Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Discussion
Regiment said:
burritoNinja said:
My endocrinologist tested prolactin, free test, IGF1, HGH and few other tests.
Oh wonderful. Unfortunately i had to go the £100 a month route with a private clinic. The NHS stated i was low and had classic signs of low T but was still within the "acceptable range" so they wouldn't touch me.
s off. I was fortunate, the first GP dismissed me whereas the next just sent me to an endo. The endo was much focussed on symptoms than numbers. Sounds like you were unlucky.Scabutz said:
My first test was around that level (although the bottom range value was higher so I was closer to the bottom) at a similar age. I had to repeat a test a few weeks later and on that I had dipped below the lower range.
Whether you get treatment will probably depend on whether you have any significant symptoms that could be caused by it. Drs wont treat based on numbers alone (and even when I had a lot of symptoms when my first result wasn't low enough they didn't want to treat). Best thing is to try and use it to get a referral to an endo as the GPs don't really know what they are doing. There may also be a reason why your T is low that can be treated. Mine was put down to unknown pituitary gland failure. They couldn't find the cause so treated it with TRT.
As you said, the docs have said they won't do anything at my level (8), but I have successfully argued for a referral to an endocrinologist. Shame it has to be a battle to get anything but there we go.Whether you get treatment will probably depend on whether you have any significant symptoms that could be caused by it. Drs wont treat based on numbers alone (and even when I had a lot of symptoms when my first result wasn't low enough they didn't want to treat). Best thing is to try and use it to get a referral to an endo as the GPs don't really know what they are doing. There may also be a reason why your T is low that can be treated. Mine was put down to unknown pituitary gland failure. They couldn't find the cause so treated it with TRT.
budgie smuggler said:
As you said, the docs have said they won't do anything at my level (8), but I have successfully argued for a referral to an endocrinologist. Shame it has to be a battle to get anything but there we go.
If you are consistently at 8 nmol then push it all the way with the NHS. If it fails pay a private Endocrinologist to diagnose and then write a letter to your GP. popeyewhite said:
Hi, consistent blood serum levels, ie no dips/peaks, is pretty crucial.
Maybe, but the levels vary throughout the day (highest in the morning). It's why you get blood tests in the morning. Mine (naturally) were still lower than someone 95 y old, so I'm on replacements. BIg difference.
8Ace said:
popeyewhite said:
Hi, consistent blood serum levels, ie no dips/peaks, is pretty crucial.
Maybe...vonuber said:
The amount of people suggesting self diagnoses and treatment is a tad worrying.
As I noted above i've been on TRT since 2011, and they are still concerned about haemoglobin levels etc, even after all this time monitoring and changing doses. It's best left to the professionals IMO.
Self diagnosis of what? As I noted above i've been on TRT since 2011, and they are still concerned about haemoglobin levels etc, even after all this time monitoring and changing doses. It's best left to the professionals IMO.
I know four people on TRT, three administer their own and one visits a nurse once a fortnight for an injection. None are self diagnosing. The one that visits the nurse has one week where they feel great/OK and another, where the test is past its half life and serum levels are dropping, where they feel rubbish. The doctor accepts the injections should be once a week, but the medicated doses of test enanthate can't be sourced for the NHS at 100 mg per week apparently!
Legacywr said:
I had the injection on a 6 monthly interval, fantastic after you’d just had it, but it tapers off pretty quick.
I’m now on Tostran, a gel allied every day.
I’m very interested to know the when would be the best time to apply it, in relation to working out?
I take the gel. When I have my annual blood test the endocrinologist says to put it on about 2 hours before to get the highest reading. I cant see a bit of gel is going to make any material difference to your work out regardless of when you take it though. I’m now on Tostran, a gel allied every day.
I’m very interested to know the when would be the best time to apply it, in relation to working out?
lord trumpton said:
Does this TRT not cause the usual side effects like water retention, weight gain etc etc?
TRT doses shouldn't be high enough for water retention to occur. If they are then Arimidex takes care of it, or you lower the dose.Or live with a bit of bloat. Water retention generally only occurs if there's unused test running round your system. What 'weight gain'? You don't gain fat on TRT, and for test to incur anabolic muscle growth you'd probably need a bit more than standard TRT dosage.Wish me luck lads, finally got a positive diagnosis and am starting on 40mg/day of Testogel.
The process as a whole has been unbelievably time wasting. Even picking up my prescription today has gone wrong. The hospital pharmacy are 'not allowed' to give me three bottles at once despite the prescription; so I have to make yet another timewasting appointment with the GP and get them to write a prescription for other two. Why?!
It's just such a painfully long and drawn out process. I've spent something like £30 on car parking charges alone getting to this point and god knows how much time.
The process as a whole has been unbelievably time wasting. Even picking up my prescription today has gone wrong. The hospital pharmacy are 'not allowed' to give me three bottles at once despite the prescription; so I have to make yet another timewasting appointment with the GP and get them to write a prescription for other two. Why?!
