honeymoon phase? Is the forum overly negative? is anyone on here happy with TRT?

[laq8ty]

I posted a few months ago. Little background on me. I tested 351ish for total T several months ago with an E2 level of around 7. Free T was also pretty low at 41. I felt pretty shitty at that time. Mostly fatigue and lack of motivation.

I worked for the next 2 months to naturally raise the T by taking zinc, vitamin D, and eating better. I tested around 390 for total T.

A week ago I started 100 mg SQ Test Cyp. I inject around 15 mg per day in the SQ fat. No HCG and No AI. A few days before starting TRT I went to draw my labs and to my surprise my total test came by 517, E2 20, Free T 75. I figured since I have the Test anyway let me start.

Been injected SubQ for a week and I totally know its very very early to really determine anything but I am noticing 3 amazing things that I directly attribute to the T.

1. Erections are great. Its like being on viagra without being on viagra.
2. Orgasms are intense. Sort of like when jerking off as a teenager.
3. Sleep is amazing and very very deep.

As I am reading on the forums, it seems everyone here is having issues with their protocol, dialing it in, etc. Its made me sort of nervous to keep proceeding.

It seems that people are complaining of terrible insomnia, a sudden drop in libido or erections several months in, etc. It also looks like everyone goes through a honeymoon period with an inevitable sudden drop.

In light of my recent labs of 517 total T and E2 of 20- is it worth it to continue?

 

[Dunc]

Nobody goes to a forum to tell everyone things are working as expected. I also think that every protocol is likely to need some form of small adjustment and the honeymoon period is felt by everyone to some degree.

This forum is fantastic if you have any concerns, you get answers in the old threads or one of the experienced moderators will help.

I had some initial concerns when I started, lots of friendly advice on here helped me. I'm now 6 months in and feel settled. I didn't have a big drop after honey moon. I also expect further challenges/adjustments will be needed in the future.

You seem to be focusing on your labs, whilst they are very important your general mood and alleviation of symptoms are more important.

 

[Golfboy307]

That is way too early too draw labs and make any conclusions. Wait six weeks and allow your body to normalize the external T.

As someone who has been on a pretty simple regimen of IM Test Cyp for six years, I am very happy with the results. (Sure it took some tweaking, but nothing major).

You have to remember a lot of guys who post on these forums are in the minority that are having issues and need some advice/help. There are tons of guys on T therapy that don't even venture here.

 

[Cataceous]

It is good to be considering these issues.

• For me, in spite of having some of the common TRT-related problems, life with conventional TRT was still better than being hypogonadal. And my hypogonadism wasn't extreme, with total testosterone in the low 300s ng/dL, and SHBG in the low 40s.

• It's a reasonable supposition that guys having problems with TRT are overrepresented in the forums. The guys doing great are more likely to be out living their lives instead of chasing solutions here.

• The honeymoon effect is real. It's unlikely you will continue to feel this good. And it is possible you will develop TRT-related side effects. These can start anytime, from now up to years later. A good protocol can reduce the odds of some side effects, particularly ones that are likely to be dose-related, such as high hematocrit and high estradiol. It is believed that TRT's suppression of upstream hormones can contribute to problems. The most widely accepted example is that suppression of LH and FSH can lead to testicular atrophy and infertility. HCG is used to combat this particular problem, albeit imperfectly. More speculative is whether suppression of GnRH and kisspeptin also causes issues.

• With normal SHBG I would not start TRT if I regularly had total testosterone around 517 ng/dL.

 

[Mountain Man]

You also have to remember that a lot of guys come to this form seeking answers because they have an issues. Many of us, myself included, it had nothing but great results with TRT.

 

[laq8ty]

thank you for the feedback. Right now its super early as its just been a few injections for me. I really don't expect to feel anything major until I have reached some sort of steady state. Given the daily 15 mg SQ injections that might take about 3-4 weeks just to get to a steady state. I did however notice the great sleep, harder erections, and better orgasms with just the first few injections- and I really don't feel this is a placebo effect.

