TRT experience

[RickM]

Been working with a TRT clinic the past few weeks. Had a physical and blood testing done a week ago so we could see where I stand.

Baseline results are in:

Cholesterol - 243
HDL - 34
LDL - 173
Triglycerides - 182

Testosterone - 443
Estradiol - 34
IGF - 280

Was also told that my Hemotocrit was high (53.5) and I need to donate some blood.

Will update when more info is available

 

[Ripw4]

I see your test is getting up there..Glad to see your getting what you need!

And yea..donate some blood..Not only to get rid of some of those red blood cells but you may save a life..

edit- those are your baseline results? your test seems normal range..or are these results after being on thereapy for a few weeks..Im confused.

 

[AGELESS]

I check my Hematocrit every two weeks at my local blood bank. If its over 45...they pull 500 cc. as per my DR's prescription.
To check it is free.
to pull the 500 cc costs $35 per visit.

In my opinion, anyone who does HRT should monitor the Hematocrit often.

 

[RickM]

Baseline results only.

A few months ago I went to give blood and they had this new machine that would get double what they needed in one shot. So, they asked if I would give it a try. Hook me up withdraw; pumping through a machine, extracting what they need, and pump back into me with saline. Was hooked up for awhile, and there were problems. They had to disconnect me, and then told me that what I already gave was no good. Then they said I couldn’t give until twice the normal wait time. Since it was going to be awhile, I decided to get another tattoo. Due to the tattoo, I cant give blood for a year. whew... that was a long story

So, I have to find someplace to disguard my blood. Strange how things work out sometimes

 

[RedwolfWV]

to pull the 500 cc costs $35 per visit.

They charge you to take your blood? I figgured they'd take it for free, or even pay you.

 

[RickM]

I check my Hematocrit every two weeks at my local blood bank. If its over 45...they pull 500 cc. as per my DR's prescription.
To check it is free.
to pull the 500 cc costs $35 per visit.

In my opinion, anyone who does HRT should monitor the Hematocrit often.

Why every two weeks, and how often do they need to pull 500cc's?

The local blood bank here would have done it Friday but they wanted a script. Had to call into the doctor. Hoping to get the script and have it done on Monday.

Ageless... can you see the shuttle take off from down there? This was the first time I watched from my back yard. Still trying to get used to having the house shake when that thing takes off.

 

[RickM]

They charge you to take your blood? I figgured they'd take it for free, or even pay you.

Difference between drawing blood to disguard or donate. Donating blood is free.

 

[AGELESS]

They charge you to take your blood? I figgured they'd take it for free, or even pay you.

yes...because they say I have polycithemia(sp) and they cant use it. I even have O negative.

The hemotologist chages me $350 to do the check & pull in their office....but the blood banks $35. and they throw it out anyway.:blink:

with everything thats in my blood..they could give to it some poor old lady and she could be out playing tennis tomm....of course she might have to shave her beard first LOL

 

[RickM]

yes...because they say I have polycithemia(sp) and they cant use it. I even have O negative.

The hemotologist chages me $350 to do the check & pull in their office....but the blood banks $35. and they throw it out anyway.:blink:

with everything thats in my blood..they could give to it some poor old lady and she could be out playing tennis tomm....of course she might have to shave her beard first LOL

How high do you normally run?

I am wondering how worried I should be of the 53.5%

 

[RickM]

Still obtaining more info, but based on what I have seen, it looks like the therapy will be:

First 10 weeks

NandroTest - 1cc every week
Anastrozole 0.5mg - 2 capsules per week

next 14 weeks

Androgel - 1cc per day
Nandrogel - 1cc per day
Anastrozole 0.5mg - 2 capsules per week

 

[RedwolfWV]

with everything thats in my blood..they could give to it some poor old lady and she could be out playing tennis tomm....of course she might have to shave her beard first LOL

:rofl:

 

[FYI777]

Any way of lowering hemocrit w/o a blood draw?

Possibly avoiding all iron/ferrous in diet maybe?

Larger doses of zinc?Once took too much zinc and made myself anemic.

Thanx if anyone could answer.

 

[bbuck]

Blood that is discarded would be hazardous waste and it would cost them to dispose of it.

