30 days TRT blood tests - feeling almost nothing

[zorb]

Hey all, thanks in advance for any help on this.
Considering just quitting TRT all together if this is the best I can feel.

Previously took Enclomiphene Citrate for 18 months, feel about the same as I did on that.
Both products had a pronounced Honeymoon phase that felt amazing. My wife thought it was a miracle, my positive change in behavior was that pronounced.

My main reasons for treating: Low energy, irritable, unenthusiastic, rarely horny.

Dosage: 80mg/week Test Cyp - split into two doses, Saturday morning and Tuesday Evening.

Lifestyle and body comp: I run 20-30 miles a week. Lift weights 2x a week but mainly just as an accessory to improve my running.
I am lean. 5:11" 160 lbs (2nd heaviest I've ever been) inBody has me at 10% body fat but probably more like 15-18%

Before taking enclomiphene I was 175 lbs but also had clear signs of metabolic syndrome, lot of belly fat etc, but I was also not active and drinking and eating like shit.

My levels are lower than they were on Enclomiphene, but concerningly for the first time ever I have some funky cholesterol numbers after having perfect lipids my entire life

Also my Thyroid was fine when I was on Enclo, as soon as I quit my TSH is in the red but my T3/T4 are acceptable but not great.

I have read all the threads about low SHBG, including the arguments that it's a red herring.

That being said, where would y'all go from here? I would do lower dose, higher dose, whatever at this point.

 

[Seagal]

What did you expect to feel?

 

[zorb]

What did you expect to feel?

More Energy, motivation, desire, etc.
I have three kids and I am married. When I first started TRT it felt easy, more patient with the wife and kids etc. It was like a warm blanket.


I know this is likely the honeymoon phase, but I also changed my dosing schedule slightly because I didn't like the days I was dosing on and when I moved that dose up I felt a hint of that again for a few days.

If a single larger dose would make me feel good half the week and bad half the week I would do it.

Also I realize that the format I attached my labs in looks awful so I will reupload that in a second.

 

[zorb]

Wanted to also add blood was Drawn Tuesday morning, fasted, previous shot was Saturday morning, so 72 hours later roughly.

She blew my vein out and had to switch arms and gave me a cold sweat, nearly feinted after that so highly doubt the cortisol is very pertinent

 

[Seagal]

You could try a higher weekly dose increasing gradually from 80 to 120 mg

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Dosage: 80mg/week Test Cyp - split into two doses, Saturday morning and Tuesday Evening.

The fact that you still have detectable LH and FSH tells me you are underdosing. Go up to 125 mg per week.

 

[zorb]

The fact that you still have detectable LH and FSH tells me you are underdosing. Go up to 125 mg per week.

I wondered about that too.
My LH and FSH were pretty jacked prior as I was on Enclomiphene for 18 months and quit only about 3-4 weeks before switching to TRT.

Would you be worried about increasing with the sudden cholesterol spike?

 

[WhiteMale]

30 days is too little of time to get steady, I think you're barely starting to shutdown though FSH and LH might as well be zero as they are so low it doesn't matter. I think it'd be irresponsible to adjust dose at 30 days.
Look to have your Estrogen close to your SHBG value, test your Estrogen, Free, and, Ultra-Sensitive LC/MS/MS if you can afford both tests. IMHO your Estrogen (whatever specific test was run), 41 in your trough is too high.

I'd keep the test dosage steady for a while longer.

Too Cortisol last I knew was a saliva test and not a blood test for a true picture there.

 

[zorb]

30 days is too little of time to get steady, I think you're barely starting to shutdown though FSH and LH might as well be zero as they are so low it doesn't matter. I think it'd be irresponsible to adjust dose at 30 days.
Look to have your Estrogen close to your SHBG value, test your Estrogen, Free, and, Ultra-Sensitive LC/MS/MS if you can afford both tests. IMHO your Estrogen (whatever specific test was run), 41 in your trough is too high.

I'd keep the test dosage steady for a while longer.

Too Cortisol last I knew was a saliva test and not a blood test for a true picture there.

