Starting TRT - Testosterone and HCG Twice Weekly

[TRTinNY]

Hi All...

Just started TRT today and was looking for some opinions on the regimen my Dr. put me on....

I am 36 YO, 248LBS, 6'2 just started a pretty strict diet a few weeks ago and have been going back to the gym as of recently with a trainer.

My Labs as of last week were:

Total Testosterone: 278 ng/DL
Free Testosterone: 8.1 pg/ML
Estradiol: 25 pg/ML
Dihydrotestosterone: 26 ng/DL

Thyroid function is normal...

Not sure if other info is needed but I had a pretty comprehensive lab workup.

I started with .2 ml injection (I believe that is 40 mg) if test cyp injecting Sub-Q and 250 iu of HCG.

I am to do both 2x a week spaced 3.5 days apart.

Just want feedback from some experienced members regarding this whether this is good and what to expect over the next few weeks.

Energy has been low for years, Fatigued chronically and experiencing ED (sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt but no morning wood for some time).

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[cja]

The over all protocol looks fairly good, the use of HCG and splitting the doses into twice a week. The only thing I notice is 80mg weekly is the low end of a starting point. Most the time we see starts at 100mg per week, that seems to be the standard. I am 42, the same weight and am taking 140mg per week. Though I started at 200mg once per month, so you are definitely on the right track.

 

[LTChris]

Post your full labs if possible, That will allow more insight from the community. I inject 100mg test cyp and 350 iu HCG E3.5D. Good luck with your treatment and try to be patient. It will take time to see results. Most say about six weeks before retesting labs and/or changing protocols.

welcome!

 

[Vince]

I would say it's a low starting dose, most start with at least 50mg of T twice a week. I would continue the protocol and see how you feel and how your next labs look.

 

[TRTinNY]

I only have my labs in a fax...hard to transcribe and no scanner right now.

If there are specific numbers that would be good to know....please tell me and I will post them.

 

[TRTinNY]

Do you guys think I should just do .25 instead of .2?

I am self administering.

 

[CoastWatcher]

Self-administration brings its own set of challenges. What tests did you run prior to the initiation of therapy other than the ones you listed. At the very least, I hope a psa value was obtained - that is a crucial baseline to have as it must be monitored during the course of treatment. Was your estradiol measured with the sensitive test (LC, MS/MS)?

Are you you embarking in this course because you can't find capable medical care, or for other reasons?

 

[HarryCat]

I'm a big fan of starting low, testing, and adjusting from there.

I started at 120mg/week in divided doses. That put my total T over 1500, and E2 and DHT were more than double the top of their reference ranges. Felt like S**T.

 

[TRTinNY]

I am doing this because I am tired of feeling tired and lethargic all the time. I am also too young to have ED issues. I have kids and need to be around to be there for them. I lost my father young from heart disease.

My baseline PSA is .18
PSA Free is .06
PSA Free % is 34.8

E2 is 25
FSH is 1.9
IGF-1 is 217
Progesterone is .2
Prolactin is 4.2
Free T3 is 3.6
Free T4 is 1.4
TSH is 1.22
Cortisol AM is low at 5.7
SHBG is 15
Pregnenolone is 15
Bioavailable Testosterone Total is 298
Bioavailable Testosterone Free is 10.7
DHEA is 2.0

 

[Esq]

Self-administration brings its own set of challenges. What tests did you run prior to the initiation of therapy other than the ones you listed. At the very least, I hope a psa value was obtained - that is a crucial baseline to have as it must be monitored during the course of treatment. Was your estradiol measured with the sensitive test (LC, MS/MS)?

Are you you embarking in this course because you can't find capable medical care, or for other reasons?

The OP said in his original post that this was the protocol from his doctor. I think by "self administer" he means "self inject."

 

[TRTinNY]

The OP said in his original post that this was the protocol from his doctor. I think by "self administer" he means "self inject."

Correct...i am self injecting but am under a doctors care

 

[CoastWatcher]

Correct...i am self injecting but am under a doctors care

Thank you for clarifying. I apologize for missing the initial reference.

You have started on a dose that's at the lower end of the spectrum, but it may indeed work for you (as others have indicated). But it s on the spectrum and it's always easier to ramp up rather than try to a protocol back. When is your first follow-up testing scheduled? By the way, was your estradiol tested with the sensitive/ultra sensitive lab procedure? If you're unclear post the ranges associated with the result as that is a sure way to know.

 

[TRTinNY]

Does my regimen look good based on my numbers other than test being slightly low

 

[CSI007]

Your T levels are about where mine were when I began to seek help. Everyone is different. I started last October (I can't believe it's been almost 7 months now! wow) with 50mg E3.5 days. It got my TT up to almost 800 with FT around 20 after 6 weeks. Then the following 8 to 10 weeks it slid back to under 600. I switched to 25mg EOD and it got it up to just over 600 with a FT of over 25. My E2 has mostly been in check but I started with a very low E2 number (under 10) You might have to watch your E2 levels. Getting dialed in will/can take time so be patient. I am now taking 30mg EOD (about 106mg per week) with a bit less HCG and will retest in a few weeks to see if my TT is up to levels I want to maintain at.

As for the ED issues. Its still a struggle even with higher T levels but I am about 10 years older then you so I am not sure if that would play a significant role or not. I am still hoping that one day this will resolve itself with the therapy.

About the only thing I can add is don't get discouraged. This is not a quick fix and can take a year or more for some of us. I am into my second full year of trying to solve this riddle of feeling lousy, ED, no libido etc but I took the long way to get here (tried every other treatment before I resorted to injections)

Good luck to you!

 

[Vince]

Does my regimen look good based on my numbers other than test being slightly low

When I started TRT, my initial dose was 70mg of T and 500iu of HCG no AI, every 3 1/2 days. It put all my levels in a good place and my total testosterone was around 900.

 

[TRTinNY]

Sorry...crazy week...what do you guys think about my cortisol and e2 levels? So I need to address it? Anything else I should be looking at? 2 shots down so far.

 

[TRTinNY]

Bump

I'm very curious if anyone has thoughts

 

[CoastWatcher]

Sorry...crazy week...what do you guys think about my cortisol and e2 levels? So I need to address it? Anything else I should be looking at? 2 shots down so far.

I wouldn't be concerned with an estradiol level of 25; can you confirm that was obtained via the sensitive (LC, MS/MS) lab test? Was your cortisol a serum level, or did you have the four-tube saliva check?

 

[TRTinNY]

Cortisol range was 6.0-18.4
Estradiol range was 11.0-43.0

Hope this helps

All blood no saliva

 

[TRTinNY]

Bump...hoping to get thoughts