Hello,
Im a 40 year old man and recently I was experiencing may symptoms that finally led me to TRT.
Some things about me to consider when reading this.
Im 5'11 and my average weight is 180
Ive been slim my entire life.
I have a thick beard and chest hair and I started losing a hair 8 or so years ago but still have a pretty full head of hair.
I suffer from border line high blood pressure and have been put on Amolodipine .5mg a day and recently raised to 10mg a day (will explain that below)
I do suffer from general anxiety disorder and have taken klonopin for several years of my life then was off of it now im back on it. Sometimes I take .5 mg a day and sometimes 1mg a day depending on how im feeling
I can grow a pretty full beard and would consider myself hairy although not a gorilla.
I eat pretty good as of recently and have done a life style change to keep me healthy through the years and have started exercising again recently.
My symptoms that led me to TRT gradually became getting worse for a few years. I was feeling that I had to give 500% effort for 50% output. I am the G.M. of a dealership and depend on being sharp at all times and I started having difficulty staying focused and felt over all not on the ball. The thought of going home to sleep half way through the day became a good thought. My libido went down over the last couple of years which startled me as well as I have always had a healthy sex drive. If i worked out my recovery took forever. I could go on and on with symptoms but they all me to TRT. In 2 years my T level dropped dramatically. I was referred to a urologist who did some preliminary labs that I will attach below. I was put on a protocol of 200 mg Testosterone Cypionate once a week. First 2 weeks went great. I also started going back to the gym and felt great. Mental clarity was up pretty fast. I dont know if it was placebo but I felt better by the end of week 1. I started working out hard in the Gym like I did when I was younger. I had increased vigor and over all felt awesome. Weirdly enough at the end of the second week and before my third shot i noticed my nipples would get pretty hard while working out and my heart rate which usually runs a little on the high side was abnormally high for me. My BP which was usually high 120 low 130 over 80's to high 80's went up to 140 - 150 over 90's 100's. The week after my third shot I went to my PCP who upped my Amlodopine from 5mg to 10mg. By the end of the week i decided it was time to go to the ER to get checked out because of some chest pains. They found nothing wrong however from working out i had developed Rhabdo. Hysterical, here I am trying to make a total lifestyle change and exercise puts me in the hospital. They admit me and im released later that day when they saw my liver enzymes and my creatine kinase come down. My Creatine Kinase levels were over 16k when i arrived at the hospital. Scary.
I contacted my urologist after this happened and his nurse called me back and said to continue my protocol so 2 days later i took my 4th shot. My BP remained high and my resting heartrate during the day is steady at 100 or so. BP 140 ish over 95 ish if im really relaxed but heart rate always elevated. I also was so hot that one night I literally had an icepack in my bed. I had felt heat flashes the second week that i thought was just everything kicking into gear. I started getting more and more concerned. I called the urologist and left a message for the nurse. I said that i had really been feeling cloudy and spaced out and kind of emotional lately and very lethargic. I also mentioned the erect nipples and sensitivity. Im always hot and i feel bloated. I can feel my pulse in my head. I now put a fan in my office because im always hot..They call me back and tell me get labs. I take my shot Tues morning and I got my Labs on Saturday morning fasting. This morning i get a call from the doctors office telling me that my Test level is high but my E2 level are normal and to stop my protocol for 2 weeks until another blood test.
Thats when all the reading i have done on this forum kicked into gear and i felt i was being treated wrong and this could be really unhealthy for me. Im attaching my labs and am open to constructive criticism and have no ego involved. I just want to feel good.
I do not know the Assay they use where they took my labs.
Ill be as open as i can and i hope with the experience of the members in this group i can alter some things.
