I personally don’t think that’s a horrible thing. Probably there’s some other folks on here that have run a cycle or two. The thing with that is, if you take too much all the time, how are you going to recover? It’s not about what you’re going to do for the next 8-12 weeks. It’s about what you’re going to do for the rest of your life.
I’d suggest you keep a little journal. Every day, make a few notes about how you feel. Do you have energy? Are you feeling like crap? Are you nervous or calm or happy or pissed off? That kind of thing. I’m guessing from what I’ve experienced that you will feel much the same on 140/wk as on 200/wk. The difference is you will probably feel better in the long term. When your liver function numbers get out of range, you will start to feel like you have the flu all the time. If you get way out of line with your tests you may have to cut back further to recover. Then what’s the point? Slow and steady is the way, maybe with a springtime boost for that summer body. That’s my reasoning, others may or may not agree. That’s ok.
There are a lot more things to look at on your blood tests than testosterone level and liver function, that’s just an example and why I say to do it in an educated way. We cant cover all that here. Read, read, read, then think.
Also I see I had a typo in the other message. I meant to say 1 ml.
I noticed quite a few educated looking people saying 100mg every 5 days (basically the same as 200mg/10 days) or around 150mg/wk. There’s a reason for that.
I'd cut it to 150mg/wk. You don't need such high Test levels if you're not seriously bodybuilding!
100mg e5d or lower dose to 150 split. If you stay where your at, pull bloods on injection day before you inject, you will come in lower.
I run 100mg E5D and it dials me in perfectly
Yeah I was running 120 every 5th day came in at almost 800 on day 6
Dobermannfollow docs orders
I’d do 100mg every 5 days and see where you land. If you’re just the average guy and don’t take the gym life to seriously, I’d back off too like 150mg a week.
I don't take the gym super seriously, but I am dedicated. In fact, I feel cheated to have been hamstrung by low testosterone for years. Now that I am feeling good my doctor wants to decrease my dosage. I'm very weary about that.
As long as the rest of your bloodwork is fine, there isn’t too much of an issue staying where you are. Generally, you’ll have elevated hematocrit at that level. You can counter that issue by donating blood. What is really at risk is the doctor not prescribing you it anymore if he sees you’re obviously ducking his recommendations.