Q for men on treatment for low T

uthinkuknowme

Hello,

I had my T levels tested for the first time about three years ago (I was 40), and they were found to be sub-300. I'm since been on a treatment for low T (shot every three weeks).

One issue I have is emotional/motivational state prior to an injection. Do other men on similar treatments have this issue as well? I'm not sure if it's actual or more "in my head" since I think I should expect it.

Thanks.

Packerjohn

My levels were below 100. I'm on a daily gel, no ups or downs. I had read that with the shots there can be ups after the shot and downs right before the next scheduled dose.

uthinkuknowme

I tried gels. Daily application for three months had no impact on levels, which disappointed me. Doc said gels don't work for everyone.

shor0814

I self inject weekly and no issues other than I have troubles with needles anyway. My doctor suggested maybe half the dose 2x week but not mentally ready for that. His reasoning is that it is a less drastic swing compared to monthly up and down.

ShodanPrime

uthinkuknowme wrote: »

Hello,

I had my T levels tested for the first time about three years ago (I was 40), and they were found to be sub-300. I'm since been on a treatment for low T (shot every three weeks).

One issue I have is emotional/motivational state prior to an injection. Do other men on similar treatments have this issue as well? I'm not sure if it's actual or more "in my head" since I think I should expect it.

Thanks.

You need tonget on a weekly. At once every two weeks I was extremely volatile with people. At 2x a week, I'm as nice as a kitten. Once every three weeks is an abusive protocol.


Check out /r/Testerone for some solid info.

Shawshankcan

I do mine 2x a week and have no issues.

uthinkuknowme

For those doing once a week, how many cc's?

I'm on 2 cc's every three weeks.

shor0814

0.75 per week.

Shawshankcan

1cc 2x a week.

uthinkuknowme

Thanks for the info. Something with which I will share at my next doc visit. I had been considering pellets, but maybe weekly is something I should pursue.

My wife says she notes a difference in my attitude before a shot. Trying to smooth that out.

Shawshankcan

My doctor is one who specializes in this area. He looked at my blood worked and saw I was below the minimum. He wasn't trying to get me into the normal range, but towards the upper third of the range, without going onto a steroid cycle. He was trying to get my into an optimal placing. Your doctor may just be trying to get you into a "normal" range.

ShodanPrime

Shawshankcan wrote: »

My doctor is one who specializes in this area. He looked at my blood worked and saw I was below the minimum. He wasn't trying to get me into the normal range, but towards the upper third of the range, without going onto a steroid cycle. He was trying to get my into an optimal placing. Your doctor may just be trying to get you into a "normal" range.

Today you learned, testosterone is a steroid, therefore you are on cycle.

Op, something to keep in mind different manufacturers may have different dosing. 1cc doesn't mean anything. It can be 200mg, 100mg, even 250mg of test-c. State your dose in mgs. Also, the pellets likely won't be too great, but nothing ventured right? You're already on injections, why change to a noninjected method? I'd advise just getting on a coherent dosing schedule.

uthinkuknowme

Shawshankcan wrote: »

My doctor is one who specializes in this area. He looked at my blood worked and saw I was below the minimum. He wasn't trying to get me into the normal range, but towards the upper third of the range, without going onto a steroid cycle. He was trying to get my into an optimal placing. Your doctor may just be trying to get you into a "normal" range.

That's probably correct. Most of the research I've browsed online warns of the side effects of such treatment (impact on prostate, thyroid, etc). But I was unfamiliar with a weekly basis injection. It took some trial and error to get on current regime. Yet even now, I occasionally get lab results remain well below 300. I haven't gone sub-100 yet, but I've been below 200.

What inspired the original T test was my emotional state (ie. unmotivated, hared to get moving in morning, etc). I was curious if others on treatment still combated such issues.

Thanks for the response.

uthinkuknowme

ShodanPrime wrote: »

Shawshankcan wrote: »

My doctor is one who specializes in this area. He looked at my blood worked and saw I was below the minimum. He wasn't trying to get me into the normal range, but towards the upper third of the range, without going onto a steroid cycle. He was trying to get my into an optimal placing. Your doctor may just be trying to get you into a "normal" range.

Today you learned, testosterone is a steroid, therefore you are on cycle.

Op, something to keep in mind different manufacturers may have different dosing. 1cc doesn't mean anything. It can be 200mg, 100mg, even 250mg of test-c. State your dose in mgs. Also, the pellets likely won't be too great, but nothing ventured right? You're already on injections, why change to a noninjected method? I'd advise just getting on a coherent dosing schedule.

It's been two years and I'm not sure I yet hit a "cohernet dosing schedule." My wife comments on what she says are mood swings when I'm due for a new cycle. I thought maybe pellets would help even that out, but my doc suggested it may be more intensive than I would like (ie. more visits annually than the two a year I do now).

If I am reading my dosage correctly, I'm doing 400mg every three weeks right now.

Thanks for the response.

ShodanPrime

A coherent dosing schedule is going to be one that works with the compound, and is based on current research. This is why I suggested that subreddit, there's a lot of helpful folks there including me.