I have an appointment tomorrow to get a new primary care physician and i do not plan on going back to the urologist based on the 200mg once a week protocol with no Ai or hcg. He told me if i wasnt planning to have kids its fine and the testicular shrinkage happens. I phoned the nurse because i wanted to inject 2 times a week but was told no and he usually will prescribe my dose every 2 weeks. that was another red flag. I have spoken to Defy and may be going that route. I am in Illinois and driving to Dr Crisler might also be an option. Here are my labs before trt and the labs from Saturday they are roughly 4 weeks apart 4 shots and my fifth shot should be tomorrow which he is saying do not do which i believe is wrong advice.
Pre TRT Labs
LH 4.4 range 1.7 - 8.6 IU/L
FSH 3.4 range 1.5 - 12.4 IU/L
hemoglobin 15.5 range 13.8 - 17.2 g/dl
hematocrit 45.1 range 42 - 52 U/L
ast/sgot 33 range 17 - 59 U/L
alt/sgpt 68 range 21 - 72 U/L
total protein 7.8 range 6.3 - 8.2 g/dl
albumin 4.5 range 3.5 - 5 g/dl
bilirubin total .4 range .2 - 1.3 mg/dl
bilirubin direct .2 range 0 - .4 mg/dl
total testosterone 214 range 132 - 813
estradiol 12.49 pg/ml Normal Males 5.4 - 65.9 pg/ml
SECOND LABS (i took the 4th shot Tuesday and this lab was taken on Saturday)
hemoglobin 15.9 range 13.8 - 17.2 g/dl
hematocrit 46.1 range 42 - 52 U/L
ast/sgot 60 range 17 - 59 U/L (still recovering from rhabdo i believe but are going down)
alt/sgpt 98 range 21 - 72 U/L (still recovering from rhabdo i believe but are going down)
total protein 7.8 range 6.3 - 8.2 g/dl
albumin 4.4 range 3.5 - 5 g/dl
bilirubin total .8 range .2 - 1.3 mg/dl
bilirubin direct .2 range 0 - .4 mg/dl
total testosterone 1230 range 132 - 813 ng/dl
estradiol 58.97 pg/ml Normal Males 5.4 - 65.9 pg/ml
I went to the lab and ask to speak to a supervisor to determine what assay they use. The paperwork they gave me said "test type; competitive immunoassay)
It also gives ranges on my labs that said for e2
Follicular Phase 26.6 - 161 pg/ml
Pre-Ovulatory Phase 187 - 382 pg/ml
Post Menopause 5.4 - 38.4 pg/ml
Luteal Phase 32.7 - 201 pg/ml
Normal Males 5.4 - 65.9 pg/ml
So who knows what measurement that is.
My friend said it is not possible for my T level to be that high and at this point i am completely confused.
Clearly My E2 level has gone up.
I am attaching pictures from when i was in the hospital for rhabdo that shows alot of other data. Take into consideration that these labs were 2.5 days before my 4th shot.
I do not feel so bad right now and my libido is off that charts in comparison to what it was.. My BP is still very high 145ish / 95 ish and my heart rate is always elevated 90 - 110. Feeling Hot and flashes of heat and sweat and im not sleeping the greatest. I also feel more anxious that usual so im trying to take that into consideration. Im feeling extremely bloated and can feel my heart beat in most of my body. Headache in back of head (maybe stress) basically i feel swollen.. Also, i have a proclivity to anxiety so we can all agree i will hyper-analyse symptoms vigorously.
SUMMARY:
200mg testosterone once a week (tuesday mornings)
Still taking now 10mg of amlodipine and .5 or 1mg of klonopin daily. Ive started taken 1300mg of omega 3's. Eating very clean and drinking a lot of water. Doctor appointment with new doctor tomorrow to be my new PCP and i hear hes open minded and not like my previous doctor.
I also do not want to see my urologist anymore and have 1 full bottle of 10ml cypionate and another half a bottle left from the first script so i have enough to get me to the next step. No AI no HCG.
Any and all advice is welcomed. I would like to continue TRT and am humble and willing to listen and take direction. Im open to change. Ask me any question you would like and ill answer them as honest and with the limited knowledge i have in this territory.
Look forward to hearing from everyone.
