Is 160 mg test/week too high for me? (newb)

[Cello2econ]

Questions for the group:
1) After just one shot, could the type of oil be creating skin itchiness? If not, is it likely to be the Testosterone or something unrelated?
2) Switching my protocol from 160 mg/week test, 1,000 iu/week HCG, 5 mg/day DHEA to...60 mg/week test, no HCG or DHEA for now and then reevaluate.

just started TRT

Thank you to the mods and active people in this forum who respond to new guys like me - much appreciated.

Labs b4 starting

TT: 919
FT: 13.2
DHT: 59
DHEA: 325
Prolactin: 18
Estradiol: 26.7
SHBG: 60.5

Doc prescribed 160 mg test/week, split into two 80 mg injections. Also prescribed 1000 iu of HCG/week and a small DHEA (5 mg) daily.

DETAILS:
The reason I started was to improve sexual function which was ok, but had noticeably declined (particularly quality of erection); and to get back a little more youthful energy after going through a gnarly period of life that included death of a parent and divorce back to back.

I only took one shot of the testosterone (7 days ago), skipped the HCG, and have been taking the daily DHEA. A number of things have come up that make me question the dose, and are even making me question continuing in general.

First, I've had a number of side effects: headache for first 30 minutes after dose, excessive energy on days 1 & 2 which resulted in digestive issues and a stress ball in my throat for most of the day, itchy and painful skin on my arms and quads + strange joint aches on days 3/4, and a very itchy neck days 3-7. My best day was day 5 (Tuesday) when I felt absolutely great. Exercise has been great.

I don't know if side effects are truly side effects or just stress (anxiety around starting TRT and stress at work), but especially the itchy neck is uncomfortable and unusual.

Second, after reading the forum for a while (why didn't I do so before I started !!) I've come to agree with most posters that it is better to start with a low dose and go up than vice versa. I've also decided against taking DHEA for now (my levels were already fine), and to not confuse potential side effects also decided against the HCG for now.

I'm seeing this now as a Sherlock Holmes sort of situation of figuring out what works best for my body. I'd love to hear experience/opinions from men in the group.

1) After just one shot, could the type of oil be creating skin itchiness? If not, is it likely to be the Testosterone or something unrelated?
2) Switching my protocol from 160 mg/week test, 1,000 iu/week HCG, 5 mg/day DHEA to...60 mg/week test, no HCG or DHEA for now and then reevaluate. What do you think?

 

[Vince]

Labs b4 starting

TT: 919
FT: 13.2
DHT: 59
DHEA: 325
Prolactin: 18
Estradiol: 26.7
SHBG: 60.5

Are you starting TRT because of your SHBG? And hoping to increase your freeT?

It makes me wonder if you get good levels of magnesium will that increase your freeT into a better range?

Effects of magnesium supplementation on testosterone levels of athletes and sedentary subjects at rest and after exhaustion - PubMed

This study was performed to assess how 4 weeks of magnesium supplementation and exercise affect the free and total plasma testosterone levels of sportsmen practicing tae kwon do and sedentary controls at rest and after exhaustion. The testosterone levels were determined at four different...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Cello2econ]

Yes, exactly. But I'm also now questioning whether I really need to go down this road at this point.

 

[Vince]

Yes, exactly. But I'm also now questioning whether I really need to go down this road at this point.

I would try the magnesium route. It may take a few months but I think it would be worth it before going down the lifelong TRT road.

 

[Cataceous]

You're wise to reconsider TRT. There's little chance you were hypogonadal with those numbers. Vermeulen calculated free testosterone is around the middle of the healthy normal range. To have added certainty you would need to retest free testosterone with equilibrium dialysis or ultrafiltration.

TRT is disruptive of many other hormones, and it's not uncommon for this to cause side effects. There are safer options if you're determined to see if higher testosterone helps you. These include a testosterone nasal gel, such as Natesto. These products are very short acting, so they do not shut down your natural production of testosterone.

 

[Systemlord]

1) After just one shot, could the type of oil be creating skin itchiness? If not, is it likely to be the Testosterone or something unrelated?

I have burned through iron, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin D on TRT, TRT drags my very healthy ferritin (128) down to 24 in 3 months flat.

All four of these vitamin when low caused skin problems, stinging, prickly burning sensations.

Testosterone, TRT increases metabolic rates and if there are any vitamins and minerals that are borderline low, you'll run into problems early on.

What were you CBC labs prior to TRT?

 

[Systemlord]

There's also another option for TRT besides injections and topicals, oral TRT ->Jatenzo -> 7 days to a steady state.

 

[bixt]

My 2 cents is that the OP is in an inflammatory state with an immune system hypersensitive to allergic reactions. I base my shot in the dark based in the fact that he has high SHBG as well as his symptoms to the injection.

Also the OP did not state IM/Subq, but these reactions are far more common when doing Subq! OP, let us know if you doing the shots Subq, and I strongly suspect you are...

 

[Cello2econ]

Thanks guys!

@bixt original (and only) shot was IM in my gluteus. I'm prone to headaches and I had a couple shots of whiskey so definitely would remove that possibly conflating factor if I did it again. I've also had gnarly heat rash 6-10 times in my life - usually touched off by tropical vacations and/or soaps that my skin doesn't like...but that supports the "sensitive to allergic reaction" comment.

@Systemlord
RBC = 5.0
WBC = 6.4
HEMOGLOBIN = 15.0
HEMATOCRIT = 44.5
PLATELET = 302

ALL pretty much middle of the range.

I supplement vit D and my level is 35-45 generally.

@all it is likely that part of the reaction was psychosomatic. I had a stressful work week. And on some level I naively thought that TRT was something of a panacea and didn't do much research pruor to injecting. Once I started reading about the complexity of the process for many people and the potential for negative reactions in some, I think it flipped a psychosomatic switch.

I'm totally still open to doing shots, but given where I was at b4 TRT(baseline of feeling good on most days) and my preferences with this sort of thing, I'm going to do more research and approach the whole process more respectfully b4 starting anything up.

for now, I've ordered magnesium @Vince and look into Natesto @Cataceous.

thanks all! The last two days, I've felt great (9 days since first and only shot) and the skin itchiness issues have gone away on their own.

 

[bixt]

I'm totally still open to doing shots

Certain brands give me allergic reactions, lethargy and malaise. Others don't.

Since I love to experiment, I have found a way to make those brands work - tiny daily injections. 0.05ml of 200mg\ml = 10mg a day.

I think the volume of the oil is then too low then to cause any issue, and I feel fantastic. If I attempt to double to double the dose and do the shots E2D, the problems are back, with those specific oils.

If you open to doing tiny daily IM shots with a 29g 1/2inch to the thigh, this may work. Otherwise try creams, natesto, jatenzo etc.

 

[Systemlord]

@Systemlord
RBC = 5.0
WBC = 6.4
HEMOGLOBIN = 15.0
HEMATOCRIT = 44.5
PLATELET = 302

I would expect to see these higher especially someone on TRT and the all your symptoms begs the question, what is your iron status?

When my iron is low on TRT, I supplement iron, I get skin itchiness especially on side of neck, burning sensationsin in throat and esophagus, eating triggers it, anxiety, stiff joints, headaches and fatigue.

I was actually misdiagnosed with GERD, treated for GERD unsuccessfully, but it was iron deficiency all along.

My CBC starting falling as well, low hemoglobin and high RDW even though my testosterone was on the higher end.

 

[Cello2econ]

These qere my pre treatment numbers so no reason hematocrit would be high right? I am curious about iron deficiency though now that you mention it. .might as well check and I've had weird GERD like symptoms off and on for years.