My Progress to date - any advice appreciated

[Matt Leiser]

Hey Everone. Been a while since I have posted anything on progress so at a point of what to try next.
for the past 6 months I have been doing the LCHF/Ketogenic diet. Dr recommended as my markers for insulin resistance in my last yearly physical (high trigs, low HDL (ldl was normal), hypertension, borderline diabetic fasting glucose and a1c, and a 50 inch waist. Happy to report I am down almost 60 lbs. blood work next week to recheck other markers and crit levels.

in terms of trt for the last 6 months I have moved from 100 mg weekly to 60 mg E3.5D to 40 mg EOD.
Results are below for trough levels at those dosages.

Prior to apr 21st this year dosage was 100mg weekly
tot T 528 range 250 to 827 ng/dL

after the Apr 21st draw I moved to 60 mg E3.5D as I felt I just wasn’t dialed in and was losing energy by day 5 on 100 mg weekly.

60 mg results on July 24th
Tot T 640 range 250 to 1100 ng/dl
free T 171.9 range 46 - 224 pg/ml
bioavail T 338 range 110 to 575 ng/dl
SHGB 14 range 10 to 50 nmol/L

felt better but not optimized so told Dr due to SHGB value I want to move to 40 mg EOD ( he thought I was nuts but was onboard and intrigued)

sep 25th results now 40 mg EOD
total T 899 range 250 to 1100 ng/dl
FRee T 212 range 35 - 155 pg/mL

Think I may have found a keeper protocol as energy is good but now I am having some issues with aching in the testicles where I did not experience this before. They seem to be smaller, ride higher and are a bit squishy. Sorry if TMI. I am NOT on HCG and have never taken it but have been wondering if it is time to start smaller doses? Please ALL opinions are welcome.

 

[ratbag]

What's with the ranges for your Free T? they are different. Are you using the same lab? It's quite common to need more testosterone if your SHBG is low. So I believe you are taking the correct approach. Particularly if you are feeling better on your latest protocol.

 

[FeelingLost]

When I was only on T about 2 months in I would get sharp pains from my boys. I believe it was there last scream before turning to rasins and giving up all together.
I am happy to report after 3 months of 800ui of HCG weekly my boys are back down where they belong and feeling very good.

get some hcg.

 

[Vince]

I agree I would start injecting HCG, I inject 500iu every three and a half days. HCG keeps my testicles nice and full. I wouldn't change your testosterone protocol, I would just add HCG along with it.

 

[Systemlord]

You have a similar experience to myself, weekly just didn't do much for me do to my low SHBG. Twice weekly was a little better but not much, it wasn't until after a week on EOD that I started really feeling the effects of T! It's been excellent since then and just got a call from the doctor that it's time for another set of labs tomorrow, anxious to see if my SHBG went up on smaller more frequent dosing. Been on TRT for 7 months and I imagine I would have been further along had I started out on an EOD protocol.

 

[madman]

When I was only on T about 2 months in I would get sharp pains from my boys. I believe it was there last scream before turning to rasins and giving up all together.
I am happy to report after 3 months of 800ui of HCG weekly my boys are back down where they belong and feeling very good.

get some hcg.

Highly doubtful the testes would end up like raisins as the leydig cells only make up roughly 10-20% of testicular volume. If ones testes are very small pre-trt than it may seem like they have shrunken to nothing but if one was average/large than the difference in size would not seem as drastic.

 

[FeelingLost]

Highly doubtful the testes would end up like raisins as the leydig cells only make up roughly 10-20% of testicular volume. If ones testes are very small pre-trt than it may seem like they have shrunken to nothing but if one was average/large than the difference in size would not seem as drastic.

HaHa you are taking my commnent too seriously MM. OK how about prumes. They are bigger but just as wrinklie. The sharp stabing/pinching pain was not an exaggeration.

 

[ERO]

I agree with others. Just add HCG 2 or 3 times per week and you should be good to go! Congratulations on loosing 60 lbs as well. That is very impressive.

 

[Matt Leiser]

Thanks everyone. I think you talked me into HCG. Looking at the Defy website and will prob call them and take advantage of their supplemental hCG program. My doctor is really good at working with me on changes to my test cyp dosage and frequency but he does not do HCG.

 

[Matt Leiser]

I agree with others. Just add HCG 2 or 3 times per week and you should be good to go! Congratulations on loosing 60 lbs as well. That is very impressive.

Thanks ERO. I found that LCHF/keto has really worked for me in terms of the foods I enjoy and the weight is melting off. The high free T probably has not hurt either.

 

[Birdman03]

Have you also tested E2/Estradiol(sensitive)? Estrogen mangement is the remaining piece of the puzzle after you add the HCG.

Good job with T levels, the weight loss, and the ketogenic diet. TRT is supposed to help reduce insulin resistance, so combined with the LCHF diet I predict you will see definite improvement with blood glucose and lipids. Please post test results when you have them.

 

[Matt Leiser]

My sensitive E2 levels have come back at last check at 31. I take .25 mg arimidex with my cyp injections eod.

My latest labs have come back
test is at 918, free is at 165.2
glucose is the same at 88 mg/dL
a1c from 5.5 down to 5.1
HDL from 28 up to 41 mg/dL
trigs from 274 down to 107 mg/dL
LDL from 94 up to 140 mg/dL

insulin fasting came in at 15.4 iIU/mL. This is the first time having this measured

 

[CoastWatcher]

My sensitive E2 levels have come back at last check at 31. I take .25 mg arimidex with my cyp injections eod.

My latest labs have come back
test is at 918, free is at 165.2
glucose is the same at 88 mg/dL
a1c from 5.5 down to 5.1
HDL from 28 up to 41 mg/dL
trigs from 274 down to 107 mg/dL
LDL from 94 up to 140 mg/dL

insulin fasting came in at 15.4 iIU/mL. This is the first time having this measured

Congratulations on seeing your a1c slide down.

 

[FeelingLost]

My sensitive E2 levels have come back at last check at 31. I take .25 mg arimidex with my cyp injections eod.

My latest labs have come back
test is at 918, free is at 165.2
glucose is the same at 88 mg/dL
a1c from 5.5 down to 5.1
HDL from 28 up to 41 mg/dL
trigs from 274 down to 107 mg/dL
LDL from 94 up to 140 mg/dL

insulin fasting came in at 15.4 iIU/mL. This is the first time having this measured

Wow Matt I would give anything to get that kind of a report card. Well done.

 

[Birdman03]

My sensitive E2 levels have come back at last check at 31. I take .25 mg arimidex with my cyp injections eod.

My latest labs have come back
test is at 918, free is at 165.2
glucose is the same at 88 mg/dL
a1c from 5.5 down to 5.1
HDL from 28 up to 41 mg/dL
trigs from 274 down to 107 mg/dL
LDL from 94 up to 140 mg/dL

insulin fasting came in at 15.4 iIU/mL. This is the first time having this measured

Wow, congratulations on all the great numbers. Your weight loss and diet improvement is showing up in the lipids profile and the A1C. The fasting insulin is a bit high (under 5 is optimal) but will very likely improve with further weight loss.

 

[Saul]

Thanks everyone. I think you talked me into HCG. Looking at the Defy website and will prob call them and take advantage of their supplemental hCG program. My doctor is really good at working with me on changes to my test cyp dosage and frequency but he does not do HCG.

Well this is interesting to me. Still rolling around the idea of HCG, but if Defy offers this as a supplemental service, then that would be appealing to me. My dr. would likely not prescribe HCG so I would have sourced from overseas (Reliablerx) which would not be my first choice. Please keep us updated in this thread how that works out. : )