Test c has a half life of roughly 5 days.so a basic dosing schedule with test c is going to be a weekly dosage. With the standard starting dose of 100mg a week. Then you base dosing adjustments on the total t level in serum prior to your next injection after 6 to 8 weeks at a dose. For me, I didn't like the UPS and downs from the once a week, so we went with two injections a week. A year and a half in, with a good GP, and not some McDonald's styled trt clinic, and we're still adjusting dosage to find the point of optimization. My weekly dose right now is 120mg a week half injected Tuesday, remainder Friday. (I'm doing it right now.) That keeps me emotionally stable, and feeling OK. I was on 100mg a week for around a year, and that had me at a trough level of around 400ng/DL, and a peak of mid 700s. That was enough to put on 20 pounds of muscle since last July, through injury laden Olympic lifting training.

Shawshankcan

ShodanPrime wrote: »

A year and a half in, with a good GP, and not some McDonald's styled trt clinic, and we're still adjusting dosage to find the point of optimization. My weekly dose right now is 120mg a week half injected Tuesday, remainder Friday. (I'm doing it right now.) That keeps me emotionally stable, and feeling OK. I was on 100mg a week for around a year, and that had me at a trough level of around 400ng/DL, and a peak of mid 700s. That was enough to put on 20 pounds of muscle since last July, through injury laden Olympic lifting training.

In my area, we have a doc who specializes in it and actually cares. He has us do blood work on a regular basis, (more seldom as time goes on) to figure what what dose is needed. Whereas a friend is going to his GP and the GP just says that he is now in the "normal" range."

Also, my doc isn't an idiot and knows he is dealing with people who have "abused" steroids before and is willing to help them with the aftermath, or if someone is going to be on, is willing to help with side affects.

ShodanPrime

Then you should share that info with the OP, sounds like he could use it.

ShodanPrime

Oh, the second part of your post sparked a memory. I was having dinner with an endo in Portland, or. We were discussing trt, and his views on it were amazing. Any man who goes on it that lifts is just searching for legal steroids, after 20 men don't need testosterone, and all its going to do is making people want to fight, it also causes baldness and cancer.


On top of that, he then boasted that he had several competing BBs that came to him after retiring and that he started each with 12 weeks no t treatment to punish them for being drug users. I then asked him if he treated his diabetics as poorly, and he seemed aghast. Of course not he said, they pay the bills.


The guy was a real winner. I cut that dinner quick, ended up not doing any business with him.

Shawshankcan

What a POS. What I can say is that my relationship with my wife has greatly improved since I have started. The benefits i the gym were just a bonus.

ShodanPrime

Shawshankcan wrote: »

What a POS. What I can say is that my relationship with my wife has greatly improved since I have started. The benefits i the gym were just a bonus.

Same. With most people actually. Getting my head together has been the biggest thing treatment does for me. The muscle and teenager style "appetites" are garnish.

ronnyed

I was just tested at 235 twice, so next week I'm starting weekly shots. My Doc. Doesn't like pellets and gels are just ok. I have just lost all my motivation to move the last two years. (Exercise, work and sex). He also scared the heck out of me on my blood work, so I have to begin eating a lot better and get consistent with exercise. (6 days a week with a minimum of 10 minutes breathless). Also Vit B, Vit D, fish oil. Seems like common sense, but I'm in the bubble at age 56. Either get active or get old.
Well I guess I know I'm old, so let's aim for vibrant.

Right now I'm cycling while it's nice out.

Any advice is appreciated,

draftsman28

At a very minimum you need one shot a week while on test-c as the half life is only 7 days. Bi-weekly shots are even better injected subcutaneously with a 1/2" 29g insulin syringe (very small needle). Estrogen levels are just as important to monitor as test levels. If your Dr isn't checking both, find a new Dr. Testosterone converts to estrogen, OP did not mention any protocol to control E. Receiving a huge dose every 3 weeks his E is probably spiking causing his moody / emotional imbalance and then his T is bottomed out by the beginning of week two. Check out the T replacement forum on T Nation. There is tons of information there on TRT.

psilver063

I haven't read through all the replies but it sounds like your injection schedule it causing major ups and downs. Really you should be injecting at least Weekly maybe even 2x per week. Currently I inject 100mg 1x per week and notice a slight dip on day 7. Another thing you should check is E2 levels you could be raising them causing some issues. Remember excess T in men turns into E. Too much E and you will have issues, same with too little E. Its a fine line. Usually an E around 20-30 and you will be okay with T levels in the upper normal level.

RenaTX

Hi I ran across this post. My husband is getting testosterone injections at the Low T center , once every two weeks. It did end up causing us issues.

We had marriage issues in Nov then in April because of him. His behavior was very different and yes , like you described emotional. Both times it was towards the end of his cycle ( prior to his scheduled injection ). In April he asked the doctor there at the low T center and was told that the lowering dose of testosterone and rise of estrogen was probably the culprit. They prescribed him anastrozole which is supposed to lower the estrogen in him and they also suggested DIM plus BioPerine supplement.

It's only been 1.5 months since this conclusion but so far we haven't had any issues.