Grey market TRT?

[Calm Logic]

Another vote for HCG monotherapy:

https://www.thinksteroids.com/community/threads/starting-trt-at-home-any-help-for-first-timer.134429545/post-3478171

In any case, HCG is not a lifetime commitment (which, rightly or wrongly, is what TRT with testosterone is often said to be). HCG is not a controlled substance and produces less ISRs (a source of inflammation).

 

[Vash_]

It was SSA who are now gone, but it can still be found for way cheaper than a clinic.

True but I’m spoiled by the good ole days of $100 kits and cheap Primo.

 

[BNLFL]

If you are curious just spend 100 bucks and get your own blood hormone panel done. Then you can now if you want to go further.

My son said he could get it for me. I'll wait. The urologist I'll see is recommended by the county FD medial director and is a friend of my kid who's in the FD. All them FD boys juice.

 

[toologic]

Even the docs who refuse to do TRT will usually give in to a request for checking testosterone and other hormone levels, especially if there are complaints of symptoms like low libido, fatigue, etc. (A complaint of mild ED or performance anxiety is also good for getting Cialis 5 mg daily, which also seems good for the vascular system by raising nitric oxide.)

Not that anyone is usually interested, but HCG monotherapy is an alternative to testosterone for TRT:

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin monotherapy for the treatment of hypogonadal symptoms in men with total testosterone > 300 ng/dL - PMC

The 2018 American Urological Association guidelines on the Evaluation and Management of Testosterone Deficiency recommended that 300 ng/dL be used as the threshold for prescribing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). However, it is not uncommon ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

View: https://youtu.be/EhP5RvXBi7s?si=Fdbcpe0JHyk2z2gY

If you are a male you will have a much easier time getting TRT than a female.

 

[Calm Logic]

I have joked that it helps to at least ask a doc for a Rx and frame any low T results. So in the extremely rare case there is a legal issue, you can tell the judge you tried legally.

 

[d0se1]

If you are a male you will have a much easier time getting TRT than a female.

My wife is on HRT and we have better insurance than most. They only pay for the E. She can go once a month and pay out of pocket for a shot of T. But I always have left over from my script so she uses mine. Her doctor is aware and said great idea lol

 

[toologic]

My wife is on HRT and we have better insurance than most. They only pay for the E. She can go once a month and pay out of pocket for a shot of T. But I always have left over from my script so she uses mine. Her doctor is aware and said great idea lol

If they are at least open to giving her a shot of T they can give a script for it to go thru insurance. If that doesn't work then they can write a script to a compound pharmacy.

 

[Nattybynature]

Well I am from Canada where our healthcare system takes the come back when you’re dying approach. I am on grey market trt. But I also blast and cruise. I am done having kids and the never ending cycle of taking pct drugs and losing all your gains seemed stupid. I just run 12-14 week blasts of usually test plus another compound maybe some anavar for the first 4 weeks, and the. Drop back to a cruise dose. It’s been working well. But our healthcare system is terrible and I can’t even get bloodwork where I live unless I go beg a doctor who probably won’t do what I ask.

I do hope in a few years when I’m closer to 40 to go to a more progressive clinic in bc who is concerned with optimized health but it will be costly to start and they won’t accept me until I am of a certain age.

 

[GTS97]

I do my own TRT. There are other forums, similar to this one, that discuss such substances.

 

[FartfulCodger]

From what I've read, it's safer to go the secretagogue route, i.e., substances that tell your body to create more of its own testosterone, rather than depending on the artificial kind. There are peptides like hCG, as others have mentioned, and meds like enclomiphene, which is available from reputable US vendors.

Secretagogues are more grey than black, and the risk of damaging your health with them is smaller.

 

[Cannonball72]

My Dr. has me on both, I am low dose TRT 60mgx2x/wk 120mg/wk, and HCG/Enclomophene/ Gonadatropin depending on what is sent (2x/wk)

Currently Enclomophene.

 

[timj382]

I have joked that it helps to at least ask a doc for a Rx and frame any low T results. So in the extremely rare case there is a legal issue, you can tell the judge you tried legally.

My primary has had me on T (as topical androgel) for over a decade. It was a game changer when I went on it. Energy. Libido. Sleep. Everything. And continues to be. the HcG thing sounds intriguing. The first video is 33 minutes and I'm having a bit of an immature TL;DR reaction, but I guess I wonder A) if it's as universally effective as T and B) would it work for someone like me who's already been on T for so long?

 

[Tbagger]

I have a cupboard full of both black market and compounded test. My black market is about 1/2 the price. But when we are talking $15 vs $30 for a vial that lasts months, the price difference doesn’t even factor into the equation. I think the peace of mind of the compounded is well worth the little extra. But regardless of which way you go, definitely get regular bloodwork and some consultations from a Dr. Local clinics are nice for that and usually cheaper than the big chain clinics, but online clinics are also a good option.

 

[Calm Logic]

My primary has had me on T (as topical androgel) for over a decade. It was a game changer when I went on it. Energy. Libido. Sleep. Everything. And continues to be. the HcG thing sounds intriguing. The first video is 33 minutes and I'm having a bit of an immature TL;DR reaction, but I guess I wonder A) if it's as universally effective as T and B) would it work for someone like me who's already been on T for so long?

A) no. HCG is more of a natural boost. With test, there are no limits (relatively speaking).

B) as an add-on, HCG could be beneficial but maybe "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

The way I think of it, HCG like the TRT version of tesa. Same with enclo:

From what I've read, it's safer to go the secretagogue route, i.e., substances that tell your body to create more of its own testosterone, rather than depending on the artificial kind. There are peptides like hCG, as others have mentioned, and meds like enclomiphene, which is available from reputable US vendors.

Secretagogues are more grey than black, and the risk of damaging your health with them is smaller.

Testosterone monotherapy like your AndroGel can reduce the production of feel-good neurosteroids (especially allopregnanolone, pregnenolone, and to some degree progesterone). HCG (and to some degree, enclo) brings that back.

The guys I know on HCG just take it as an add-on to test. HCG monotherapy is not popular, but some clinics prescribe enclo with HCG, typically to the younger guys who want fertility more than test-c.

 

[d0se1]

From what I've read, it's safer to go the secretagogue route, i.e., substances that tell your body to create more of its own testosterone, rather than depending on the artificial kind. There are peptides like hCG, as others have mentioned, and meds like enclomiphene, which is available from reputable US vendors.

Secretagogues are more grey than black, and the risk of damaging your health with them is smaller.

TRT has changed my life. But honestly, I do wish my doctor would have tried other things first. They gave me the cookie cutter dose and I've had to do my own research to combat some of the side effects. After 4 years in, I'm probably stuck now.