Looking for some Advice with Testosterone Cypionate

[HOTFIRE]

Hello all. I'm new to this club and was hoping I could get some advice. Long story...hopefully short is that I'm a 30 Y/O firefighter (male). I had been feeling like absolute crap for over a year...and kept dismissing it to lack of sleep and the price I pay for the last 10 years of FF'ing.
I finally went to the doctor and was adamant about my levels being tested. Up until this point I had never had my testosterone tested. So I have no baseline to go off of.
He ended up discovering that my testosterone levels were really LOW at around 185-200 and my thryoid was up a little (something I knew about before...genetics). So I take a dose of Synthroid every day for life and because my wife and I were trying for a second child...he decided to have me take
Clomid. That seemed to work...for a while. However, I started feeling a few possible side effects like stomach bloating and mood swings. So we started HCG injections 3 times a week. That seemed like it worked also...but my energy level would fluctuate and sleep would too. We did this for the last 6 months. By month 5 there is a manufacturer back order on Pregnyl and HCG. So you cant get it anywhere.
My wife and I are expecting our second child...so when I went back for my check up at the Endocrinologist, we decided that Testosterone could now be an option. Thank god because HCG was costing me 105.00 a month because insurance doesnt cover fertility drugs.
So Im now taking Testosterone Cypionate. The recommended dose is 100 mg a week. with a 200ml/ML 10 ML vial. Thats only 1/2 a cc a week.
However, I have been an avid weight lifter and bodybuilder for years and was hoping to take a advantage of this a little. Heck..if I have to take it..I might as well get some gains and bulk up again. The past year left me with belly fat and extra fat around my sides...as my testosterone was so low for so long.
I have been taking 1 ml a week or so. Which is 200 mg. I also have taken a little more the last three weeks. It has been a total of 4 weeks and my main question is should I expect gains with great workouts?
Because Im low naturally...does the 200 basically get me normal and I should be taking more to get excess?
I have noticed some weight loss...over the last month and some strength increase. I defnitely am more motivated to work out than I have been for so long. I want to get bigger and stronger than I have been previously.
I have been feeling a little tired in the morning than normal. Not sure if thats because of the hard workouts or something new with the Test.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[HOTFIRE]

My main question is what dose would be good for me to gain size and strength fast? I weigh 205.5'11". Although I have noticed weight loss (fat loss around mid section) My weight is still around where I started. Im factoring in water weight that maybe be associated with it as the culprit and maybe some muscle gain.
If I reduce my caloric intake while on testosterone cypionate and add more cardio. Can I expect muscle gains and also weight loss? Or should I just be trying to bulk and wait to cut up?

 

[wolfman87]

200mg a week is more than you would naturally produce at 18. the main thing here is your diet, you need to eat to your goals. if your trying to cut up then yeah lower the cals some and do cardio. you are at a good starting dose but could always go higher if you feel like you want to. 500mg/wk is a normal amount for a cycle but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to go that high yet. maybe you should look into the "blast and cruise" method. just do a search for it.

mainly just focus on your diet for now. no fast food, sodas, ice cream, pizza, etc... this is honestly the only way you will ever be able to reach and maintain your goals. sure you may get some help from a supplement but if you don't change any bad habits you'll just go back to how you were before and possibly rebound worse.

so, yes you can up your dose, yes you should critique your diet (to fit your goals), yes you should do some cardio if your trying to cut.

do you have an ai on hand? i'm assuming you don't need a pct because it sounds like you're on trt.

 

[bigtravis]

IMO. Go up to 200ew with the test. Get some B-12 other than that I wouldnt deviate from what your doc says.

 

[gstacker]

Sounds like ur right on track now imo, keep doing what ur doing and one you platu or ur fat loss really slows down... Id bump it up a whole lot maybe 750 a week test and ad some deca.... But theres a alot of other ways to go about it jus my thoughts.. Nothing wrong with bulking now and dealing with the fat later.. Whatever ur preferance.. Gl

 

[theemperor]

200mg a week is more than you would naturally produce at 18. the main thing here is your diet, you need to eat to your goals. if your trying to cut up then yeah lower the cals some and do cardio. you are at a good starting dose but could always go higher if you feel like you want to. 500mg/wk is a normal amount for a cycle but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to go that high yet. maybe you should look into the "blast and cruise" method. just do a search for it.

mainly just focus on your diet for now. no fast food, sodas, ice cream, pizza, etc... this is honestly the only way you will ever be able to reach and maintain your goals. sure you may get some help from a supplement but if you don't change any bad habits you'll just go back to how you were before and possibly rebound worse.

so, yes you can up your dose, yes you should critique your diet (to fit your goals), yes you should do some cardio if your trying to cut.

do you have an ai on hand? i'm assuming you don't need a pct because it sounds like you're on trt.

