Hello all!
Please bear with me as I lay out what has been a pretty crazy 15 months or so of my health declining. I wasn't sure which forum to post this in as it crosses over so hopefully I chose correctly.
12/18/17 - Monday - In the TRT Clinic Office
My protocol was laid out for me. What I am being prescribed is 160 a week of Testosterone administered SC twice per week (80mg per injection) along with HCG (250iu per injection). They said they were starting me off at this dose to see how I reacted and may bump it from there depending on my levels at my next blood draw in three months. I was also given a prescription for Anastrozole (1/4mg on injection days)
My first injection was done by the nurse (assuming 160mg) IM (with no HCG I’m assuming) and I was told to come back in a week / once I received my meds via FedEX and they would walk me through self-injections, etc.
12/26/17 - Tuesday - In the TRT Clinic Office
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole 1/4mg (taken at home after buying pill splitter)
I was shown how to self-inject Sub-Q and I also brought up that I would like to have blood work done ahead of the 3 months and they said they typically don’t unless there is cause and I said that I would be willing to pay for the extra fee because I want to keep a handle on it these first 6 months or so and then, hopefully, I can cruise after that.
Later that evening began to not feel well at all and that continued through the next day and then tapered off over remaining days leading up to the next injection. After some research it appeared I had probably crashed my E2.
12/29/17 - Began At Home Injections
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole - Based on the assumption of crashing E2 I did not take a dose this day and resume the following injection at half the dose to try to determine if I am an “over-responder”.
12/30/17 through 1/2/18
Things kept getting worse day by day over these days. My blood pressure was rising and my anxiety / adrenaline continued to build and I am not an anxious person and have never had panic attacks or anything like that. I would also get light-headed and feel like I was going to pass out - although I never did. I guess that some of this (adrenaline, anxiety, etc.) is normal but this seemed a bit much. Plus I was adding bloat pretty fast - as much as 10lbs over the course of a couple weeks. In addition, it appears as if my memory has gotten worse over the course of treatment - not so much a fog now (except for the days I am really feeling sick) but I just forget things or what I am saying midsentence almost.
So I went in to see a doctor first thing Tuesday morning (1/2/18). My blood pressure was around 155/111 so they ran an EKG that came back “normal” and ordered blood work; which came back similarly.
After I finished at the doctor’s office I came home and took my scheduled dose. I also cut out caffeine to minimize as many additional stimulants as I could; which I drank a lot of caffeine (approx. 900+mg a day) so the headaches and other withdrawal symptoms probably have not helped. I have also ramped up my water intake (which was not good at all prior) and aim for at least one gallon a day now.
1/2/18
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole 1/8mg (give or take given the difficulty of splitting them that small)
I called the TRT Clinic to discuss the issues I have been having and they ordered some follow-up blood work after being persuaded.
1/5/18
Follow-Up Blood Work: I did this first thing in the morning, fasted and before my injection so I guess that would be my “trough” day? So After I finished with the blood work I came home and took my injections…
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole 1/8mg (again, give or take)
Things continued about as they were until Saturday afternoon they began to worsen again. My BP was back up, my anxiety / adrenaline was super high and I almost felt like I was going to “pop” from the bloat. So Saturday (1/6/18) about 8pm I couldn’t take it and decided I would try to take another 1/8th of Anastrozole - worst case I would crash and “that” felt better than “this”.
Within an hour or two I began to get some relief from the anxiety and since then my BP has come down consistently (still not where it needs to be) and I have been shedding some of the water weight slowly.
1/12/18
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole 1/4mg
This same day I received my results from the follow-up blood work and my Estrogen Sensitive test said I was at 10 and I knew what was coming…sure enough my E2 crashed and I have been down ever since. I’m starting to feel some relief from the aching joints and insomnia as of 1/14/18 but still not 100%.
The next day (1/13) I had a phone consult with one of the leaders in the TRT field and he did not have any answers and I pretty much got a “Hmmm…that doesn’t make sense. Why didn’t your T levels come up with the injections?” – my blood work from 1/5 showed my Total Testosterone only raised 10 points and my Free Testosterone only 5 points. In addition my ALT went above range.
