Can I feel anything from doing one testosterone injection?

[calm--]

Hi, I've been having brain fog, depression, anxiety, restlessness, easily stressed-out, insomnia and bunch of other symptoms for years. Right now I'm working with a functional medicine doctor. One of the lab test show I have Low T.

I'm not really looking to do TRT because the side-effects worry me, and I dont like the idea of having to be dependent on it for the rest of my life. So I said to my doc that I prefer to try to increase it naturallly and he's okay with it.

But he suggested to try one shot of TRT and see how I feel. He wants to get an idea how Low T is affecting me, if it is the main cause of my symptoms before pursuing the natural route, because he said trying to increase it naturally is a long process. My symptoms may be caused by other things.

So my questions are :

1. Is injection the fastest way to feel anything? I'm looking for it effects on brain fog, mood and anxiety.
2. Will doing one injection enough to feel anything? If it does, how long before I can feel something?
3. Do I have to worry about side-effects from doing one injection?
4. Do I have to worry about it shutting down natural T production from one injection?

 

[Royal244]

Hi, I've been having brain fog, depression, anxiety, restlessness, easily stressed-out, insomnia and bunch of other symptoms for years. Right now I'm working with a functional medicine doctor. One of the lab test show I have Low T.

I'm not really looking to do TRT because the side-effects worry me, and I dont like the idea of having to be dependent on it for the rest of my life. So I said to my doc that I prefer to try to increase it naturallly and he's okay with it.

But he suggested to try one shot of TRT and see how I feel. He wants to get an idea how Low T is affecting me, if it is the main cause of my symptoms before pursuing the natural route, because he said trying to increase it naturally is a long process. My symptoms may be caused by other things.

So my questions are :

1. Is injection the fastest way to feel anything? I'm looking for it effects on brain fog, mood and anxiety.
2. Will doing one injection enough to feel anything? If it does, how long before I can feel something?
3. Do I have to worry about side-effects from doing one injection?
4. Do I have to worry about it shutting down natural T production from one injection?

Out of curiosity - how low are your levels? (SHBG, Free T, Total T) and how old are you?

 

[Vtail]

Hi, I've been having brain fog, depression, anxiety, restlessness, easily stressed-out, insomnia and bunch of other symptoms for years. Right now I'm working with a functional medicine doctor. One of the lab test show I have Low T.

I'm not really looking to do TRT because the side-effects worry me, and I dont like the idea of having to be dependent on it for the rest of my life. So I said to my doc that I prefer to try to increase it naturallly and he's okay with it.

But he suggested to try one shot of TRT and see how I feel. He wants to get an idea how Low T is affecting me, if it is the main cause of my symptoms before pursuing the natural route, because he said trying to increase it naturally is a long process. My symptoms may be caused by other things.

So my questions are :

1. Is injection the fastest way to feel anything? I'm looking for it effects on brain fog, mood and anxiety.
2. Will doing one injection enough to feel anything? If it does, how long before I can feel something?
3. Do I have to worry about side-effects from doing one injection?
4. Do I have to worry about it shutting down natural T production from one injection?

The TRT experts here will weigh-in on your specific questions. However your symptoms closely mirror what I was dealing with. I was on TRT for 3 months before asking my doc to check my Thyroid. Turned out it was the weak link, and after starting thyroid medicine my brain fog lifted and my sleep improved - this was 2 months ago and I haven't had brain fog since. Prior to that it was debilitating. Good luck to you.

 

[Vince Carter]

One shot while your're HPTA is not shutdown will probably make ya feel pretty good. But once youre shutdown in ~3 weeks time of continued Test injections is when it will subside. This is known as the honeymoon period.

 

[Rabbit91476]

i just started TRT. from 36-60 hours after first injection. I felt like I was 21 again. had sex with wife and fapped 2 more times in next 24 hours. it will remind you what it is like to feel normal again. at that point I couldn't wait to see how I would feel when ever I stableized. I think I just finished shut down. sleep absolutely sucked during that phase. no I hope only good things to come. reading on these forums will be hard for you. Most of these post will will be people who are having problems with TRT and will make you question your decision like I did. just think back to how you felt during honey moon phase.

 

[calm--]

Thanks for the responses guys.

Out of curiosity - how low are your levels? (SHBG, Free T, Total T) and how old are you?

I'm 42. My recent tests (February 2019) are Dutch test (urine) and Saliva hormone test. I dont think these tests show SHBG and Free T.

