HRT Over 60

[Gman86]

Test Cyp 10mg weekly (5mg 2 X a week).
Estradiol 2 clicks topi-click nightly. Sorry I don't know the strength.
And Progesterone 50mg once a day.
Her total T is around 140 so just a little over the reference range.
Estradiol is in the normal range for a pre-menopausal female.

Where is she injecting her testosterone? Injecting might be a hard sell to my co-worker. Is she just injecting shallow IM with an insulin syringe?

 

[SkyWarn]

Where is she injecting her testosterone? Injecting might be a hard sell to my co-worker. Is she just injecting shallow IM with an insulin syringe?

She injects (actually I do it for her) subQ in the belly fat with an insulin syringe. 1/2 inch .29

One thing you should know about Defy; they will try to persuade you to let them set up the blood draws through Lab Corp. This way you have to pay Defy the fee, I think its around $250.00 (I don't remember exactly).....But if you insist on them just emailing you a script (that's free) you can then go into Labcorp or any other lab or hospital with your insurance card and have it billed to you insurance. Much cheaper, for me it was free. Of course there is always the risk that your insurance won't cover it and then your stuck with a bill.
I need to save as much money as I can since Defy doesn't accept insurance your paying for all the consultations as well as the medications. For my wife it was covered by her insurance thankfully.

 

[SkyWarn]

Where is she injecting her testosterone? Injecting might be a hard sell to my co-worker. Is she just injecting shallow IM with an insulin syringe?

And she initially started with the topicals but that became a pain, and its actually expensive compared to a vial of testosterone which last for a long time. Also with the creams it was harder to get dialed in. The injections give a much more stable and predictable level.

 

[Gman86]

She injects (actually I do it for her) subQ in the belly fat with an insulin syringe. 1/2 inch .29

One thing you should know about Defy; they will try to persuade you to let them set up the blood draws through Lab Corp. This way you have to pay Defy the fee, I think its around $250.00 (I don't remember exactly).....But if you insist on them just emailing you a script (that's free) you can then go into Labcorp or any other lab or hospital with your insurance card and have it billed to you insurance. Much cheaper, for me it was free. Of course there is always the risk that your insurance won't cover it and then your stuck with a bill.
I need to save as much money as I can since Defy doesn't accept insurance your paying for all the consultations as well as the medications. For my wife it was covered by her insurance thankfully.

Great tip! I’m with defy, and haven’t paid for one lab in 3 years. Usually get labs done at least 5 times per year. You’re 100% right though. They tried very hard to persuade me into at least getting the labs through them for the initial consultation. I had no clue initially if my labs would be covered, but I at least wanted to try and find out. Luckily, labs were covered 100%, and have been since. I had 35 labs done one time and they sent me the bill by accident, and it said the total for all the labs was 4K! As you can imagine, I basically $hit my pants lol. But luckily they billed my insurance like they were supposed to, and it was covered completely. So I’m definitely going to have them send her a requisition and see if her insurance covers some, or all, of the labs.

 

[Gman86]

And she initially started with the topicals but that became a pain, and its actually expensive compared to a vial of testosterone which last for a long time. Also with the creams it was harder to get dialed in. The injections give a much more stable and predictable level.

Awesome, thanks for this info! Looking to try and help her get dialed in asap, so really appreciate you sharing your wife’s experience.

 

[SkyWarn]

Great tip! I’m with defy, and haven’t paid for one lab in 3 years. Usually get labs done at least 5 times per year. You’re 100% right though. They tried very hard to persuade me into at least getting the labs through them for the initial consultation. I had no clue initially if my labs would be covered, but I at least wanted to try and find out. Luckily, labs were covered 100%, and have been since. I had 35 labs done one time and they sent me the bill by accident, and it said the total for all the labs was 4K! As you can imagine, I basically $hit my pants lol. But luckily they billed my insurance like they were supposed to, and it was covered completely. So I’m definitely going to have them send her a requisition and see if her insurance covers some, or all, of the labs.

Awesome, thanks for this info! Looking to try and help her get dialed in asap, so really appreciate you sharing your wife’s experience.

Just for clarification, the Test Cyp is 50mg/mL, not the standard 200mg/mL that we all take. so she tales 10 units twice a week which equals 10mg test weekly.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Would anyone be willing to post base labs required for Defy before seeing the Doc?
I always use Life Extension's Blood Lab.
My wife has agreed to go with HRT-she's tired of hurting and being tired.

 

[Cataceous]

Would anyone be willing to post base labs required for Defy before seeing the Doc?
I always use Life Extension's Blood Lab.
My wife has agreed to go with HRT-she's tired of hurting and being tired.

My guess is it's this one: Comprehensive Hormone and Wellness Lab Panel for Women (Initial)
CBC, CMP-14, Lipid Panel, Testosterone Free and Total, Estradiol, DHEA-Sulfate, TSH, Progesterone, FSH, IGF-1
It's $235 through Defy. At LEF you can get everything except FSH and IGF-1 for $140 or so. But adding those two in could really jack up the price.

 

[Smokin Joe]

10-4
Thanks

 

[Smokin Joe]

Wife's Thyroid panel is in.
Can someone help interpret?
Free T-3 looks low to me but not sure on others.

 

[Cataceous]

Her numbers are somewhat like how mine were, and I have benefitted from small daily doses of T3.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Thanks Cataceous,
Are you buying your own t-3 or through the Doctor's office?

 

[Cataceous]

Thanks Cataceous,
Are you buying your own t-3 or through the Doctor's office?

I have Defy Medical call it in to my local pharmacy. It's generic liothyronine made by SigmaPharma.

 

[Gman86]

I have Defy Medical call it in to my local pharmacy. It's generic liothyronine made by SigmaPharma.

What dose are you currently taking? And dose low dose T3 just add to your endogenous production? I would imagine that if it shut you down, the low dose would not be enough to maintain healthy levels. So must add to endogenous production, correct?

 

[Cataceous]

What dose are you currently taking? And dose low dose T3 just add to your endogenous production? I would imagine that if it shut you down, the low dose would not be enough to maintain healthy levels. So must add to endogenous production, correct?

I think we have discussed this before. The 10 mcg of liothyronine boosts my free T3 for some hours. A pre-dose measurement had free T3 back at baseline, with free T4 a little lower and reverse T3 halved compared to before treatment. I'd guess that the small dose and its fast-acting nature minimize suppression of endogenous T3, though TSH did drop by a third or so.

 

[Gman86]

I think we have discussed this before. The 10 mcg of liothyronine boosts my free T3 for some hours. A pre-dose measurement had free T3 back at baseline, with free T4 a little lower and reverse T3 halved compared to before treatment. I'd guess that the small dose and its fast-acting nature minimize suppression of endogenous T3, though TSH did drop by a third or so.

Very very interesting. Does this low dose do anything for you subjectively? I assume so if you’re continuing to do it. And what are your plans going forward in regards to thyroid supplementation?

 

[Cataceous]

Very very interesting. Does this low dose do anything for you subjectively? I assume so if you’re continuing to do it. And what are your plans going forward in regards to thyroid supplementation?

The treatment correlated with elimination of an odd mental and physical fatigue that I'd been experiencing. If the relationship is causal then the treatment is invaluable. The only thing I might do going forward is experiment with a 15 mcg dose. As things stand I wouldn't go higher than that.

 

[Gman86]

The treatment correlated with elimination of an odd mental and physical fatigue that I'd been experiencing. If the relationship is causal then the treatment is invaluable. The only thing I might do going forward is experiment with a 15 mcg dose. As things stand I wouldn't go higher than that.

Glad to hear that adding such a small dose is having some positive effects. Do you take it all at once in am?

 

[Cataceous]

Glad to hear that adding such a small dose is having some positive effects. Do you take it all at once in am?

Yes, 10 mcg as soon as I wake up.