Have been lurking for a month or two - curious about TRT

[Nitrochicken]

If HCG is used, does it have to be lifelong? Would that be able to recover me to the T levels I had before jumping on?

I have also had low testosterone levels in my teenage years and throughout my 20s. I could be unaware to how it has affected my well being because it’s all I have known. Could this be something to try for 6 months and then make a decision from there if it’s something I want to do for the rest of my life?

 

[Aude_Aliquid_Dignu]

• Estro and prolactin levels, I would rule out first.
• Then I would try an ED drug like Viagra or Cialis.
• After that, HcG or Clomid can be used as a monotherapy and does not need to be lifelong, it would be a great 1st step if your Free T was low as you don’t present low T symptoms other then libido. I have used both clomid and prefer HcG both were effective for elevating my Total T. The latter seems hard to get right now though via compounding pharmacies.

 

[Nitrochicken]

I asked my doc for a lab order, and these are what I received. There is no estro or prolactin or testosterone or free testosterone. Is there a specific type of blood work I need to request? I go in today I could ask for it.

When I talked to the doc at the clinic I asked if he could do bloods to check my free T as well and he said that I am low in total testosterone which means I am going to be low on free T as well. Considering my age, I’m not overweight, active lifestyle, no symptoms of sleep deprivation, history of low T in adolescence and in my 20s that I will at some point require TRT for quality of living. I’ll try and get my doc to give me a prescription for one of those ED drugs.

 

[Nitrochicken]

Alright here are the labs:

Plasma (substance) Specimen

Result Units Reference Range
TSH 1.536 uIU/mL 0.500-5.000
GLUCOSE 72 mg/dL 70-100
BUN 20 mg/dL 7-20
SODIUM 140 mmol/L 135-145
POTASSIUM 4.1 mmol/L 3.5-5.0
CHLORIDE 105 mmol/L 98-110
tCO2 28 mmol/L 18-29
CALCIUM 9.6 mg/dL 8.4-10.4
PROTEIN 7.6 g/dL 6.4-8.5
ALBUMIN 4.7 g/dL 3.5-5.1
BILIRUBIN, TOTAL 1.2 High mg/dL 0.2-1.0
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE 77 U/L 53-128
AST 20 U/L 10-40
ALT 20 U/L 10-35
ANION GAP 7.0 Low mEq/L 9.0-18.0
Creatinine 1.23 mg/dL 0.72-1.25
eGFR (CKD-EPI) 82 Low mL/min >90
CHOLESTEROL 156 mg/dL 145-200
TRIGLYCERIDE 77 mg/dL 47-150
HDL 50 mg/dL 40-60
LDL-CAL 91 mg/dL 0-130

Blood:

WBC 7.0 K/uL 3.5-10.6
RBC 5.15 M/uL 4.40-5.90
HGB 16.7 g/dL 13.0-18.0
HCT 47.8 % 40.0-52.0
MCV 92.8 fL 80.0-100.0
MCH 32.4 pg 26.0-34.0
MCHC 34.9 g/dL 32.0-36.0
PLT 236 K/uL 150-440
MPV 9.8 fL 9.0-13.0
RBC Distribution Width CV 11.8 % 11.0-15.0
Absolute Neutrophils 3.37 K/uL 2.24-6.46
Absolute Lymphocytes 2.63 K/uL 0.73-3.44
Absolute Monocytes 0.71 K/uL 0.25-0.97
Absolute Eosinophils 0.21 K/uL 0.01-0.57
Absolute Basophils 0.05 K/uL 0.01-0.10
Absolute Immature Granulocytes 0.03 K/uL 0.00-0.07
HEMOGLOBIN A1C 4.9 % 4.4-6.4

 

[Aude_Aliquid_Dignu]

Of course they didn’t test your Shbg/Free Test, estrogen, or prolactin levels :man_facepalming:t2:

Need to get these no matter what you decide.

