ExcelMale
Menu
Home
What's new
Latest activity
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
Latest activity
Videos
Lab Tests
Doctor Finder
Buy Books
About Us
Men’s Health Coaching
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Navigation
Install the app
Install
More options
Contact us
Close Menu
Forums
Testosterone Replacement, Low T, HCG, & Beyond
Testosterone Basics & Questions
6 months into TRT - minimal effects - no libido - thinking of stopping?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="brookseth" data-source="post: 255627" data-attributes="member: 45545"><p>So I'm going to preface this. Now that I know what I know from researching myself rather than just listening to doctors- I don't think I should have ever been put on TRT.</p><p></p><p>About 4 years ago I started having massive fatigue, loss of motivation, couldnt bring myself to the gym, couldnt lose weight, total loss of libido, depression, etc etc. Basically every textbook symptom of low T. I am currently 31yrs old.</p><p>Doctors at that time ran labs and basically everything looked pretty good. Here is an excerpt from two labs I had back in 2020:</p><p></p><p></p><p>Total Test: 807</p><p>SHBG: 52.6</p><p>Calc Free T: 136.5</p><p>Estradiol: 20.5</p><p>Prolactin: 16.9</p><p></p><p></p><p>Total Test: 583</p><p>SHBG: 39.4</p><p>Calc Free T: 112.6</p><p>Follicle Stim: 3.7</p><p>LH: 6.3</p><p>Prolactin: 14</p><p></p><p></p><p>Going through all of these will be annoying to read - my doctors never used any standardization with doing labs. Some labs were totally missing important items. Some labs were using totally different metrics. Bear with me.</p><p>From the 6 or so different labs I had done in 2020-2022, main things that looked the oddest to me were my TSH. Lowest it was on any labs was .55 and highest was 3.05. Looking back at my other labs though everything seems like it WAS actually fine.</p><p>At this point in time in 2020 I was put on clomid -took it for a few months - noticed no changes in symptoms - and discontinued. Testosterone numbers did increase over 1200-1400. and went back to the 500-800 range after.</p><p></p><p>in 2022 I began experiencing even WORSE fatigue and had a 100% complete loss of libido.</p><p>Labs done 09/22:</p><p>Total Test: 495</p><p>Free Test (Dialysis): 76.6</p><p>Estrogen Total Serum: 120.1 (no clue why this was even done. Seemingly pointless metric)</p><p>TSH: 3.01</p><p>T4: 7.8</p><p>Free T4 Index: 2.6</p><p>DHEA: 248</p><p></p><p>From here - I was once again put on clomid. Took it for 2 maybe 3 months? Had like a 1 week period of libido and other than that did nothing for my symptoms.</p><p>Labs done 12/22: (on clomid)</p><p>Total Test: 955</p><p>Estradiol: 37.2</p><p>TSH: 2.094</p><p></p><p>From here I was recommended to switch to TRT from clomid.</p><p>I was initially told to do 100MG 2x per week by the prescribing doctor. I did this for maybe 1 month until cutting it back myself as I was made aware this is a MASSIVE dose. In the first 2-5 weeks of TRT I felt fantastic though. Great energy, libido, etc etc.</p><p>I cut my protocol back to the following:</p><p>400iu HCG</p><p>50mg Test Cyp</p><p>.25 anastrozole</p><p>This was taken 2x per week Wednesday and Saturday.</p><p></p><p>On this protocol I had labs drawn after about 5 weeks</p><p>Labs done 3/23:</p><p>Total Test: 676.6</p><p>Free Test (Direct): 16.6</p><p>Estradiol (Sensitive): 20.1</p><p>DHT: 79</p><p>DHT Free: 7.35</p><p>TSH: 1.5</p><p>Free T4: 1.18</p><p>Free T3: 3.5</p><p>DHEA: 280</p><p>Prolactin: 11</p><p></p><p>With this protocol I did not feel any real improvement. Maybe VERY minor but definitely nothing to get excited about. From here I my doctor told me to stick to their routine. and I then moved to the following protocol.</p><p>500iu HCG</p><p>100mg Test Cyp</p><p>.25 anastrozole</p><p>This was taken 2x per week Wednesday and Saturday.</p><p></p><p>With this protocol I felt the best of any - but only pretty good. Had the best bouts of libido, energy, drive for the gym, etc. But it also seemed to start to fade out after the first few weeks of this protocol.</p><p></p><p>New labs were drawn at the end of 4/23</p><p>Total Test: 1260</p><p>Free Test: 272.2</p><p>Estradiol (Ultra Sensitive): 53</p><p>SHBG: 25</p><p>TSH: 1.19</p><p>Free T4: 1</p><p>Free T3: 3.8</p><p>DHEA: 194</p><p>Prolactin: 9.9</p><p></p><p>My biggest issue here was that I was having extremely bad chest, shoulder and back acne, and I felt as if my hair was thinning and falling out as well. Also was being somewhat moody.</p><p></p><p>From here I altered my protocol once again to</p><p>500iu HCG</p><p>68mg Test Cyp</p><p>.25mg Anastrozole (discontinued 2 weeks ago so now none).</p><p>This was taken 2x per week Wednesday and Saturday.</p><p></p><p>I am getting labs done this coming wednesday to see where I am at now.</p><p>I do not feel great though. Libido is completely gone again, energy and drive is basically nonexistant. Only real good thing is I do feel like my mood is more stable and also the chest acne is gone, now just shoulder and slight back acne.</p><p></p><p>I almost feel like I'm chasing my tail here and dont actually need to be on TRT. I also now know that my doctors don't really seem to know what they are doing in this space. So I'm now looking for a better provider and in the meantime relying on my own research and input from you all here.</p><p></p><p>What are the thoughts? Why do we think I am so fatigued and dont have a libido? and do we think I should just discontinue the TRT (and do a PCT of some sort to get back to natural and see where we are at to start over?) Why do we think I have had some spurts of success with TRT but it is short lived? And also was only in super-physiological range too.