posted Thu, 09/07/2023 - 18:22
2394
Trt testing schedule for bloodwork
ad
Currently on Endocrinologist prescribed test, 200mg a month (--) Dr wants me to inject 100mg every 2 weeks.
I'm doing 25mg on Fridays and Tuesdays. Here's the question:
When should I get my blood work checked? I was thinking on Friday morning before the test injection? I want to get the blood work myself because the Dr wants to WAIT 3 months before checking my levels(----). I've paid for the blood work already just need to schedule a morning time to get it done
- Bookmark
- 0
- 0
That is a terrible protocol. He is chemically castrating you. This will just shut down your natural production. Chances are you are going to feel worse. Find a new dr who isn’t it using old protocol he learned in med school years ago.
You need to do his injection schedule and test the morning of your next injection. So 2 weeks apart.
I just read you are transgender, so all that above doesn’t apply but 100 every 2 weeks will not get you stable.
Good luck in your journey.
Day of next injection so Tuesday or Friday then pin after labs.
You want to get bloodwork at its lowest level, so Friday morning before your injection. Nothing wrong with waiting 3 months unless you start experiencing sides. You should wait at least six weeks.
Because this is an important test, you'll want to make sure your levels are stable (longer wait = better), he's going to tweak your dose again based on those results, then again based on the next. The less time you spend on overshooting and overcorrecting, the better.
Thanks for the reply. The 1st time on test I seem to recall bloodwork being scheduled within the first several weeks to see if I was was on track, 3 months seems like a long time with such a low dose. Nevertheless, thanks for confirming when I should schedule testing
There's a bigger picture than just test levels, BP, RBC, Cholesterol, estrogen levels etc. Slow and steady is much better than overshooting. You're talking to an endo doc, which is good. Those guys aren't just guessing and tossing darts, they know what they are doing.
100% agree slow is better but I don't wanna wait 3 months for total test, estradiol. Rbc and some of the others can wait the 3 month schedule she has me on.
So far I'm in 2 weeks next Fri and i don't feel anything, I mean 50mg is nothing tbh but I'm curious to see if there's any bloodwork changes. My last Endo was better, and tested more frequently and gave me 10ml vials. This endo? 1ml vials :/
What's laughable is she wants to * SHOOT * for a range of high 200- low 300's yeah I'm totally cool with that (not)
It's the insurance companies that fucked us over on the 10ml vials. I complained about the hassle and my doc rewrote the script to make it look like I needed more, but it was understood I wasn't to follow the dose on the bottle but the dose we discussed.
Yeah, if it's a low of 300, maybe not such a big deal. A high of 300 wouldn't cut it for me either. A lot of that will depend on how often you pin. Working around a week is an arbitrary schedule. Think of schedules like every 4th day etc., frequent small sub-Q doses is the way to go.
When you get to that 200-300 range just say you see some improvement but complain you lack energy, falling asleep on the couch in front of the TV, etc. and would like to try more of a mid-range to see if it makes any difference in how you feel.
That is, (and this is you being concerned about your health), if my BP and cholesterol stay within normal.
Just had a question I was thinking about. Is there a certain mg dosage that you should not do sub-q and do IM instead? I was prescribed 200mg every 2 weeks to inject IM in my glutes. My trt doc said to just break it up into weekly subq pins to help me actually feel the test, etc. Was just curious if I shouldn't be injecting 100mg into my shoulder.
I found if I kept it under 1/2 mil I generally never had a problem. Overdosed &UGL gear can cause temporary welts and a stinging pain even at 1/2 mil.
Thanks for the input! Much appreciated
I didn't know that! You can imagine my shock when I saw such a small little vial with one milliliter of testosterone : (
when I quit HRT, I had so many vials that I stopped refilling them and turned the unused vials to the pharmacy for disposal!
Both of my morning free test bloodwork was 160 and the follow-up test was 202 and borderline anemic. Because of the low test I'm not sure how she thinks 300 is going to cut the mustard but I will certainly let them know nothing is going on yet
I'm actually kind of tired of this endocrinologist and might see a doctor who specializes in transgender men hormone TRT replacement, especially since I've already been diagnosed by a legitimate endocrinologist. I mean trans men or cis men. We're all trying to get our levels in the mid-range, right? 300 ain't it
No, not true. My eldest son is trans male, and a much smaller dose of test was required to effect a change where his voice dropped, and he grew facial hair. Keep in mind, no matter what society says, no matter how one feels inside and wants to identify as something else, Biologically, my son still has two X chromosomes (female) Nothing in todays science is going to change that.
They have a target range similar to cis men.
https://www.bumc.bu.edu/endo/clinics/transgender-medicine/guidelines/
This is true but it's about how he feels Test won't effect his chromosomes, but if he feels he's in the wrong body test is a life saver for him
Your link does not refute my comments.
My point being as a man, Higher levels, closer to the high end will make me feel normal. For my son, who did not grow up as a man, and is biologically not a man, does better at lower levels. At higher levels, aggression and anger becomes a problem.
