Strange Protocol?

[ironbutt]

Early Oct - GP diagnosed low T and prescribed 5g Androgel
T=253 (241-827)
LH= 7.5 (1.0-9.0)
FSH=8.9 (1.5-14.0)
TSH=4.5
Free T4= 0.93
PSA=0.4 (<4.0)

at two week check
T= 699
LH=10.2 (went up?)
FSH=7.3
*SHBG=14 (13-71)
*Calc Free T=22.3 (6-27)
*Estadiol=33
TSH=4.2
Free T4=0.98
*=tests I added to the lab sheet before I had the two week draw...should have added others, but am just figuring this stuff out

The GP did not want to prescribe Thyroid medication and was not as up on the current HRT testing and protocols as I would like so she suggested i seek out an endo/HRT specialist

I did, brought the results and he made the following changes and set up a follow-up check in two weeks from now.

Andro gel reduced from 5g to 2.5g
Introduced HCG, 500IU MWF
DHEA 50mg daily
Pregnenolone 30mg daily
Thyroid T3/T4 compound

Will get the other test that should have been done previuosly (cortisol, HGH, Free T3, etc) at the follow-up.

After reading here and other places, the HCG seems like a very high dosage and the Andogel seems like a low dosage. He believes that tuning up the thyroid will add to T as will the HCG, hence the recommended drop in Androgel. I am just concerned that the the dosage on the HCG is too high, especially given the high LH at the two week test. I would have been more comfortable staying at the 5g Andogel and using lower dose HCG.

I am new to all of this and would appreciate the board's input.

 

[Philec48]

1500 iu HCG per week does not look excessive. However, it may raise estradiol. Get tested regularly for that and ask your doc about anastrozole to help control E2.

But I'm not sure that HCG will help raise your T that much, since HCG is meant to replace low LH. Your LH at 10.2 was already good, and a T of 699 is great, if your bio-available T is also good. Bio-available T is free+weakly bound.

But kudos to your doc for treating your thyroid.

I'd ask your doc if you can just change one thing at a time, to get a better handle on how your body reacts to various treatments. Ask if you can keep on 5gm Androgel (that's a fairly low dose), and skip the HCG for now.

Getting thyroid treated may help your T naturally bounce back. But too long on Androgel will start to suppress your natural production of it.