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Let me know your thoughts! Also with the labwork, if there is other specific items anyone wants to know values of, there is alot more on these tests - most of it (I believe to be) irrelevant though so I did not include.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="brookseth, post: 255627, member: 45545"] So I'm going to preface this. Now that I know what I know from researching myself rather than just listening to doctors- I don't think I should have ever been put on TRT. About 4 years ago I started having massive fatigue, loss of motivation, couldnt bring myself to the gym, couldnt lose weight, total loss of libido, depression, etc etc. Basically every textbook symptom of low T. I am currently 31yrs old. Doctors at that time ran labs and basically everything looked pretty good. Here is an excerpt from two labs I had back in 2020: Total Test: 807 SHBG: 52.6 Calc Free T: 136.5 Estradiol: 20.5 Prolactin: 16.9 Total Test: 583 SHBG: 39.4 Calc Free T: 112.6 Follicle Stim: 3.7 LH: 6.3 Prolactin: 14 Going through all of these will be annoying to read - my doctors never used any standardization with doing labs. Some labs were totally missing important items. Some labs were using totally different metrics. Bear with me. From the 6 or so different labs I had done in 2020-2022, main things that looked the oddest to me were my TSH. Lowest it was on any labs was .55 and highest was 3.05. Looking back at my other labs though everything seems like it WAS actually fine. At this point in time in 2020 I was put on clomid -took it for a few months - noticed no changes in symptoms - and discontinued. Testosterone numbers did increase over 1200-1400. and went back to the 500-800 range after. in 2022 I began experiencing even WORSE fatigue and had a 100% complete loss of libido. Labs done 09/22: Total Test: 495 Free Test (Dialysis): 76.6 Estrogen Total Serum: 120.1 (no clue why this was even done. Seemingly pointless metric) TSH: 3.01 T4: 7.8 Free T4 Index: 2.6 DHEA: 248 From here - I was once again put on clomid. Took it for 2 maybe 3 months? Had like a 1 week period of libido and other than that did nothing for my symptoms. Labs done 12/22: (on clomid) Total Test: 955 Estradiol: 37.2 TSH: 2.094 From here I was recommended to switch to TRT from clomid. I was initially told to do 100MG 2x per week by the prescribing doctor. I did this for maybe 1 month until cutting it back myself as I was made aware this is a MASSIVE dose. In the first 2-5 weeks of TRT I felt fantastic though. Great energy, libido, etc etc. I cut my protocol back to the following: 400iu HCG 50mg Test Cyp .25 anastrozole This was taken 2x per week Wednesday and Saturday. On this protocol I had labs drawn after about 5 weeks Labs done 3/23: Total Test: 676.6 Free Test (Direct): 16.6 Estradiol (Sensitive): 20.1 DHT: 79 DHT Free: 7.35 TSH: 1.5 Free T4: 1.18 Free T3: 3.5 DHEA: 280 Prolactin: 11 With this protocol I did not feel any real improvement. Maybe VERY minor but definitely nothing to get excited about. From here I my doctor told me to stick to their routine. and I then moved to the following protocol. 500iu HCG 100mg Test Cyp .25 anastrozole This was taken 2x per week Wednesday and Saturday. With this protocol I felt the best of any - but only pretty good. Had the best bouts of libido, energy, drive for the gym, etc. But it also seemed to start to fade out after the first few weeks of this protocol. New labs were drawn at the end of 4/23 Total Test: 1260 Free Test: 272.2 Estradiol (Ultra Sensitive): 53 SHBG: 25 TSH: 1.19 Free T4: 1 Free T3: 3.8 DHEA: 194 Prolactin: 9.9 My biggest issue here was that I was having extremely bad chest, shoulder and back acne, and I felt as if my hair was thinning and falling out as well. Also was being somewhat moody. From here I altered my protocol once again to 500iu HCG 68mg Test Cyp .25mg Anastrozole (discontinued 2 weeks ago so now none). This was taken 2x per week Wednesday and Saturday. I am getting labs done this coming wednesday to see where I am at now. I do not feel great though. Libido is completely gone again, energy and drive is basically nonexistant. Only real good thing is I do feel like my mood is more stable and also the chest acne is gone, now just shoulder and slight back acne. I almost feel like I'm chasing my tail here and dont actually need to be on TRT. I also now know that my doctors don't really seem to know what they are doing in this space. So I'm now looking for a better provider and in the meantime relying on my own research and input from you all here. What are the thoughts? Why do we think I am so fatigued and dont have a libido? and do we think I should just discontinue the TRT (and do a PCT of some sort to get back to natural and see where we are at to start over?) Why do we think I have had some spurts of success with TRT but it is short lived? And also was only in super-physiological range too. Let me know your thoughts! Also with the labwork, if there is other specific items anyone wants to know values of, there is alot more on these tests - most of it (I believe to be) irrelevant though so I did not include. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Share this page
Facebook
Twitter
Reddit
Pinterest
Tumblr
WhatsApp
Email
Share
Link
Sponsors
Forums
Testosterone Replacement, Low T, HCG, & Beyond
Testosterone Basics & Questions
6 months into TRT - minimal effects - no libido - thinking of stopping?
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
Accept
Learn more…
Top