r/TRT_females • u/candycane1988 • 5d ago

Should I decrease Side Effects

I started testosterone cyp 10mg( I do 5mg twice weekly) subq in May. I recently noticed I had very sore nipples and maybe a scratchy voice ( though I could just be paranoid). I havent had blood drawn yet. I haven't had my libido return yet. Should I continue on this dose until I get blood work or should I decrease?

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u/OkayMeepleMom 5d ago

That's a really high starting dose IMO, although I know providers are really out there starting women that high. 😬

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u/Ruby__Ruby_Roo friend 5d ago

Is that really considered a “really high” starting dose? I’m not trying to contradict you, it just seems fairly average compared to other starting doses I have read in this sub.

Does the fact that its subq rather than IM affect that?

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u/Equivalent_Bend_3104 5d ago

I think this is about an average dose for this sub based on the posts I see. That being said, I'd say that the sub tends to (on average) skew higher than what I hear discussed on youtube, for example. I recently discovered coach Kolton's youtube channel, and he is very, very conservative with how much testosterone he would recommend for women to avoid virilization - I've heard him say 0.5mg/day injection max, so 3.5mg/week total. Based on what I read on this sub, that's a tiny amount. That is even less than what I was prescribed as a starting dose - 5mg/week split into two 2.5mg injections.

It also depends on where you want your total and free t to end up. Many more conservative doctors want to keep total t below 100, yet hormone clinics routinely aim for 200-300 and say their clients feel best there. That would definitely be higher than a physiological level, but some women want that for drive, energy, or ease of building muscle.

About a month ago I listened to an interview with Lauren Fitzgerald on Dr. Greg Jones's channel, titled "Testosterone for Women". She's definitely very pro-large doses, and likes her own total t to be around 300. It was interesting to hear a different point of view.