50mg/every 2 weeks???

I am 40 years old (soon to be 41). My libido and energy have tanked over the last couple years. I went in to get my testosterone checked and my results have been as follows:
8/20/16: 530.6 (felt crappy here, that's why I went in)
5/03/17: 287.6 (got worse)
6/10/17: 270.6 (worse still)

My doctor approved a prescription for depo-testosterone, 50mg, every 2 weeks to start. The goal (he says) is to get in the 400-600 range. I am to repeat the testosterone level in 2 months with CBC, LH, and prolactin.

That sounds so low! Should I do it anyway just to get in and see where he will take it? Or should I search out another doctor?

Hegger80 said:

I am 40 years old (soon to be 41). My libido and energy have tanked over the last couple years. I went in to get my testosterone checked and my results have been as follows:
8/20/16: 530.6 (felt crappy here, that's why I went in)
5/03/17: 287.6 (got worse)
6/10/17: 270.6 (worse still)

My doctor approved a prescription for depo-testosterone, 50mg, every 2 weeks to start. The goal (he says) is to get in the 400-600 range. I am to repeat the testosterone level in 2 months with CBC, LH, and prolactin.

That sounds so low! Should I do it anyway just to get in and see where he will take it? Or should I search out another doctor?

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Your instincts are to be trusted - this protocol is a disaster. It will leave you feeling miserable. Finding another doctor should be your first order of business.

This has to be in the top 5 WORST protocols ever seen on this site. 100mg per week is only a replacement dose and a good starting point although most guys need a higher dose when dialing-in their protocol.

50 mg every 2 weeks is going to make you feel awful. This doctor clearly does not understand TRT or the half-life of Testosterone.

Yea, I think I will send him a message saying that I am going to pass. Maybe I should ask to do 100mg/wk but I don't want to be dealing with someone who I don't trust to be up to date with this stuff. Meh, I was excited to finally get someone to prescribe but I don't think it's worth dealing with this guy. How will I ever feel like he knows what he's doing? And I can't afford to do the $200-$300/month stuff. Oh well, such is life. I definitely would rather do nothing than make things worse.

I understand when doctor start low which in my opinion is 60-80 mgs per week in divided shots but 50 every two weeks it's just absurd first of all injecting once every two weeks is gonna make most feel bad as levels will be highly unstable and drop too low at the 2nd half of 2nd week but also the dosage is way to small I doubt 50mgs weekly will be enough for men

Pretty much what will happen is your natural production will shut down and you will be left with next to nothing in your body in 5 to 7 days give or take. As others have said, you will really feel bad. Your E2 will crash, your T will crash and you will wish you never did it.

lowe2sucks said:

I understand when doctor start low which in my opinion is 60-80 mgs per week in divided shots but 50 every two weeks it's just absurd first of all injecting once every two weeks is gonna make most feel bad as levels will be highly unstable and drop too low at the 2nd half of 2nd week but also the dosage is way to small I doubt 50mgs weekly will be enough for men

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Do you think I should suggest weekly injections of 50mg? Or just move on to try and find someone else?

CSI007 said:

Pretty much what will happen is your natural production will shut down and you will be left with next to nothing in your body in 5 to 7 days give or take. As others have said, you will really feel bad. Your E2 will crash, your T will crash and you will wish you never did it.

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What do you suggest I say to my doctor?

I would be honest with him and tell him that based on all of the reading that you have done you feel that the dosage is to little to infrequently and you are not comfortable with it. Ask him if you can do something more along the lines of a typical starting dose of around 100mg/week divided up twice weekly or EOD.

at least 60mgs imo. usually it's 100 a week but in some cases it may raise your levels bit higher then sweet spot (which is individualistic to everybody) i do best on 80 mgs a week in 2 shots (40 per shot) never felt best on any other protocols i seem to do better in 700s through then higher levels. for some they need above 100 to get their levels good but i would say 60 is the lowest dose that can result in more or less optimal levels

Any doctor that would tell you to start with 50mg of testosterone every two weeks, isn't smart enough to listen to reason.

100mg/week should be the default starting dose. 50mg every two weeks and his preferred total testosterone range are not going to cut it.

IMO, anything less than 80-100mg at least 1x per week is doomed to fail, which has been said above. Even if the doctor doubled your dosage to 100mg every 2 weeks it would still fail. I would ask for 100mg/wk and if he says no then go to a new doctor. This is if you are trying to keep it simple/use insurance etc. As you mentioned this doctor even if he grants you a proper dose will not be able to help much along the way once you start. You will have to self direct your protocol. Otherwise you will need to seek a local/more knowledgeable doctor or else contact a place such as Defy if you want better care.

Hegger80 said:

Yea, I think I will send him a message saying that I am going to pass. Maybe I should ask to do 100mg/wk but I don't want to be dealing with someone who I don't trust to be up to date with this stuff. Meh, I was excited to finally get someone to prescribe but I don't think it's worth dealing with this guy. How will I ever feel like he knows what he's doing? And I can't afford to do the $200-$300/month stuff. Oh well, such is life. I definitely would rather do nothing than make things worse.

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Dont assume the fees for care out of network are out of reach. I certainly don't know your financial circumstances, but have you contacted Prime Body and Defy Medical, our site sponsors? Both will walk you through the charges associated with treatment, no dodging. Where do you live?

I live in Chicagoland area.

Hegger80 said:

I am 40 years old (soon to be 41). My libido and energy have tanked over the last couple years. I went in to get my testosterone checked and my results have been as follows:
8/20/16: 530.6 (felt crappy here, that's why I went in)
5/03/17: 287.6 (got worse)
6/10/17: 270.6 (worse still)

My doctor approved a prescription for depo-testosterone, 50mg, every 2 weeks to start. The goal (he says) is to get in the 400-600 range. I am to repeat the testosterone level in 2 months with CBC, LH, and prolactin.

That sounds so low! Should I do it anyway just to get in and see where he will take it? Or should I search out another doctor?

Click to expand...

Depo? Are you in the US?

Chicago TRT doctors
https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?6118-Chicago-TRT-doctors

The fellas are right, better off not being on TRT at all than being on 50mg every two weeks. Will only end up worse off than baseline, especially during that second week!

deleted, forgot to add quoted text.

Will Brink said:

Depo? Are you in the US?

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Did you read the thread? Obviously not. Depo is just Test-Cyp.