Testosterone Cream blood results

[cylon357]

So, it's been a minute. Well, I'm back... kind of like herpes, I never really go away, just pop up when you least expect it.

Anyhow, I switched from SERM based HRT to Testosterone cream based with HCG about 3 months ago. My first bloodwork follows, but in short: it is working so far for me, with some areas of concern. Also, my 5-alpha reductase is the strongest there is Invalid Link Removed

TRT Protocol
1 "click" (1/4 ml) of 200mg / ml Testosterone cream, twice daily AM and PM
250iu HCG MWF
12.5 mg Proviron twice daily, AM and PM

With the average absorption rate of around 10% for the cream, that is roughly a 70mg per week injection equivalent.

I did drop the proviron 7 to 10 days out from blood work, though I don't think it really mattered. I ran the same amount of proviron with my SERM based HRT and it served mainly to lower SHBG.

In other words, the DHT reading we see in these results is likely because of the fact that cream, because it is applied topically, is more susceptible to 5-alpha reductase. BTW, application areas where shoulders, upper arms, tops of the feet and sometimes the glutes.

Other prescribed drugs
5mg Cialis daily for BPH
.4 flowmax daily for BPH
75mcg Levothyroxine daily

Summary
DHT is out of control, the f-word (not that one, finasteride) is likely in my future
Free T is slightly over range
Total T is at 890 out of 1100
E2 is in range for the first time in forever without an AI (possibly the proviron helped here)
PSA and Free PSA % indicate very little risk of prostate cancer and are not out of line with previous results
Platlet count is a little low, though that could be the fact that they took 11 vials or that my hemis have been acting up

Blood work was taken 12 hours after last cream application, 24 hours after last HCG injection and 24 hours after last 75mcg levothyroxine dose.

Question: any chance the proviron was reading as DHT on the bloodwork? I don't think it should, though do realize that it's ability to bind to SHBG will increase DHT.

 

[GQdaLEGEND]

Welcome back Herpes,

Yup gel works .. just a pain to put it on daily imo but sometimes there are no options ( For me .. im suppose to get my blood results in august and if 3x injecting doesnt improve might be being put on creame .. im not gonna inject 5x a week )

so theres pro's and con's

thanks for sharing the results as well

 

[cylon357]

Welcome back Herpes,

Yup gel works .. just a pain to put it on daily imo but sometimes there are no options ( For me .. im suppose to get my blood results in august and if 3x injecting doesnt improve might be being put on creame .. im not gonna inject 5x a week )

so theres pro's and con's

thanks for sharing the results as well

This is the compounded 20% cream, not the gel. My doc just likes to give it a try before going to the needle. And hey, it does seem to work lol, just too much DHT conversion. Though I'm not 100% shut down yet either, maybe when LH gets closer to 0 I will like the cream less.

Really don't like finasteride though I will dose a few times to get that 200+ number down, can't be good in the long run lol

 

[BBiceps]

This is the compounded 20% cream, not the gel. My doc just likes to give it a try before going to the needle. And hey, it does seem to work lol, just too much DHT conversion. Though I'm not 100% shut down yet either, maybe when LH gets closer to 0 I will like the cream less.

Really don't like finasteride though I will dose a few times to get that 200+ number down, can't be good in the long run lol

Do you have hair issues? If everything else is in range I wouldn’t worry about the high DHT, at least I (or my Dr) wasn’t when my DHT was high and everything else was in range.

 

[Ironpirate]

Do you have hair issues? If everything else is in range I wouldn’t worry about the high DHT, at least I (or my Dr) wasn’t when my DHT was high and everything else was in range.

Plus he's already taking Cialis for BP but will help with bph also.

 

[Kronic]

Do you have hair issues? If everything else is in range I wouldn’t worry about the high DHT, at least I (or my Dr) wasn’t when my DHT was high and everything else was in range.

it could make his balls extra hairy

 

[cylon357]

Do you have hair issues? If everything else is in range I wouldn’t worry about the high DHT, at least I (or my Dr) wasn’t when my DHT was high and everything else was in range.

If by hair issues you mean "bald as my avatar", then oh yes I've been bald for 20+ years, balding for longer than that. I'm 54 now, BTW. Point being, the hair loss ship sailed long ago for me.

