Use of pellet based TRT and a few questions

[Guest guest]

" Had Testopel implants put in on 11-23-2009. Testopel raised my Total T level 30

points. 415 to 445. My opinion is Testopel was virtually worthless. $1000.00

pellets, $200.00 office visit, $200.00 to have the Dr. implant them = $1400.00 "

Having been on pellets for close to three years, and having talked with multiple

TRT patients who went on pellets after trying other means of TRT and my current

GP who is a top Sotopelle network doctor, I can tell you that your experience is

NOT typical nor does it " mirror the experiences " of most TRT patients who are

using pellets.

I suspect a couple of things right off the bat. First, how many of the 75 mg

testopel pellets did your doctor implant? Where did he or she implant them?

How long after implantation did your doctor retest you? Do you have sleep

apnea? How much do you weigh?

If your TRT is NOT being covered by any health plan, why did your

doctor use Testopel?

Pellets often substantially reduce the aromitization of T to E2, and when

compared to topical forms of TRT, pellets do not cause drastic increases in DHT.

If the pellets are implanted correctly and in the right location, the release

rate is very consistent. In addition, you do not have to worry about

transferring T to others nor do you have to worry about a daily or weekly

doseage.

Treating hypogonadism is by all means not a one size fits all, but I think there

are some other variables that are at play here in your experience with T pellets

You can purchase testosterone pellets from several different compounding

pharmacies as well as from a Sotopelle network doctor for much less than what

you are being charged for testopel. In the US, testopel is the only FDA

approved testosterone pellet available. Not unless the FDA has changed their

rules in the past two years, testopel is only available in 75 mg pellets(in

europe larger pellets are readily available), and the only thing in these

pellets that differs from the compounding pharmacy pellets is the binding

ingredient.

Following the Congressional hearings on the use of Steroids in Pro Baseball(what

a waste of tax dollars), testosterone was elevated to a Cat III controlled

substance, and this combined with the fact that the big pharmacuetical

consortium in combination with the FDA saw that male HRT/TRT was going to be one

of the next major cash cows in the pharmacy business, the stage was set for

drastic increases in the price of all forms of T.

Because compounded creams and pellets can not be patented and becuase the big

pharmacy consortium can not get a piece of the Compounding Pharmacy pie, the FDA

is working to shut compounding pharmacies out of the HRT business.

Androgel and Testim have patented means of suspending the T and then aiding its

absorption that are patented. Were you not paying for that patent, both of these

medicaions would be substantially cheaper.

During my TRT career I have used HCG, HMG, Androgel, Testim, Androderm(complete

waste of money and time)Compounded T cream, Testopel, Sottopelle, Proviron,

Andractim, Andriol and very briefly injected T. My experience with injected T

was so brief that I would defer to Phil or any of the other long time group

members on that means of TRT.

However, after working with three different endos and a GP or two and

participating in a hypogonadism study with Dr's Petilloude and Crowley at

Harvard, I learned a thing or two along the way. Of all the above listed means

of TRT, I found the custom compounding pharmacy T cream applied to the inner

wrist area to be the most cost effective TRT for me to date. The only thing that

I did not like about the compounded cream is having to apply it daily, taking

the time to rub it in, and most of all the fact that the FDA put the cabosh to

the pharmacy that was blending it for me.

Some doctors consider pellets to be " old school " , but I have found that most of

the doctors who claim this do not have the training and experience necessary to

master the use of pellets as a form of TRT. For those of us who deal with very

thick blood issues due to TRT, one of the first lines of and cheapest forms of

treament is oddly enough what has been termed old school barbaric

medicine--blood letting.

There are so many quacks out there trying to administer TRT who know very little

about hypodonadism and the nuances and the delicate balances of male

reproductive endocrinology, and if you happen to be stuck with an incompetent

doctor, no form of TRT is going to achieve optimal results for you. It has been

said before, but I will say it again, when it comes to TRT, there is no one size

fits all sort of treatment. You will have to find what works best for you in

combination with/balacned against out of pocket cost and side effects.

Good luck with your journey. It is worth it.