 

[AGELESS]

here is a little information on hematocrit
.


Blood Tests: Complete Blood Count

 

[RickM]

Went ahead and started the NandroTest (1cc weekly) over the weekend.

Clinic provided me with a script to have blood drawn and discarded. I would like to follow through on the script, but my primary is interested in seeing the blood results and figuring out what is causing the high Hematocrit level (53.5) before I get some removed.

Was a little off diet over the weekend and didnt drop and pounds. I sort of expected it. Not that I was out eating all sorts of garbage. Just a few things that arent normally in my diet.

 

[RickM]

Received the script for blood discarding, but my Hematocrit was at 43 today. Not sure why it dropped from 53.5, but I guess that is good.

Started the Anastrozole 0.5 mg today. This is two pills a week.

Back and Biceps today with 30 minutes of cardio.

Change in blood pressure meds doesnt seem to be making much difference. The only change I have seen is a slight increase.

 

[RickM]

Also started Niacin and some Fish Oil today.

Hoping to get those Cholesterol levels to change before I get my next blood work done.

 

[B5150]

Thanks Rick for keeping us all abreast of your progress. It adds some integrity to the information in this forum.

 

[RickM]

Posting this helps both ways. Others see what I am going through, and I get some great feedback.

 

[RickM]

Wednesday is sort of a day off.

Managed to get in 40 minutes on the treadmill and another 15 minutes at work

Feel like I am getting hot flashes more often, or at least a greater duration. Then again, could be my imagination or that niacin I started yesterday

Pants are fitting a liittle looser around the waistline.

Need to get a weigh in done, but I hate checking to often.

 

[RickM]

Received my Cissus RX today. Will probably start this withing the next few days.

 

[B5150]

here is a little information on hematocrit
.


Blood Tests: Complete Blood Count

Steroids and Red Blood Cells by William Llewellyn

 

[pmgamer18]

Been working with a TRT clinic the past few weeks. Had a physical and blood testing done a week ago so we could see where I stand.

Baseline results are in:

Cholesterol - 243
HDL - 34
LDL - 173
Triglycerides - 182

Testosterone - 443
Estradiol - 34
IGF - 280

Was also told that my Hemotocrit was high (53.5) and I need to donate some blood.

Will update when more info is available

Always drink a lot of water everyday I learned this the hard way my Hemotocrit was high and my Dr. told me to cut my does of T I did and crashed. Went back he tested again and my Hemotocrit was high normal not over the range turns out I was dehydrated. So I have a dam hard time staying hydrated I have Adrenal Fatigue and Thyroid probems so now I take Sea Salt and put a 1/4 tsp in my bottled water.
my test are good now.
Phil

 

[B5150]

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Hematocrit (HCT)

 

[RickM]

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Hematocrit (HCT)

Thanks for the link

 

[RickM]

Always drink a lot of water everyday I learned this the hard way my Hemotocrit was high and my Dr. told me to cut my does of T I did and crashed. Went back he tested again and my Hemotocrit was high normal not over the range turns out I was dehydrated. So I have a dam hard time staying hydrated I have Adrenal Fatigue and Thyroid probems so now I take Sea Salt and put a 1/4 tsp in my bottled water.
my test are good now.
Phil

I normally drink a lot of fluids. The morning of the test I was a little lower than normal, but I wasnt thinking it would change that much

 

[RickM]

Ground chicken, RTD protein x 3, bagel, two eggs, and some salad today. I feel stuffed from the water.

Was able to get an hour of cardio split up into three sections today. Would be nice to get it all done at once, but things can get in the way.

Chest and Triceps this morning

I feel a pump in my muscles. Once again, not sure if it is my imagination... but it feels good.

 

[RickM]

This would be day six on the NandoTest

Not sure if I am feeling that much different, but I could swear my body is changing. I am sure that my current diet combined with lifting and cardio has a lot to do with it.

Havent stepped on a scale since Monday. Really hoping that next Monday shows a drop of at least two pounds from the prior week.

Pulse was between 86-92 today. Good news is I saw it at 86.

Blood Pressure was around 138/83.

