TRT Update, 9 Week Blood Test

They call is "cruising" for a reason - I've just been cruising along, doing my test injections 1x per week and the hCG 2x. My initial prescription was for 10 weeks; at 9 weeks I had a Doctor consult scheduled and a blood test taken. Let's do the blood first, since that's probably what you're most interested in. These were my before-therapy levels:

Test	Result	Reference
Serum Testosterone	239 ng/dL	348 - 1197
Free Testosterone	8.0 pg/mL	6.8 - 21.5

And after 9 weeks of therapy (that would be 9 testosterone injections and 18 hCG injections):

Test	Result	Reference
Serum Testosterone	1,128 ng/dL	348 - 1197
Free Testosterone	29.4 pg/mL	6.8 - 21.5

So you can see that's a significant difference from my start numbers.

Serum Testosterone increased 889
Free Testosterone increased 21.4

My weight went from 184 to 196. They have an impedance body tester for body fat, not the most accurate I know, which showed me going from 14.9 to 13.7 percent.

I gotten stronger in bench (from 180x10 first set to 225x7), and the elbow and shoulder discomfort I had is mostly gone now. Unfortunately my back still bothers me, so I haven't been pushing on the squats and deadlifts. I did go from 275x6 on deadlift to 310x6, but that not really going all out.

So physically, there's been a very noticeable change. The more esoteric "mental" benefits have yet to manifest.

I still don't sleep well and frequently suffer from insomnia
No burst of mental clarity or increased motivation or focus
My energy levels do seem a bit higher during my workouts, but not increased overall.

The doctor didn't really have much to say when I pointed this out. She suggested a sleep aid supplement, which I declined.

I'm pretty happy as far as the gains go though, and I've decided to stick with it. So I continued the prescription with only one alteration, that being I decided (after consulting with the doc) to inject 2x a week, .5ml each time (for the same 1ml a week). I'd read this can provide more even test levels, plus it makes the shots a bit quicker and easier.

I'm still doing the shots myself using a 5/8 inch 28g needle in alternating quads on Mondays and Thursdays. No issues there. And the hCG in the stomach on Sundays and Wednesdays.

I did discover something interesting. With insurance, I was paying $78 a month for the testosterone cypionate and hCG, plus an additional $75 for the clinic fee, for a total $158 a month. So three months comes in at $474. If I use insurance, I can ONLY fill my prescription 1 month at a time.

If I "bulk" order from the clinics preferred prescription provider, I can get 3 months of testosterone cypionate and hCG for $425, a savings of about $50. So there you go....