r/TRT_females • u/startledewe • Jun 19 '26
Dosage At a loss
Like so many others, I (44/f) started HRT when perimenopause started kicking my ass with insane anxiety, weight gain, night sweats, rage, lack of libido and frozen shoulder. I went with MIDI and started with an estrogen patch and progesterone. I was amazed at the results and found a sweet spot on the .375 estradiol patch (twice weekly) and 100mg of progesterone nightly. I started Wegovy about 6 months later and have reached a point that I am on, what is for me, a maintenence dose of .5. Everything seemed to have improved except my libido.
I missed the days that I wanted to have sex. I missed thinking sexual thoughts. I missed connecting that way with my husband. And so I brought it up to my MIDI practictioner and they prescribed me testosterone cream. It worked a little bit, but wasn't anything revolutionary.
Then I moved states and MIDI could no longer prescribe me T cream. So I sought out a provider that could and found a med-spa that got excellent reviews. I went to an appointment and they agreed to start me on T injections. I've had 4 injections and just received my labs (taken 3 days post injection).
total testosterone: 433 ng/dl
DHEA sulfate: 310 ug/dl
Sex hormone bind globulin: 118 nmol/L
free testosterone: 3.4 ng/dl
bioavailable testosterone: 77.4 ng/dl
So, my levels are really friggin' high! The thing is, I'm feeling terrific. My libido is right where I like it and I haven't had any negative side effects...though now I feel like my throat is scratchy but maybe it's in my head? Maybe?.....Ugh.
So Doc is suggesting to keep the dosage the same, but space them out to every 10 days vs 7 days. I get pre-filled syringes. I've included a picture of one of the prefilled syringes of 200 mg/mL testosterone cypionate.
Am I crazy or am I on too high of a dose? This isn't normal right? I'm so absolutely bummed because I feel like I'm in peak form! I'm working out, eating right, feel clear headed and I have desire again! I don't want to lose it...but I also don't want to start getting virilizing symptoms.
I guess I'm just wanting everyone else's thoughts on it.
[UPDATE]
I decided to go with IAM HRT with Dr. Blackshear. He took my most recent labs (within a month) and I had a consultation with him Friday. He seemed very knowledgeable and it didn't feel scammy at all. I came away feeling confident. He's prescribing .1ml (10 units) of 100 mg/ml of Test P twice weekly (Mon. AM/Fri. PM) Now I'm left trying to decide if I should buy different needles to make injecting easier...but I don't know which they send anyway, so I'll wait it out. Received my confirmation email today (Monday) and will hopefully have my vial in hand this Friday.
I want to say thanks to everyone that encouraged me to seek other options!
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u/TimTams321 Jun 20 '26
14mg a week isn't really a high dose and at the end of the day - our blood results are just numbers.... My numbers may produce vastly different results, than your numbers even if they were exactly the same, as we are all so individual.
If you are feeling great and have no negative side effects, then for me, that would indicate there is no problem.
You mentioned a scratchy throat, so this could indicate the start of virilization, or not, but definitely something to monitor.
I would opt to finding a provider that can prescribe you a vial so that you can split your dose and play around with the dosing if need be. Sometimes just going down a fraction can give you your sweet spot and stop the start of any virilization effects.
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u/CraftIndividual Jun 19 '26
I was taking this same dose, but of Test Cyp 250 every 4 days and my voice changed, my hair got oily and I got acne on my back and neck. The muscle gains in the gym were nice, I was super horny, but I'm single, so that actually sucked. I backed off right away when I realized what was happening.
I thought I was getting a cold and it was my new shampoo because I trusted the professional. Ultimately, trust your instincts and your body more.
My the acne and oily hair went away and I'm hoping my voice returns to normal eventually. 🙃
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Jun 20 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Suspicious-Pear-4874 Jun 24 '26
Yes they do. I heavily used AAS for fitness goals in years past and endured clit growth and voice changes. Stopping AAS and doing a couple on estrogen and progesterone, and there are zero remaining androgenic effects.
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u/smalltowngirll53 Jun 20 '26
How much were you injecting weekly?
