How do I test trough?

GerryGerrison · Mar 7, 2017

So on 02/16/17 I switched from test cyp 56mg e3.5 days subq, arimidex e3.5 days, to 50mg test cyp E3.5 days IM with no AI(mon morning, thursday night injections). I also switched from taking 250iu HCG on injection days to taking 250iu HCG day before injection(wed and sun). After next monday it will be 4 weeks on new protocol and doc would like me to just get total, free, and sensitive e2 done. I was planning on doing it thursday late afternoon, but if I take HCG on wednesday is that representative of a real trough? Or should I be getting blood drawn wednesday before HCG shot? I'm guessing that I would stay with the Thursday blood draw as before, but I wanted to check and see if anybody had any other opinions.

Also I had a CMP and CBC done today, and based on those results combined with the results from next week doctor will either keep dosage where it is at or adjust. Full labs including lipids will be run one month after that. So far switching to IM and lowering dose has evened my mood out significantly. I no longer feel like my estrogen is swinging from low to high like it was on a ****ing pendulum. Libido is low, but I also know I need more time on IM to really feel the difference so I am being patient. For now the increase in stable/good mood is amazing, I'm able to workout as much as I want, and I'm an overall more calm individual. Still holding out for energy level increases, and roaring libido like I used to have.

CoastWatcher · Mar 7, 2017

GerryGerrison said:
So on 02/16/17 I switched from test cyp 56mg e3.5 days subq, arimidex e3.5 days, to 50mg test cyp E3.5 days IM with no AI(mon morning, thursday night injections). I also switched from taking 250iu HCG on injection days to taking 250iu HCG day before injection(wed and sun). After next monday it will be 4 weeks on new protocol and doc would like me to just get total, free, and sensitive e2 done. I was planning on doing it thursday late afternoon, but if I take HCG on wednesday is that representative of a real trough? Or should I be getting blood drawn wednesday before HCG shot? I'm guessing that I would stay with the Thursday blood draw as before, but I wanted to check and see if anybody had any other opinions.

Also I had a CMP and CBC done today, and based on those results combined with the results from next week doctor will either keep dosage where it is at or adjust. Full labs including lipids will be run one month after that. So far switching to IM and lowering dose has evened my mood out significantly. I no longer feel like my estrogen is swinging from low to high like it was on a ****ing pendulum. Libido is low, but I also know I need more time on IM to really feel the difference so I am being patient. For now the increase in stable/good mood is amazing, I'm able to workout as much as I want, and I'm an overall more calm individual. Still holding out for energy level increases, and roaring libido like I used to have.

Draw just prior to a testosterone injection. Thursday, late afternoon, will be just fine.

madman · Mar 8, 2017

GerryGerrison said:
So on 02/16/17 I switched from test cyp 56mg e3.5 days subq, arimidex e3.5 days, to 50mg test cyp E3.5 days IM with no AI(mon morning, thursday night injections). I also switched from taking 250iu HCG on injection days to taking 250iu HCG day before injection(wed and sun). After next monday it will be 4 weeks on new protocol and doc would like me to just get total, free, and sensitive e2 done. I was planning on doing it thursday late afternoon, but if I take HCG on wednesday is that representative of a real trough? Or should I be getting blood drawn wednesday before HCG shot? I'm guessing that I would stay with the Thursday blood draw as before, but I wanted to check and see if anybody had any other opinions.

Also I had a CMP and CBC done today, and based on those results combined with the results from next week doctor will either keep dosage where it is at or adjust. Full labs including lipids will be run one month after that. So far switching to IM and lowering dose has evened my mood out significantly. I no longer feel like my estrogen is swinging from low to high like it was on a ****ing pendulum. Libido is low, but I also know I need more time on IM to really feel the difference so I am being patient. For now the increase in stable/good mood is amazing, I'm able to workout as much as I want, and I'm an overall more calm individual. Still holding out for energy level increases, and roaring libido like I used to have.

Depending on your numbers when you have your blood drawn you may need a higher weekly dosage than 50mg twice/weekly. I still do not see why im/sub-q make that much of a difference as both methods should have the same effectiveness just absorption rates may differ.

GerryGerrison · Mar 8, 2017

Yea I agree that IM vs Sub q shouldn't have a huge difference. However I was having crazy aromatization on sub q, and had anecdotally found instances where guys felt better on IM and didn't aromatize as much. I decided to try it and drop dose from 56mg to 50mg as well so I could start low(as opposed to the 75mg I started with) and slowly titrate up based off of bloods. I started too high and have been working backwards ever since. I will post blood work after it is back and see what aromatization is like on IM. Since dose is lower I can't directly compare the two, but if I need to go higher like you hypothesized( which I probably will have to do) then I can directly compare aromatization of sub q vs IM for my personal self.