For a trans male, it's about looking like how you feel. This may sound crass, but it's cosmetic. Deeper voice, facial hair and other male attributes, and yes, even at low Test levels, in a biological female body, aggression, or, assertiveness is higher. The biological female body is more sensitive to higher test levels than a biological male.
Conversely, If I were to become a trans female, it doesn't take much estrogen to make me grow breasts and become highly emotional.
So, the idea that an equitable amount of test is required to get desired results is flawed. The normal range for men being 300 - 1000. When the doc says he/she wants to shoot for 300 (low end). that's a good starting point. Once a trans man learns how to handle the emotional and physical changes. Then a discussion can be had about increasing the levels. Then again, 300 might be perfect, both in physique and emotionally.
This isn't a one size fits all situation, it'll take years of slow and methodical changes in dosage to find the levels that will be right for an individual. Both in physical and emotional health.
No the link wasn't meant to refute only to show that I read physicians who treat trans man shoot for those ranges, oddly enough that's the same range my Endo wants me to be -_- I don't personally agree with my Endo but we have to start somewhere, I'm 160 now 300+ might make me feel like superman lol
I just have to test and get blood work to find what dose takes me to what blood levels. I don't want to wait 3 months as the Dr suggests
I am in the same boat as you! My Total T levels were 125, I went to a TRT clinic and was told I needed to see Endo/Urology as insurance would cover the Test. Went to Urology and got slapped with 200mg every 2 weeks. I asked the Doc where she wanted me to be, treatment plan wise and she said at least above 350 (min on lab scale), but would feel comfortable around 500. I talked to my TRT doc, and was told to just pin 50mg every 4 days. I was concerned about the half life of Test (Cyp) being 8 days and feeling like crap for the remaining days. I feel like there is pressure around the docs to not Optimize patients, and just give therapeutic doses. Which sucks!
So glad I found these forums, and people like you being in the same situation as me!
I agree! Wish I could get 200mg every 2 weeks! They all (Endocrinologists and the like) seem to think as long as your *just above *:reference range your good:/
Did they stick you with the 1ml vial of test? If not what size vial did you get?
Yeah, 1ml vial lol
You have to understand it's a journey. Most docs assume (correctly) that most people don't want to jab themselves frequently. They also want to see how you respond to the test and will tweak your dose accordingly until they get you at a mid-range sweet spot. That can take a year or more.
Secondly, your bloods are being drawn at their lowest levels Meaning, your levels are considerably higher after injection. They don't want you to spike over the top end either.
Don't interject yourself too soon in the process. Pinning once a week is going to give you lower levels come test time. They will up your dose. When you get to a point where you want to be. (realistically, you can't be superman all the time; you want normal and healthy.) You can then discuss more frequent pinning with your doc or go it alone. Your levels will be more even, and your scripted dose a little less conservative and probably still well within normal range at the high end.
That makes sense. Thanks for the insight!
That's reasonable. Let me ask you this, being on 100mg every two weeks, I've opted for twice per week Fridays and Tuesdays. Because the dose is pretty low to begin with should I just inject 50mg once per week? Not feeling a whole lot of benefit doing 2x week tbh
50 mg every week is a pretty low dose. How long have you been on that dose? Any recent blood work?
50 mg every 4 days keeps me in the 600 range. I don't feel like superman, I feel normal (again) and am as active as anyone 20 years younger.
There's a problem when, at first, one feels great, because you compare everything to how it was. Then you slip into normal. Then, like an addict, you want to chase that original high and do more.
It is what it is gentlemen; a maintenance drug. Welcome to old age.
This is me. Was just talking about "addiction" with Testosterone. People say its not addicting but it is in the very least mentally addicting. Im on .8ml (160mg) every week. Im around the max I believe. Have blood work done again in about 3 weeks. I tell everyone I don't feel 25 but I do maybe feel 35 again. (im 44)
But then that little voice in your head starts wondering what if I just roll with 16 weeks of 400mg of test instead of 160mg. What will it do...hmmm. Then after 16 weeks Let my blood levels settle a little in time for my next bloodwork from the TRT doc so she isn't liek why your levels at 2500 and 415.
Don't remind me--
Well my script is 200mg /ml in a 1ml vial so I'm forced to either do the Dr's protocol 0.5 ml every 2 weeks or once a week.
I bought some gear that was bunk was on it for 2 weeks and got my blood work back and it was 160 free test --
I purchased more gear and I'm leaning at going to 50mg week, I'll check my levels.
Do you think I can test my levels after a week or should I wait 2 weeks before checking?
On the homepage, pick one of the top sources, and order some good test. Then, up your dosage a little and see how you feel. Now don’t go crazy and up the dosage dramatically. The top sources on this site are supplying good stuff, so no need to overload.
Exactly, and that's the new gear I mentioned ;)
So do you think 1 week is enough time to test my levels or should I wait 2 weeks then test. Wanna inject on Friday and test myself next Friday before the next injection?