Back and Biceps this morning combined with 30 on the treadmill.

 

[RickM]

Second shot of Test Cypionate/Nandrolone Deconoate today along with one Anastrozole capsule.

I think the labido may be changing. Not sure if it is related to TRT, but I felt different the past few days.

Blood Pressure and Pulse are still elevated.

 

[RickM]

Two on, One off, Two on, Two off makes the weekends a little boring. Wanted to go to the gym, but I have plenty of yardwork to keep me busy over the weekend.

Feeling better overall, but the blood pressure and pulse still have me a little worried.

Fr the most part I have been off all diet and regular sodas. Last night I had two drinks with regular soda, but that was it.

Looking forward to being at the gym tomorrow morning and then the weekly weigh in at work. Hoping for 230.

 

[RickM]

Got on the scale yesterday and I gained 5 pounds. huh... lets try this again. Yup, shows I gained five pounds. Not sure what happened, but nothing like that to bum me out. Diet was a little off over the weekend, but it really wasnt that bad.

Blood Pressure and Pulse was still running high yesterday, so I switched back to my old BP medicine this morning. That dropped both back down to the way it was a few weeks ago.

Still on schedule to loose 20 pounds, but now I am not sure how long this is going to take

 

[RickM]

Probably should have put that my weight was up to 239 and my BF was down 2% to 31

Woke up this morning and did 30 minutes on the treadmill.

Feeling better after the switch back to the old BP meds.

 

[RickM]

We withold TRT when the H/H (Hemoglobin/Hematocrit) reaches 18/55. That means EITHER one.

It dropped to 43 or 45 the next week. I am wondering if my body thought it was dehydrating.

Will try to get it checked again next week.

 

[RickM]

Been a few days since I checked in.

Feel like my waist is staying the same, but my shoulder area is looking better. Not sure why I just see it in my shoulders, but that is fine with me.

Weight is still staying up there. Need to start changing some more things around in the diet

Labido seems to be changing. Unfortunatly, my relationship is also changing and I may be single soon.

Clinic called me yesterday to check on how I was doing and make sure that I was on the right track with things. I am working on a price breakdown for my TRT.

 

[RickM]

Weigh in yesterday was 239 and 32%. Body seems to be sticking to this weight even with the change in diet, added cardio, and TRT.

Shoulder and upper arms seem to be showing a little better now.

Added some watermelon and cantalope to my diet. This provides some sweet. Basic diet is that along with Ground Chicken, Salad, RTD Protein.

Nedd to start thinking about a follow up blood test

 

[colkurtz_spf]

Weigh in yesterday was 239 and 32%. Body seems to be sticking to this weight even with the change in diet, added cardio, and TRT.

Shoulder and upper arms seem to be showing a little better now.

Added some watermelon and cantalope to my diet. This provides some sweet. Basic diet is that along with Ground Chicken, Salad, RTD Protein.

Nedd to start thinking about a follow up blood test

Cantaloupe, watermelon and honey dew have high glycemic indexes. Citrus, apples, berries, plums, peaches and nectarines are lower. If you're having trouble you may want to cut back on the fruit - only eat it early in the day. Try to keep your insulin levels in check. Insulin binds to the fat cell receptors and prevents the release of fat for fuel.

 

[RickM]

Cantaloupe, watermelon and honey dew have high glycemic indexes. Citrus, apples, berries, plums, peaches and nectarines are lower. If you're having trouble you may want to cut back on the fruit - only eat it early in the day. Try to keep your insulin levels in check. Insulin binds to the fat cell receptors and prevents the release of fat for fuel.

At least it was only two days eating that. I only eat in the day, and not that much. Embarassed. Should have looked that up.

Thanks

 

[RickM]

That concludes week three.

Body:
- Girlfriend has noticed a difference in my chest/shoulder area
- waist seems slimmer the past two days

Diet:
- started eating two salads a day (no dressing)
- grilled chicken
- tuna

Workout:
- feels good at the gym
- shoulders still in pain
- doing at least 2x15 minutes of cardio daily. Sometimes an hour

 

[RickM]

Monday morning weigh in was 236 at 31.5%

Going to up the Salad, Chicken, and Protein drinks this week. Would like to see some more weight come off.

