I am HIV Postive and have been since 1990. I was fortunate enough to avoid all of the early HIV treatments and just started taking meds about 4 years ago. I am healthy and undetectable.
When I started at the local IDP, I saw a psychologist and psychiatrist and was promptly given Wellbutrin and Adderal. It helped quite a bit and I figured that was as good as I would ever get.
After reading a great deal about Testosterone and realizing that I had all the symptoms of low T, I talked to my doctor and had my testosterone checked. It was at the low end of normal. I convinced him to let me try it and he reluctantly agreed.
I swear from the first minute (literally), I felt different. Within a couple of months, I quit Adderall and Wellbutrin and seriously had never felt better. When I was previously sleeping as many as 16 hours a day, now I was up and accomplishing things like I hadn't been able to in years.
About six months later, however, I started noticing the swings. At about day 8, I would feel like my energy was normal to low. My focus was a little off and I would just get grumpy and manic. By day 10, I was stuck in bed. It was like clockwork. I didn't put it together with the Testosterone shots until about 9 months after I started.
I spoke with my Doctor and he said, "You got plenty of room to go up on your dose" and promised to up my dosage slightly next visit. This went on for almost a year. Every time, there was one more reason not to increase my dose.
Meanwhile I tried splitting my dose in half and doing it once a week, but I never got the increased energy or focus. It was not the same.Finally, after 18 months, I demanded that he give me another test. He hadn't checked my testosterone levels since I had started therapy. I had taken my shot on Sunday, and Wednesday, they drew my blood. This time, my levels were">175.0-781.0 ng/dL taken at 9:20 am three days after treatment
This time, he claimed that it was a bad test, but didn't order another because it was too difficult to tell when I was administering the treatment relative to taking the test. He also started claiming that it was a possible heart risk. I have no history of heart disease and my heart is healthy.
I began compiling research statistics in the hopes of finding some study that supports his claim. Unfortunately, every study that claims it increases risk of heart attack is countered by one that says men who didn't take testosterone were more likely to have heart attacks/complications. Regardless, every study to date has been of a target demographic that doesn't apply to me.
When I came to my June appointment, I was armed with over 100 pages of research that supported my claim that I was not at risk of heart attack, outlined the fact that the quality of life was so greatly improved that I was willing to take the risk and would even be willing to die 10 years early if they were 10 years of feeling great as opposed to the same amount of time in bed for 4/14 days.
He got really flustered with me and refused to increase my dosage saying, "Nobody is getting more testosterone than you are...they just don't have a higher dose." (which is in direct conflict to what he had been saying for the last 2 years) He went on to claim that I had high blood sugars (which my CBC clearly shows that he is not telling the truth) and that he thought it was Sleep Apnea--which in itself is a contradiction....Test adversely affects people with sleep apnea. So, I would have the adverse affects when I was on Test, not when I was coming off of it. Besides, I don't have sleep apnea. I sleep like a rock.
My partner, who also started TRT has given me his dose so that I take 200mg once a week (as opposed to 200mg every two weeks). It is perfect for me. How do I get my Doctor to realize that he is full of misinformation and how can I convince him that 200mg/week is not overdoing it?
Sorry for the long post. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I get my medical coverage through Ryan White, so I can't just go find another doctor.
When I started at the local IDP, I saw a psychologist and psychiatrist and was promptly given Wellbutrin and Adderal. It helped quite a bit and I figured that was as good as I would ever get.
After reading a great deal about Testosterone and realizing that I had all the symptoms of low T, I talked to my doctor and had my testosterone checked. It was at the low end of normal. I convinced him to let me try it and he reluctantly agreed.
I swear from the first minute (literally), I felt different. Within a couple of months, I quit Adderall and Wellbutrin and seriously had never felt better. When I was previously sleeping as many as 16 hours a day, now I was up and accomplishing things like I hadn't been able to in years.
About six months later, however, I started noticing the swings. At about day 8, I would feel like my energy was normal to low. My focus was a little off and I would just get grumpy and manic. By day 10, I was stuck in bed. It was like clockwork. I didn't put it together with the Testosterone shots until about 9 months after I started.
I spoke with my Doctor and he said, "You got plenty of room to go up on your dose" and promised to up my dosage slightly next visit. This went on for almost a year. Every time, there was one more reason not to increase my dose.
Meanwhile I tried splitting my dose in half and doing it once a week, but I never got the increased energy or focus. It was not the same.Finally, after 18 months, I demanded that he give me another test. He hadn't checked my testosterone levels since I had started therapy. I had taken my shot on Sunday, and Wednesday, they drew my blood. This time, my levels were">175.0-781.0 ng/dL taken at 9:20 am three days after treatment
This time, he claimed that it was a bad test, but didn't order another because it was too difficult to tell when I was administering the treatment relative to taking the test. He also started claiming that it was a possible heart risk. I have no history of heart disease and my heart is healthy.
I began compiling research statistics in the hopes of finding some study that supports his claim. Unfortunately, every study that claims it increases risk of heart attack is countered by one that says men who didn't take testosterone were more likely to have heart attacks/complications. Regardless, every study to date has been of a target demographic that doesn't apply to me.
When I came to my June appointment, I was armed with over 100 pages of research that supported my claim that I was not at risk of heart attack, outlined the fact that the quality of life was so greatly improved that I was willing to take the risk and would even be willing to die 10 years early if they were 10 years of feeling great as opposed to the same amount of time in bed for 4/14 days.
He got really flustered with me and refused to increase my dosage saying, "Nobody is getting more testosterone than you are...they just don't have a higher dose." (which is in direct conflict to what he had been saying for the last 2 years) He went on to claim that I had high blood sugars (which my CBC clearly shows that he is not telling the truth) and that he thought it was Sleep Apnea--which in itself is a contradiction....Test adversely affects people with sleep apnea. So, I would have the adverse affects when I was on Test, not when I was coming off of it. Besides, I don't have sleep apnea. I sleep like a rock.
My partner, who also started TRT has given me his dose so that I take 200mg once a week (as opposed to 200mg every two weeks). It is perfect for me. How do I get my Doctor to realize that he is full of misinformation and how can I convince him that 200mg/week is not overdoing it?
Sorry for the long post. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I get my medical coverage through Ryan White, so I can't just go find another doctor.
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