new to TRT-need advice

[diggerdoggy]

I am a 54 yr old male who recently started on TRT with a family doctor due to fatigue. I dont have detailed lab results, but they are as follows:

1. Estradiol 60 w/reference range of pg/ML result high
2. Luteinizing hormone <.20 mIU/mL result low
3. Estrogens, Total 124 range of 40-115 pg/ML results high
4. Serum Testosterone 75 range 264-916 results-Low
5. Vitamin B12 294 range 211-946
6. Folic acid 11.2 range >3.0 ng/mL

That is all I have or know. Here is my story

Started 2 months ago due to initial testosterone level of 75. He gave me 1 shot a week of Test. Cyp 200mg for 3 weeks, then switched me to 2 squirts a day of androgel 1.6, which I now have been doing for a week. I had an initial honeymoon with it, but soon blew up in weight and started taking 1mg of Arimidex once a week. Have only been on it for 2 weeks, but at least I lost some bloating. Unfortunately my degenerative disc disease is much worse since taking it, and I've had hot flashes for the first time. Arimidex seems to me to be a nasty medication.

Bottom Line-it was fatigue/depression that led me to get a physical, but aside from a 1 week honeymoon, I feel far worse now than when I started. My doc is good for colds and the flu, but I dont think he does enough of it to be of any benefit. What is worse, he pretty much would give me what I asked for. I currently am looking for a urologist close by that does a lot of this.

Does any of this sound familiar? I dont want to give up before getting dialed in properly, but the feeling I have is I am trying to trick mother nature, and it seems to be a constant battle of adjusting the hot and cold shower knobs in an effort to keep from getting scalded. If I knew it would not get better, I would quit and ask for help in restarting on my own.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Wish I had greater detail of lab results and a greater understanding of them. I've learned a lot already lurking around. Thanks.

 

[CoastWatcher]

I am a 54 yr old male who recently started on TRT with a family doctor due to fatigue. I dont have detailed lab results, but they are as follows:

1. Estradiol 60 w/reference range of pg/ML result high
2. Luteinizing hormone <.20 mIU/mL result low
3. Estrogens, Total 124 range of 40-115 pg/ML results high
4. Serum Testosterone 75 range 264-916 results-Low
5. Vitamin B12 294 range 211-946
6. Folic acid 11.2 range >3.0 ng/mL

That is all I have or know. Here is my story

Started 2 months ago due to initial testosterone level of 75. He gave me 1 shot a week of Test. Cyp 200mg for 3 weeks, then switched me to 2 squirts a day of androgel 1.6, which I now have been doing for a week. I had an initial honeymoon with it, but soon blew up in weight and started taking 1mg of Arimidex once a week. Have only been on it for 2 weeks, but at least I lost some bloating. Unfortunately my degenerative disc disease is much worse since taking it, and I've had hot flashes for the first time. Arimidex seems to me to be a nasty medication.

Bottom Line-it was fatigue/depression that led me to get a physical, but aside from a 1 week honeymoon, I feel far worse now than when I started. My doc is good for colds and the flu, but I dont think he does enough of it to be of any benefit. What is worse, he pretty much would give me what I asked for. I currently am looking for a urologist close by that does a lot of this.

Does any of this sound familiar? I dont want to give up before getting dialed in properly, but the feeling I have is I am trying to trick mother nature, and it seems to be a constant battle of adjusting the hot and cold shower knobs in an effort to keep from getting scalded. If I knew it would not get better, I would quit and ask for help in restarting on my own.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Wish I had greater detail of lab results and a greater understanding of them. I've learned a lot already lurking around. Thanks.

Welcome to Excelmale. You have to become your own advocate in matters of your health - particularly in this area, androgen replacement - as you are finding out. If the lab results you posted reflect the sum total of the labs that were run, you received a poor workup.

Was your estradiol the sensitive or the standard test? The former is the only one that men can rely on since the latter often inflates the result. You had LH run - what about FSH? Total estrogens was a waste of money as it gives absolutely no information to your doctor that can be acted on. Your testosterone was appallingly low, it's no wonder you feel miserable, but was free testosterone run? SHBG - essential in planning a protocol - isn't reported, and none of the critical thyroid labs, ft3, ft4, rt3, and the antibody panels seem to have been drawn. A PSA is an essential baseline, and needs to be repeated annually. Prolactin, a CBC, and a CMP should be performed. All of of which sustains the doubts you have about the doctor who is managing your care.

You mentioned your age. What is your height and weight? What medications are you taking? Do you have a history of anabolic steroid use? Head or testicular injury? Do you snore - might you have sleep apnea? Any autoimmune/endocrine issues that you know of? You libido and erectile function are satisfactory?

The more information you can provide, the more comprehensive our discussion will be. Hopefully, you may have some of the tests I mentioned and can post them as without many of them we're still driving in the dark. You aren't the only member here who started the journey with a doctor who didn't know what he or she was doing. You deserve better care.