Help with dosages?

[Pallacious]

Longtime lurker and fan of videos and community. Posting first time.

I've been on TRT for a year, majority has been treatments from a clinic. I decided to save time and money and proceed with self-injections. I've been doing so for 3-4 months. I've had some struggles trying a better dosage and timing. My new doctor is very cool with helping me get started, though I am finding some red flags - he recommended way more than I think I need- knowing I'm just wanting a modest amount to maintain healthy ranges. I have had signs of higher RBC count since starting, which was typically remedied every 3-4 months with a double RBC blood donation (Type O- baby)

36/M/~300lbs/6'4"

Clinic dosages-
140 mg Test Cyp x 1 week
500 IUs HCG x 1 week (same day)
0.5 mg Arimidex x 1 week (same day also)
Observations- Felt like first few months after ramped up stable moods and low depression. Latter few months didn't feel like it was doing anything, something was off. I did have some weight loss, thinking that did something - ~20 lbs Was 320 lbs. Blood work came in typically at 750-800 T, 20-21 E2.

New Doc dosage recommendation (wanted to see me at 1000 t)-
200 mg Test Cyp x 1 week
1000 HCG IUs
1 mg Arimidex EOD
Observations- Too much T and dex, I felt all the bad, warm/hot flashes and bone aches. I knew it'd be too much but decided to give blind faith in the doc. End of 2nd week I actually was feeling chest ache like heartburn (don't ever have) and high blood pressure. Really had me scared and I had to wait out the week for stuff to clear out, don't want to go there again.

My self dosage currently (the last month)-
60 mg Test Cyp x 2 week (3.5 days)
500 IUs HCG x 2 week (3.5)
.25 mg Arimidex x Every day
Observations- Feeling much better, though some small side effects linger since the high dose (warmer at nights at times) and less morning wood than before. Bloodwork given below, waiting to be able to give more RBC donations end of this month (can't till then) As far as diet (HDL/LDL, Blood sugar), I've since cleaned up things considerably and am staying on track as I was eating pretty bad for a few days before the test.

What do you think I can do to fine-tune my dosages and bloodwork? Planning on seeing a physician but still haven't found the right one that enables self-injection and knows ideal numbers. Tested a few weeks ago.​

 

[Systemlord]

Your AI dosage is too often, you should try .25mg taken with your injections twice weekly. You could use a dosage reduction as well, that high Free T will convert into estrogen, new protocol should be 50mg every 3.5 days, .25mg AI taken with T injections and continue HCG dosing.

 

[Deleted member 16042]

Arimidex lowered your E2 too far. It needs to come back up above 20. Dex .25 per day is obviously too much. If it was my choice I'd stop anastrazole entirely for 6 weeks, get E2 tested again before reconsidering taking it again.

Your SHBG is low enough you could potentially benefit from more frequent dosing. I'd change to T dosage every other day, adjusted for total weekly dose. , see how it goes and maybe subsequently go to daily.

And if your lab test was taken at trough, I'd also consider lowering total T dosage. If your free T is running that high at trough, you can probably do fine on less.

 

[Gman86]

I think Blackhawk is pretty much spot on. With such a low SHBG, you should be doing EOD or ED injections. And lower dose to 100mg/ week total. Keep HCG the same. I would split test and HCG dosages to EOD injections. Just do them both on the same day. Drop the AI completely. Your blood work after doing all this should look pretty perfect I would imagine.

 

[Pallacious]

I think Blackhawk is pretty much spot on. With such a low SHBG, you should be doing EOD or ED injections. And lower dose to 100mg/ week total. Keep HCG the same. I would split test and HCG dosages to EOD injections. Just do them both on the same day. Drop the AI completely. Your blood work after doing all this should look pretty perfect I would imagine.

Would I be fine to drop AI completely cold turkey? I imagine I'd see side-effects for a little bit.

 

[Gman86]

Ya absolutely. AI's aren't something you need to wean off of like antidepressants. Just drop your dose down to 100mg/ week, drop the AI, and go to EOD injections for both test and HCG. Your E2 is obv gonna go up a bit, but you have plenty of room with that considering how low it is

Worst case scenario if you start to notice any nipple sensitivity/ itching, wait a little bit. Maybe a week to two weeks max to see if things level out and if it goes away. If it doesn't, just start again with an extremely minimal dose of AI. Something like 0.125mg once or twice per week. AI's are pretty damn strong. For instance, my E2 was around 70 and 0.25mg EOD brought my E2 down to 9. Then tried exemestane at 6.25mg EOD (which is a quarter of a tab, just like 0.25mg is a quarter of a tab of anastrozole) and it brought my E2 to 8.

 

[Pallacious]

Ya absolutely.

Thanks! Good info.

I think EOD sounds more reasonable to me than ED for now. Syringes.. hard to measure things the lower things go, saw people using insulin needles?

 

[Gman86]

Ya most use insulin syringes now. I use a 27 gauge 0.5” syringe for my testosterone and a 30 gauge 0.5” syringe for my HCG. Testosterone draws up very quick and injects easily.

 

[Vince]

I agree take your AI EOD. I inject daily, I use an Easy Touch 29g 1/2" syringe for a nice shallow IM injection, for both T and HCG.

 

[madman]

Longtime lurker and fan of videos and community. Posting first time.

I've been on TRT for a year, majority has been treatments from a clinic. I decided to save time and money and proceed with self-injections. I've been doing so for 3-4 months. I've had some struggles trying a better dosage and timing. My new doctor is very cool with helping me get started, though I am finding some red flags - he recommended way more than I think I need- knowing I'm just wanting a modest amount to maintain healthy ranges. I have had signs of higher RBC count since starting, which was typically remedied every 3-4 months with a double RBC blood donation (Type O- baby)

36/M/~300lbs/6'4"

Clinic dosages-
140 mg Test Cyp x 1 week
500 IUs HCG x 1 week (same day)
0.5 mg Arimidex x 1 week (same day also)
Observations- Felt like first few months after ramped up stable moods and low depression. Latter few months didn't feel like it was doing anything, something was off. I did have some weight loss, thinking that did something - ~20 lbs Was 320 lbs. Blood work came in typically at 750-800 T, 20-21 E2.

New Doc dosage recommendation (wanted to see me at 1000 t)-
200 mg Test Cyp x 1 week
1000 HCG IUs
1 mg Arimidex EOD
Observations- Too much T and dex, I felt all the bad, warm/hot flashes and bone aches. I knew it'd be too much but decided to give blind faith in the doc. End of 2nd week I actually was feeling chest ache like heartburn (don't ever have) and high blood pressure. Really had me scared and I had to wait out the week for stuff to clear out, don't want to go there again.

My self dosage currently (the last month)-
60 mg Test Cyp x 2 week (3.5 days)
500 IUs HCG x 2 week (3.5)
.25 mg Arimidex x Every day
Observations- Feeling much better, though some small side effects linger since the high dose (warmer at nights at times) and less morning wood than before. Bloodwork given below, waiting to be able to give more RBC donations end of this month (can't till then) As far as diet (HDL/LDL, Blood sugar), I've since cleaned up things considerably and am staying on track as I was eating pretty bad for a few days before the test.

What do you think I can do to fine-tune my dosages and bloodwork? Planning on seeing a physician but still haven't found the right one that enables self-injection and knows ideal numbers. Tested a few weeks ago.​

I would definitely look into getting your ferritin levels checked.....if you have been donating blood to often due to increased hemoglobin/hematocrit and RBCs and especially doing double RBC blood donations your ferritin may very well be crashed!