Nebido - an NHS journey (UK)

TheBigJS

TheBigJS

Member
After a few years of self admin "TRT+" I've been off any anabolics for nearly a year (doctor's recommendation following surgery to remove a pituitary tumour).
My levels were low years ago (220ng/dl) before I took anything, well that's not quite true I took the andro's etc back in the day when you could buy pro hormones in the high street and no one actually knew what they were.

NHS protocol is to wait to see if your levels come back, mine haven't, last test showed 90ng/dl. So, my endo has written to my GP and said to start Nebido, normal NHS protocol, 1000mg, six weeks, 1000mg, 12 weeks 1000 mg, 12 weeks 1000 mg, blood test at trough, levels should be low but in range and by in range the NHS mean over 200ng/dl. No AI, nothing like that. As long as you're in range the NHS is happy.

So, it is what it is.
But I have to say I am of the belief that people looking to blame low T for all sorts of ailments may have other issues. I've spent a good amount of time with super-physiological T levels, built a questionably unnatural level of muscle for a near 50y/o (250lb+ with visable abs at 6' tall) and even now, with my T level under 100ng/dl life isn't that bad. Yes I'm weaker (400lb deadlift was slipping out of my hands yesterday 1st rep), and fatter (despite being 25lb lighter) but in general I feel Ok, my sex drive isn't non-existent, my dick does still work, motivation is definitely lower but I work for myself and I do still get things done, I get to the gym 3 times a week. It's not that bad.

Anyway, I'l post more when I have more to post ;)
 
I'm not on trt but it seems absurd that a dr or the NHS should be able to decide what your test should be at, why should a man be condemned to being "not that bad" or having lower motivation, we should be free to be and feel as good as we can or wish to
 
Carnivorecon said:
I'm not on trt but it seems absurd that a dr or the NHS should be able to decide what your test should be at, why should a man be condemned to being "not that bad" or having lower motivation, we should be free to be and feel as good as we can or wish to
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I hear what you're saying but NHS treatment is tax payer funded, there is and has to be a line to draw somewhere.
Plus most people feel better on higher T and/or with other AAS or other things added. But that doesn't mean something is wrong at lower levels just because you feel better towards/past the upper range.
Obviously if you are low (90ng/dl like me) you probably need TRT purely for health reasons
 
I get that the NHS main directive is not to get people jacked but test is cheap as hell and with it being technically illegal to get your own it's the restriction of choice that chaps my ar$e and 200 ng is too low imo. I paid myself to get tested because my dr fobbed me off and was not interested, despite having all the symptoms and actually having low T i was over the lower limit so just have to live with symptoms and drs don't give a fu€k. The medical profession has got a long way to go recognising, helping and actually giving a chit about mens hormonal health in the UK
 
Carnivorecon said:
with it being technically illegal to get your own it's the restriction of choice that chaps my ar$e and 200 ng is too low imo. I paid myself to get tested because my dr fobbed me off and was not interested, despite having all the symptoms and actually having low T i was over the lower limit so just have to live with symptoms and drs don't give a fu€k. The medical profession has got a long way to go recognising, helping and actually giving a chit about mens hormonal health in the UK
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But you can get it yourself, there are numerous "TRT" clinics who will prescribe 200mg+ of Test p/w, + Provion, + HCG for a price and trust you to pin the right amount, do you own bloods (finger pin prick) tests at the right times etc.
It's as easy to get on "TRT+" here as it is in the States. The difference being there is a "free" option here but it's maybe not very good if your concern is more how you feel than how healthy you are and they take a very very long term view. I'll get my first injection in February, I won't even have a blood test until autum.
 
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Right, saw my GP the other day, 1st injection is on Monday, he says we'll do a blood test just before the next injection (which is 6 weeks later) and the one after (12 weeks after that) to get an idea of where we are rather than wait until the 3rd injection so that's good.
If my levels are under 9 nmol (260ng/dl) he'll move the injections closer together.
 
Carnivorecon said:
Did he say why he's doing 1st and 2nd 6 weeks apart but the others 12 weeks?
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That is the normal protocol for Nebido
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"First and second administration of Nebido® 6 weeks apart.
Subsequently, depending on the needs of the individual patient, an interval of about 12 weeks is recommended."

It's just front loading but on a long term scale.
 
Well I've had my first injection.

The way it works with the NHS is your GP (that's the doctor you can just go and see "for nothing" for any heath concern) does a blood test or two, see's you have low T and refers you to an endocrinologist who then does further diagnosis before writing to your GP instructing him to start TRT.
Luckily (or not) for me, as I had pituitary surgery I was under the care of an endocrinologist anyway so sidestepped having to get my GP to refer me to an endo which I've read several people on here have had trouble with. And I've also known others who've had low T (probably, like mine induced at least partly by PED use) have issues getting blood tests and/or referred to an endo so the struggle to even get on track to getting TRT on the NHS. I've also seen a GP refer to 160ng/dl as "bottom end of the normal range" despite the NHS guidelines saying that under 230ng/dl is low and up to 350ng/dl may be helped by TRT.

Anyway the doc told me it was best if the vial was warm so I wrapped it up in a hot water bottle and put that in one of those soft cooler bags. The nurse doing the injection was impressed as she said Nebido is normally pretty hard to draw and fairly uncomfortable to inject as it's so thick.
The injection was no more than a little uncomfortable and any irritation was gone in an hour or so, now, 4 days later I think I maybe feel a little brighter, maybe it's just a placebo, early days yet :)
 
Still here!
2nd injection a couple of weeks ago and I feel "ok", definitely a lot better, I sleep better, my mood is (generally!) better, motivation is better.
I guess this is what TRT is supposed to be like, I just feel normal.
 
