Hi from the new guy.

[Lokey]

Hi, new to posting but not reading.

I've been lurking and absorbing information for about a year (I feel like I know a lot of you already!, yeah, that doesn't sound creepy at all )

I've been on a (self-proscribed) TRT dose of test since Feb, started off with 150-200mg cyp a week and recently transitioned to undeconoate (@ 180mg/week). Never blasted but plan to in the future when bodyfat is at a more reasonable level (currently around mid 20%'s). I'm mid 40's so when I say "blast", I'm really just talking about a responsible(ish) increase in test and maybe adding a bit of EQ/Var.

I've used tirz for a bit and switched to reta a couple of weeks ago.

Currently using;
Test U 180mg/w
Reta 1.5mg/w
HGH 2iu/d
Oral minox/dut/tada daily

The HGH was a test to see if it improves sleep, not much of an effect so I may drop it. I haven't had IGF-1 tested and don't know my z-score so will likely remove it when the current vial is done and maybe pick it back up at a different dose when I've found out my baseline (IGF testing seems expensive and hard to come by here though - UK)

I have been collecting all sorts of stuff over the past year (probably got 20 years worth of TRT level test, a bunch of EQ, orals, peptides and all ancillaries).

Lifting-wise, I've been at it around 10 years (some years more consistent than others) and have tried most structured programs, 531 variations are probably my favourite but currently on a hypertrophy based PPL. It's my first attempt at real hypertrophy - everything has been more strength focused up to this point.

The reason I've decided to post is that I have collected a good stash from multiple places including local UGL's, Indian pharma, 3 letter China resellers and the latest HYB drama has me a little spooked. I may want to join in on a testing group at some point and I don't want my first post to get the usual misdirect to this sub-forum, lol.

Anyway, that's about it. Thanks for all the invaluable information everyone has posted over the years, I've pretty much read the whole forum front to back, it has been very informative.

I'll more than likely go back to lurking but thought it wise to create an account in the meantime and introduce myself.

Cheers all.

 

[Elektrobot]

HGH 2iu/d

The HGH was a test to see if it improves sleep, not much of an effect

Not everyone finds sleep benefits from it. Additionally, depending on what your natural production was, 2iu may be putting you under what you were already making.... and not giving you sleep, or other benefits. Testing is expensive, but necessary. Without it you are literally making random guesses. If you aren't willing to do the testing, step out of this world. Frequent and extensive testing is just part of it. I spend way more on testing than I do on gear.

What does your lipid panel and blood pressure look like?

 

[Lokey]

Not everyone finds sleep benefits from it. Additionally, depending on what your natural production was, 2iu may be putting you under what you were already making.... and not giving you sleep, or other benefits. Testing is expensive, but necessary. Without it you are literally making random guesses. If you aren't willing to do the testing, step out of this world. Frequent and extensive testing is just part of it. I spend way more on testing than I do on gear.

What does your lipid panel and blood pressure look like?

Thanks, I've been getting regular bloodwork (every couple of months) and everything has been within range except for slightly elevated prolactin (last tested around 3 weeks ago), lipids were last done a while ago TBH but it was well into starting exogenous test and no red flags, I'm probably due another soon.

I've been testing before and after any alteration to my protocol and there haven't really been any issues so far, everything has come back as expected other than issues with randox's testing... They gave me results showing normal LH/FSH and Testosterone even though I had been injecting test for months and claimed it was accurate. I made them re-do it and it came back as expected for someone on TRT so they either made the first one up or mixed my results up with somebody else's. I've lost faith in randox so will be going elsewhere in the future.

BP is fine, I was testing it daily but no longer feel the need.

Prior to increasing test or adding any other anabolics I will of course have everything checked again but with things progressing along as they are and without any significant changes on the horizon I'm feeling good with where things are at.

IGF testing just doesn't seem to be a common thing in the UK. I did spend a little time searching it out but there aren't many options available. The 2iu dose was just a number I had decided was unlikely to cause any harm short term and could have possibly helped with sleep. Before committing to a longer run I will definitely get a baseline reading.

 

[Burly]

Hi from Burly

 

[Elektrobot]

They gave me results showing normal LH/FSH and Testosterone even though I had been injecting test for months and claimed it was accurate. I made them re-do it and it came back as expected for someone on TRT

What was the timing of the first blood draw around your injections? Do you inject daily, weekly...? Injection day vs blood draw day timing can impact test results.

BP is fine, I was testing it daily but no longer feel the need.

What do you consider fine? Blood Pressure is the easiest thing we can measure, and possibly the most important. Addressing a rising trend in BP is the easiest and best health move. Keep it below 120/70.

Prior to increasing test or adding any other anabolics I will of course have everything checked again

You said you are in your 40's. Have you had any cardiac imaging done? Calcium score, echocardiogram... ?

I'm feeling good with where things are at

..... but you don't even know what your lipid panel is right now-

IGF testing just doesn't seem to be a common thing in the UK. I did spend a little time searching it out but there aren't many options available.

It's important to have at least one option to rely on for igf testing if you continue hgh. It's impossible to know how much to dose, how your respond in HGH to IGF-1 conversion, and how high up you are running your Z score without testing. Your IGF-1 conversion will change every time you change your test dose or add / remove other anabolics, it will change with a calorie deficit, and it will change with a calorie surplus. You need to be able to check it at regular intervals and during any changes. Blindly running hgh would not be a smart move.

 

[Lokey]

What was the timing of the first blood draw around your injections? Do you inject daily, weekly...? Injection day vs blood draw day timing can impact test results.

At trough, just before the injection. When on cypionate it was twice weekly injections but since moving to undecanoate (in MCT) I've moved to once a week.

What do you consider fine? Blood Pressure is the easiest thing we can measure, and possibly the most important. Addressing a rising trend in BP is the easiest and best health move. Keep it below 120/70.

I was just going by the charts the NHS publish, I was always on the low side of normal. I stopped checking after a while but you're right, I should start monitoring for changes, I'll reintroduce it but maybe once a week rather than daily.

You said you are in your 40's. Have you had any cardiac imaging done? Calcium score, echocardiogram... ?

No, preventative medicine isn't really something that's practiced with the NHS. If you've got a problem they'll try and treat it, but go in and ask for a scan and they'll tell you to piss off.

It's important to have at least one option to rely on for igf testing if you continue hgh. It's impossible to know how much to dose, how your respond in HGH to IGF-1 conversion, and how high up you are running your Z score without testing. Your IGF-1 conversion will change every time you change your test dose or add / remove other anabolics, it will change with a calorie deficit, and it will change with a calorie surplus. You need to be able to check it at regular intervals and during any changes. Blindly running hgh would not be a smart move.

Agreed. I've been trying to solve a bit of AM tiredness and ruled out sleep apnea and the obvious things. I was going to pull the HGH either way and get a baseline before running it long term but had it helped at 2iu I would have been more proactive in getting tested and dialing in. As it is, I'll probably sit on it a while and revisit at a later date.


Thanks for the response, you've given me a couple of things to think about.

 

[Elektrobot]

but go in and ask for a scan and they'll tell you to piss off.

Maybe see if your area has a facility that does voluntary calcium score scans. Here in the US if you want one below a certain age or without certain pre-existing risk factors, you can sign up to get one through heart health facilities for a reasonably low cost (usually $50).

When you run into something a Dr won't provide but you think would be beneficial, try to find how to get it for yourself. That's not always easy and options are very different between countries I'm sure.