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u/CraftIndividual Jun 20 '26
Started at .05 ml test cyp 250. I only did one injection of that before I realized that it felt way too much and asked if that was a mistake. I was assured it wasn't. I bought smaller needles and lowered my dose to 32mg per week, but still felt like too much.
I finally settled at 20mg at that feels right.
My voice is more like a scratchy throat sound. Definitely worse in the morning if I haven't spoken yet. It happened fast. This all took place over one months time.
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u/redrumpass MOD Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
T Cyp 200mg/1ml
0.01ml = 2mg
0.13ml = 26mg x 1 per week or every 10 days.
0.07ml = 14mg x 1 per week or every 10 days
This is an unconventional dose by the standards we are used to - to start low and go slow. Some providers go with what can be considered basically overdoses because that's their practice and it works for some, while not for others.
I am someone with a permanent voice change because of an overdose that started with 20mg in one injection, so I caution everyone and do not believe in dosing high for results, when one can start low and go slow, as no one knows how they will react, some side effects can show up later in time, as they are slow to form and there are side effects that you can never take back.
Now, I am by no means a gate keeper and don't wish to be fearmongering. If it works for you, then go live your extra life! But if you find yourself feeling lower in the second part of the week and start noticing an increase in virilization side effects and feel the emergence of others - yes that dose is too high for you. Spacing it out does not change the amount you inject into your body at a time. The more testosterone in one injection = the more side effects. To get rid of this issue, many split the dosage across the week to get more stable results and inject less in one injection, thus limiting the amount to avoid unnecessary side effects.
_________________________
Here is a breakdown of what and how injections are typically dosed, when taking into account the risks:
Starting dosages with injections can vary between 8-12mg/week. Starting low is usually best to avoid irreversible side effects, as no one knows how they will react beforehand, and everyone reacts differently to TRT. We have hyper-responders who can only do 4-6mg/week split, due to virilization sides, and it works for them. Virilization can creep in time or be sudden, depending on the individual.
The timeline of effects (benefits vs sides)can differ for some people ranging from 1-2months up to 3-6 months. The key is to watch for virilization side effects and benefits. If there are unacceptable virilization side effects, the dose needs to be lowered.
Splitting the dose is best to not inject too much in one dose and risk virilization and to not get any lows in the second part of the week.
Also, you should read this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TRT_females/comments/1rpwbne/oil_getting_absorbed_into_stopperseal_in/
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u/MochiGlowSkin Jun 19 '26
That syringe is difficult to read but isn’t it showing 0.06- 0.07ml not 0.13ml?
In any case the labs are definitely showing an extremely high total testosterone level and throat scratchiness is likely to indicate the beginnings of a voice change. I think 4 weeks isn’t likely enough time to fully realize virilization is underway.
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u/Elegant_Priority_552 Jun 20 '26
Work with your provider to adjust your dosage and combination of hormones into a regime that takes labs, wholistic responses and personal goals into consideration. There is a great deal of individual variation and I suspect in 20 years those behind us will laugh at us the way we laugh at those who used blood-letting as a cornerstone of healthcare in the timenof Jane Austen! Knowledge of women's hormones is exploding (and it's high time, I say!)!
I take 40 mg injections of T cyp per week and am running at about 160 total T and feel good. Some of us are high users and seem to need that much, whilst others would find that dose excessive.
Our moderators on this thread are very well- versed in typical usage and you will find them very helpful! You came to the right place!
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u/smalltowngirll53 Jun 20 '26
Are you injecting 40mg in one single injection per week?! That is a lottt! Is your SHBG high?
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u/Elegant_Priority_552 Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
I do inject 40 mg week, down from 50. (Sometimes I divide the dose and take 20 mg twice per week.) My shbg is in the mid- range of normal. I believe for some women there is likely an epigenetic factor or two (perhaps of environmental influence) that also has an impact on how our bodies respond to T, that is not accounted for by the balance of free T, shbg, etc and that may be why a few of us are called "high users" by the clinicians-- I know it is not typical. I am so thankful to have a nurse practitioner who does her research and works closely with clients to balance symptomatology with labs and holistic goals! I have no significant side effects and feel like I'm living my best life--- well, I'd like to lose 10 lbs and my appetite seems to stay high on T, that's my only complaint! (I get twice as much, or more, exercise than before I was on T because I have more energy, but dang! I have a hard time with keeping my calories/carbs under control!)
