Physician Prescribed Angrogel

[celc5]

I have a family member who was prescribed androgel. I understand that there are safer options but this is what was prescribed to him. I'm not sold that there is any sort of plan in place for him during cycle or any post cycle plan. I am mildly educated on designer orals. But I do not have enough education to advise him myself concerning the androgel.

He was prescribed androgel with a total test of 330.

If I were to guess, I would say the low test is due to very high levels of personal stress and due to severe chronic pain (inoperable degenerative discs).

46 year old
no previous cycle history
6 foot even, 221 lbs
25-30% bf guestimate

His diet is mediocre to slightly above average relative to typical diets. His diet is poor relative to members of this forum. He works out 3 times per week with limitations due to his back injury.

1) I assume androgel can aromatize. Is it necessary for an ON cycle AI?

2) He is taking the lowest 5g packet of 1% once per day. Is a serm, AI, cort control necessary for a post cycle plan?

3) Neither his physician nor his pharmacist instructed with ancillary support. This raises the question as to the potential danger of uneducated physicians having the authority to prescribe this type of treatment :think:

 

[AM07]

How did he injure his back?

 

[thesinner]

Try not to confuse this with an anabolic steroids cycle, as I can assure you it is not.

 

[celc5]

Try not to confuse this with an anabolic steroids cycle, as I can assure you it is not.

Sinner, any links to exactly what this is :think: I get plenty of "medication" style hits with elementary google searches but can't get a grasp on what it is. I'm assuming it's NOT old school andro, or is it? :think:

AM07, he had a pretty nasty work injury.

Gixxer, that's what I was thinking. Which makes me ask why it's prescribed for months and months consequetively at times.

 

[thesinner]

your boy's getting something like 225mg of test (generous estimate) per week.

this is transdermal testosterone

 

[celc5]

your boy's getting something like 225mg of test (generous estimate) per week.

this is transdermal testosterone

So SUPER low... no need for a post cycle plan then?

 

[thesinner]

So SUPER low... no need for a post cycle plan then?

2 things will effect suppression:

1- Concentration (proportional to how much you're getting into your system)

2- Time

How long is he being put on this protocol?

 

[thesinner]

usually TRT isn't a solution to the problem (low test), but a means to work around it. I'm sure the doc know's what's going down. Basic steroid use isn't rocket science.

 

[B5150]

AndroGel is used to treat testosterone deficiency in men. It is called TRT. It is not cycled it is a long term treatment plan. Long term means for life.

5g packets contain 5g of gel at a 1% concentration of testosterone. That equates to 50mg of testosterone. It is absorbed at a rate of 10%. That equates to 5mg of testosterone a day and 35mg per week.

This dose is possibly sufficient to bring his low end testosterone back up a notch or two. This will not produce supraphysiological levels of testosterone. Nor will a 10g packet at 70mg per week.

There needs to be a diagnosis of hypogonadism to determine if indeed he is. This requires a test for total test, free test, % free test, LH, FSH, E2 and TSH is probably a good idea.

Understand that TRT is not cycled and there is no PCT.

I advise you to tell him to make sure his doctor tests for all the above before taking any AndroGel. Repeat those tests 4-5 weeks later to determine if ancillaries are required.

 

[celc5]

Thanks fellas. I believe his doc has him scheduled for bloodwork every 4 weeks. It just seems peculiar that we would use ancillaries to PREVENT sides/skewed blood values with recreational use while the prescription use would use ancillaries only after issues arise.

B, I'll pass the info along as far the blood work. Thanks for the input. If it's not cycled, no wonder I couldn't find any post cycle plans. Doesn't this just mask the issue like a band-aide so to speak? :think:

 

[thesinner]

Thanks fellas. I believe his doc has him scheduled for bloodwork every 4 weeks. It just seems peculiar that we would use ancillaries to PREVENT sides/skewed blood values with recreational use while the prescription use would use ancillaries only after issues arise.

B, I'll pass the info along as far the blood work. Thanks for the input. If it's not cycled, no wonder I couldn't find any post cycle plans. Doesn't this just mask the issue like a band-aide so to speak? :think:

well, with anabolic use we're getting an exogeneous dose of more than double what our bodies can naturally produce.

 

[celc5]

Basically, yes. Too bad there wasn't something we could take to make our bodies naturally create more testosterone permanently

Maybe you're being sarcastic and already insinuating this... but, why not just administer meds that stimulate and/or support hpta function similar to a post cycle plan?

 

[B5150]

Thanks fellas. I believe his doc has him scheduled for bloodwork every 4 weeks. It just seems peculiar that we would use ancillaries to PREVENT sides/skewed blood values with recreational use while the prescription use would use ancillaries only after issues arise.

B, I'll pass the info along as far the blood work. Thanks for the input. If it's not cycled, no wonder I couldn't find any post cycle plans. Doesn't this just mask the issue like a band-aide so to speak? :think:

The issue with recreational use is that you use things and have no idea what impact they are having on levels. You also use levels that far exceed what one would use in a TRT dose.

The use of ancillaries in TRT is required ONLY when test results indicate such. Some people get elevated E2 when on TRT and then and only then do you use an AI.

You are not masking the issue. If you have no test being produced by your body then you are treating the deficiency. That is why he needs to get his LH tested. If you are signaling the testies to produce and they are not that is called hypogonadism. There are many ways to treat this but the most common and effective is with TRT.

 

[celc5]

B, thank you for the info! :cheers: