Side effects from just starting out

[DirtyDusty]

Just started trt a week and a half ago. Was diagnosed with low T 4 years go, but couldn’t find a doctor that had any experience or knowledge. Due to chronic stress the last 2 years, from work, I put on 50 pounds. Changed jobs to get rid of the stress and found a Dr. that is supposed to be up to date on the latest treatments. He done labs and called me the next day prescribed me 100mg of testosterone weekly. He didn’t go over my labs, other than to say that my total T was 200. He said to come do my next labs on the trough in 6 weeks, and we would discuss my labs in greater detail then.

I took my first injection last Friday and had blood pressure spikes and got bloated that weekend. Cleared up by Monday and had energy again. I figured it was my body adjusting to the testosterone. This week I split the dose in half, and will inject 2 times this week. The next Injection was trouble free. Anyone ever experience this. Debating on going back to once a week until my next labs to see what the Dr. thinks. Any thoughts?

 

[Systemlord]

Once weekly can work only for a select few, most feel swings on weekly injections and you won't find many here who feels good doing it. There are a few comments you have made that suggest you may NOT be working with an experienced TRT doctor.

Surely your doctor measured SHBG to design your TRT protocol, right? SHBG would tell us how well you hold onto testosterone and will dictate the type of TRT protocol that is expected to show good results.

Large infrequent injections will drive up estrogen production since we convert estrogen from testosterone, bloating and blood pressure spikes would be symptoms associated with an estrogen spike, when you split your injection in half it was trouble free because the dosage of testosterone was halved, so to was the estrogen that you converted from that smaller 50mg testosterone injection.

I think you should continue with the splitting your weekly protocol in half and inject 50mg twice weekly until you get SHBG tested, then you will know what type of protocol is expected to work well for you.

I would do terrible on weekly, twice weekly injections do to having low SHBG, both of these protocols cause blood pressure spikes and bloating. The only type of TRT protocol that has worked for me is injections 20mg EOD or 10-12mg everyday.

It's more likely than not, if you are getting your TRT through insurance that you are most likely working with a doctor who doesn't specialize in TRT, few do and those that do specialize in TRT do not take insurance.

This has force a lot of us here to seek private care.

Please share your pre-TRT labs.

 

[Vince]

When I first started try, I got the testosterone flu for 2 weeks. I felt very sick until my body adjusted. Even though I was sick, my libido w through the roof.

 

[Wolfblood]

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat. I just started about 2 weeks ago with 100mg test cyp once weekly. My third shot is in two days. Although I am coming from Clomid and Cialis to shots.

The first 5 days I felt pretty good. I crashed the 6th day. So much that I took the shot a day early but even then it took a few days to feel better again. I'm hoping I can make it the full week this time. No change in libido. I did notice more nighttime erections the first week and a half but they weren't as hard and didn't last long.

I'm going to try and do the weekly shots for at least 6 weeks to give it some time but I might change to twice weekly. My doctor is against more than once a week because he said it can increase red blood cells too much but I am giving myself the shots and will make that call if I need to do twice weekly. I figured I can always donate blood if that is an issue. I'm O Negative and the Red Cross is always bugging me about donating.

 

[Systemlord]

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat. I just started about 2 weeks ago with 100mg test cyp once weekly. My third shot is in two days. Although I am coming from Clomid and Cialis to shots.

The first 5 days I felt pretty good. I crashed the 6th day. So much that I took the shot a day early but even then it took a few days to feel better again. I'm hoping I can make it the full week this time. No change in libido. I did notice more nighttime erections the first week and a half but they weren't as hard and didn't last long.

I'm going to try and do the weekly shots for at least 6 weeks to give it some time but I might change to twice weekly. My doctor is against more than once a week because he said it can increase red blood cells too much but I am giving myself the shots and will make that call if I need to do twice weekly. I figured I can always donate blood if that is an issue. I'm O Negative and the Red Cross is always bugging me about donating.

Smaller doses more frequently, hematocrit goes down in most cases. That crash you speak of on day 6 will get worse with time as the swings get bigger you will feel less relief after each injection.

I don't know where your doctor gets his information, but I can tell you it isn't from clinical experience or studies for that matter. Smaller more frequent doses can achieve higher levels while lowering hematocrit, RBC and estrogen because you have less testosterone in your body at any given time.

 

[DirtyDusty]

Once weekly can work only for a select few, most feel swings on weekly injections and you won't find many here who feels good doing it. There are a few comments you have made that suggest you may NOT be working with an experienced TRT doctor.

Surely your doctor measured SHBG to design your TRT protocol, right? SHBG would tell us how well you hold onto testosterone and will dictate the type of TRT protocol that is expected to show good results.

Large infrequent injections will drive up estrogen production since we convert estrogen from testosterone, bloating and blood pressure spikes would be symptoms associated with an estrogen spike, when you split your injection in half it was trouble free because the dosage of testosterone was halved, so to was the estrogen that you converted from that smaller 50mg testosterone injection.

I think you should continue with the splitting your weekly protocol in half and inject 50mg twice weekly until you get SHBG tested, then you will know what type of protocol is expected to work well for you.

I would do terrible on weekly, twice weekly injections do to having low SHBG, both of these protocols cause blood pressure spikes and bloating. The only type of TRT protocol that has worked for me is injections 20mg EOD or 10-12mg everyday.

It's more likely than not, if you are getting your TRT through insurance that you are most likely working with a doctor who doesn't specialize in TRT, few do and those that do specialize in TRT do not take insurance.

This has force a lot of us here to seek private care.

Please share your pre-TRT labs.

Called the clinic today, to get a copy of my labs. Had to leave a message with the nurse. Hopefully it won’t take too long to get the results.

 

[DirtyDusty]

Still waiting on them to send me lab results. On another note, he wants me to get blood drawn the 6Th week. The morning on my injection day, before I inject. Says he wants to see my trough levels. The question is, how different will my trough results look, if I am injecting 2 times a week? Will the dr. Be able to tell if I am injecting once, or twice, a week?

 

[Systemlord]

Still waiting on them to send me lab results. On another note, he wants me to get blood drawn the 6Th week. The morning on my injection day, before I inject. Says he wants to see my trough levels. The question is, how different will my trough results look, if I am injecting 2 times a week? Will the dr. Be able to tell if I am injecting once, or twice, a week?

Your levels will be more steady and elevated and that's the name of the game in TRT, since he's not very experienced I doubt he will know what you are up to. I would tell your doctor you started feeling better when splitting the doses up twice weekly.

If your doctor isn't willing to listen and work with you, find another doctor because you say you felt better on twice weekly and that cannot be ignored.

 

[DirtyDusty]

Finally got my labs in today. He didn’t test estradiol nor SHBG.

FSH 2.8 range 1.5-12.4
LH 3.6 1.2-8.6
Prolactin 7.6 NG/ML 4.0-15.2
PSA .774. 0.0-4.0
Testosterone 236.92 300-780
RBC 5.61 3.5-5.50

He done a complete CBC, but nothing else. I finally got to talk to his nurse today, I told her the issues I was having and asked about splitting my dosage up between to twice weekly. She said they never do that, and I shouldn’t be having problems with the low dosage I am on.

Since I have been on it for 4 weeks, has my natural testosterone production been shut down?

 

[fifty]

It’s odd your lh is still that high. Your blood tests aren’t very helpful. No shbg, no free t, no e2 and who cares about lh and fsh when you’re on trt (meaning why are they testing it)

 

[DirtyDusty]

This was my base line lab. I requested them a week after they where done. Just now received them from the Dr’s office.

 

[fifty]

Oh ok. Yes your natural t production will be shut down.
If you inject twice a week your trough levels will be higher...which is what you want. Your test levels will come back higher on a blood test than 1x/wk.

 

[DirtyDusty]

Just got my 6 week labs. I requested sensitive estradiol, SHBG, and free test. The nurse argued that it wasn’t necessary, but the dr. Ok’d It and sent the request to the lab. He told me few weeks back to stick to the once a week injection, until the 6 week lab and then I could go to twice a week. Supposed to have an appointment in a coupe of weeks to discuss the results and possibly going on hcg.

Total T 440 300-890
Free calculated T 110.9. 47-244
SHBG. 22. 16.5-55.6
Estrodiol (not sensitive) 35.7 <65

Blood pressure isn’t as bad, but still have ups and downs. Went to twice a week, and it isn’t as bad. Do have sensitive nipples every now and then.

 

[DirtyDusty]

BTW the samples where drawn right before my weekly injection.

 

[Systemlord]

Total T is a little low on trough, an EOD protocol would be perfect for you, lower estrogen and keep T from falling low and you would have much more consistent T levels between peak and right before your next injection.

That's why you feel up and down, because your levels are up and down. When you keep levels from fluctuating you will feel the same all of the time. There are some guys who just don't feel the fluctuating T levels as much, but some feel even minor fluctuations.

If you do an EOD protocol your next trough will be higher if you dose it correctly.

E2 is probably a little lower than stated do to non-sensitive testing.

At least the doctor is open to increasing injection frequency.

 

[DirtyDusty]

How would having my SHBG onbthe lower end, affect me if I start taking HCG? Would I end up needing an AI?

 

[Systemlord]

How would having my SHBG onbthe lower end, affect me if I start taking HCG? Would I end up needing an AI?

You may need an AI if HCG is used as it tends to increase estrogen in the majority. SHBG on the lower end means you have more free hormones, that means free E2.

When I was on my previous 20mg EOD protocol, I scored a Total T of 496 ng/dL, Free T 20.8 pg/mL and E2 42. Injecting 7mg daily I scored a Total T 417, Free T 14.9, E2 26. The difference between a Total T +79 , Free T is 5.9 pg/mL higher so any fluctuation will be dramatic for me.

Optimal vs decent testosterone levels for me is a very fine line.

My SHBG is 22.

 

[Airborne Warrior]

Does an AI work against estrogen produced by HCG? I was under the impression because it is made in the testes an AI doesn't really touch it. I could be totally wrong and probably am.

 

[Systemlord]

Does an AI work against estrogen produced by HCG? I was under the impression because it is made in the testes an AI doesn't really touch it. I could be totally wrong and probably am.

You are correct, AI's do not affect E2 inside the testicles. I've heard of countless men increasing AI dosing and E2 is unaffected.