Frustrated with bloodwork. Daily injections, lowered dose, no AI.

[BeardedButcher55]

I am starting to get frustrated about my blood work and my progress on modifying my TRT protocol. I listed my process as stages lol.

Stage # 1: 200mg Test Cyp weekly. split to 2 X a week injections IM) with Arimidex .5mg 2x a week. My blood work was a mess. RBC, Hemoglobin, HCT was sky high. Blood pressure was high and my T (free and total were sky high). Stupid! I did this for well over a year. Felt "OK" but not great.


Stage # 2: 140mg of Test C (split to 2x a week injections IM) and Arimidex at .5mg 2x a week. My numbers were as follows: RBC 5.98 m/ul, hemaglobin 18 g/dl, hematocrit 55.2, estradial ultra sensitive 32 pg/ml, Total Testosterone 753 ng/dl, free testosterone 221.8. I felt decent, happy with the results of sleep, mood, workouts, sex drive was decent too. I think maybe my estrogen was a little low and I has some aches and pains in my joints but nothing crazy.

Stage # 3: 140mg of Test C per week, DAILY subq injections. NO AI. RBC 5.49 m/ul, hemoglobin 17.2 g/dl, hematocrit 49.5, estradial ultra sensitive 79 pg/ml, Total Testosterone 684 ng/dl, free testosterone 193.3.

Stage 3!!! I got my blood thickness down a lot from hydrating a bunch and daily injextions (i think). I am super happy with how I feel. Its been about 16 weeks of so. I love the daily painless injections with a slin pin. GREAT IN THE GYM!, GREAT SEX DRIVE! NO Aches or pains in my joints. Sleep is amazing. BUT....I thought doing daily injections my estrogen # would of been at a better number. Maybe it is at an accetable number and I just dont know it??

What are your guys thoughts?

 

[Vince]

I am starting to get frustrated about my blood work and my progress on modifying my TRT protocol. I listed my process as stages lol.

Stage # 1: 200mg Test Cyp weekly. split to 2 X a week injections IM) with Arimidex .5mg 2x a week. My blood work was a mess. RBC, Hemoglobin, HCT was sky high. Blood pressure was high and my T (free and total were sky high). Stupid! I did this for well over a year. Felt "OK" but not great.


Stage # 2: 140mg of Test C (split to 2x a week injections IM) and Arimidex at .5mg 2x a week. My numbers were as follows: RBC 5.98 m/ul, hemaglobin 18 g/dl, hematocrit 55.2, estradial ultra sensitive 32 pg/ml, Total Testosterone 753 ng/dl, free testosterone 221.8. I felt decent, happy with the results of sleep, mood, workouts, sex drive was decent too. I think maybe my estrogen was a little low and I has some aches and pains in my joints but nothing crazy.

Stage # 3: 140mg of Test C per week, DAILY subq injections. NO AI. RBC 5.49 m/ul, hemoglobin 17.2 g/dl, hematocrit 49.5, estradial ultra sensitive 79 pg/ml, Total Testosterone 684 ng/dl, free testosterone 193.3.

Stage 3!!! I got my blood thickness down a lot from hydrating a bunch and daily injextions (i think). I am super happy with how I feel. Its been about 16 weeks of so. I love the daily painless injections with a slin pin. GREAT IN THE GYM!, GREAT SEX DRIVE! NO Aches or pains in my joints. Sleep is amazing. BUT....I thought doing daily injections my estrogen # would of been at a better number. Maybe it is at an accetable number and I just dont know it??

What are your guys thoughts?

It sounds like you have the perfect protocol for you. I would not change anything. It's great that you can have higher levels of estrogen and feel the good benefits.

 

[WhiteMale]

Its a progression like this; slow and steady with trial and error.

What is your SHBG at Stage 3?

 

[BeardedButcher55]

Its a progression like this; slow and steady with trial and error.

What is your SHBG at Stage 3?

SHBG was 13 on stage 2. It looks like they forgot to request it fir my last test (stage 3).

 

[BeardedButcher55]

It sounds like you have the perfect protocol for you. I would not change anything. It's great that you can have higher levels of estrogen and feel the good benefits.

I’m just worried that having my estrogen so high I might have some long term health issues. I also have about 20% BF. I definitely need to drop some. I’m hoping doing so will help lower it too.

 

[WhiteMale]

Sometimes its really just a number on a sheet of paper.

 

[Vince]

I’m just worried that having my estrogen so high I might have some long term health issues. I also have about 20% BF. I definitely need to drop some. I’m hoping doing so will help lower it too.

I agree with whitemale. It's just a number, estrogen is very important for men to stay healthy.

 

[BeardedButcher55]

I agree with whitemale. It's just a number, estrogen is very important for men to stay healthy.

That’s what I was hoping to hear.

 

[BeardedButcher55]

I dropped my hematocrit almost 10 points. I went crazy hydrating a day before the blood test as well as the daily injections. Could it be that just the hydration did it or both?

 

[Willyt]

Stage 3!!! I got my blood thickness down a lot from hydrating a bunch and daily injextions (i think). I am super happy with how I feel. Its been about 16 weeks of so. I love the daily painless injections with a slin pin. GREAT IN THE GYM!, GREAT SEX DRIVE! NO Aches or pains in my joints. Sleep is amazing.

What's not to like?! If your E2 was high proportionally, one would think you would feel the side effects.

If you are really concerned about the number, you could try gradually decreasing your daily dose to lower the E2. The balancing act would be to find the lowest dose possible while still reaping the benefits you have been enjoying. Just slowly ramp down over period of months.

There is popular protocol of 10mg (70mg weekly) daily subq so who knows - maybe you have some room to decrease without losing the benefits?

 

[BeardedButcher55]

What's not to like?! If your E2 was high proportionally, one would think you would feel the side effects.

If you are really concerned about the number, you could try gradually decreasing your daily dose to lower the E2. The balancing act would be to find the lowest dose possible while still reaping the benefits you have been enjoying. Just slowly ramp down over period of months.

There is popular protocol of 10mg (70mg weekly) daily subq so who knows - maybe you have some room to decrease without losing the benefits?

I think I’ll just stick to where I am at at this point and see how it goes for the next few months. Try to drop some body fat and hope that helps lower it

 

[Willyt]

I think I’ll just stick to where I am at at this point and see how it goes for the next few months. Try to drop some body fat and hope that helps lower it

I am curious, where does your FT of 193 sit in the blood test range?

As side note, it is fascinating to see how different results look for your SBHG of 13 versus someone like myself with mid-high SHBG of low 40s. My TT would be outrageously over range on 20mg daily subq.

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

I dropped my hematocrit almost 10 points. I went crazy hydrating a day before the blood test as well as the daily injections. Could it be that just the hydration did it or both?

I have found the same thing. Hydration is critical to the point where I am drinking water it the waiting room for my blood draw. Be thankful you are optimized in what matters. Feeling great with high E2 is IMO better that feeling great with low E2, which is a problem for some of us. I wouldn't change anything, and be careful to not try to lose fat by significantly undereating as that can cause problems as well..

 

[Vince]

I dropped my hematocrit almost 10 points. I went crazy hydrating a day before the blood test as well as the daily injections. Could it be that just the hydration did it or both?

I would say both. When I first started trt I had to donate blood every 8 weeks. When I went to daily injections I never had to donate again. My HCT has stayed in a good range for over 9 years.