New to forum, just started TRT, a few questions

[Sawdustmaker]

I'm 62 yrs old and just started TRT. Have only had 2 injections. Testosterone level was 165. Free from prostate cancer about a year and a half now. Figured out my uro doc just doesn't know much about this so I found a local clinic. The guy seems knowledgable but as I learn more, I think my starting cyp dosage is too high (200 mg). He uses HCG AND asastrozole right off the bat. I took the asastrozole but I think I'm going to stop taking it for now and see if I have any issues. This clinic is pretty pricey and I'm considering trying to educate my uro doc and do my monitoring. The cyp is covered by my insurance but not HCG but I think I can do this more economically. Should I discuss keeping my dosage at 100 for a while? Is my thinking on all this ok?
Thanks,
Saw

 

[Vince]

Most members start with lower dose of testosterone. A beginning dose is between 50 through 70 mg of testosterone twice a week, HCG around 200 IU to 500 IU twice a week and no AI until labs. We have 2 clinics that advertise on this website, defy medical which I use and Prime body.

 

[Sean Mosher]

Can you post your initial labs as well?
Would help create a better convo/dialogue.

 

[Systemlord]

We need to know your SHBG level, this is a tool to determine dosing and injection frequency. These T-mills typically give out bad protocols that are as far from ideal as one can get, once weekly injections right?

These clinics typically staff incompetence, I'm betting you don't have and sensitive estrogen or SHBG labs.

 

[Sawdustmaker]

I've heard of the SHBG level issue but that has not been checked, you're right! Before this clinic, I visited the endo doc in the practice where my PCP is. She admitted she was unfamiliar with HCG and did not mess with it. She offered a new drug called Aveed, but I read too many nasty side effects about it. Essentially, I got the vibe she really didn't know much about TRT, so I checked out the clinic. I'll post the lab results I have so far.

FSH (I think is free T?) was 1.5 mlU/mL
Estradiol was 23 pg/ml
The initial total testosterone level was around 200
Prolactin is 9.38 ng/mL

After reading the long post here about half lives of drugs, I noticed he said you should not adjust dosages (assuming I'm starting too high) until you reach the steady state, 5 half lives. This would be 35-40 days for the testosterone. I've only had 2 injections so far so I wondered if would still hold true, or can I go to 100 mg this Friday for my 3rd injection?

The current protocol for me is 200 mg test once per week, .4 ml HCG the day of T injection, and another the day after. Anastrozole .3 mg on the day of injection, and another the following week if any symptoms, nipple tenderness, etc.
Still learning a lot.
Saw

 

[MarkM]

FSH = Follicle Stimulating Hormone

 

[Sawdustmaker]

Well that's great. The endo doc was supposed to test for my free testosterone and estradiol. And she only tested the estradiol because I brought it up!

 

[MarkM]

Well that's great. The endo doc was supposed to test for my free testosterone and estradiol. And she only tested the estradiol because I brought it up!

Maybe the Endo wrote it up right and the lab misread the lab order???? Regardless, someone made a mistake.

 

[Sawdustmaker]

Maybe the Endo wrote it up right and the lab misread the lab order???? Regardless, someone made a mistake.

Nope, I just went back to my PCP's portal and they have updated a result that wasn't there the last time I printed it out. Maybe someone caught it and forgot to tell me. Anyway, my free testosterone is 27.4 pg/ml.