After many years I think I've figured my situation out

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sh1973

Well-Known Member
June 10th will be 8.5 years that I've been on TRT including various forms and doses. I felt the best in the beginning with Androgel which had my levels 600-750ng most of the time. Long story short had to stop A-gel do to insurance problems. Spent several years on injectable with doses anywhere between 80-200mg per week. I always felt like garbage for 1-3 days post injection and better toward the end. I've tried it all from dhea, hcg, pregnenolone, progesterone, boron, stinging nettle and various other supplements which all made things exponentially worse. I've always had elevated shbg no matter what I've tried. I have no other health problems and have never had to take any other prescription medications on a regular basis. Throughout the years, I've tried a couple times to restart with failure each time. One thing happened each time I tried to quit, I always felt amazing days anywhere from 10-13 post injection. I recently tried again, but this time I pulled labs on day 11 for total T and it was 607ng. After this I started back at 68mg once weekly with nothing else other than my daily supplements. It's only been a little over two weeks but I have never in my life felt better. I have a strong libido, nocturnal erections, great mood, no acne, no depressive thoughts, boundless energy and just feel damn good in general. For the first time in years, I could care less what my lab numbers are. I will get them checked in a few weeks just to see where things are. To me this completely blows the high dose theory for high shbg guys out of the water. I would assume right now my total t is probably 700 peak and free t only 8-10ng and I feel amazing. If nothing else, I hope this post can help someone else that's needlessly suffering. This, in my case proves you don't need super high levels to feel good!
 
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2 weeks is a little optimistic but would love to see what you have to say in 4/6/8 weeks or more. Turning things over to not being run at near supra-levels in a trough is probably the best thing that some guys need to have, I'm one that has cut way back in daily dose. Its always a curious thing when each of us says they feel good at. I know one of Vince's guys says he loves 200mg every 2 weeks. :shrug:
 

sh1973

Well-Known Member
Yeah definitely optimistic at this point. I can’t tell you the last time in years that I’ve even had a week of feeling good consistently. At high levels I hardly ever had morning erections even with cialis, but now it’s everyday. Gonna keep my fingers crossed.
 

Gman86

Member
What’s your SHBG level usually at? I’m a high SHBG guy too. Usually around 50. I’ve recently lowered by dose a little, I might have to try lowering it even more
 

HarryCat

Member
Glad to hear you're feeling better. I hope it lasts. I've been toying with the idea of dropping my dose down to 50-60mg weekly per Dr. Gordon. I'm down to 88mg/week now and still feel pretty awful.
 

Gman86

Member
Oh wow, that’s pretty high. Do you remember what your free testosterone was at when you were on 80mg/ week? I would imagine it would be extremely low with that high of a SHBG level. And obv even lower on 68mg/ week. But honestly how you feel is really all that matters. So if you’re feeling great keep on doing what you’re doing. Glad to hear you’re finally feeling the positive effects of TRT
 
This is good news sh1973. When I first started troubleshoot my issues. Most of my probles went away when my TT got up to 350. Yes that is not a typo. I did not really feel different between 350 and 630. My next steady state was 1175 and I did feel that. It had its good and bad sides. I have the permission from my doc to experiment to see just how low I can go before feeling something is missing.
I hope you will keep us posted on your progress. Something I've noticed with my TRT is nothing seems to stay the same for very long.
 

sh1973

Well-Known Member
Oh wow, that’s pretty high. Do you remember what your free testosterone was at when you were on 80mg/ week? I would imagine it would be extremely low with that high of a SHBG level. And obv even lower on 68mg/ week. But honestly how you feel is really all that matters. So if you’re feeling great keep on doing what you’re doing. Glad to hear you’re finally feeling the positive effects of TRT
Gman, day 7 trough on 80mg per week total t was 711ng and 11.7ng free t and still did not feel good. All I can say is I've had two weeks 24/7 feeling awesome and thats something I haven't achieved in years. Keeping my fingers crossed, it's been a long tremendously hard road and I hope this lasts. My urologist swears he has men doing 50-60mg per week and have been doing so for years with extremely positive results. Then you have some men that do 200mg every two weeks and have no problems, seems it's all just a crapshoot.
 

Weasel

Member
Interestingly, I'm a low SHBG usually around 25. I've also been experimenting with a lower dose of 90mg per week in split doses and may even go lower than that.

With 2x week injections of 45mg each, my trough (not that there is much of one) was 638 TT and FT was 131.3 (46-224)
 

Gman86

Member
I’m assuming this is labcorp’s free test range which is 10-26 I believe. So you’re free test is probably below low normal on 68mg/ week. Just goes to show how different we all are and also that everyone doesn’t need upper quartile testosterone levels to feel their best. This is a real eye opener. Thanks so much for sharing your experience
 

sh1973

Well-Known Member
I’m assuming this is labcorp’s free test range which is 10-26 I believe. So you’re free test is probably below low normal on 68mg/ week. Just goes to show how different we all are and also that everyone doesn’t need upper quartile testosterone levels to feel their best. This is a real eye opener. Thanks so much for sharing your experience
The scale is 4.6-17.1ng this is through Duke healthcare inRaliegh NC they have their own labs
 

Guided_by_Voices

Well-Known Member
Congratulations on your new life! I have also found through trial and error that I do best on doses that are much lower than what most use. For those who fear that lower doses will hurt athletic performance, I have a theory that a TRT level is actually the equivalent to a higher natural level because the TRT level is locked in place whereas natural levels are subject to more fluctuation and drops due to brushes with overtraining…That doesn't mean that a lower dose is optimal for athletic health, but it's not the disaster (IME) that many assume it would be, especially if your training is not excessive.
 

sh1973

Well-Known Member
Congratulations on your new life! I have also found through trial and error that I do best on doses that are much lower than what most use. For those who fear that lower doses will hurt athletic performance, I have a theory that a TRT level is actually the equivalent to a higher natural level because the TRT level is locked in place whereas natural levels are subject to more fluctuation and drops due to brushes with overtraining…That doesn’t mean that a lower dose is optimal for athletic health, but it’s not the disaster (IME) that many assume it would be, especially if your training is not excessive.
Thanks for the encouragement, like I said previously, I can’t imagine how it would be possible to feel any better than I do now and honestly it would be selfish on my part to try. I’m not at all concerned about building muscle, I just want to feel normal and be healthy.
 

sh1973

Well-Known Member
I have to agree 2 weeks is a little early. That doesn’t mean a low dose isn’t the way to go for you.

My TRT was ever so gradually increased from a start of 100mg 1/wk with 500iu hcg and increased in small increments. There were pros and cons to each regimen honestly. 150 1/wk have me the best sleep of my life but still good energy levels.
You could be right, but any change I’ve made over the years up or down 1.5-2 weeks was the best it got whether it was topical or injectable. The thing that really amazes me now is how stable I feel each day, where doing 80-120mg I didn’t know what the hell I was going to wake up to. You’re right about a lot of men needing an extended period to stabilize but that’s just never been the case with me and I hope it holds true this time.
 

1Draw

Member
Sh1973 that is great news for a high SHBG guy. Are you in a position to have full labs done very soon to see what they are including SHBG? It would be interesting to say the least.
 

Systemlord

Member
Way too early to get excited, I'm more worried about you getting your hopes up too soon, then hope turns into despair. Your body probably hasn't registered the change you made 2 weeks ago just yet, when it does you will start to feel the fluctuations again.

Two weeks for me on a new protocol is the calm before the storm, then the storm hits and you must ride it out.
 

sh1973

Well-Known Member
Over the three week mark and still feeling great. This is the longest I've felt consistently good in several years. Still doing 68mg once weekly with no difference in day 1 or 7. The only other supplements I'm taking is a multivitamin, 4000iu D3, 250mg magnesium, 3000mg fish oil and a probiotic. Any time over the last 8 years I made a change I would feel good for 3-4 days then right back where I started. I am totally certain I have figured this out and can't believe it's this simple after all the BS I have been through and tried.
 
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