New here - Been on self administered TRT for nearly 4 years - Looking for guidance and support

[2ndLife]

Hi all,

I'm a 41 year old male that is looking for guidance and support. I don't have anyone to talk to about any of this, and for years now I've tried to forget that I have to face the music someday, and figure out what exactly I'm doing with what I'm taking. Let me give a little background if I may on how I ended up where I am today.

4 years ago, I saw an ad for a local men's clinic in a magazine. I setup an appointment, and after blood work that showed my test somewhere in the mid 300s, they put me on 100mg of test cyp per week, .5mg anastrozole twice a week, and 500iu of HCG 3 times per week every other month. The cost was $3000 for 6 months which included blood work and supplies, so I went with it, and did this regimen for 6 months.

Those 6 months were rough as I was going through a divorce. The end of those 6 months came, and I could not afford to continue treatment, so I found what I could online to continue the regimen myself as it was much cheaper. Over the next 3.5 years to the present, I have been taking a shot of Organon sustanon 250ml every 2 weeks, HCG in the same manner the clinic showed me, and .5mg of anastrozole 2 times per week. Other than a yearly physical with blood work, I am not seeing a doctor for this although I would like to which is part of why I'm here.

I'm looking for advice on how I should either continue on with some kind of TRT under a doctor's care, or would it be possible for me to get off all of this, and attempt to return to normal after 4 years. What forum would you recommend I post my questions in?

Thank you all!

 

[stevep]

Welcome,

There are two site sponsors that most people use; Defy Medical and Prime Body. Both have adds on the side of the page with contact information. Personally I use Defy and have been very happy with my results. The Defy cost is no where near what you've paid in the past. I can't speak to the cost of Prime Body, but I know they have satisfied customers on this site.

I recommend you call both providers and see which one will work best for your situation. They will let you know what blood work they require and set up a consult and work out a plan for you.

Be sure to use the site search function and you will find a cornucopia of great information here. If you can't find something, just ask and someone will chime in.

 

[CoastWatcher]

I know that Defy has worked with many men who, in a sense, wanted to "come in from the cold" and put a protocol together that made sense. I am not a patient of Defy's, nor am I a Prime Body patient, I live in Canada, and I echo the earlier remark that you should contact both and ask the hardest questions you can. Use the search box here to see what other members are saying.

You were robbed and out in a substandard protocol. There is better care available.

 

[ZoomyR6]

Where are you located?

 

[FOX1]

Not sure how things work in the great usa, but here in the UK, if you have an accident or serious injury and taken into hospital, all your medical records can be accessed online.

In some cases for treatment, they need to know exactly what medication you are on (this could be lifesaving).

I personally would do everything above board, even if you continue the way you are going now, inform your doctor, have it on records, you just never know when this information may be required.

 

[2ndLife]

Thanks all for the help. I'm located in WA state.

What kind of doctor should I see for all of this? A proctologist or a urologist or some other type? I should mention I've always been scared to be honest with doctors because I fear it will go on my insurance record, and my insurance company will either drop me or raise the premiums, then I'd have issues for the rest of my life since it would be on my record. Are any of these concerns valid?

My biggest question to all of you is do you think I would be able to get off of everything, and bring back my normal test production to healthy levels after 4 years of this. Or do you think I'm at the point where in order to live a quality life, I probably need to go on a regimen from here forward. My balls have definitely shrunk over these years, but I have been taking HCG throughout, and I did impregnate my GF a year ago, so I'm still working to some degree.

Thank you all for your help!

 

[CoastWatcher]

Thanks all for the help. I'm located in WA state.

What kind of doctor should I see for all of this? A proctologist or a urologist or some other type? I should mention I've always been scared to be honest with doctors because I fear it will go on my insurance record, and my insurance company will either drop me or raise the premiums, then I'd have issues for the rest of my life since it would be on my record. Are any of these concerns valid?

My biggest question to all of you is do you think I would be able to get off of everything, and bring back my normal test production to healthy levels after 4 years of this. Or do you think I'm at the point where in order to live a quality life, I probably need to go on a regimen from here forward. My balls have definitely shrunk over these years, but I have been taking HCG throughout, and I did impregnate my GF a year ago, so I'm still working to some degree.

Thank you all for your help!

A proctologist, a doctor who performs colon surgery? Not who I'd turn to for androgen replacement. Seriously, it's going to be a challenge to find a doctor who accepts insurance and knows what they are doing. That's the case for all men looking for a competent doctor to manage a TRT protocol. There simply aren't many who understand what they're doing. You have your clueless primary care physician, your equally clueless endocrinologist (who should know better, in theory they are the specialists in hormones...in theory), the slightly more knowledgeable urologist, and then, the doctor who has taken the time to understand how this game is played. Your situation, where you're seeking to sort out a history of self-directed care, presents more challenges.

I'm not suggesting it's impossible. I am raising the question of whether you can afford to seek care with a fee-for-service provider. Many members here have done that. The leading practitioners in this field typically practice in this fashion. It may not be as expensive as you think.

Where in Washington do you live? Perhaps a local physician can be recommended.

 

[Systemlord]

When most go on TRT it's because their own testosterone production is already suboptimal, TRT is a life long commitment and this is why it's important to find a competent doctor who knows what he's doing. Most endos don't have the skills to manage your hormones property, most would never grace these forums if their doctor's were well trained in TRT. If you find an endo who suggests injections beyond once weekly injections and doesn't prescribe aromatase inhibitors or HCG likely isn't skilled enough to help you or understand male hormones.

 

[2ndLife]

Thanks all. I live in Bellevue, WA, very close to Seattle, so if anyone knows of a good doctor they might recommend, please let me know. There is always the men's clinic I went to 4 years ago, Innovative Men's Clinic which is right here in Bellevue, and they seem to be a good option. The doctors there seem to understand everything, but it's so expensive. I'm sure things have changed there since I last visited, so perhaps I should pay them another visit. My concern with a life long commitment is my fear of heart issues down the road. My primary doctor told me all these stories of how testosterone supplementation in older men can cause all sorts of cardiac issues vs men that refrained from TRT in studies he'd read. What do you all think? Thanks again for your help!

 

[CoastWatcher]

I feel confident that either of the clinics that I suggested you contact would be less expensive than the men's clinic you mentioned. As for TRT and cardiovascular disease, your doctor is misinformed.

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/sho...A-New-Report-Supports-the-Use-of-Testosterone

 

[Deleted member 16042]

I'm sure things have changed there since I last visited, so perhaps I should pay them another visit. My concern with a life long commitment is my fear of heart issues down the road. My primary doctor told me all these stories of how testosterone supplementation in older men can cause all sorts of cardiac issues vs men that refrained from TRT in studies he'd read.

That whole issue has been pretty well debunked:

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/sho...A-New-Report-Supports-the-Use-of-Testosterone

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/sho...iated-With-Mortality-or-Cardiovascular-Events

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4709429/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151109160558.htm

http://www.ajandrology.com/preprintarticle.asp?id=212903

http://www.ajandrology.com/article....ue=0;spage=0;epage=0;aulast=Gagliano%2DJuc%E1

http://jaha.ahajournals.org/content/6/5/e004880

http://www.ajandrology.com/preprintarticle.asp?id=212903

Things have indeed changed since your last visit in that regard!

Poke around this forum more. You will learn a lot more.

(Doh! Sorry CW, redundancy.)

 

[2ndLife]

Thanks for the help all. I'm going to do a lot of the reading you've supplied, and contact either Defy Medical or Prime Body to move forward.