How Much TRT Is Too Much?

[Hasty]

Hi All,

Thought I'd check in as I've found this site pretty cool and useful. My main question is why my free test is still only hovering around 300, with little to no E1,2, or 3, after treatments for over three months now. A quick recap: I started at 150mg cyp. with 500IU HcG weekly injections at a respectable clinic here. My original levels were 150 free T and 300 free T on two tests taken about one week apart. After treatment, I had a T level of 1100, perhaps two months in, though I was switching medications and supplementing with T boosters (ashwaghanda, DHEA, pregnenolone). We bumped down to 100mg cyp (80mg cyp 20mg prop) and continued for a month before new tests showed the 300 level again and virtually no estrogen. I wasn't given any other lab results, but I can ask. Now it has been about 6 weeks on 120 (first week) then 140mg since (past 4 or 5 weeks) as we weened up. I am due for another test this week, I believe. But am wildly perplexed at the numbers. Also, the clinic now uses only 350IU HcG weekly, administered with TRT treatments shots. I am 28 and very stressed, but in great health otherwise.
I seem to have positive effects - mood, libido, erectile function, energy - improve for a few days post injection, and then snap back to depressive and lethargic, no sex drive moodiness for the remainder of the week. I am thinking of asking for half my usual dose, but administered twice per week - thought this would be costly. More likely request is to ask for 200mg cyp and check levels every 5 weeks for monitoring. Is this too high? Any thoughts?
Thanks!

 

[CoastWatcher]

What are your SHBG levels? Do you self-inject?

 

[James]

Tell us more about 'switching medications' two months in.

 

[Hasty]

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. The clinic is great in terms of the clinician's reasonable understanding and cautionary approach, but at this point I'd rather self inject than pay 75 bucks per week to go in on my lunch break every thursday and get my treatments. Convenient for blood panels, I suppose. Took most recent blood three days ago around 11 am - the general same time of all my tests - and I am finally responding to the Test Cyp because she told me my T was 500, and my estrogen (which was nothing) is now 29, I believe. Not sure how she tests E, if it is E2, or how to read that panel, but I will ask for the actual lab reports this week. The plan now is to keep on 150mghCG per week administered the same day as my test Cyp, which will bump up from 140 to 160 in 10mg per week increments now. She wants my estrogens a bit higher, she claimed I am suboptimal still.

To answer your questions: "Two Months ago" I began adderall again at 30xr morning 20 IR afternoon and doubled my Wellbutrin to 300mgHCL. I've just been in a bad state of stress and burnout for so long and it culminated in such depression last Spring that I took an SSRI and now an SNEI, which started this whole mess, in my opinion, though I want to deal with my own controllable routines and habits before I address getting off medications.
-No report on SHBG, and I forgot to ask. I trust her to factor that in, though the clinic isn't perfect in treatment design.

I'm starting to feel the mood effects, though they aren't always elevated moods they have been more present. As explained below, 500T, suboptimal estrogens but better read, and a concerning rise in hemoglobin from 15.9 to 17.9. Always have had high hematocrit and vascularity, but guess I should start giving blood now! My question, essentially, is how much before symptoms develop or serious side effects become riskier? I started in June on 100mg and took gradual increments of 10mg after each blood test to land me at my current 140mg cypionate, which is now to be 160mg within two weeks. What do you guys think? I'm pretty young and this whole process has me pretty scared as to the causation. But I am invested in it for the time being. Thanks!