I'm 39 year old, 5’10” about 230 lbs and have been on TRT for 10 months. It took me a while to start TRT and I'm still wondering if it was the best thing to do. Since my high school days and after, I was always active and workout 4-5days a week until I met my wife and got marry. That would be about 14 years ago and notice that my time at the gym slowly decrease until I had completely stopped going. Life style change, wife and kids took all my time. About two years ago I slowly started going back to the gym. Around a year or so I notice I would fatigue faster as if I was over training. A co-worker mention that I could be suffering from low T so I started looking into it and had blood work done to check my T level.
On 1/19/16 my Testosterone was 298 / FREE T. 41.1. I was told that my levels were within normal range.
Around March 2016 I decide to go to a Low T Center and blood work was done twice back to back for insurance purpose before 11am. My T levels 320 and 310. The doc told me that my levels were normal low but since I work shift work that my levels may even be lower at some point throughout the day. Since I was still debating whether or not to go with the TRT, I told the doc that I would think about it which he kind of got upset and I for sure didn't feel comfortable having him as my doctor therefore I made and appointment at the medical center in Houston to see a Urologist.
Finally I decide to give TRT a try and was told that I could get off anytime I wanted with proper protocol. don't know if I'm allow to mention Doctor's name but this are my Initial lab result from my doc at the medical center. 200mgTestCyp 1ml once per week / 75 unit HCG/ anastrozole1mg 2xweek
my initial Results were lower than the previous two doctors6/22/16
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"][/TD] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"][/TD] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"][/TD] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"][/TD] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"][/TD] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"][/TD] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"][/TD] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"][/TD] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"][/TD] | |||
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"] | [/TD] | ||
[TD="width: 117, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD] |
because I was afraid to start at 1ml once per week I read on here to split the dosage twice a week which I did and I also started low at .30 twice a week(just over half of 1ml) and also split the HCG twice per week. I’m assuming maybe that's why my levels were low therefore my doc increase my dosage to .75twice per week which I tough to myself that it would be to high once my levels even out so I only did .6 of an ML twice per week and same with HCG.
Once I increase the dosage I could feel the difference and going to the gym got a lot easier, my strength increase as well but I also notice that I gain weight from 235 to 250lbs. I didn’t have a problem with my sex drive before the TRT but it increase dramatically to the point that my wife question what vitamins I was taking because that’s what I told her. Everything at this point felt great. Because I had gain weight, I told the doc that my goal was to get back in shape and to reduce my body fat so he also prescribe me a combination of sermorelin/ipamorelin which I took for the next 6 months
My next follow up appointment lab results 12/22/16
TestCyp .6 of an ml twice per week/ HCG 2XWEEK / SERMORELIN/IPAMORELIN 25 units EVERYDAY / Anastrozole 1mg 2xweek / 2months of
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
At this point everything was good but my only concern was that he didn’t request my DHT results and I also question the fact if my T levels were to high base on his standard range of 200– 1000. I had drop body fat around my belly and love handles were almost gone and drop from 250lbs to 230lbs. I was feeling good and healthy but I was still concern about my dosage being too high so I decided to cut my testcyp back a little to .5 one day and .6 the next day at some point I would do .5 x2 week(1mlper week) which it gives me on 1ml my original dosage. Also about a month after my appointment I notice a little bit of hair loss so I call my doc and they prescribe FINASTERIDE(propecia) which I took for a week before finding out the horrible stories about it so I stopped. I also called back and them again of why my DHT labs weren’t posted and I was told that they had changed some of their lab results which I told them that my DHT levels were probably too high and that’s why I was experiencing hair lost
My next follow up appointment lab results 5/01/17
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"] | [/TD] | [/TD] | [/TD] |
Here I’m confused because I lower my dosage and my test levels got hired. My 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] shot is on Thursday and my appointment was the following Monday which it was the same as last time so my blood work was done at the same time. I’m just concern about having any problems with my T levels being to high and having future problems. I was also told that you can cycle off every 12 to 16 months so my doc put me on a protocol to stop taking my test cyp for one month and I’m supposed to do higher dosages of HCG 3XWEEK for one month and then continue with my normal routine of test cyp/hcg/.5mg anastrozole 2xweek.
Some of my questions are
1. Could I had possible jump started my body to produce more of my own test since when I lowered my dosage my test levels got higher. I also wonder if the sermorelin/ipamorelinhad something to do with it
2. I read on the website that TRT is not something that you cycle off and it can also do more damage. Has anybody cycle off once a year and if so any problems
3. Are my T levels to high? I feel good but I don’t want to have any problems in the future
4. If I was to cycle off , is one month enough time like my doctors protocol
5. Anybody that has being on TRT for years, I would love to hear your input. Any problems with your health,
6. I would love to hear any advice from anybody that’s been on TRT for a few years or so
7. My doctor told me that I could just do HCG but my Test levels wouldn’t be that high and it would be more expensive. I wish he had mentioned this before I started. HCG cost me $75 a 1100 unit vial and it could last me 90 days. If my levels were in the low 300 I wouldn’t have mine trying HCG to see if my levels would be greater than 500. Anybody just on HCG?
Sorry for the long post