 

[Aude_Aliquid_Dignu]

To answer your question its a la carte, the doctor just needs to write the numbers in. Here is a typical male hormone test, please notice the the the estradiol and test utilize a SENSITIVE testing equipment called LC/MS-MS. This is extremely important for accuracy. FSH and LH will tell you if your balls are working these are also the things that Hcg and Clomid will effect.

Total & Free Testosterone (LC/MS-MS) (Equilibrium Ultrafiltration)
Estradiol, Sensitive (LC/MS-MS)
Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG)
Progesterone
Prolactin
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
TSH, Free T4
Free T3
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S)
Lipid Panel – LDL, HDL, Triglycerides, Total Cholesterol, Ratio hdl/ldl
ApoB
Lipoprotein(a)
IGF-1
CBC with differential
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (14)
Fasting Insulin
Vit D, 25 Hydroxy
Iron serum + TIBC
Ferritin
High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein
Cortisol
GGT
HBa1c
Basic Urinalysis

Venipuncture

 

[Nitrochicken]

I’ll write that down and ask the doctor to put in a lab order for those.

 

[Aude_Aliquid_Dignu]

Try to get all the missing ones you don’t have.

We (unfortunately) have to learn to advocate for ourselves and tell the doctor what they should already know.

 

[Ominous]

$68 per week in my area in FL. Is a bit high.
Every doctor is going to have a different opinion.
They all think they know best. One will say 125 mg per week. One will say 50mg per week. Some doctor will want you around 500 total test. And others will want you around 900 range.

As stated above you are paying for their services. If you don’t like their answers, find another doctor.

I pay for TRT a prescription vial of 10ml at 210mg per cc. Costs $75.00. That’s 10 weeks for me. And that’s the doctor wanting my levels at the high range.

Out of pocket teledoc. Is in the $200-$350 range. I don’t recommend that route.
Get a doctor that you can talk to truthfully and be on the same page on what your goals are.

On TRT you should not need an AI. But I am prescribed one and I don’t need it. So I just store it with the rest of my gear.

 

[Nitrochicken]

Just saw the doctor. Said I was within normal range lol even though that range includes 80-year-old T levels. Anyways, he is ordering more blood work and is giving me a referral to an endocrinologist. The labs he did have pulled up for me showed my free T level at 64. is that bad? That lab work hasn’t been uploaded into the system yet.

 

[Nitrochicken]

Is it high because it’s not self-injections and you are doing it with them inside the clinic?

 

[Dirtnasty]

500plus mg sounds gray I know you mean the measurement

 

[Poppy]

my free T level at 64

Low side

 

[Ominous]

Yes I would assume that.
Mine are self injected.
You are paying for the service of them injecting you.

What you pay per week, I pay for 2.5 months.

Getting you to upper test range is what it is about.
Either way.

 

[Vargas33]

Sound about rigjt for the trt clinc they wanted to the same 60-70$ a week . I took the first month free to get my baseline number and then went out on my own . Good luck with everything!

 

[Aude_Aliquid_Dignu]

If your Endo decides that you can get a script for test, have him send it to Amazon pharmacy and they will deliver it to your doorstep. That’s what I do and it cost me something like $46 a month plus supplies w/o insurance covering it.

 

[Nitrochicken]

Ah, makes sense. I don’t mind paying the $270, if that is the route that is decided. I can handle injections, but I think having someone do it for me for a while and getting me dialed in would be worth the cost until I would be ready to do it myself at a later time.

 

[Aude_Aliquid_Dignu]

The dialing in is going to be up to you either way.

As far as the injections, they are painless but a process, and better for you to learn to do off the start.

You will at a minimum save yourself two trips per week to the doctor’s office.

 

[Stretch22]

Probably should be on TRT but Might be worth actually following up and ruling out other issues like your doc suggested. I’m not a medical expert by any means but if you had low T at 16 and in 20s there may actually be an underlying condition.

 

[Poppy]

if you had low T at 16 and in 20s there may actually be an underlying condition.

Exactly