These are my numbers from Dutch :
Testosterone 3.5 ng/mg (normal range 25-115)
Estrone (E1) 3.1 ng/mg (normal range 4-16)
Estradiol (E2) 0.48 ng/mg (normal range 0.5-2.2)

And from the Saliva hormone test :
Testosterone. 337 pmol/L (reference : 100 - 720)
Estradiol (E2) 18.0 pmol/L (reference : 1.0 - 6.0)
Estrone (E1) 3.0 pmol/L (reference : 1.5 - 22.0)

From my 2017 test :
Testosterone 206 ng/dl (reference 241-827)
Testosterone (SI) 7.1 nmol/L (reference 8.4-28.7)
Free Testosterone 32.25 pmol/L (reference 22.9-104.1)

The TRT experts here will weigh-in on your specific questions. However your symptoms closely mirror what I was dealing with. I was on TRT for 3 months before asking my doc to check my Thyroid. Turned out it was the weak link, and after starting thyroid medicine my brain fog lifted and my sleep improved - this was 2 months ago and I haven't had brain fog since. Prior to that it was debilitating. Good luck to you.

Thanks. I have worked with two functional medicine doc, so far none of them mentioned problem with thyroid.

i just started TRT. from 36-60 hours after first injection. I felt like I was 21 again. had sex with wife and fapped 2 more times in next 24 hours. it will remind you what it is like to feel normal again. at that point I couldn't wait to see how I would feel when ever I stableized. I think I just finished shut down. sleep absolutely sucked during that phase. no I hope only good things to come. reading on these forums will be hard for you. Most of these post will will be people who are having problems with TRT and will make you question your decision like I did. just think back to how you felt during honey moon phase.

Can you tell me what do you mean by "shut down"?

 

[JayLay777]

I would doubt you would feel much from just one injection. It takes a couple weeks to build up in you’re system. What was the dose you took?

 

[calm--]

I would doubt you would feel much from just one injection. It takes a couple weeks to build up in you’re system. What was the dose you took?

I haven't get the injection. I'm planning to see an andrologist, but would like to understand more before I see him. How many injections I might need to feel the effects in term of mood and brain fog?

And if I'm doing it till I feel something, do I need to worry about side effects and shut down of natural production?

 

[SilverSurfer]

Frankly if you’re not willing to give it 3 months, I wouldn’t bother.

 

[Systemlord]

I haven't get the injection. I'm planning to see an andrologist, but would like to understand more before I see him. How many injections I might need to feel the effects in term of mood and brain fog?

And if I'm doing it till I feel something, do I need to worry about side effects and shut down of natural production?

If your TRT protocol is enough to get your levels into the therapeutic ranges, you will start feeling good by weeks 4-6 with the positive effects continuing for months. The way I see it is who cares about shutting down your natural production if it means having the levels of most old men, it's not worth preserving those levels.

If you're not going to give TRT at least a year, then don't even bother. You want to talk about the side effects of starting TRT, do understand that there are many diseases caused by having lower than normal testosterone, men scoring your levels live shorter lives and seem to be the ones with the most cardiovascular and heart problems.

Testosterone and the Heart

Testosterone (T) has a number of important effects on the cardiovascular system. In men, T levels begin to decrease after age 40, and this decrease has been associated with an increase in all-cause mortality and cardiovascular (CV) risk. Low T levels in men may increase their risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD), metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Reduced T levels in men with congestive heart failure (CHF) portends a poor prognosis and is associated with increased mortality. Studies have reported a reduced CV risk with higher endogenous T concentration, improvement of known CV risk factors with T therapy, and reduced mortality in T-deficient men who underwent T replacement therapy versus untreated men.

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has been shown to improve myocardial ischemia in men with CAD, improve exercise capacity in patients with CHF, and improve serum glucose levels, HbA1c, and insulin resistance in men with diabetes and prediabetes. There are no large long-term, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials to provide definitive conclusions about TRT and CV risk. However, there currently is no credible evidence that T therapy increases CV risk and substantial evidence that it does not. In fact, existing data suggests that T therapy may offer CV benefits to men.

Onset of effects of testosterone treatment and time span until maximum effects are achieved

 

[CoastWatcher]

Picking up on Sustemlord’s observations, what is your natural production doing for you? In the back of The minds of far too many, the decision to initiate testosterone therapy is seen as an elective, lifestyle issue. Well, like all medical choices, it is “elective” since no one is going to issue a mandate requiring you to submit to treatment; you can continue dealing with brain fog and mood issues. Why do you want to?

How long will it take you to achieve success? It can certainly take time. The same can be said of a diabetic trying to sort out blood sugar issues. A patient with inadequate thyroid function, working to balance the intractable aspects of that necessary, but infuriating, gland. Most of us here have learned that medicine is an art and a science; getting it right requires patience.

The payoff is worth it.

 

[fifty]

I thought i would feel something with one shot but I didn’t. I started trt doing subq for about a month then switched to IM and got a huge libido boost.

Currently I’m about 8 months in and struggling a bit...probably mainly due to big work stress. Limited exercise and free time.

 

[calm--]

Thanks for the responses guys. So it doesn't seems as simple as I initially thought. I'll need to have a chat with my doc.