So then I decided I should go meet with another one of the leaders in the field at his office – this was a different doctor due to the fact that he was closer to me and also I heard him on a podcast talking about some of the issues I had been having.
This trip also proved fruitless and a waste of money. I had additional and extensive blood work done prior to this appointment. It showed that my cholesterol was very high – it was a little high prior to TRT but now it was over the range. It also showed that my rT3 was off the charts as well (28+) – no one had ever run a rT3 level on me before this so I don’t know where I was pre-TRT.
On this second attempt with a specialist I was told that testosterone just wasn’t for me due to the way my body reacts to it…which is totally fine if that’s the case…and that I have a SNP and it will always give me anxiety / high BP, etc.
I started TRT due to the symptoms I was having (see list above) and now I have ALL those PLUS the high BP, heart rate, anxiety / adrenaline issues and my cholesterol actually went up.
Going into this meeting and with new blood work I thought, based on what I’ve read, that there is probably some underlying issue(s) that caused this reaction to TRT and THAT ISSUE was probably what was actually causing my original symptoms in the first place but they just so happen to overlap with “Low T” symptoms. Plus, I also have the low body temp, cold extremities, etc… so I honestly thought I had hypothyroid or adrenal fatigue or something along those lines and then the testosterone just blew everything out of whack.
But alas, I was told I do not… my thyroid and the rest “are fine” and that my body just cannot tolerate testosterone. That my original symptoms / issues stem from idiot GPs putting me on antibiotics for 6-8 months due to what turned out to be a botched root canal and that I just needed up to a year to recover. I was given a Clomid script for PCT (not sure I needed it due to my only being on TRT for about 4-5wks and ran HCG throughout) and several hundred dollars worth of “pharmaceutical-grade” vitamins and I should only take their specific vitamins.
I just rolled with it in the office because I was desperate for some relief from these symptoms and didn’t really examine the “bill” until after I left but needless to say, I declined the monthly retainer fee for them to essentially “consult” me on vitamins each month. If “time” is really the only thing that is going to make me better why would I pay hundreds of dollars a month for someone to do nothing and buy way overpriced vitamins? In addition, I would be out-of-pocket for everything else due to the fact that they don’t mess with insurance in any facet – services, blood work or prescriptions.
So as a last ditch effort I thought I would post on here to get some feedback. I have an appointment with a local GP tomorrow to show him my recent blood work – my goal seems to be to get a T3-only prescription for 8-12 weeks to try to “flush” my high rT3 out since my thyroid appears to functional based on my other levels so I think some people call that “functional hypothyroid” so hopefully I can “reset it” and it will remain low. Does this sound like a solid game plan? I have some concerns of the potential side effects of T3 (heart palps, BP, anxiety, etc.) as these are exactly what I had on TRT but I plan on starting low and building up the T3 dose with blood work each month and then tapering back off once I am down to around 11 on my rT3.
There is a lot of debate about the thyroid causing adrenal issues and vice versa so I am concerned as to which it could be. Nearest I can tell, a lot of my issues while on TRT could have been caused my adrenals freaking out since they weren’t 100% to begin with. After I start feeling better I would like to revisit TRT but not if it is going to cause all of these issues all over again.
Please bear with me as I lay out what has been a pretty crazy 15 months or so of my health declining. I wasn't sure which forum to post this in as it crosses over so hopefully I chose correctly.
- Improper root canal so infection was sealed in which caused essentially a sinus infection from Nov. 2016-June 2017 due to infection feeding directly into a sinus cavity.
- Was on Penicillin and Clindamycin for roughly 6-8 months.
- A specialist, who determined that the infection was feeding into a sinus cavity, redid the root canal properly.
- Before all of this was 180-185lbs, in shape, gym 5-7 days/week, high energy. Which declined to low energy, no gym time, tired throughout day, brain fog over the course of those events.
- Sinus infection has since cleared but energy level never resumed. Still brain fog. No motivation. Mild depression.
- Started seeking out TRT due to the following symptoms…lethargy, brain fog, mild depression, low body temps (didn’t figure out this clue until after TRT commenced), more forgetful, dizzy / vertigo, lightheadedness, need for a nap mid-day, etc.
- Found a clinic specializing in TRT. Got all blood-work done and on 12/19/17 was prescribed...
- Testosterone Cypionate (200mg/ml) - 80mg Twice Per Week - Subcutaneous Injection
- 250iu HCG - Twice Per Week - Subcutaneous Injection
- 1/4mg Anastrozole - Twice Per Week
12/18/17 - Monday - In the TRT Clinic Office
My protocol was laid out for me. What I am being prescribed is 160 a week of Testosterone administered SC twice per week (80mg per injection) along with HCG (250iu per injection). They said they were starting me off at this dose to see how I reacted and may bump it from there depending on my levels at my next blood draw in three months. I was also given a prescription for Anastrozole (1/4mg on injection days)
My first injection was done by the nurse (assuming 160mg) IM (with no HCG I’m assuming) and I was told to come back in a week / once I received my meds via FedEX and they would walk me through self-injections, etc.
12/26/17 - Tuesday - In the TRT Clinic Office
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole 1/4mg (taken at home after buying pill splitter)
I was shown how to self-inject Sub-Q and I also brought up that I would like to have blood work done ahead of the 3 months and they said they typically don’t unless there is cause and I said that I would be willing to pay for the extra fee because I want to keep a handle on it these first 6 months or so and then, hopefully, I can cruise after that.
Later that evening began to not feel well at all and that continued through the next day and then tapered off over remaining days leading up to the next injection. After some research it appeared I had probably crashed my E2.
12/29/17 - Began At Home Injections
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole - Based on the assumption of crashing E2 I did not take a dose this day and resume the following injection at half the dose to try to determine if I am an “over-responder”.
12/30/17 through 1/2/18
Things kept getting worse day by day over these days. My blood pressure was rising and my anxiety / adrenaline continued to build and I am not an anxious person and have never had panic attacks or anything like that. I would also get light-headed and feel like I was going to pass out - although I never did. I guess that some of this (adrenaline, anxiety, etc.) is normal but this seemed a bit much. Plus I was adding bloat pretty fast - as much as 10lbs over the course of a couple weeks. In addition, it appears as if my memory has gotten worse over the course of treatment - not so much a fog now (except for the days I am really feeling sick) but I just forget things or what I am saying midsentence almost.
So I went in to see a doctor first thing Tuesday morning (1/2/18). My blood pressure was around 155/111 so they ran an EKG that came back “normal” and ordered blood work; which came back similarly.
After I finished at the doctor’s office I came home and took my scheduled dose. I also cut out caffeine to minimize as many additional stimulants as I could; which I drank a lot of caffeine (approx. 900+mg a day) so the headaches and other withdrawal symptoms probably have not helped. I have also ramped up my water intake (which was not good at all prior) and aim for at least one gallon a day now.
1/2/18
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole 1/8mg (give or take given the difficulty of splitting them that small)
I called the TRT Clinic to discuss the issues I have been having and they ordered some follow-up blood work after being persuaded.
1/5/18
Follow-Up Blood Work: I did this first thing in the morning, fasted and before my injection so I guess that would be my “trough” day? So After I finished with the blood work I came home and took my injections…
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole 1/8mg (again, give or take)
Things continued about as they were until Saturday afternoon they began to worsen again. My BP was back up, my anxiety / adrenaline was super high and I almost felt like I was going to “pop” from the bloat. So Saturday (1/6/18) about 8pm I couldn’t take it and decided I would try to take another 1/8th of Anastrozole - worst case I would crash and “that” felt better than “this”.
Within an hour or two I began to get some relief from the anxiety and since then my BP has come down consistently (still not where it needs to be) and I have been shedding some of the water weight slowly.
1/12/18
• Test Cyp .40ml / 80mg (SC)
• HCG 250iu (SC)
• Anastrozole 1/4mg
This same day I received my results from the follow-up blood work and my Estrogen Sensitive test said I was at 10 and I knew what was coming…sure enough my E2 crashed and I have been down ever since. I’m starting to feel some relief from the aching joints and insomnia as of 1/14/18 but still not 100%.