Very well said! I am on 100mg a week because I was at a 1450 test levels on my bloodtest this last month, so I was dropped down to 100mg a week to be around the 1000-1100 mark as that was what my Dr. wanted me at BUT I will say this. Pay real close attention to this becauase this is what most Dr.'s do not know and they should, in my opinion. Tell him that you still feel fatigued and you feel slightly better but not quite enough. I say this because the Dr. could maybe bump you up more on your dose. With a continued bloodtest every 6 months, you should be good to go with 100mg a week. I would say in about your second month you will REALLY feel great with that dose of 100mg. Smart Dr.s are the ones who look at your blood test levels and ASK you how you are feeling! That is the secret behind the success of HRT. It took me 2 years to understand why this and that about HRT and its paid off for me and for folks in the same situations. You can always fudge the doses up a little throughtout the time you see the Dr. again. Just don't make it 300mg or so every week cause you will be out of oil and it will show on bloodtest if you do it correctly every week. I hope this helps you. It is important for you to get blood tests every 6 months from your Dr. to make sure everything is going good.

 

[HOTFIRE]

Thanks a lot! I was wondering what I should do. In regards to the blood test. The doctor already gave me the lab request..and Im supposed to go 2 months from the last appointment. That had me worried though. Because If Im taking more than the 100mg a week that was prescribed. Then they'll most likely think its working well or Im getting too much! So I'll need to wait and drop the dose down...but for how long? A week or two before the actual test?
One good thing is that with the dosage that was prescribed...and the insurance allowing 3 month (90 day) supply. They are not able to take any out of the vial so to speak. They only had a 10 ml bottle of it. 200ml per ml . So that actually equals 5 months or 20 weeks of 1/2 ml shots weekly. So I have some excess to play with and can refill in 3 months. Im relieved that at least I can do this legally with a script. Takes away the small worry that would come with it I'm sure.
Do you all recommend that I take some B-12?
Do any of you feel tired on Test sometimes?

 

[wolfman87]

the b12 isn't necessary but it wouldn't hurt. i would just get some energy vitamin water lol (the yellow kind that is). sometimes i feel a little lethargic while on cycle but i pay it no mind. i just do my thing and don't let the small stuff get in my way.

 

[theemperor]

I do not want to hijack the thread but add some BigBlast from proteinfactory.com to your cycle, it will give you some energy after you have been on it for a litle while consistently. I feel way better when I am on Test, more alert, more focused,etc. If you want, after the 2 month visit with your Dr., your next one should be 5-6 months fromn that point, so I would THEN up the dose to 200mg and no more. You don't need to be at a 600mg a week Test cycle cause its overkill and your body will start to have sides.

 

[MSA122]

Thanks a lot! I was wondering what I should do. In regards to the blood test. The doctor already gave me the lab request..and Im supposed to go 2 months from the last appointment. That had me worried though. Because If Im taking more than the 100mg a week that was prescribed. Then they'll most likely think its working well or Im getting too much! So I'll need to wait and drop the dose down...but for how long? A week or two before the actual test?
One good thing is that with the dosage that was prescribed...and the insurance allowing 3 month (90 day) supply. They are not able to take any out of the vial so to speak. They only had a 10 ml bottle of it. 200ml per ml . So that actually equals 5 months or 20 weeks of 1/2 ml shots weekly. So I have some excess to play with and can refill in 3 months. Im relieved that at least I can do this legally with a script. Takes away the small worry that would come with it I'm sure.
Do you all recommend that I take some B-12?
Do any of you feel tired on Test sometimes?

For a test in 2 months and you're already a few weeks in you'd need to drop down now... At this point I'd just tell him you've been doing 200mg/week, that you feel a lot better on this dose and see what the levels are; if they're in normal/high normal more than likely he'll change the Rx and let you stay there...