 

[Systemlord]

Thanks for the responses guys. So it doesn't seems as simple as I initially thought. I'll need to have a chat with my doc.

It appears your functional medicine doctors knowledge in TRT is seriously lacking, most doctors will be ignorant in this area of medicine as sex hormones is only mentioned briefly in medical school and residency.

Typically a doctor that specializes in TRT will likely not be working under an insurance network, but in private practice in anti-aging or sports medicine.

 

[Cips1975]

Hi, I've been having brain fog, depression, anxiety, restlessness, easily stressed-out, insomnia and bunch of other symptoms for years. Right now I'm working with a functional medicine doctor. One of the lab test show I have Low T.

I'm not really looking to do TRT because the side-effects worry me, and I dont like the idea of having to be dependent on it for the rest of my life. So I said to my doc that I prefer to try to increase it naturallly and he's okay with it.

But he suggested to try one shot of TRT and see how I feel. He wants to get an idea how Low T is affecting me, if it is the main cause of my symptoms before pursuing the natural route, because he said trying to increase it naturally is a long process. My symptoms may be caused by other things.

So my questions are :

1. Is injection the fastest way to feel anything? I'm looking for it effects on brain fog, mood and anxiety.
2. Will doing one injection enough to feel anything? If it does, how long before I can feel something?
3. Do I have to worry about side-effects from doing one injection?
4. Do I have to worry about it shutting down natural T production from one injection?

I am curious if you know what your doctors plan to do to increase it naturally? I would like to hear from others on this board as well Because to my knowledge, increasing T naturally to any significant or meaningful measure would not likely occur if you already have very low T, especially if other factors like your exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress and other lifestyle factors are normal.

 

[Systemlord]

I am curious if you know what your doctors plan to do to increase it naturally? I would like to hear from others on this board as well Because to my knowledge, increasing T naturally to any significant or meaningful measure would not likely occur if you already have very low T, especially if other factors like your exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress and other lifestyle factors are normal.

Excellent point, increasing testosterone naturally to any significant degree when testosterone is already low will likely not happen because you are at a disadvantage and in a diseased state. Most men do not increase testosterone by a large enough margin and optimal levels should be the goal and TRT is needed to achieve optimal.

I'm pretty sure this doctor hasn't really given much thought as to how the OP is supposed to increase his testosterone naturally other than crossing his fingers and hoping for the best. It's clear this doctor based off his suggestion ("he suggested to try one shot of TRT and see how I feel") is operating so far outside his area of expertise, he can only do harm.

So the OP injects testosterone once, his naturally production likely is disrupted or worse he is shutdown, no positive results are seen in a short time frame and now the plan is stop TRT, so now the OP may see testosterone go to zero while waiting for his natural production to start up again, then he returns to the state he was in pre-TRT.

So now it's time to start TRT only this time with someone who has experience in this area of medicine. How about just skip all of the above misery and find someone who specializes in TRT.

 

[calm--]

I am curious if you know what your doctors plan to do to increase it naturally? I would like to hear from others on this board as well Because to my knowledge, increasing T naturally to any significant or meaningful measure would not likely occur if you already have very low T, especially if other factors like your exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress and other lifestyle factors are normal.

I dont know. He only said it's a long process and not near as effective as TRT.

 

[CoastWatcher]

I dont know. He only said it's a long process and not near as effective as TRT.

Of course it is “a long process” as he is likely making it up as he goes along.

 

[calm--]

I am curious if you know what your doctors plan to do to increase it naturally? I would like to hear from others on this board as well Because to my knowledge, increasing T naturally to any significant or meaningful measure would not likely occur if you already have very low T, especially if other factors like your exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress and other lifestyle factors are normal.

I forgot to mention that right now my sleep and stress level is crap. I'm restless and I'm easily stressed-out. I cant do hard exercise. Couple months ago I do weight train only once, and I crashed and become irritable for 2 days. Couple months before I did slow short jog (only like 3 minutes) and I notice more brain fog and more depressed for the rest of the day. I dont know what's happening with me.

Nutrition is good though, I eat healthy.

I'm hoping that if I can fix my sleep, stress, and able to exercise again, I can slowly improve the T.

 

[Systemlord]

I forgot to mention that right now my sleep and stress level is crap. I'm restless and I'm easily stressed-out. I cant do hard exercise. Couple months ago I do weight train only once, and I crashed and become irritable for 2 days. Couple months before I did slow short jog (only like 3 minutes) and I notice more brain fog and more depressed for the rest of the day.

Nutrition is good though, I eat healthy.

I'm hoping that if I can fix my sleep, stress, and able to exercise again, I can slowly improve the T.

Men with low levels of testosterone report poor, disruptive sleep and high than normal stress, TRT annihilated my stress and made me calmer. When my levels are optimal nothing bothers me and always have a positive outlook.