38 Weeks in TRT + hCG blood test

[busgalloway]

I take 120 mg of Testosterone Cypionate IM injection once a week and 500 units of hCG SQ injections twice a week. I no longer take an AI to reduce Estradiol, I haven't for almost 6 months. Just wanted to show this for any comments.

Total Testosterone, Serum: 1043 ng/dL (264-916) HIGH
Free Testosterone (Direct): 21.1 pg/mL (9.3-26.5)
Hematocrit: 48.9% (37.5-51.0)
Estradiol: 32.2 pg/mL (7.6-42.6)

My blood test was on a Friday morning. Some of my previous injections ended up being on Saturday sometimes like the week before, so my testosterone is a bit higher than my trough probably.

Here are results from Week 8 in TRT on the same protocol, but I had been using 0.5mg Anastrazole once a week.

Total Testosterone, Serum: 843 mg/mL (264-916)
Free Testosterone: 17.6 pg/mL (9.3-26.5)
Hematocrit: 43.8% (37.5-51.0)
Estradiol: 13.1 pg/mL (7.6-42.6)

As far as how I feel, I feel alright most days now, but I am pretty stressed lately. I don't have like horrible days where I feel weak or depressed or otherwise that I saw with initial shutdown and other fluctuations earlier when I started. I also don't have those euphoric days where I feel incredible very often. Honestly I experienced it just one morning a couple weeks ago a day after injection in the past 4 months. I never noticed a correlation with a day in the protocol and feeling good though, it would just happen somedays and is still kinda mysterious how I can achieve that kind of feeling more consistently.

 

[Vince Carter]

If I infer just one thing I read it as though youre not as consistent with your injections as you should be. For stating you only changed the AI dose your TT and Free T are remarkably different from one to the other...just an observation.

My blood test was on a Friday morning. Some of my previous injections ended up being on Saturday sometimes like the week before, so my testosterone is a bit higher than my trough probably.

Also I'm curious as to how youre still getting the wrong Estradiol tests, you're an experience guy on EM to still be getting the wrong test.

 

[busgalloway]

You're right I should be getting the sensitive test, but I haven't gotten around to asking PrimeBody about it.
I will do so for my next test and ask about that. Normally I'm great at injecting at just the right time and day but my recent roommate is kinda nosy. Also due to a transportation snafu I had to go earlier rather than later like I normally would.

Do you think the TT and Free T are that different? Although they are relatively higher, I think it's just because I kept having to inject later and I went to the clinic earlier. Since I inject once a week, the difference one day can make for serum level is actually pretty big right?

 

[madman]

I take 120 mg of Testosterone Cypionate IM injection once a week and 500 units of hCG SQ injections twice a week. I no longer take an AI to reduce Estradiol, I haven't for almost 6 months. Just wanted to show this for any comments.

Total Testosterone, Serum: 1043 ng/dL (264-916) HIGH
Free Testosterone (Direct): 21.1 pg/mL (9.3-26.5)
Hematocrit: 48.9% (37.5-51.0)
Estradiol: 32.2 pg/mL (7.6-42.6)

My blood test was on a Friday morning. Some of my previous injections ended up being on Saturday sometimes like the week before, so my testosterone is a bit higher than my trough probably.

Here are results from Week 8 in TRT on the same protocol, but I had been using 0.5mg Anastrazole once a week.

Total Testosterone, Serum: 843 mg/mL (264-916)
Free Testosterone: 17.6 pg/mL (9.3-26.5)
Hematocrit: 43.8% (37.5-51.0)
Estradiol: 13.1 pg/mL (7.6-42.6)

As far as how I feel, I feel alright most days now, but I am pretty stressed lately. I don't have like horrible days where I feel weak or depressed or otherwise that I saw with initial shutdown and other fluctuations earlier when I started. I also don't have those euphoric days where I feel incredible very often. Honestly I experienced it just one morning a couple weeks ago a day after injection in the past 4 months. I never noticed a correlation with a day in the protocol and feeling good though, it would just happen somedays and is still kinda mysterious how I can achieve that kind of feeling more consistently.

Whether one is increasing/decreasing dose which effects overall t levels (higher/lower) the body will adapt to those new levels over time.

During the first 6 weeks after a protocol change (dose/frequency of injection) one will notice overall changes physically/mentally and tend to really feel the difference until steady state is achieved.

As ones body becomes accustomed to the new t levels over time and protocol is consistent and other hormones are in a healthy range overall one should feel improvement in energy/drive,mood,libido,erections,body composition changes (loss of adipose,increase muscle/strength/recovery) and an overall well being.

The longer one is on the body adapts and eventually this will be the new NORM and I would not say it is realistic to feel amazing/euphoric everyday just because ones testosterone levels are now in a healthy range.

As many should try to understand that quality of sleep/stress levels (mentally/physically)/diet/overall lifestyle/underlying health issues can all have a big impact on how one feels overall regarding energy/drive,mood,libido,erections,recovery and well being.

So many make the mistake of simply looking at t levels when many other factors contribute to how one feels mentally/physically on a daily basis.

This is trt as in replacement of physiological testosterone levels in order to relieve/improve symptoms of low t and overall well being and no one is going to feel like superman as you should just eventually feel like your old self when your t levels were healthy.

 

[busgalloway]

Thanks madman, I appreciate to wisdom. I've seen from other threads that T level doesn't relate as strongly to feeling good, and now that I think about I would rather feel the way I do now than feel like a superhuman all the time. I was curious if that had to do with my T/E ratio or something, which seems alright now. I wouldn't want a higher dosage of testosterone than I have now anyways considering hematocrit, I don't want to start worrying about that and ferritin levels after phlebotomies.

Honestly, I'm starting to get more fulfillment out of being able to make progress exercising again. I hit an early plateau very hard when I was hypogonadal, and was risking injury if I kept going. If I can balance my stress I think I will feel much better, as all the other things you've listed have improved.

 

[FeelingLost]

Whether one is increasing/decreasing dose which effects overall t levels (higher/lower) the body will adapt to those new levels over time.

During the first 6 weeks after a protocol change (dose/frequency of injection) one will notice overall changes physically/mentally and tend to really feel the difference until steady state is achieved.

As ones body becomes accustomed to the new t levels over time and protocol is consistent and other hormones are in a healthy range overall one should feel improvement in energy/drive,mood,libido,erections,body composition changes (loss of adipose,increase muscle/strength/recovery) and an overall well being.

The longer one is on the body adapts and eventually this will be the new NORM and I would not say it is realistic to feel amazing/euphoric everyday just because ones testosterone levels are now in a healthy range.

As many should try to understand that quality of sleep/stress levels (mentally/physically)/diet/overall lifestyle/underlying health issues can all have a big impact on how one feels overall regarding energy/drive,mood,libido,erections,recovery and well being.

So many make the mistake of simply looking at t levels when many other factors contribute to how one feels mentally/physically on a daily basis.

This is trt as in replacement of physiological testosterone levels in order to relieve/improve symptoms of low t and overall well being and no one is going to feel like superman as you should just eventually feel like your old self when your t levels were healthy.

What a great post Madman. Your words really does sum up our goals to be better and feel better.

busgalloway, I believe the T cyp steady state over rules injecting at the exact times every week. I inject 3 times a week when ever I think about it or remember to. I never forget I just don't set a timer for them.
My T lvl feels stable. I also like to keep my E2 a little on the high side. My shoulders don't pop and click so much when working out and I believe it helps keep these 64 year old bones stronger.

That said if my E2 goes a little too high I notice it in a reduced libido, and I get moody quicker. When that happens I take a .125 AI and within 4 hours that mood has passed. I now only take my AI based on how I feel but never go over .25/week it works for me. YMMV

 

[Vince Carter]

You're right I should be getting the sensitive test, but I haven't gotten around to asking PrimeBody about it.
I will do so for my next test and ask about that. Normally I'm great at injecting at just the right time and day but my recent roommate is kinda nosy. Also due to a transportation snafu I had to go earlier rather than later like I normally would.

Do you think the TT and Free T are that different? Although they are relatively higher, I think it's just because I kept having to inject later and I went to the clinic earlier. Since I inject once a week, the difference one day can make for serum level is actually pretty big right?

They;re not all that different though I do tend to preach that when you want to put labs side-by-side you introduce more variables when you alter your injection and blood draw timing. Being able to compare them tends to need a more consistent approach to that aspect.

It looks like your SHBG is probably up there a bit you're numbers looks good for a high SHBG guy, I think it's advisable keeping your Free T from being way over the lab limits though you could minor adjust your dose to close the gap on your Free T and get closer but not too far over the limit.

The big flux in your numbers was your E and the AI that could account for how youve been feeling those are quite different and as a higher SHBG guy it might be better your E on the upper end than at 13 which by most accounts would be addressed as too low.