How would you recommend getting estrogen closer to my SHBG?
When I was on Enclomiphene my e2, free T and total T was even higher than it is now.

SHBG stayed the same the entire time, just now dropped lower with starting TRT

I will keep dosage consistent with whatever my telehealth doc advises for the time being.
I don't have an appointment until 1/27 and I started TRT 12/12 so we'll be around 45 days by then but my blood tests at the appointment will be based on that 30 day mark

HOWEVER, I see no harm in adjusting my dosage frequency. I took the 20 units Saturday night and then Monday I took 12 units with the intent of switch to EoD
.12ml * 3.5doses/week * 200mg/ml= 84 mg so functionally identical dosage I think.

And this morning, I felt amazing. Had some speed work in my training scheduled for after work which is pretty taxing so that faded afterwards (slightly over trained right now, beginning my tapering off phase)

These little glimmers of how I felt when I first started are enough to keep me trying.

Placebo? I don't know. But I assume today would be my highest serum level since I took 20 units and 12 units again sooner than I normally would have.

 

[Phil Goodman]

I agree with Nelson that your dose is too low. This is supported by the fact that you increased your levels by taking your shot early and got a boost that you’d been missing. Plus 80/week is on the lower side. It works for some people but plenty of studies suggest 100-125/week is the optimal dosage.

I’d also say that running 20-30 miles per week is possibly breaking your body down and causing excessive inflammation and cortisol. That’s another factor to consider, though it would be helpful to have more insight into your regimen along with how long you’ve been doing it and the changes you’ve experienced since starting it.


But the user above does make a decent point about 30 day usually being too early to adjust protocols. But honestly story aren’t dealing with unwanted sides… you’re dealing with unresolved symptoms, and considering they were resolved then came back, along with you being on a lower end dose I’d say it would be reasonable to go ahead and change your dosage if you’d like (and assuming your doctor will adjust your script accordingly). Or as you said you could test the theory by taking larger shots less frequently. Then if you feel better at the higher levels after the larger dose that’s another indicator your under dosed.


That would be my initial thoughts based on the information you’ve shared

 

[zorb]

I agree with Nelson that your dose is too low. This is supported by the fact that you increased your levels by taking your shot early and got a boost that you’d been missing. Plus 80/week is on the lower side. It works for some people but plenty of studies suggest 100-125/week is the optimal dosage.

I’d also say that running 20-30 miles per week is possibly breaking your body down and causing excessive inflammation and cortisol. That’s another factor to consider, though it would be helpful to have more insight into your regimen along with how long you’ve been doing it and the changes you’ve experienced since starting it.


But the user above does make a decent point about 30 day usually being too early to adjust protocols. But honestly story aren’t dealing with unwanted sides… you’re dealing with unresolved symptoms, and considering they were resolved then came back, along with you being on a lower end dose I’d say it would be reasonable to go ahead and change your dosage if you’d like (and assuming your doctor will adjust your script accordingly). Or as you said you could test the theory by taking larger shots less frequently. Then if you feel better at the higher levels after the larger dose that’s another indicator your under dosed.


That would be my initial thoughts based on the information you’ve shared

Thank you
Im guilty of wanting this to be correct cause it's what my inner bias wants to be true.
Cholesterol weirdness aside.

Although I'll admit I have no idea if some of what I feel could actually be high E2.
I felt this way before enclomiphene too tho more or less just fatter and my e2 was certainly lower then with total T in the low 300s.

as far as running goes you are not wrong, altho my feeling my best coincided with the hardest part of my programming so I think it's seperate. I usually notice over training as a higher heart rate or lower HRV so I've tried to ignore those metrics since they seem less linked to the TRT than my training.
I need to do a saliva test for cortisol, the blood draw stresses me out so much there's no way it's accurate.

 

[WhiteMale]

How would you recommend getting estrogen closer to my SHBG?


There's nothing at all wrong with using Anastrozole if that's what's necessary, it should be taken with care and prudence though, start low and compare symptoms and blood tests, it's a long steady journey.