I really need help !!! 12 weeks and depressed/stuck due to low shbg.

[Testosterone9]

I am 31 years old and 12 weeks into TRT.

Please help me as i am really confused and stuck after my low shbg test came out last week. I am just kind of stuck at 12 th week. Seems like so much things revolving in my head at this stage.

So it is best if i give you what i have done so far.

I had been suffering from a low t issues since 4 years. I belong to developing country where there is no knowledge among the doctors about the TRT protocols. So with much effort i have got the prescription but after that i am all on own. No doc/endo/trt clinic etc.

But having said that i have read a lot about TRT since last two years.

I decided to start with 100 mg per week( 50 mg every 3.5 d).

I ran this protocol for 6 weeks. Labs came out as

Total t 721
E2 44( non sensitive)

The positives after 6 weeks.

Sleep
Mood
Energy
Confidence
General fatigue
Etc

But very below average changes in
Libido
Morning wood
Errection
Orgamsm intensity

So i decided may be the sexual area needs little more test and little low e2

So i bump the test to 120 mg per week. Divided into 2 injections.

Added 0.25 mg a.i arimidex with injections.( 0.5 mg per week).

I ran it for 4 weeks.

The positive changes described above were constant.

The sexual side also did improve at this protocol. I had a bit more libido and somewhat ok errections. But on a scale of 1to 10. Ill give it a 4. On previous protocol it was 2.

Labs after 4 weeks of this protocol

Test 633
E2 22 non sensitive

Then i thought i am doing pretty ok and might close to even dialed in so i thought i needed a bit more e2. Not much increase just a slight. So instead of cutting armidex altogether i decided to increase the test to 140 mg per week. 20 mg increase. So to fine tune my e2 and raise it a little bit for the libido and errections.

Then i started 140 mg per week( 70 mg 3.5D) and same ai dosage 0.25 mg with shots( 0.5 mg / week).

Just one week into this protocol. Cant say much about results so far.

Now i have my shbg test back and reported 14.58 from 19.8. So this made me so so much confuse at this stage.

My confusion is listed in shape of questions below. I really !! Need your help here !!

1)14.58 shbgb is low. What are the side effects of low shbg in relation to TRT. The only side known to my knowledge from What i have read, the test gets cleared from body too quickly. But i had my blood drawn just before my next bi weekly shot and i showed a level of 633. The best i had on peak was 721. So my test levels are not. " clearing quickly ".


2) Am i at the right protocol right now considering my low shbg?

140 mg test ( 70 mg every 3.5 days)
0.25 mg arimidex with shots.

3) i am not getting desired results in libido/ errections/ morning wood. Plus i am not recovering from my exercise sessions even after 2 weeks.

Primary question :

What should be optimal protocol for me at this stage considering my

History and dosage ( pls scroll up)
My low shbg 14.58
Very Average libido
Poor errections
Poor muscle recovery

Few options in my mind are.

1)

Returned to my second protocol where i felt the best.
That is 120 mg per week
Instead of doing 3.5 D previously, Now EOD injections. To reduce stress on SHBG. And lower free esteadiol as well ( due to low shbg).

Reduce Arimidex from 0.5 mg per week to 0.25 mg per week divided into two doses of 0.125 mg.

Or

100 mg per week. EOD. With no ai.

Please please help me, remember your knowledge will help a guy doing all his best "on his own". I can not thank you enough if you have read so far. Please do comment and suggest whats best for me.

Millions of Thanx !!!!

 

[Blackhawk]

First off, how long between changes in your dosages? You need to give at least 6 weeks after any dosage change.

Your every 3.5 day schedule is not serving you well. With shbg that low, every day dosing is the way to go. This is because low shbg means you convert to free T in large amounts fast and pee it out quickly, leaving you low. You need to top off every day. And by doing so, you can probably do fine on less total mg per week.

Your verbiage implies that you are self managing, not with a good doctor's management. Such a person could give you better direction in terms of correct dosage at every day frequency

 

[Blackhawk]

In regards to "clearing quickly", it is free T that you are clearing. focus on getting the free T in consistent daily range. The total T number is not as relevant for you with such low shbg.

 

[Vince Carter]

First off, how long between changes in your dosages? You need to give at least 6 weeks after any dosage change.

Your every 3.5 day schedule is not serving you well. With shbg that low, every day dosing is the way to go. This is because low shbg means you convert to free T in large amounts fast and pee it out quickly, leaving you low. You need to top off every day. And by doing so, you can probably do fine on less total mg per week.

Your verbiage implies that you are self managing, not with a good doctor's management. Such a person could give you better direction in terms of correct dosage at every day frequency

I only want to add that EOD might be a fair option here.

 

[ratbag]

In addition to what Blackhawk has said it looks like your E2 is too low, even though it's not the sensitive test. I would stop using an AI and allow your E2 to get higher. It may be that you are a low E2 guy as well and if so it may be prudent to take some DHEA to help raise that some.

 

[Blackhawk]

Non sensitive E2 testing can be giving you bad information to base AI decisions. Non sensitive E2 tends to overestimate actual level. It is likely your E2 issue actually much lower, and you may even have low E symptoms. Personally, I would drop the AI entirely unless I had high E2 symptoms, and/or confirmation of high levels with the correct assay

 

[Vince Carter]

as a low SHBG guy, stop looking at your TT, focus on your Free T and adjsut your dose such that you're Free T is not above or too far above the lab range, and you have to start getting the right (ultra) sensitive LC/MS/MS tests. You should also as a low SHBG guy be running, if $$ allows for you, "Estradiol, Free". We know low SHBG = (very) high Free T should also = (very) high Free E, too. E will be the real thing to work on for you.

 

[Systemlord]

Remember large doses with drive SHBG down further, high SHBG guys typically run 140mg weekly in order to drive down overly high SHBG and that's what you're doing and you're low SHBG.

You need 15-20mg EOD or 10-15mg every day. Whenever you move injections closer together EOD to ED, you'll end up needing less testosterone than the previous protocol to achieve the same levels. Leave out the AI for now.

 

[Vince Carter]

Remember large doses with drive SHBG down further, high SHBG guys typically run 140mg weekly in order to drive down overly high SHBG and that's what you're doing and you're low SHBG.

You need 15-20mg EOD or 10-15mg every day. Whenever you move injections closer together EOD to ED, you'll end up needing less testosterone than the previous protocol to achieve the same levels. Leave out the AI for now.

A+ posting

 

[madman]

Remember large doses with drive SHBG down further, high SHBG guys typically run 140mg weekly in order to drive down overly high SHBG and that's what you're doing and you're low SHBG.

You need 15-20mg EOD or 10-15mg every day. Whenever you move injections closer together EOD to ED, you'll end up needing less testosterone than the previous protocol to achieve the same levels. Leave out the AI for now.

He is not injecting 140 mg once weekly.....................he stated he was injecting 70 mg every 3.5 days.

 

[Systemlord]

He is not injecting 140 mg once weekly.....................he stated he was injecting 70 mg every 3.5 days.

Correct, but we have some high SHBG guys (mid 40-50's) injecting twice weekly and are able to get it to the mid 30's, as a weekly total is too high. I should have been more clear though.

 

[Testosterone9]

Remember large doses with drive SHBG down further, high SHBG guys typically run 140mg weekly in order to drive down overly high SHBG and that's what you're doing and you're low SHBG.

You need 15-20mg EOD or 10-15mg every day. Whenever you move injections closer together EOD to ED, you'll end up needing less testosterone than the previous protocol to achieve the same levels. Leave out the AI for now.

I can not thank you enough for your guidance. I am now coming closer to the following conclusion :

a) i should be injecting EOD
b) With a SHBG of 14.5 my maximum dosage should be not greater than 20 mg EOD.

I have question regarding your following point

" Whenever you move injections closer together EOD to ED, you'll end up needing less testosterone than the previous protocol to achieve the same levels "

I am really interested to know the reason behind this science. Why we need less mg when moving to ED injection to reach the same T levels?

Thank you so much for your knowledge and guidance.

If i need to update regarding my progress, should i create a new thread or post the updates to this same existing thread?

 

[Testosterone9]

I have very low SHBG 14.5 so i have more free E2. I have read a lot of low SHBG guys doing well on low E2 levels because they have more free E2. So do you still think that raising E2 is a good idea with respect to me very low SHBg?

 

[Testosterone9]

I only want to add that EOD might be a fair option here.

I am also making up my mind for EOD injection. The confusion seems to be vanishing as soon as i started getting replies from experienced veterans !

Thankyou!