It's just such a painfully long and drawn out process. I've spent something like £30 on car parking charges alone getting to this point and god knows how much time.
budgie smuggler said:
Wish me luck lads, finally got a positive diagnosis and am starting on 40mg/day of Testogel.
The process as a whole has been unbelievably time wasting. Even picking up my prescription today has gone wrong. The hospital pharmacy are 'not allowed' to give me three bottles at once despite the prescription; so I have to make yet another timewasting appointment with the GP and get them to write a prescription for other two. Why?!
It's just such a painfully long and drawn out process. I've spent something like £30 on car parking charges alone getting to this point and god knows how much time.
Good luck!The process as a whole has been unbelievably time wasting. Even picking up my prescription today has gone wrong. The hospital pharmacy are 'not allowed' to give me three bottles at once despite the prescription; so I have to make yet another timewasting appointment with the GP and get them to write a prescription for other two. Why?!
It's just such a painfully long and drawn out process. I've spent something like £30 on car parking charges alone getting to this point and god knows how much time.
Sounds like you've done quite well really. Took me 10 years, countless GP/hospital appointments, several different GP's/endocrinologists, loads of blood tests etc to eventually find a new GP who put me on gel after 2 blood tests without evening referring me to a consultant.
Strange that you have 3 items on your prescription at 40mg/day. 1 bottle of gel should last a month. I have to get 1 bottle per prescription per month as they usually only like people to have a month's supply. So that too is a bonus for you. Despite your complaints, you've come out of it quite well so far.
xx99xx said:
Good luck!
Sounds like you've done quite well really. Took me 10 years, countless GP/hospital appointments, several different GP's/endocrinologists, loads of blood tests etc to eventually find a new GP who put me on gel after 2 blood tests without evening referring me to a consultant.
Strange that you have 3 items on your prescription at 40mg/day. 1 bottle of gel should last a month. I have to get 1 bottle per prescription per month as they usually only like people to have a month's supply. So that too is a bonus for you. Despite your complaints, you've come out of it quite well so far.
Bad luck mate, 10 years, that's awful. My own journey has been 4 years or so in total, I was only counting the final bit with this specialist in my '£30' figure. I was fobbed off by various GPs for years before that despite having clear symptoms. I don't even want to think about how much time I wasted there. And taxpayer's money too, not just my own.Sounds like you've done quite well really. Took me 10 years, countless GP/hospital appointments, several different GP's/endocrinologists, loads of blood tests etc to eventually find a new GP who put me on gel after 2 blood tests without evening referring me to a consultant.
Strange that you have 3 items on your prescription at 40mg/day. 1 bottle of gel should last a month. I have to get 1 bottle per prescription per month as they usually only like people to have a month's supply. So that too is a bonus for you. Despite your complaints, you've come out of it quite well so far.
If I can ask, is 40mg a 'normal' dose of Testrogel?
It does seem to be the luck of the draw with finding the right person in the NHS.
budgie smuggler said:
Wish me luck lads, finally got a positive diagnosis and am starting on 40mg/day of Testogel.
The process as a whole has been unbelievably time wasting. Even picking up my prescription today has gone wrong. The hospital pharmacy are 'not allowed' to give me three bottles at once despite the prescription; so I have to make yet another timewasting appointment with the GP and get them to write a prescription for other two. Why?!
It's just such a painfully long and drawn out process. I've spent something like £30 on car parking charges alone getting to this point and god knows how much time.
Sorry to say it but you'll have to get used to constant blockers along the way. Some people treat it like they are handling anthrax spores in a vial or an atomic weapon. My docs (NHS GP) refuse to assist me with anything. When I was on Nebido, the GP refused to do the injection as "This is extremely dangerous stuff and you may have a heart attack in the practice!"The process as a whole has been unbelievably time wasting. Even picking up my prescription today has gone wrong. The hospital pharmacy are 'not allowed' to give me three bottles at once despite the prescription; so I have to make yet another timewasting appointment with the GP and get them to write a prescription for other two. Why?!
It's just such a painfully long and drawn out process. I've spent something like £30 on car parking charges alone getting to this point and god knows how much time.
Whole outlook from the NHS is downright pathetic. A lot of the time ive learnt not to mention it when filling out questionnaires for anything as the second you mention it, panic sets in!
budgie smuggler said:
If I can ask, is 40mg a 'normal' dose of Testrogel?
Yep, 40-50mg is about normal. 40mg is 2 pumps on the bottle. Testogel used to come in 50mg sachets (30 sachets per box) so 1 a day was standard. Now the equivalent dose with the bottle is about 2 and a half pumps for 50mg.Can take a while for some people to start feeling the benefits and some people will need to increase the dose after 6 months or so if it's not having the desired outcome.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff