Burly's TRT journey

[burlyman30]

Well, as I expected, libido is down (but not gone). I am following the endo instructions on the dosage reduction 100mg every 10 days). My energy levels are lower, too, but I'm not suffering.

Ultimately, I hope we find a proper WEEKLY dosage, because every 10 days is hard to remember which Saturday or Wednesday I need to inject.

[Jelisej]

Every time I read your log I get pissed off, come on Burly- you've been so many years in hormonal bowling game you should use your knowledge rather than listening to some incompetent endos.
2X a week is least you can do, so based on your previous dosage you could try 2X 55, or 3X 35 with subcutaneous injecting this is not a big deal.
Injecting every 10 days is simply out of question not just for testosterone fluctuations, increased aromatisation but hematocrit and other stuff would be affected.

[burlyman30]

Every time I read your log I get pissed off, come on Burly- you've been so many years in hormonal bowling game you should use your knowledge rather than listening to some incompetent endos.
2X a week is least you can do, so based on your previous dosage you could try 2X 55, or 3X 35 with subcutaneous injecting this is not a big deal.
Injecting every 10 days is simply out of question not just for testosterone fluctuations, increased aromatisation but hematocrit and other stuff would be affected.

I agree with all of this. Here's the thing, though. The endo said that once we get steady numbers in range that I will retest every 6 months. I'm certainly planning to increase dosage frequency once she has a chance to relook at the numbers and I'm on my own for several months. It's certainly not ideal, but I'm 3 weeks into an 8 week retest schedule, so I'll bear with it for now, see the new numbers, and renegotiate the frequency with the doc once she is happy with numbers.

[Jelisej]

"The endo said that once we get steady numbers in range that I will retest every 6 months" - she will never really get steady numbers on every 10 days protocol,
personally I'm not happy with way she is running things and so far you've been lucky IMO, but at some point you body may not be able to cope, and cracks will appear because you are putting your body under strain- your body needs some kind of stability, some kind of equilibrium
it is not just about testosterone- other parts of endocrine system need to respond and thats going to be difficult on 10 day injections, so you have to find way around it- one way or another

[burlyman30]

Instead of "steady", I should have used the phrase "in range". You are right... too much variance on a e10d protocol. I am trying to find a balance of compliance and speaking my mind with the endo. She has my interests at heart, and will listen to my concerns about the current protocol, especially if I try "her way" first. She is not opposed to more frequent dosings as a rule, because she told me of another patient of hers who is on a e5d protocol.

We are now 10 months into my TRT journey. Although I had hoped to be at a point where everything was going perfectly and I would be dealing with the endo only twice a year, it has proven slightly more elusive than expected. I'm holding out hope that by the one year mark of this journey, I will be in a place of agreement with the endo. If not, I'll continue the process until I arrive there. I can say that even at my reduced dosage, I still feel tremendously healthier in every aspect than prior to treatment.

[WesleyInman]

Burly I feel ya man..when I first went on HRT, I had to go monthly and it sucked. I got empty promises, ie if you test low in 2-3 months we will up your dosage.

I actually stayed on the moron I had to deal with's script of 50mgs Eweek for 6 months. My levels were holding steady at 1-300 nanograms and this clown would not increase the dosage. Finally one day I told him if I am that low again I am dropping him if he doesn't increase the dosage. I went back the next month, and my levels were horrific..around like 200nanos. So he agreed to do 100Every 10 days. I walked out after tearing him apart for his inabiity as a doctor.

My issue was I wanted to be sitting at a cool 750+. No reason not to. So i feel your pain. Plus the constant bloodwork and visits got real old real quick. Almost made me go back to black market "self medicating". I had just come clean after doing a 2000mg Eweek test dosage and this guy thought I would mentally and physically adapt to a dosage that wouldn't work on an 80 year old man.

I found in my experiences that many doctors want to "punish" you for your past abuse, or they don't trust you to do your own shots, etc... I told my last doctor if he didn't "treat" me..Id simply go back to abusing the product at a mega dosage. He immediately put me on 100mgs E4 days and I felt so much better and healthy since then.

Either way following you still here, keep the updates coming.

[Freepressright]

Burly, I've read this log with great interest since the beginning. While I respect that you want to be somewhat compliant with your endo, it is clear your treatment protocol as administered by her is a detriment to your best interest. I'd be more inclined to do as Wesley did and start speaking your mind and being perfectly honest with her. As many months as you've been at this, you shouldn't still be tinkering with things like you are. I'd say find a new endo or be far more assertive. Just an outsider's observation.

[burlyman30]

Thanks for the input, FPR. And thanks for following along. Although a new endo is a possibility, word on the street is that I have the best one in town already (we only have 3, and they are all at the same office). To get another one would require a one hour drive to the next major city.

Based on the upcoming blood tests, I will be able to ask for an increase in dosage (if test comes back low) and at the very least, I will ask to increase my injection frequency with smaller amounts injected more often. At this point, I just feel like I have to try her suggestion and then give her feedback on it later. She hears me out quite a bit with my ideas and suggestions, but she will never stop treating the numbers vs the symptoms. She would be fine if I was above range a bit, as long as it dropped into range for the trough test.

[olddawg]

have you thought about asking her for sustanon? I've done it at 1 inj/week and most (not every) of the time I felt no energy loss toward the end of the 6 days

[milehighguy]

^^ interesting point of view. You get a hit quickly with the short esters and lasting hit with the longer ones. Do you think these endo's have enough experience to make such a decision? Or access to Sus...