Stopping T for conception. Suggestions?

[Pipster]

Hi everyone,

Over the last several months I've slowly worked my way up to 200mg/weekly of a cyp/prop blend along with .25mg of anastrozole 2x a week. For 2 months I've also taken 2000IU of HCG EOD, 1000mg of L-Carnitine 2x a day and 10 units of Ipa/CJC 5x week. I've experienced incredible health/fitness/emotional resilience gains on this protocol. My hope was to be able to use TRT while still being able to conceive. My doctor is Rand Mclain.

I did a sperm analysis today and completely failed. 1M sperm (need 15-20) no motility etc.

It seems like I have to get off the T and stay on the HCG. Does anyone have any suggestions for coming off? Do I go cold turkey? My biggest concern is that I've pulled the business I own up from an almost Covid death blow (and losing half our cash to a lawsuit right before Covid hit) and have managed to land investors, finance an equity buyout of my partner and start to scale the company on a significant level. I work long hours and love what I do but it's not easy. It is in fact one of the hardest things I've ever done and I'm proud of what my team and I have accomplished in such an insane business climate. I'm honestly not sure I could have done it without the fortitude and change in attitude the T provided over the last year. Not to be dramatic but I've staked my home and considerable assets on what I am doing and am honestly worried about a sudden mental/emotional change and how it might affect business.

If anyone has any experience in coming off T and how to maintain their mood, energy and focus I would really appreciate the advice!

Thanks in advance

P.S my lady and are both 39 so we feel we need to act now if we are going to make a baby.

 

[jmyers]

Hi Pipster

I have just gone through this. I had been on Testosterone for 10 years and had no sperm. I went off Testosterone for a month and was using 1500 IU HCG ever other day as well as 75IU of FSH daily. I had a vasectomy reversal last week and I am off the charts in terms of fertility.. I had started back on Testosterone after being off for the month so I have been on 500 IU HCG every other day plus 75 IU FSH daily and have maintained maximum fertility while still being on Testosterone but I think it was important to stop for that first month to kick start things.. .now I'll stay on Test and HCG/FSH and keep you posted...will be able to start trying to conceive next week.

I'm 42 and my wife is 43. You are going to feel like shit for a month but then just add the test back in... if you doctor will let you. If you add FSH to your HCG from the start you shouldn't even need to go off the Test to be honest. I did it because I wanted to get fertility back ASAP but I"m not sure if it was necessary. HCG by itself isn't going to maximize your sperm if you can afford it get FSH from Empower.

 

[jmyers]

Pipster

I just noticed that you are taking HCG! that dose will keep you working if you just add FSH... see if you can just add FSH and stay on the testosterone because nothing you do will make you feel better once you go off lol. Sperm has a long life cycle, think like 60 some day... so it will take awhile for it to show up in a test.

The FSH is what stimulates the sperm production not necessary HCG. That will keep you intratesticular testosterone high which is necessary for production for you need the signal from FSH to drive production.

 

[Pipster]

Hi Pipster

I have just gone through this. I had been on Testosterone for 10 years and had no sperm. I went off Testosterone for a month and was using 1500 IU HCG ever other day as well as 75IU of FSH daily. I had a vasectomy reversal last week and I am off the charts in terms of fertility.. I had started back on Testosterone after being off for the month so I have been on 500 IU HCG every other day plus 75 IU FSH daily and have maintained maximum fertility while still being on Testosterone but I think it was important to stop for that first month to kick start things.. .now I'll stay on Test and HCG/FSH and keep you posted...will be able to start trying to conceive next week.

I'm 42 and my wife is 43. You are going to feel like shit for a month but then just add the test back in... if you doctor will let you. If you add FSH to your HCG from the start you shouldn't even need to go off the Test to be honest. I did it because I wanted to get fertility back ASAP but I"m not sure if it was necessary. HCG by itself isn't going to maximize your sperm if you can afford it get FSH from Empower.

This is so helpful, thank you!

I haven't heard about needing FSH. My doc had me on 2000iu EOD of HCG but I didn't start it until a year after I started TRT. I'm stopping the T in 30 days right after my sister's wedding. Didn't want to be coming down on the trip

This information really gives me hope and I will bring it up with my doc. I think you're right that there is something about stopping and then maintaining fertility once it's going again.

Best of luck to you and you're wife!

 

[gaz7718]

I’d support these views albeit hmg is equally effective to fsh in my experience.

 

[Cips1975]

Everyone is different. I’ve been on TRT since Feb 2018. I am 45 years old and on test cypionate and HcG. My HcG dose and frequency is 250 iu on Monday and Thursday. Anyway, My wife and I are doing In Vitro and on our first cycle she is prego. I never came off even when I did my sperm analysis at the clinic during our review and Required health check before getting the clear for In Vitro. That was the only thing I was worried about when doing our consults, thank goodness my swimmers were still in action after 2 plus years of TRT. PS: my dosages of test have ranged from 200mg to 126mg. Been on 126 for a while now. No AI either

 

[DS3]

Hi Pipster

I have just gone through this. I had been on Testosterone for 10 years and had no sperm. I went off Testosterone for a month and was using 1500 IU HCG ever other day as well as 75IU of FSH daily. I had a vasectomy reversal last week and I am off the charts in terms of fertility.. I had started back on Testosterone after being off for the month so I have been on 500 IU HCG every other day plus 75 IU FSH daily and have maintained maximum fertility while still being on Testosterone but I think it was important to stop for that first month to kick start things.. .now I'll stay on Test and HCG/FSH and keep you posted...will be able to start trying to conceive next week.

I'm 42 and my wife is 43. You are going to feel like shit for a month but then just add the test back in... if you doctor will let you. If you add FSH to your HCG from the start you shouldn't even need to go off the Test to be honest. I did it because I wanted to get fertility back ASAP but I"m not sure if it was necessary. HCG by itself isn't going to maximize your sperm if you can afford it get FSH from Empower.

Your testosterone, suggesting that it was either cypionate or Enanthate, would have taken nearly a month to clear your system. So, interestingly, getting off for a month is likely an implausible causal factor in helping you regain fertility. The HCG, FSH, and vasectomy reversal are much more plausible causal factors.

No reason to tell @Pipster to follow the same protocol when it’s unlikely to aid in fertility given how short of a time period you discontinued T.

 

[DS3]

Pipster

I just noticed that you are taking HCG! that dose will keep you working if you just add FSH... see if you can just add FSH and stay on the testosterone because nothing you do will make you feel better once you go off lol. Sperm has a long life cycle, think like 60 some day... so it will take awhile for it to show up in a test.

The FSH is what stimulates the sperm production not necessary HCG. That will keep you intratesticular testosterone high which is necessary for production for you need the signal from FSH to drive production.

I second the FSH proposal! Good advice.

 

[T-dog]

If anyone has any experience in coming off T and how to maintain their mood, energy and focus I would really appreciate the advice!

I haven't come off T and don't plan on it, but I wanted to let you know I was able to get my wife pregnant right around the age of 42/43 with no issues.

My HCG was only 1200 IU/week.

I didn't come off Testosterone or change anything in my protocol.

Probably doesn't help you much, but wanted to chime in to tell you it's definitely possible to accomplish.

 

[Paco1973]

Go see a physician. Go to Defy, or some other place that specializes in this sort of thing. I was on TRT for almost 10 years and quit for the same reason. I hadn't used any HCG, so my testicles were like raisins... dead raisins. Anyway, I went on HCG (high doses) and my sperm count shot up to something like 18 million. There are side effects to high doses of HCG, so be mentally tough enough to deal with it.