The next day (1/13) I had a phone consult with one of the leaders in the TRT field and he did not have any answers and I pretty much got a “Hmmm…that doesn’t make sense. Why didn’t your T levels come up with the injections?” – my blood work from 1/5 showed my Total Testosterone only raised 10 points and my Free Testosterone only 5 points. In addition my ALT went above range.
So then I decided I should go meet with another one of the leaders in the field at his office – this was a different doctor due to the fact that he was closer to me and also I heard him on a podcast talking about some of the issues I had been having.
This trip also proved fruitless and a waste of money. I had additional and extensive blood work done prior to this appointment. It showed that my cholesterol was very high – it was a little high prior to TRT but now it was over the range. It also showed that my rT3 was off the charts as well (28+) – no one had ever run a rT3 level on me before this so I don’t know where I was pre-TRT.
On this second attempt with a specialist I was told that testosterone just wasn’t for me due to the way my body reacts to it…which is totally fine if that’s the case…and that I have a SNP and it will always give me anxiety / high BP, etc.
I started TRT due to the symptoms I was having (see list above) and now I have ALL those PLUS the high BP, heart rate, anxiety / adrenaline issues and my cholesterol actually went up.
Going into this meeting and with new blood work I thought, based on what I’ve read, that there is probably some underlying issue(s) that caused this reaction to TRT and THAT ISSUE was probably what was actually causing my original symptoms in the first place but they just so happen to overlap with “Low T” symptoms. Plus, I also have the low body temp, cold extremities, etc… so I honestly thought I had hypothyroid or adrenal fatigue or something along those lines and then the testosterone just blew everything out of whack.
But alas, I was told I do not… my thyroid and the rest “are fine” and that my body just cannot tolerate testosterone. That my original symptoms / issues stem from idiot GPs putting me on antibiotics for 6-8 months due to what turned out to be a botched root canal and that I just needed up to a year to recover. I was given a Clomid script for PCT (not sure I needed it due to my only being on TRT for about 4-5wks and ran HCG throughout) and several hundred dollars worth of “pharmaceutical-grade” vitamins and I should only take their specific vitamins.
I just rolled with it in the office because I was desperate for some relief from these symptoms and didn’t really examine the “bill” until after I left but needless to say, I declined the monthly retainer fee for them to essentially “consult” me on vitamins each month. If “time” is really the only thing that is going to make me better why would I pay hundreds of dollars a month for someone to do nothing and buy way overpriced vitamins? In addition, I would be out-of-pocket for everything else due to the fact that they don’t mess with insurance in any facet – services, blood work or prescriptions.
So as a last ditch effort I thought I would post on here to get some feedback. I have an appointment with a local GP tomorrow to show him my recent blood work – my goal seems to be to get a T3-only prescription for 8-12 weeks to try to “flush” my high rT3 out since my thyroid appears to functional based on my other levels so I think some people call that “functional hypothyroid” so hopefully I can “reset it” and it will remain low. Does this sound like a solid game plan? I have some concerns of the potential side effects of T3 (heart palps, BP, anxiety, etc.) as these are exactly what I had on TRT but I plan on starting low and building up the T3 dose with blood work each month and then tapering back off once I am down to around 11 on my rT3.
There is a lot of debate about the thyroid causing adrenal issues and vice versa so I am concerned as to which it could be. Nearest I can tell, a lot of my issues while on TRT could have been caused my adrenals freaking out since they weren’t 100% to begin with. After I start feeling better I would like to revisit TRT but not if it is going to cause all of these issues all over again.
I have wondered as well if there was something wrong with the testosterone since my levels didn't raise very much but on the other hand would I have had all the bad effects (high BP, anxiety / adrenaline, etc.) if it wasn't? So I don't know what to think but once I realized something wasn't right by my levels on the blood work I refused to inject that stuff anymore. If I ever get this other stuff straightened out I may attempt TRT again at a lower dose and see what happens.
