Recently transitioned from compounded cream → injectable TRT

[mcs]

65 y/o | 165 lbs | 5’6” | ~10–12% BF

Recently transitioned from compounded cream → injectable TRT for first time.
Was on cream for just over 4 mos.

• Reason: no noticeable sides, but DHT spiking and unstable serum levels.
• Current protocol (2 days): Test E in MCT oil, 11 units ED (~21 mg), ~150 mg/week total, subq microdosing (slin pin). Plan: 6 weeks → labs → add nandrolone decanoate in MCT oil, 50 mg/week for joint relief/inflammation.

Androgen-related labs comparison:

June 2025 (on cream; peak; applied 2h prior ):

• TT: 1034 ng/dL
• Free T: 191.6 pg/mL (H)
• SHBG: 52
• DHT: 144 ng/dL (H)
• Estradiol: 46 pg/mL (H)
• LH: 2.4 / FSH: 4.2
• Prolactin: n/a

Sept 2025 (cream; applied 12h prior):

• TT: 318–459 ng/dL (
• Free T: 61.5–70.7 pg/mL (↓)
• SHBG: 36–39
• DHT: 122–145 ng/dL (still high)
• Free DHT: 9.32 pg/mL (H)
• Estradiol (ultrasensitive): 24 pg/mL (normalized)
• LH: 0.6–0.8 (L) / FSH: 1.0 (L) → HPTA suppressed
• Prolactin: 6.7–6.9 ng/mL
  
  CBC / Hematology:
• 6/30/25:
• RBC: 4.32 M/uL (ref 4.20–5.80)
• Hgb: 14.1 g/dL
• Hct: 42.4%
• 9/12/25:
• RBC: 4.22–4.26 M/uL (low end of normal)
• Hgb: 13.6 g/dL
• Hct: 40.5–41.4%

Observations:

• On cream: supraphysiological TT/FT + elevated E2 + high DHT.
• By Sept: TT/FT crashed, gonadotropins suppressed, E2 normalized, but DHT stayed elevated.
• Prolactin baseline looks safe to trial low-dose nandrolone.

Questions for the group:

• Experiences pivoting from transdermal to daily microdosed injections (stability, labs, symptom changes)?
• Anyone add low-dose Deca (50–100 mg/week) for joints — what benefits/downsides did you see?
• Best strategies you’ve used to keep DHT in check post-cream transition?

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[WhiteMale]

1 you can't compare Jun and Sep as you altered the testing time from 2hrs post to 12hrs post. You have to do this in a rather regimented way if you want to compare them side-by-side. The way you've approached application and testing is all wrong.

Too, you explicitly state no noticeable sides then go on to lament numbers on a piece of paper whereas the goal should be to treat your symptoms. If there are no sides there's no harm in being over lab values. Youre only reading numbers which is, again, a flawed strategy.

 

[mcs]

1 you can't compare Jun and Sep as you altered the testing time from 2hrs post to 12hrs post. You have to do this in a rather regimented way if you want to compare them side-by-side. The way you've approached application and testing is all wrong.

Too, you explicitly state no noticeable sides then go on to lament numbers on a piece of paper whereas the goal should be to treat your symptoms. If there are no sides there's no harm in being over lab values. Youre only reading numbers which is, again, a flawed strategy.

Appreciate the pushback. Two quick points/clarifications:


1) Timing/comparability — you’re right.
The June draw (cream) was ~2 hrs post-application; the Sept draw was ~12 hrs post. That’s not apples-to-apples. Going forward I’ll standardize labs so comparisons are meaningful:

• Protocol: daily Test E microdose at the same time; lab at steady state (week 6–7), pre-dose in the morning (true trough, ~24h since last shot).
• If I post any transdermal vs injectable comparisons in the future, I’ll match peak-to-peak or trough-to-trough.

2) “Treat symptoms, not numbers.” Agreed—and I’m doing both.
I’m not chasing numbers for sport. My priorities are symptoms first, with labs as guardrails for risk and long-term strategy:

• Symptoms I track: libido/erections, mood/energy, training performance/recovery, sleep.
• Risk guardrails: DHT/hairline & prostate, E2 stability, Hct/Hgb, PSA. Cream gave me big DHT peaks (total DHT 122–145; free DHT 9.32 pg/mL) and more volatility, which I’d like to minimize—especially before adding low-dose nandrolone for joints. I’m not reporting major negative symptoms right now; I’m choosing the more stable delivery to keep peaks/troughs—and longer-term risks—tighter.

What I’m specifically looking for from you guys:

• Real-world experiences with ED microdosing vs EOD / 2×-weekly on stability and how you felt.
• Whether anyone saw DHT drop after switching from cream → injections (without adding a 5-ARI).
• Low-dose Deca (50–100 mg/wk) for joints: benefits vs trade-offs (prolactin, libido, cognition), and what lab cadence worked best for you.

I’ll report back with steady-state, pre-dose labs after 6 weeks on the ED microdose protocol so the data are cleaner. In the meantime, I’m all ears for what actually moved the needle for you symptom-wise.