DR. & TRT & trying to conceive -"ADVICE"

[Power33]

Hello anabolicminds! This is my 1st post!

OK so here is the deal-- Went to doc this past fall to have some bloodwork and to be tested for diabetes. Had gained 35-40 pounds this past year and feeling lethargic and just needed to see whats up, since had not been to doc since i left military in 1995! OK, he ruled out diabetes, even tho fasting glucose was 119 & 126, but i passed the alc w/flying colors and also did a glucose intolerance test and he said I was not diabetic. Although my bloodwork showed low Test level at 326. He called me and and recommended that I begin taking testcypionate injections. I met with him and he said it is safe and very effective for gaining lean muscle and getting rid of some belly fat! I am 6'4" tall and weighed around 280-- mainly visceral/ belly fat is the issue. Anyway it sounded good and this is a family doctor practice and I thought I would hit the weights and try an get leaner and also do lots of cardio and this could be a win win. side not: My wife and I are trying to have a baby, and have been struggling- I am 41 and she is 40.Bottom line is I rcvd my first shot in beginning of December, and plan was to come back in January and go from there. I joined elitefitness and started doing a little research around x-mas! Went back to doc in January and didnt really notice anything. So he thought we should begin weekly shots at same dosage-- 200mg Tcypionate. I have now taken 7 weekly shots, plus the one shot back in December for a total of 8 shots. After the 6th shot I did notice my testes were starting to shrink a little. I have joined a gym and been hitting the weights hard to take advantage of script plus new year and time to get leaner. In the last 2-3 weeks I have searched thru thousands of posts/threadds got some advice from other folks at different sites and was referred here to this site for best advice. I have actually gained 12 pounds and strength is increasing, but i think i am shutting down!! I am not wanting to be on TRT, dr never once mentioned trt, he was just planning on 10 shots and then retest bloodwork. So, i met with him last week to see what his plans were and to ask a few questions-- about shutting down, suppresssion, taking ancillaries (HCG, AI's etc.)-- He didnt have a clue and got defensive. He did give me a script to get some more bloodwork taken, and on the script it says total and free Test, but he didnt think i needed Estrogen or many of the others--shbg, dht, he said there are so many and I said what about Free test?? I also mentioconcned I was very concerned about my testes & shutting down, and he said not to worry and that if I want to see an endo he wpould refer me. Im afraid of crashing, however, I know the longer i take these injections the harder and longer to restart things. My libido has been fine and I dont have a problem getting it up, but my load isnt there, and worried about sperm production. Also, should i try an get my hands on some serms or PCT treatments?? Should I taper off shots like doc recommended (every 2 weeks, then once a month? or stop cold turkey? Also what about getting some hcg? Any advice greatly appreciated!!!!!
Ultimately would like to just get back to where i started normal/low and try an boost nattural levels thru supps/ better sleep and diet etc. Possibly have too uch E2 levels and could lower those also. My sleep patterns are not the best nor my diet! The past 2 months much better, but the last few years have been stressful to say the least!!! very concerned

 

[Power33]

Sorry so long just wanted to be thorough so i could get some good feedback!! Thanks for reading and I would appreciate any tips and advice!

 

[swollen87]

welcome to am..

post up the results from your last bloodwork

im sorry i dont have much experience with your situation, but my buddy got his girl pregnant while on 500/wk test e he was using hcg tho..

bump for this guy!

 

[ambulldog]

yo what up power. i sent you over here from ntbm correct? dont worry man matrix will see this and give you some solid advice

 

[The Matrix]

yo what up power. i sent you over here from ntbm correct? dont worry man matrix will see this and give you some solid advice

We need to examine what factors need to ruled out to increase ones chances of conception. Once these are ruled out then a sperm sample test for motility and fertility would be adminstered. You be surprise just how bad men's sperm count and quality is our patient in general who are not even on HRT. If a person is on HRT, we would use hcg for a few months then retest sperm again. If lifestyles, nutrition, stress management and other factors are in check and still test low then the next step is HMG. Dosages for hmg range from 75 ius to 225 iu weekly. We usually opted for the higher end and then retest in 2 months the sperm again. We also check out the partner female hormone and thyroid evaluation to make sure if she is the problem and not him. With out knowing the whole story, it is hard to know where to start. As mentioned before I know of guys in the gym thinking they steroids make them infertile. They got a little surprise of bundle and joy

 

[Power33]

Thanks Matrix!! And yes Bulldog sent me to this site!! Right now the decision for me is do i continue with the testcypionate shots? I suppose I would continue if I could get the endo to administer some HCG ya know. OK I have had 4-5 labs for me and everyone has come back good--motility/volume/count/etc. I usually have tested in the 50-80 million sperm count. Normal range is 20-100million per. Anyway, the issue is that my wife doesnt ovulate regularly and we tried 4 IUI's unsuccessfully, and last year from May-July , we attempted 3 Invitro-Fert cycles: however during each attempt my wife could not produce enough eggs. These were monitored and administrered at St. Louis med school/University-with some excellent doctors. Every attempt they took samples from me and everyone was good. i aslo had a few sperm/labs done going back as far as 2005--my first one, and again in 2007etc. My main concern ios that my wife and I were going to try IVF 1 or 2 more tries this summer, and now this silly doc has been giving me Test cyp for the last 90 days. My diet has not been the best the last 5 years, but the last 3-6 months ive been really watching and attempting to eat much healthier. I did have some bloodwork last April from a mens health conference and got results back, and the 2 things that stood out were my fasting blood-glucose was like 119. And it I remember correctly my TSH levels mightve been high. I then went to a doc back in Sepetember to have things checked out. He first did a fasting blood-glucose and again it was like 119. We checked itm again 2 weeks later and this time it was like 126. (110-125) usually signifies pre-diabetes. He then did an A1C- which is a more efficient diabetic test, and i tested in the middle normal range. Next I did a glucose intolerance test where u drink some glucose and then they check blood every hour for 3 hours. That came back good doc said. Then I rcvd a call from doc stating that my testosterone was low (326 i think), and he offered creams/gels or injections. I decided to go with injections., I got 1st shot in DEC 8th I think. Docs plan i think was to give me shots and then retest here in March. I went back in January after researching some, and thought if im gonna do the shots i need to do them more frequently, so he agreed and I have had 7 weekly shots in a row. I am due to get a shot tomorrow, but dont want to shut down or lower sperm count. After the 5th shot I finally started to notice some affects. My strength is beginning to kick in and I have gained around 10-14 pounds. I have been lifting heavy for the last 90 days now. I had not lifted like this in the last 15 years, since I was in the Army-Special Forces!! I went to doc to make sure my blood was not out of whack and nothing severely wrong, and to rule out diabetes and any major adrenal/thyroid issues. Ironically, my wife has some left over fertility drugs from her last failed IVF cycle. There is some HCG,menopure, and a few others, but only 1 vial of HCG. I asked my doc for a referral to an endo and spoke with there office today. Should be able to get an appointment and have some new bloodwork drawen up. I dont think my doc even knows if I am primary or secondary hypo. I dont think he tested my free test ot LH/FSH or shbg etc during the first labs. ill see if I can get a copy of those first bllod labs 2morrow. Only issue really worth mentioning is that yes we have been dealing with some stress over fertility and not conceiving, and i have never been able to sleep good (insomina im sure-never been diagnosed). And since I started these injections its got worse. I havent been able to get to sleep til like 4-5am. Then I wake up with family (wife & daughter)around 7am. Back to sleep and sleep somewhat lightly from ;like 8am-noon. Then I hit the gym from 12:30-230. Pick up daughter from school and come home rest little-not sleep. I am a financial advisor and lucklily set my own schedule, so I have some flexibility. But all this crap has slowed down my business as well, not to mention the financial crisis the last few years. Should i taper back tto every 2 weeks with shots or just stop them completely. And should I try an get somnething for PCT like clomid or nolva?? I heard about HCgenerate from needtobuildmuscle, any suppps i could or should order to help me in the near term until i can get this endo to do some new labs and see what he can do or offer me. My wife and I have a short window due to her age, and this will be the last year of trying to conceive for us, and I dont want me to be the issue-- I need my swimmers to be good! Also would like to get off these shots and try an figure out a way to boost my natural levels thru possibly some supps or AI's. i do have alot of symptoms of estrogen dominance so i need to have my estrogen checked also. What do i need the endo to check besides total and free test? Ive seen E2, dhea, dht, lh, fsh, anything else i need to ask specialist about when i see him?? I really appreciate your advice matrix!!!!! Thankyou

 

[The Matrix]

Thanks Matrix!! And yes Bulldog sent me to this site!! Right now the decision for me is do i continue with the testcypionate shots? I suppose I would continue if I could get the endo to administer some HCG ya know. OK I have had 4-5 labs for me and everyone has come back good--motility/volume/count/etc. I usually have tested in the 50-80 million sperm count. Normal range is 20-100million per. Anyway, the issue is that my wife doesnt ovulate regularly and we tried 4 IUI's unsuccessfully, and last year from May-July , we attempted 3 Invitro-Fert cycles: however during each attempt my wife could not produce enough eggs. These were monitored and administrered at St. Louis med school/University-with some excellent doctors. Every attempt they took samples from me and everyone was good. i aslo had a few sperm/labs done going back as far as 2005--my first one, and again in 2007etc. My main concern ios that my wife and I were going to try IVF 1 or 2 more tries this summer, and now this silly doc has been giving me Test cyp for the last 90 days. My diet has not been the best the last 5 years, but the last 3-6 months ive been really watching and attempting to eat much healthier. I did have some bloodwork last April from a mens health conference and got results back, and the 2 things that stood out were my fasting blood-glucose was like 119. And it I remember correctly my TSH levels mightve been high. I then went to a doc back in Sepetember to have things checked out. He first did a fasting blood-glucose and again it was like 119. We checked itm again 2 weeks later and this time it was like 126. (110-125) usually signifies pre-diabetes. He then did an A1C- which is a more efficient diabetic test, and i tested in the middle normal range. Next I did a glucose intolerance test where u drink some glucose and then they check blood every hour for 3 hours. That came back good doc said. Then I rcvd a call from doc stating that my testosterone was low (326 i think), and he offered creams/gels or injections. I decided to go with injections., I got 1st shot in DEC 8th I think. Docs plan i think was to give me shots and then retest here in March. I went back in January after researching some, and thought if im gonna do the shots i need to do them more frequently, so he agreed and I have had 7 weekly shots in a row. I am due to get a shot tomorrow, but dont want to shut down or lower sperm count. After the 5th shot I finally started to notice some affects. My strength is beginning to kick in and I have gained around 10-14 pounds. I have been lifting heavy for the last 90 days now. I had not lifted like this in the last 15 years, since I was in the Army-Special Forces!! I went to doc to make sure my blood was not out of whack and nothing severely wrong, and to rule out diabetes and any major adrenal/thyroid issues. Ironically, my wife has some left over fertility drugs from her last failed IVF cycle. There is some HCG,menopure, and a few others, but only 1 vial of HCG. I asked my doc for a referral to an endo and spoke with there office today. Should be able to get an appointment and have some new bloodwork drawen up. I dont think my doc even knows if I am primary or secondary hypo. I dont think he tested my free test ot LH/FSH or shbg etc during the first labs. ill see if I can get a copy of those first bllod labs 2morrow. Only issue really worth mentioning is that yes we have been dealing with some stress over fertility and not conceiving, and i have never been able to sleep good (insomina im sure-never been diagnosed). And since I started these injections its got worse. I havent been able to get to sleep til like 4-5am. Then I wake up with family (wife & daughter)around 7am. Back to sleep and sleep somewhat lightly from ;like 8am-noon. Then I hit the gym from 12:30-230. Pick up daughter from school and come home rest little-not sleep. I am a financial advisor and lucklily set my own schedule, so I have some flexibility. But all this crap has slowed down my business as well, not to mention the financial crisis the last few years. Should i taper back tto every 2 weeks with shots or just stop them completely. And should I try an get somnething for PCT like clomid or nolva?? I heard about HCgenerate from needtobuildmuscle, any suppps i could or should order to help me in the near term until i can get this endo to do some new labs and see what he can do or offer me. My wife and I have a short window due to her age, and this will be the last year of trying to conceive for us, and I dont want me to be the issue-- I need my swimmers to be good! Also would like to get off these shots and try an figure out a way to boost my natural levels thru possibly some supps or AI's. i do have alot of symptoms of estrogen dominance so i need to have my estrogen checked also. What do i need the endo to check besides total and free test? Ive seen E2, dhea, dht, lh, fsh, anything else i need to ask specialist about when i see him?? I really appreciate your advice matrix!!!!! Thankyou