I also suppose you guys are right. People who are doing well probably won't find a forum such as this one. I have my sperm frozen and wanted to keep things as simple as possible which is why I just wanted to run 100 mg SQ test cyp alone.

 

[Vince]

I've been on trt now for over 6 years. The honeymoon was crazy and I really enjoyed it.

Trt has been very good to me. Every protocol I tried has worked. It keeps my mind nice and clear, gives me the extra energy I need. The only issue I had was, donating blood. The last 4 years, I have not needed to donate blood. Which has made trt easy for me. I've never had to use an AI and I've always used HCG. 500 IU of HCG twice a week, something I enjoy. I started daily injections 4 years ago, and in the hope of stopping high HCT. For whatever reason it worked and now I'm hooked on trt.

 

[Systemlord]

As I am reading on the forums, it seems everyone here is having issues with their protocol, dialing it in, etc. Its made me sort of nervous to keep proceeding.

It seems that people are complaining of terrible insomnia, a sudden drop in libido or erections several months in, etc. It also looks like everyone goes through a honeymoon period with an inevitable sudden drop.

You are generally going to find people having problems on these forums seeking answers, not success stories because they have no need to seek out help on a forum.

 

[Blackhawk]

Given the daily 15 mg SQ injections that might take about 3-4 weeks just to get to a steady state.

6-8 weeks for steady state, 2-3 months for body, cell receptors etc to adapt to new normal.

 

[Warrior]

Been on TRT for 15yrs, used a few protocols, all have been good. Stable labs every year. 700-800 total, everything else in check. No AI needed.

 

[Fernando Almaguer]

It is good to be considering these issues.

• For me, in spite of having some of the common TRT-related problems, life with conventional TRT was still better than being hypogonadal. And my hypogonadism wasn't extreme, with total testosterone in the low 300s ng/dL, and SHBG in the low 40s.

• It's a reasonable supposition that guys having problems with TRT are overrepresented in the forums. The guys doing great are more likely to be out living their lives instead of chasing solutions here.

• The honeymoon effect is real. It's unlikely you will continue to feel this good. And it is possible you will develop TRT-related side effects. These can start anytime, from now up to years later. A good protocol can reduce the odds of some side effects, particularly ones that are likely to be dose-related, such as high hematocrit and high estradiol. It is believed that TRT's suppression of upstream hormones can contribute to problems. The most widely accepted example is that suppression of LH and FSH can lead to testicular atrophy and infertility. HCG is used to combat this particular problem, albeit imperfectly. More speculative is whether suppression of GnRH and kisspeptin also causes issues.

• With normal SHBG I would not start TRT if I regularly had total testosterone around 517 ng/dL.

What type of side effects with the last two you mentioned? Also Is coming off TRT for a month to do hcg and clomid the answer to preserving fertility on trt?

 

[Cataceous]

What type of side effects with the last two you mentioned? Also Is coming off TRT for a month to do hcg and clomid the answer to preserving fertility on trt?

Emphasizing again that this is largely speculation based on research and sparse anecdotal evidence: the side effects could include reduced libido, impaired cognition and erection quality issues.

I'm not aware of hard evidence that an occasional break from TRT with an HPTA restart absolutely preserves fertility. We know that concurrent use of hCG with TRT frequently preserves fertility, but not always.

 

[M.J]

Been on trt for almost a year and half I think.
Thanks to this forum I know what to do. Otherwise i would have be injecting 1000hcg and 250 weekly !!

Currently doing 75mg once weekly and 500hcg EOD+fsh.

I can’t go back, trt is a life changing yes there are some issues with TRT but overall I feel better than before.

The honey moon period was amazing, had them many times when I restarted my protocols.

 

[Henry]

I've been on Androgel for 8 years and I'm on 4 pumps with 500iu's of hCG every other day. I run in the 1400's for total T and I've been feeling great for years. I jump on ExcelMale about 2-3 times a week just to read and check on any new developments but I don't have any complaints or issues.

 

[Jake_from_StateFarm]

Like most other forums, a very large number of people find an online community due to problems they need to begin taking action to mitigate and/or, they're in the mitigation phase and, they've encountered a problem. For the most part, these folks participate in a particular community and then move along. Meanwhile, it's the steadfast members who remain active on the forums through the good time who reassure the newbies that all isn't lost and that remedies are within reach. The absolute most valuable epiphany for me on THIS forum was not falling for the "More is Better" boobie trap. Unfortunately, there are Boards and Clinics pushing High T cookie cutter protocols which create not only frustration but also worse symptoms than before TRT.

I've been on TRT since August 2020 beginning at 75mg/wk. I'm 50 y/o and now at 100mg/wk split into two pins every 3.5 days. Honeymoon was great! Mostly because of the dramatic change. Fast forward another 4 mos and I gotta say I feel "normal." Now, having this much energy/clarity/libido/MW is certainly not what the average 50 y/o experiences so I will characterize my state of well being "as normal as when I was in my early to mid 30s." For me, I think going above 100mg/week will set me into complication mode seeking fixes and posting negativity here. I just can't imagine what kind of a mess I'd be on 200mg/wk like what the cookie cutter clinics administer.

 

[ERO]

I posted a few months ago. Little background on me. I tested 351ish for total T several months ago with an E2 level of around 7. Free T was also pretty low at 41. I felt pretty shitty at that time. Mostly fatigue and lack of motivation.

I worked for the next 2 months to naturally raise the T by taking zinc, vitamin D, and eating better. I tested around 390 for total T.

A week ago I started 100 mg SQ Test Cyp. I inject around 15 mg per day in the SQ fat. No HCG and No AI. A few days before starting TRT I went to draw my labs and to my surprise my total test came by 517, E2 20, Free T 75. I figured since I have the Test anyway let me start.

Been injected SubQ for a week and I totally know its very very early to really determine anything but I am noticing 3 amazing things that I directly attribute to the T.

1. Erections are great. Its like being on viagra without being on viagra.
2. Orgasms are intense. Sort of like when jerking off as a teenager.
3. Sleep is amazing and very very deep.

As I am reading on the forums, it seems everyone here is having issues with their protocol, dialing it in, etc. Its made me sort of nervous to keep proceeding.

It seems that people are complaining of terrible insomnia, a sudden drop in libido or erections several months in, etc. It also looks like everyone goes through a honeymoon period with an inevitable sudden drop.

In light of my recent labs of 517 total T and E2 of 20- is it worth it to continue?

You are one of the lucky ones where TRT really delivers. Many of us never get the results that you have even after years and trying every known protocol.

 

[madman]

Like most other forums, a very large number of people find an online community due to problems they need to begin taking action to mitigate and/or, they're in the mitigation phase and, they've encountered a problem. For the most part, these folks participate in a particular community and then move along. Meanwhile, it's the steadfast members who remain active on the forums through the good time who reassure the newbies that all isn't lost and that remedies are within reach. The absolute most valuable epiphany for me on THIS forum was not falling for the "More is Better" boobie trap. Unfortunately, there are Boards and Clinics pushing High T cookie cutter protocols which create not only frustration but also worse symptoms than before TRT.

I've been on TRT since August 2020 beginning at 75mg/wk. I'm 50 y/o and now at 100mg/wk split into two pins every 3.5 days. Honeymoon was great! Mostly because of the dramatic change. Fast forward another 4 mos and I gotta say I feel "normal." Now, having this much energy/clarity/libido/MW is certainly not what the average 50 y/o experiences so I will characterize my state of well being "as normal as when I was in my early to mid 30s." For me, I think going above 100mg/week will set me into complication mode seeking fixes and posting negativity here. I just can't imagine what kind of a mess I'd be on 200mg/wk like what the cookie cutter clinics administer.

This is gold!

For all the newbies and hard heads.

"More is Better" boobie trap. Unfortunately, there are Boards and Clinics pushing High T cookie cutter protocols which create not only frustration but also worse symptoms than before TRT.