If you can source it, adding AI extends the active life of Nebido. There's at least one study showing it control the wide swings in T/E2 from the Nebido shots. If you haven't seen the graphs it spikes levels just like other esters but drops much slower.
 

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TheBigJS said:
But you can get it yourself, there are numerous "TRT" clinics who will prescribe 200mg+ of Test p/w, + Provion, + HCG for a price and trust you to pin the right amount, do you own bloods (finger pin prick) tests at the right times etc.
It's as easy to get on "TRT+" here as it is in the States. The difference being there is a "free" option here but it's maybe not very good if your concern is more how you feel than how healthy you are and they take a very very long term view. I'll get my first injection in February, I won't even have a blood test until autum.
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Can I enquire about the TRT protocols in the UK that include proviron with 200+ test. What is the protocol? How long do you stay on proviron, do you cycle the proviron? And is the HCG necessary also?

I’m on NHS sustanon 250 every 2 weeks, interested to what TRT docs in the UK would put me on, personally I want the most they class as acceptable

Thanks for any info!
 
I do not believe any NHS doc will prescribe anything other than test. No proviron, no anti estrogen, nothing.


Anyway, pop quiz. Just had a blood test, 12 weeks after my last injection.
So, go on, what is my Test level?
 
TheBigJS said:
I do not believe any NHS doc will prescribe anything other than test. No proviron, no anti estrogen, nothing.


Anyway, pop quiz. Just had a blood test, 12 weeks after my last injection.
So, go on, what is my Test level?
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Please do tell!
 
TheBigJS said:
I do not believe any NHS doc will prescribe anything other than test. No proviron, no anti estrogen, nothing.


Anyway, pop quiz. Just had a blood test, 12 weeks after my last injection.
So, go on, what is my Test level?
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This seems archaic to me, why would they not give an a.i. at least.
 
Carnivorecon said:
So if you had high oestrogen what would the dr do?
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The NHS is very primitive, they’ve never even let me know that could be possible, I doubt they would care. Your wellbeing is bottom priority, anyone on TRT is very lucky in the first place. I pushed for 2 straight years while they let me suffer at rock bottom 7nmol gaining weight and feeling ****
 
TheBigJS said:
I do not believe any NHS doc will prescribe anything other than test. No proviron, no anti estrogen, nothing.


Anyway, pop quiz. Just had a blood test, 12 weeks after my last injection.
So, go on, what is my Test level?
Click to expand...
the VA here is pretty much the same.
 
Reprobate said:
The NHS is very primitive, they’ve never even let me know that could be possible, I doubt they would care. Your wellbeing is bottom priority, anyone on TRT is very lucky in the first place. I pushed for 2 straight years while they let me suffer at rock bottom 7nmol gaining weight and feeling ****
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Wow, just wow, that is disgusting, why does hormonal health seem to be completely overlooked in this country. I wonder if it's a different story for menopausal women or if they're neglected too.
 
Carnivorecon said:
Wow, just wow, that is disgusting, why does hormonal health seem to be completely overlooked in this country. I wonder if it's a different story for menopausal women or if they're neglected too.
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are you kidding me...they would get their asses handed to them if they treated women this way!!!!!!!!!
 
I’m having my bloods done tomorrow, 13 days since a sustanon, I’ll find out what my levels are. They won’t tell me, I’ll have to push for numbers. All they let me know is “they’re fine” unless I really ask.
 
Carnivorecon said:
So if you had high oestrogen what would the dr do?
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Hey, just got off the phone call with the doctor, and asked about my results.

They don’t even test estrogen or SHBG, just free test, I was at 11.4 nmol after 2 weeks post sustanon.

So in answer to your question your doctor wouldn’t do anything about your estrogen as they don’t even care to check!
 
Reprobate said:
Hey, just got off the phone call with the doctor, and asked about my results.

They don’t even test estrogen or SHBG, just free test, I was at 11.4 nmol after 2 weeks post sustanon.

So in answer to your question your doctor wouldn’t do anything about your estrogen as they don’t even care to check!
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Don't tell me anymore please, do they even give a single f@ck about patient care. And this after we all stood outside our front doors clapping like seals for them. They do an important job for sure but man they have some gaps in their approach to hormonal health and the majority of GPs have completely checked out, unless my arm has fallen off i don't even go to a dr anymore as all they do is google it and prescribe something i could buy from the chemist anyway. Sorry I'll stop ranting now
 
Carnivorecon said:
Don't tell me anymore please, do they even give a single f@ck about patient care. And this after we all stood outside our front doors clapping like seals for them. They do an important job for sure but man they have some gaps in their approach to hormonal health and the majority of GPs have completely checked out, unless my arm has fallen off i don't even go to a dr anymore as all they do is google it and prescribe something i could buy from the chemist anyway. Sorry I'll stop ranting now
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Haha I know tell me about it I totally agree, me and the mrs have both paid for private appointments in the past when we don’t get anywhere with the NHS, it might cost £200 to £300 for an appointment but you can bet you get what you wanted as the outcome. If I didn’t spend so much of my wage on the NHS I would go private but I pay for everyone else so I might as well squeeze a bit out for myself!

My GP actually forgot I was on TRT even though she was the one that referred me, when I asked her about my testosterone levels she thought I was using steroids in the gym.
 
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