Im a 40 year old man and recently I was experiencing may symptoms that finally led me to TRT.
Some things about me to consider when reading this.
Im 5'11 and my average weight is 180
Ive been slim my entire life.
I have a thick beard and chest hair and I started losing a hair 8 or so years ago but still have a pretty full head of hair.
I suffer from border line high blood pressure and have been put on Amolodipine .5mg a day and recently raised to 10mg a day (will explain that below)
I do suffer from general anxiety disorder and have taken klonopin for several years of my life then was off of it now im back on it. Sometimes I take .5 mg a day and sometimes 1mg a day depending on how im feeling
I can grow a pretty full beard and would consider myself hairy although not a gorilla.
I eat pretty good as of recently and have done a life style change to keep me healthy through the years and have started exercising again recently.
My symptoms that led me to TRT gradually became getting worse for a few years. I was feeling that I had to give 500% effort for 50% output. I am the G.M. of a dealership and depend on being sharp at all times and I started having difficulty staying focused and felt over all not on the ball. The thought of going home to sleep half way through the day became a good thought. My libido went down over the last couple of years which startled me as well as I have always had a healthy sex drive. If i worked out my recovery took forever. I could go on and on with symptoms but they all me to TRT. In 2 years my T level dropped dramatically. I was referred to a urologist who did some preliminary labs that I will attach below. I was put on a protocol of 200 mg Testosterone Cypionate once a week. First 2 weeks went great. I also started going back to the gym and felt great. Mental clarity was up pretty fast. I dont know if it was placebo but I felt better by the end of week 1. I started working out hard in the Gym like I did when I was younger. I had increased vigor and over all felt awesome. Weirdly enough at the end of the second week and before my third shot i noticed my nipples would get pretty hard while working out and my heart rate which usually runs a little on the high side was abnormally high for me. My BP which was usually high 120 low 130 over 80's to high 80's went up to 140 - 150 over 90's 100's. The week after my third shot I went to my PCP who upped my Amlodopine from 5mg to 10mg. By the end of the week i decided it was time to go to the ER to get checked out because of some chest pains. They found nothing wrong however from working out i had developed Rhabdo. Hysterical, here I am trying to make a total lifestyle change and exercise puts me in the hospital. They admit me and im released later that day when they saw my liver enzymes and my creatine kinase come down. My Creatine Kinase levels were over 16k when i arrived at the hospital. Scary.
I contacted my urologist after this happened and his nurse called me back and said to continue my protocol so 2 days later i took my 4th shot. My BP remained high and my resting heartrate during the day is steady at 100 or so. BP 140 ish over 95 ish if im really relaxed but heart rate always elevated. I also was so hot that one night I literally had an icepack in my bed. I had felt heat flashes the second week that i thought was just everything kicking into gear. I started getting more and more concerned. I called the urologist and left a message for the nurse. I said that i had really been feeling cloudy and spaced out and kind of emotional lately and very lethargic. I also mentioned the erect nipples and sensitivity. Im always hot and i feel bloated. I can feel my pulse in my head. I now put a fan in my office because im always hot..They call me back and tell me get labs. I take my shot Tues morning and I got my Labs on Saturday morning fasting. This morning i get a call from the doctors office telling me that my Test level is high but my E2 level are normal and to stop my protocol for 2 weeks until another blood test.
Thats when all the reading i have done on this forum kicked into gear and i felt i was being treated wrong and this could be really unhealthy for me. Im attaching my labs and am open to constructive criticism and have no ego involved. I just want to feel good.
I do not know the Assay they use where they took my labs.
Ill be as open as i can and i hope with the experience of the members in this group i can alter some things.