As usually, it takes 2 to tango.
I would have your wife checked for proper hormone imbalance mainly progesterone. Female needs to have progesterone serum of at least >10 for conception.The best times to get pregnant fast and to conceive are the 4-5 days prior to ovulation, and the day you ovulate. Before resorting to all kinds of drugs, my brother and wife were able to get pregnant with the help of accupuncture. With in 3-4 months Bingo they where successful. It may take alittle time but in the end it would be well worth it. I would check your wife for potential thyroid disorders and this can prevent conception as well. Please get with a good practioner in your area because alot of them have no clue about how to properly evaluate thyroid.

 

[Power33]

Matrix,
Thanks for the replies and your concern/help it is greatly appreciated!! Ok so here is a copy of my baseline blood labs done on 11/10/2010 and results were given to doc on 11/17/2010. Rcvd by labcorp.

5009-CBC With Differential/platelet
IN-range units range/expected

WBC: 10.3 x1oe3/ul 4.0-10.5
RBC: 4.92 x10e6/ul 4.1-5.60
Hemoglobin: 14.9 g/dl 12.5-17.0
Hematocrit: 44.5 % 36-50
MCV: 90 fl 80-98
MCH: 30.3 pg 27-34
RDW: 13.7 11.7-15
Platelets: 200 x10e3 140-415
Neurtophils: 79 % 40-74 * out of range/
Lymphs: 12 % 14-46 * out of range
Monocytes: 8 4-13
EOS: 1 0-7
Basos: 0 0-3
Immature cells (x)
__________________________________________________
303758- basic metabolic panel

glucose, serum 103 65-99 out of range
BUN: 14 5-26
Creatinine: serum 1.12 .76-1.27
eGFR: >59 ml/min/1.73 >59

sodium 142 mmo1/L 135-145
potassium 4.5 3.5-5.2
chloride, serum 102 97-108
____________________________________________________
PSA total+% Free
Prostate specific ag, serum 1.0 0-4.0

PSA free .38 ng/dl n/a
TSH : 2.35 .450-4.500
________________________________________________
Testosterone Free & total
test, serum 362 ng/dl 280-800
Free Test (direct) 8.3 pg/ml 6.8-21.5
___________________________________________________

This was everything tested: He didn't even test LH or FSH so he couldnt possibly know if I was primary or secondary hypogonadism! Also surprised he didnt test my shbg or Estradiol/estrogen.
Im sure the endo will want to test these, but from my understanding my LH & fsh have probablly dropped dramatically due to taking Test cyp injections since december. What do u see/think from this???? I didnt take my shot today-usually i get them on tuesdays. I have got my hands on 10,000 units of HCG- vial of hch and another with the bacreriostatic diluent. Trying to figure how to mix and which size needles to use, and what dosage. Ive heard and read alot od different things. What do u think about 2 shots of hcg 1,000iu ew for 3 weeks. And taper back to 200mg every 2 weeks of test cyp? or should I just completely stop since i have had only 8 shots so far?? Thanks Matrix, also would like some good supps for a PCT, and should I consider trying to get my hands on some clomid and nolva?? Look forward to hearing back from ya!!!!!!!!!!