 

[RickM]

Birthday yesterday and had a chocolate shake. Hey... it was my birthday!

Was able to increase some lifting this week. So back to doing < 10 reps again. I like being able to see the progress.

Clinic left a few messages this week. Just checking in on how things are going.

Salad with chicken on it has been a regular meal for me. No dressing, just the greens, some carrot, and chicken.

 

[AGELESS]

Rick...

I wish I could rep you more points. I have been following your progress from the beginning. You show it can be done and it will be done.

As you can see over 800 views, so Im not the only one on your winning team!

Are you still on nandrolone?

In my humble opinion, you do not need nandrolone... it will raise your hematocrit (HCT)

Keep all of us up to date...it is "PRICELESS"

 

[RickM]

Thanks for the post

Yes, still on Nandrolone/Test. Six more weeks. Then on to the Test and Nandrolone cream daily.

Crit levels were down a few weeks ago, but I really need to get back for a test soon.

I got together with the clinic before I talked to more people on this board. Not that the clinic is bad, but I may try to get under more supervision in the future.

Some day I may try to post before/after pics. Cant see posting the before pics yet. However, that would show how out of shape I was.

 

[RickM]

Well.. last Saturday I started feeling run down and took an afternoon nap. Not something I normally do. On Monday and Tuesday I got home from work, was exhausted, and took a two hour nap. Woke up for a few hours, and then back to sleep for the night.

Clinic happened to call to check up on my today, and I told them I have been tired the past few days. So..... they are going to mention it to the doc to see what he says. They also asked what my Crit level was.

Off to the blood center and my Crit was up to 48. The blood center said this could very well be the reason why I am feeling tired. Problem is my script says to only take 250cc if I am at => 49. Blood Center also said that taking 250cc is a waste of time and I really need 500cc's drawn.

Called the clinic and left a message. Hoping to hear back by tomorrow morning.

 

[RickM]

So, working with the clinic and the Blood Center is a real pain. The blood center wants specific info to be on a Theraputic Request Form, and the clinic is saying the Blood Center is being difficult. Ummmm... who really cares if they are being difficult. Fill in what they want and fax the darn sheet over to them.

Really.... iti is only a few things that the blood center is looking for. It has taken longer to go back and forth on this than it would be to just fill out the form.

Blood Center called me last night and said they decided that I could still donate blood and to stop by this morning. That was mighty nice of them

They did the normal crit check and it was up to 50 this morning. Then they hooked me up and took 500 cc

Really wondering if PBR will figure out that I am upset at how they are handling this. I tell them this is not making me very happy, but I am not sure that they are really listening.

5th shot this morning.

 

[RickM]

May I ask how much all this is costing you?

Clinic was around $1800 total for six months.

Blood Center is free so far as long as it involves blood that can be used. Otherwise it is around $27 a visit.

If you were to ask me today how I feel about the clinic, it wouldnt be a a positive response. I have attempted to work with them, and the results havent been favorable.

Next time things will probably be different.

 

[RickM]

What is your complete regimen again?

First 10 weeks

NandroTest - 1cc every week
Anastrozole 0.5mg - 2 capsules per week

next 14 weeks

Androgel - 1cc per day
Nandrogel - 1cc per day
Anastrozole 0.5mg - 2 capsules per week

 

[RickM]

I think this is a decent breakdown.

Before anyone reads on... I already know I can go cheaper.

200 - NandroTest (10cc)
175 - Test Cream (120cc)
250 - Nandro Cream (120cc)
286 - Anastrozole capsules
200 - Script charges
350 - Blood Tests
240 - Supplements (niacin and fish oil)
25 - Biohazard container
10 - alcohol swabs

 

[RickM]

Wow.

Yup

Like I said, next time things will probably be different.

 

[RickM]

I don't see HCG on your list.

Correct. They didnt seem to think it was necessary.

Concerns?

 

[RickM]

It depends upon whether you want the cutting edge or not.

Looking for what is best for me.

Based on how things have gone so far, the route I took doesn’t appear to be what I was looking for.

Strange how some things work out.