Avoiding Anastrozole and Other Questions

It seems like you guys want to stay away from taking anastrozole. Why? I haven't started TRT yet, but have low-t (in the 200s) and have an apt soon with Dr. Saya at Defy. My current estradiol is 8.2 (8.0-35.0).

Would you recommend starting more frequently to minimize side-effects, or wait for any side-effects and then address them first with schedule changes?

Are daily or every other day injections any less painful than weekly (e.g. less volume, etc.)? I used to get allergy shots, but am feeling arm pain from a tetanus shot.

How soon after you started TRT would you recommend labs to look for side-effects?

Thanks for sharing your success!

Crazy-

crazyhaha said:

It seems like you guys want to stay away from taking anastrozole. Why? I haven't started TRT yet, but have low-t (in the 200s) and have an apt soon with Dr. Saya at Defy. My current estradiol is 8.2 (8.0-35.0).

Would you recommend starting more frequently to minimize side-effects, or wait for any side-effects and then address them first with schedule changes?

Are daily or every other day injections any less painful than weekly (e.g. less volume, etc.)? I used to get allergy shots, but am feeling arm pain from a tetanus shot.

How soon after you started TRT would you recommend labs to look for side-effects?

Thanks for sharing your success!

Crazy-

Click to expand...

Responding to your points, and I apeak only for myself, I wanted to avoid Anastrozole, not because it's a bad drug, it's a good and effective medication, but because it would add one more level of complexity to my protocol. It would become another factor to balance, another level to monitor and keep an eye on. Simple is better.

I am a big believer in small, frequent doses. I note repeatedly that only a small number of men need to inject on a daily basis, I'm one of them, but most will never have to consider the option. My doctor believes in starting her patients on twice-weekly injections and working from there. The vast majority achieve success on an every 3.5 day schedule; a small number adjust to eod injections, and a very few do move to a daily protocol. Less than 20% of her TRT patients are using an AI.

I don't understand why you'd want to wait for side-effects and treat them if they were avoidable. Not all will be, but a pro-active approach to dose and scheduling is something capable doctors working in this field do.

I don't notice daily injections after fifteen months of administering them. Practice may not make perfect, but it makes for a high degree of tolerance.

Finally, you test four to six weeks after the initiation of treatment or any protocol change. Dr. Saya will have specific directions for you. In my case, I wait a full six weeks.

Its another variable in your protocol and it's usually around here frowned upon but only because it's overprescribed/overdosed and included by some Dr's a requisite medication, that may not even be needed. The closer you can get to mimicing the daily hormonal rhythm typically the better off you'll be. I'm one guy that may need it no matter what, there's 100 guys and 100 guys that have an individual approach, we're all different, sometimes very very different.

crazyhaha said:

It seems like you guys want to stay away from taking anastrozole. Why? I haven't started TRT yet, but have low-t (in the 200s) and have an apt soon with Dr. Saya at Defy. My current estradiol is 8.2 (8.0-35.0).

Click to expand...

With a sensitive E2 level that low, you're not going to have to worry about taking anastrozole right now. Once you start TRT, your E2 level will rise...it's just a matter of how much? After at least 6 weeks, you can reassess with some new labs. #1 most important thing is how you feel.

crazyhaha said:

Would you recommend starting more frequently to minimize side-effects, or wait for any side-effects and then address them first with schedule changes?

Click to expand...

Don't put the cart before the horse here. In your labs from a different thread, I don't remember seeing your SHBG level. Was that test included somewhere? That level will be a better indicator of whether you will require smaller dose/increased frequency of injections.

crazyhaha said:

Are daily or every other day injections any less painful than weekly (e.g. less volume, etc.)? I used to get allergy shots, but am feeling arm pain from a tetanus shot.

Click to expand...

There is no reason why you can't use an insulin pin (1/2"/29ga or 27ga) to inject Testosterone. I inject into my quads EOD, and it is relatively painless.