250mg T not enough?

[Axl]

Before starting TRT 10 months ago, my average total T was 220 ng/dl.

I'm currently on 250 mg T enathate every 10 days. I take 0,25 mg Arimidex every 3 days. I do 250IU HCG the day before and two days before my T shots because I had some severe testicular atrophy. My balls hung very close and tight to my body, my testicles had the size of raizins and they crawled inside my body. I have been hypogonadal all my life. I'm 32 now. I look like a teenager.

After my 10th month of treatment, here are my labs:

total T: 553 ng/dl (280-1100) -> lowish, given my age (32) and the amount of T I inject, don't you think?

T binding Globuline 9 nmol/l (13-71) -> too low. It has always been this way... I think this is one of the causes why my total T has always been this low, correct???

Free T calculated: 179,6 pg/ml (50-280) -> warning: this value is "overestimated" because of an extremely low THBG!

Androstandediol Gluceronide: 293 nd/dl (34-220)

E2: 23 ng/l (10 - 44) -> exellent

LH: < 0,2IU/l (1,1 - 8,8) -> shouldn't HCG get this number higher???

DHEA-S: 355 mcg/dL (120 - 520) -> what does this tell me???

=> Since I don't have normal facial hair, I consider my TRT to be succesfull as soon as my body starts to show signs of virilisation (getting a normal muscular system and normal hair distribution). Up to know, nothing has happened.

My doc doesn't dare to give me more T because "I'm at the maximum that is medically allowed". He was satisfied with the rise of my total T from 220 ng/dl to 553 ng/dl while all other hormones stayed within the range. He would like to keep the treatment at this regimen. However, I do believe that a total T in the normal range of about 650 ng/dl might help me.

Any comments are very welcome!

[novice]

Hcg drops LH and FSH. When were these labs drawn? If drawn the day before your shot, they look good. Using injections every 10 days is going to give you a greater high 24-48hrs post injection and consequently greater low on like the day before your injection day, than dosing every 7 days would. I would suggest dosing every 7 days would help you.

[Axl]

Originally Posted by novice

Hcg drops LH and FSH. When were these labs drawn? If drawn the day before your shot, they look good. Using injections every 10 days is going to give you a greater high 24-48hrs post injection and consequently greater low on like the day before your injection day, than dosing every 7 days would. I would suggest dosing every 7 days would help you.

The labs were drawn the day before my next T shot. The problem is that, in Europe, the docs don't even want to consider weekly shots. One shot every 10 days is as frequent as my doc wants to stretch it, believe it or not...

In my last visit I asked for weekly injections at a dose of about 180 mg. He refused...

Actually, I know my T levels are at their highest one or two days after the shot, but those are not the days that I feel best. I'm at my best 5 days after the shot.

[Matt Muscle]

Originally Posted by Axl

The labs were drawn the day before my next T shot. The problem is that, in Europe, the docs don't even want to consider weekly shots. One shot every 10 days is as frequent as my doc wants to stretch it, believe it or not...

In my last visit I asked for weekly injections at a dose of about 180 mg. He refused...

Actually, I know my T levels are at their highest one or two days after the shot, but those are not the days that I feel best. I'm at my best 5 days after the shot.

Your levels will spike far too high 1 or 2 days after your shot and then settle to the 500 level by day 9. So lots of estro conversion early in the week and a small window of feeling somewhat ok in the middle... quite predictable. So its not a matter of "not eneough T", you just need much less more often.
Is there any way you can ask to do your own injections?
180mgs a week would be far too much... you should start at the basic 100mgs.

[pmgamer18]

Originally Posted by Axl

Before starting TRT 10 months ago, my average total T was 220 ng/dl.

I'm currently on 250 mg T enathate every 10 days. I take 0,25 mg Arimidex every 3 days. I do 250IU HCG the day before and two days before my T shots because I had some severe testicular atrophy. My balls hung very close and tight to my body, my testicles had the size of raizins and they crawled inside my body. I have been hypogonadal all my life. I'm 32 now. I look like a teenager.

After my 10th month of treatment, here are my labs:

total T: 553 ng/dl (280-1100) -> lowish, given my age (32) and the amount of T I inject, don't you think?

T binding Globuline 9 nmol/l (13-71) -> too low. It has always been this way... I think this is one of the causes why my total T has always been this low, correct???

Free T calculated: 179,6 pg/ml (50-280) -> warning: this value is "overestimated" because of an extremely low THBG!

Androstandediol Gluceronide: 293 nd/dl (34-220)

E2: 23 ng/l (10 - 44) -> exellent

LH: < 0,2IU/l (1,1 - 8,8) -> shouldn't HCG get this number higher???

DHEA-S: 355 mcg/dL (120 - 520) -> what does this tell me???

=> Since I don't have normal facial hair, I consider my TRT to be succesfull as soon as my body starts to show signs of virilisation (getting a normal muscular system and normal hair distribution). Up to know, nothing has happened.

My doc doesn't dare to give me more T because "I'm at the maximum that is medically allowed". He was satisfied with the rise of my total T from 220 ng/dl to 553 ng/dl while all other hormones stayed within the range. He would like to keep the treatment at this regimen. However, I do believe that a total T in the normal range of about 650 ng/dl might help me.

Any comments are very welcome!

I have this link if your want to check your Free T.
http://www.issam.ch/freetesto.htm

[Axl]

Originally Posted by pmgamer18

I have this link if your want to check your Free T.
http://www.issam.ch/freetesto.htm

That's not what T intended to say, Phil. It is a fact that the calculation of free T is only valid when people have a "normal" SHBG value. With extremely low values of SHBG, the calculated free T will tend to exagerate the result. It is a flaw in the calculation formula that you need to know and to deal with when interpreting calculated free T.

[Axl]

Originally Posted by Matt Muscle

Your levels will spike far too high 1 or 2 days after your shot and then settle to the 500 level by day 9. So lots of estro conversion early in the week and a small window of feeling somewhat ok in the middle... quite predictable. So its not a matter of "not eneough T", you just need much less more often.
Is there any way you can ask to do your own injections?
180mgs a week would be far too much... you should start at the basic 100mgs.

Matt, I agree with you 100%. However, T enanthate has a slightly longer half life than T cypionate. So 7 days cyp should be approximately the same as 10 days enanthate, don't you agree??

[chap]

Actually I think it is widely accepted that enanthate and cypionate are virtually the same in the body.

[ASaxon]

Originally Posted by Axl

Matt, I agree with you 100%. However, T enanthate has a slightly longer half life than T cypionate. So 7 days cyp should be approximately the same as 10 days enanthate, don't you agree??

According to studies and references from a recent previous thread (Some results from my Depo-T Absorption Calculator enanthate has a slightly lower (7 days) half life than cypionate (8 days). For most analysis they are treated the same.

[Axl]

Originally Posted by ASaxon

According to studies and references from a recent previous thread (Some results from my Depo-T Absorption Calculator enanthate has a slightly lower (7 days) half life than cypionate (8 days). For most analysis they are treated the same.

OK... my mistake. You are right Saxon. Great link by the way.

So you all agree that I need to do 1 thing: convince my doc to precribe WEEKLY injections at about 100mgs?? Man, that's going to be so tough: it is unheard off here in Europe... Most of the docs still think Sustanon is a wonderdrug over here... Yep, most of the so-called specialists still have their heads up their asses...

Anyhow: does anybody have an indea on how I can raise my SHBG? I still believe it might be the cause for my low testosterone....