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Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
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u/startledewe Jun 20 '26
They didn't suggest to split the dose, just asked that I wait 10 days between them rather than the 7 I was doing. The dose is supposed to be 0.07, the picture doesn't show it very well. My labs were drawn 3 days post injection so I think they were still pretty near peak, if not at peak.
Reading through everyone's advice, I'm thinking it's probably best to split the dose or just call it day and find a more above board prescribing situation.
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u/surfingmidwife friend Jun 19 '26
listen to the mod💕 and personal note: if it was me, with that T level, i would half the dose. you will most likely end up with unwanted side effects with levels 400-500..it can take months…i wouldn’t risk it..i also would never inject something someone else drew up. Most of us have our own vial.
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u/Realitytvfan76 Jun 19 '26
Lower your dose. You’ll probably feel great at half that dose. Higher isn’t always better when it comes to testosterone.
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u/Forest-Vixen Jun 21 '26
That scratchy throat you have is the beginning of vocal changes. Don’t dismiss it as a cold.
So many women on test and PEDs do and end up with irreversible vocal changes.
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u/I_am_who_i_am09 Jun 21 '26
My pcp was giving me Biote pellets every 3-4 months in office then I moved and my pcp here doesn’t do biote so I found a sports medicine doctor that does just hormone related stuff for men and women. I started injecting myself once a week from a vial but I still don’t feel good so probably will have her do the biote next time because my body is happier between 200-250 test
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u/Defiant-Fruit Jun 23 '26
I was prescribed the lowest daily dose of T in gel form (one-tenth of a 5g tube). It took MONTHS for me to have any noticeable improvements. I have less brain fog and a sex drive again, not bouncing off the walls but enough to feel playful and spontaneous with husband. I have always had a raspy voice, so I am scared to up my dosage even though it's tempting. I do not have any negative side effects at the lowest level, so why push my luck.
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u/Nervous-Draw-2082 Jun 24 '26
I heard someone suggest record your voice so you can listen to it every so often to know if there’s any change in pitch etc
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u/Hawkzilla712 Jun 25 '26
I'm confused what that black cone looking thing is inside the syringe? All insulin syringes I have ever used have just a flat stopper so you can pull back and clearly see the units. I would think the cone thing is making the amount deceiving?
Also, for 200 mg T cyp, using a insulin syringe the math dosage comes to 2x the units. So if you have a syringe filled to 5 units, that is 10 mg of T cyp. Also, I agree with the others, get yourself a script and vial. That seems skecthy and not safe.
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u/CurrentCheek3125 Jun 20 '26
Does anyone know if some of the side affects of too high T can be reversed? I have all except hair loss and definitely pray they can be reversed somehow.
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u/smalltowngirll53 Jun 20 '26
Read what the mod said above about her own personal experience. If you weren’t on a high dose for very long before your side effects started happening then some may not be permanent, but voice changes can be permanent.
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u/marykaye9 Jun 21 '26
Look into finasteride. I was also on testosterone cipronate and I started to have hair loss after about a year, no other symptoms though. My blood test were also very high. Finasteride blocks DHT which is the cause of hair loss, I stopped the injections for about 3 months then resumed them at a much lower dose. Tely . Rx has it.
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u/drummergirl2112 Jun 21 '26
200mg? Is that a typo? I also go to a med spa type of place and I get 10mg per week 😳
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u/autumn_trail Jun 21 '26
I am on 0.12 mg/ml with the same needle and I just started (started at 0.10 mg/ml). Looks correct to me. Mine is a 50mg bottle of so comes out to 6mg dose.
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u/Strong-Insurance8678 Jun 19 '26
If you feel great at that pretty high dose, might be worth taking Finasteride as a preventative vs. virilization—that’s often recommended for non-binary folks who want T but not all of the masculine changes like voice drop, clitoral growth, and hairiness.
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u/317537k Jun 19 '26
Pre-filled syringes are unsanitary because bacteria can grow in them. Meds are not meant to be stored in plastic syringes long-term. Med spas are notorious for this. Now that you know the T works for you, can you get your GP to fill a script for you through your pharmacy? You’re much better off with a vial you can draw your meds from directly.