Compunded Testosterone cost... so far I find $80.00 per month

[MFool]

So on that compounded testosterone price and availability ...Every once in a while I read someone saying "Hey it's $25.00 per month". How about more like $80.00 per month at least in my town. The local pharmacist (who is competent etc etc) said $25 he couldn't even get close to and frankly wondered how anyone else could.

So... where is this mythical land where a 3 month supply costs about $70.00. At this point I'm moving from 1 to 1.5 tubes of testim to get my levels out of the 320 tank I'm in. Finding that compounding is $80/month may not close that door if Testim fails but it certainly makes it a LOT harder. ($$$$) My insurance just laughs (figuratively about using compounding pharmacies) Aetna, they're idiots, they'd rather spend $700 per month (with my $25.00 co pay for AG or Testim)

(oh as a quick reprise... I was using 4 x 1.62 of AG per day and couldn't get out of the 500 range) Transdermals WERE working ok till about a year ago when my levels dropped from the 700 range (which WAS ok for me btw) and dropped to the 500 range and wouldn't budge. At 320 I'm functional, more fatigue (not horrible but not as good as when I was in the 700 range). Sexually it's worse (if 700 T level was an B+ my current 320 would be a C- to D+). I'm getting tested once a month till my levels stabilize somewhere.


The one tube of testim and 320 level of T is transitional for the 1st month to see if Testim works better. I'd say it does (1% 1 tube) versus 4 of the higher dose AG. Four squirts of 1.62 AG got me to 520/month and one tube of testim 1% gets me to 320. (i.e. Testim does seem to absorb better. So my doc has me going to 1.5 tubes and we retest in a month. (sheesh)

Yes I take an AI btw (anastrazole 1/2 mg/day and my E2 is 15) which helps a LOT and no at this point I will not consider injecting. Don't ask me why or suggest it for the moment, it's not relevant for this discussion.

Sadly the stuff that worked the best for me was in a TRT study two years ago when I used intranasal by Trimel pharmaceuticals. That was an A+

So: Costs for compounded cream and where? ($80.00 a month is a lot of money)
Why the F would reasons for my absorption a year ago go down? (as far as I can tell it's not thick skin)

 

[Jasen Bruce]

Costs at compounding pharmacies can vary because the costs to make depends on the total volume of raw material being purchased. The more volume the pharmacy compounds, the cheaper the costs. we use three compounders who are very good, and affordable as they provide a higher volume of HRT medications. Empower Pharmacy in Houston, APS pharmacy (apsmeds.com), and Life Worth Living Pharmacy in FL. All provide Testosterone gel/cream 10%-20% between $50-$70 for 30ml. Testosterone Cypionate should not cost much over $100, and usually for 10ml ranges between $55-$120. Costco sometimes has the Depot Testosterone for $55 for 10ml. It should not cost $80 per month unless you are part of a full service concierge type clinic all cash-pay.

 

[HarryCat]

So: Costs for compounded cream and where? ($80.00 a month is a lot of money)
Why the F would reasons for my absorption a year ago go down? (as far as I can tell it's not thick skin)

I pay $50 - including shipping - for 1 month supply of 20% cream from Women's International Pharmacy.

As far as why your not absorbing as well, I wonder if this is in my future. I've read about guys having to move to shots after a year or more on transdermals because of this.

 

[GettingAnswers]

When I was on creams my doc told me to rotate application sites - upper arms, shoulders, lower ab, inner thighs - to prevent issues with absorbing.

 

[MFool]

Yep I am rotating. It is both interesting and frustrating. Taking a pill is precise, shots are precise, heck even the intranasal testosterone in that study I was in was precise. Transdermals are from what my experience pretty "imprecise".
Am I putting it on right.
Did it dry enough or is it on my short, pants, etc.
Did I use that moisturizer right? Too soon, too much?
Is my skin thick thin, how the heck could I tell.

I do find it quite fascinating that 1 tube of 1% Testim put me at 320 total T where 4 x 1.62 pumps of AG only got me to 520. What the heck is the difference in absorption. I put it on the same (so what's the super sauce since I believe they are both alcohol based.

As much as Nelson didn't (in his book and some posts) think much of the intranasal, it certainly worked for me. (Although it's not out on the market yet and I'd fall over dead in a faint if Aetna actually paid for it.

(oh and Aetna is the "we don't do compounding, we'd rather pay $700 /month for your AG or Testim.)

 

[GettingAnswers]

I am not sure about the following transdermal argument but my doc is a believer. See the following thread I started about transdermal dosing and scroll down to also see the response I got from the labdirector. Good read for info if nothing else