I have an appointment tomorrow to get a new primary care physician and i do not plan on going back to the urologist based on the 200mg once a week protocol with no Ai or hcg. He told me if i wasnt planning to have kids its fine and the testicular shrinkage happens. I phoned the nurse because i wanted to inject 2 times a week but was told no and he usually will prescribe my dose every 2 weeks. that was another red flag. I have spoken to Defy and may be going that route. I am in Illinois and driving to Dr Crisler might also be an option. Here are my labs before trt and the labs from Saturday they are roughly 4 weeks apart 4 shots and my fifth shot should be tomorrow which he is saying do not do which i believe is wrong advice.
Pre TRT Labs
LH 4.4 range 1.7 - 8.6 IU/L
FSH 3.4 range 1.5 - 12.4 IU/L
hemoglobin 15.5 range 13.8 - 17.2 g/dl
hematocrit 45.1 range 42 - 52 U/L
ast/sgot 33 range 17 - 59 U/L
alt/sgpt 68 range 21 - 72 U/L
total protein 7.8 range 6.3 - 8.2 g/dl
albumin 4.5 range 3.5 - 5 g/dl
bilirubin total .4 range .2 - 1.3 mg/dl
bilirubin direct .2 range 0 - .4 mg/dl
total testosterone 214 range 132 - 813
estradiol 12.49 pg/ml Normal Males 5.4 - 65.9 pg/ml
SECOND LABS (i took the 4th shot Tuesday and this lab was taken on Saturday)
hemoglobin 15.9 range 13.8 - 17.2 g/dl
hematocrit 46.1 range 42 - 52 U/L
ast/sgot 60 range 17 - 59 U/L (still recovering from rhabdo i believe but are going down)
alt/sgpt 98 range 21 - 72 U/L (still recovering from rhabdo i believe but are going down)
total protein 7.8 range 6.3 - 8.2 g/dl
albumin 4.4 range 3.5 - 5 g/dl
bilirubin total .8 range .2 - 1.3 mg/dl
bilirubin direct .2 range 0 - .4 mg/dl
total testosterone 1230 range 132 - 813 ng/dl
estradiol 58.97 pg/ml Normal Males 5.4 - 65.9 pg/ml
I went to the lab and ask to speak to a supervisor to determine what assay they use. The paperwork they gave me said "test type; competitive immunoassay)
It also gives ranges on my labs that said for e2
Follicular Phase 26.6 - 161 pg/ml
Pre-Ovulatory Phase 187 - 382 pg/ml
Post Menopause 5.4 - 38.4 pg/ml
Luteal Phase 32.7 - 201 pg/ml
Normal Males 5.4 - 65.9 pg/ml
So who knows what measurement that is.
My friend said it is not possible for my T level to be that high and at this point i am completely confused.
Clearly My E2 level has gone up.
I am attaching pictures from when i was in the hospital for rhabdo that shows alot of other data. Take into consideration that these labs were 2.5 days before my 4th shot.
I do not feel so bad right now and my libido is off that charts in comparison to what it was.. My BP is still very high 145ish / 95 ish and my heart rate is always elevated 90 - 110. Feeling Hot and flashes of heat and sweat and im not sleeping the greatest. I also feel more anxious that usual so im trying to take that into consideration. Im feeling extremely bloated and can feel my heart beat in most of my body. Headache in back of head (maybe stress) basically i feel swollen.. Also, i have a proclivity to anxiety so we can all agree i will hyper-analyse symptoms vigorously.
SUMMARY:
200mg testosterone once a week (tuesday mornings)
Still taking now 10mg of amlodipine and .5 or 1mg of klonopin daily. Ive started taken 1300mg of omega 3's. Eating very clean and drinking a lot of water. Doctor appointment with new doctor tomorrow to be my new PCP and i hear hes open minded and not like my previous doctor.
I also do not want to see my urologist anymore and have 1 full bottle of 10ml cypionate and another half a bottle left from the first script so i have enough to get me to the next step. No AI no HCG.
Any and all advice is welcomed. I would like to continue TRT and am humble and willing to listen and take direction. Im open to change. Ask me any question you would like and ill answer them as honest and with the limited knowledge i have in this territory.
Look forward to hearing from everyone.