Only real concern I have is prostate... BPH is an ongoing issue for me, even pre HRT. We keep a close eye on things... when I'm not on HRT or anything that elevates DHT, my PSA still sits around 2.0 or higher. You might not think that 1.4 points makes a big difference, but it does for me.

Had a bad experience with finasteride previously but the previous dose and regimen was overkill in that case. I proceed with caution with it now, like one half milligram per week is my plan for this 200 level

 

[cylon357]

it could make his balls extra hairy

I laughed harder than I should have at that

 

[cylon357]

Do you have hair issues? If everything else is in range I wouldn’t worry about the high DHT, at least I (or my Dr) wasn’t when my DHT was high and everything else was in range.

Actually, that does raise a follow up question. Is my DHT REALLY that high? Like, what is the highest you have seen on your bloods? That question is for anybody, BTW.

 

[cylon357]

Welcome back Herpes,

Yup gel works .. just a pain to put it on daily imo but sometimes there are no options ( For me .. im suppose to get my blood results in august and if 3x injecting doesnt improve might be being put on creame .. im not gonna inject 5x a week )

so theres pro's and con's

thanks for sharing the results as well

I thought it might be too, but the cream application is not that bad. One "click" (4 clicks per ml) is about the size of a dime, and spreads out over an area maybe the size of a dollar bill. I like to really work it in, though, as it dries pretty quick like that, maybe 3 minutes or so. It's just part of the routine now.

 

[cylon357]

Do you have hair issues? If everything else is in range I wouldn’t worry about the high DHT, at least I (or my Dr) wasn’t when my DHT was high and everything else was in range.

Did the follow up with my doc yesterday and that is what he said, too. So we aren't officially doing anything about it at this time, though I may microdose fina super low to see if I get prostate relief without sides.

Because anybody can just do what their doc says, but some of us earn the title "lab rat"

 

[GQdaLEGEND]

I thought it might be too, but the cream application is not that bad. One "click" (4 clicks per ml) is about the size of a dime, and spreads out over an area maybe the size of a dollar bill. I like to really work it in, though, as it dries pretty quick like that, maybe 3 minutes or so. It's just part of the routine now.

nice good to know

how about that 2nd application before night time .. what if you put it on and had to give it to your girl .. can she go down or not recommend it ? lol

 

[BBiceps]

Did the follow up with my doc yesterday and that is what he said, too. So we aren't officially doing anything about it at this time, though I may microdose fina super low to see if I get prostate relief without sides.

Because anybody can just do what their doc says, but some of us earn the title "lab rat"

Cialis doesn’t give you the relief you want and have you tried any natural supps?

 

[cylon357]

Cialis doesn’t give you the relief you want and have you tried any natural supps?

Cialis provides incremental improvement. I mostly like it for the bit of BP help it provides. 5mg is approved for BPH but I don't think it really does much for me in the way of the Department of Wood, I don't really need it for that. Now, 10mg on the daily, that is a different story. What's the clinical term? "Spontaneous and prolonged boners" Yeah, I think that's it

I have tried virtually all the natural supps, and have settled on a blend with Saw Palmetto (they all seem to have Saw Palmetto), Pygeum, Stinging Nettle and a few others. It helps. I've tried them separately as well, and I would rate them about like cialis: incremental, not awesome. That's just me, though.

 

[cylon357]

nice good to know

how about that 2nd application before night time .. what if you put it on and had to give it to your girl .. can she go down or not recommend it ? lol

She totally can! In fact, I encourage it! But I don't apply to my package, just to the tops of the feet (sometimes), or delts / upper arms, sometimes glutes. Plus, I REALLY don't think transference is that big a problem in that scenario, being as I'm only applying a single "click" (1/4 ml, 50mg) at a time, and the absorption rate in most areas of the body is about 10%. Even a full single dose applied to my lady would only give her roughly a 5mg dose. Which is nothing to sneeze at on the regular, but we would be talking a fraction of a fraction of that, so I would say risk is minimal.

BTW, did y'all see my medical license? No? Yeah, me neither, so, buyer beware and all that. I'm just some rando on the net, I would be real careful about any "medical advice" you hear from me