Advice for your younger self- TRT Journey

[Phil Goodman]

Hey guys, new user here and I look forward to joining in on some conversations/learning along the way. I recently started TRT 2 weeks ago after lots of research(a good bit of which came from here). This thread isn’t really to get into my personal journey but I’ll be more than happy to answer questions if you have them. I’m sure I’ll post more about it throughout my time here, but my intention was to keep this thread more focused on key advice from other users. So what would you say is the one or two things you wish you knew when starting TRT, or what one or two things would you change if you could go back and start from scratch?

 

[Systemlord]

So what would you say is the one or two things you wish you knew when starting TRT, or what one or two things would you change if you could go back and start from scratch?

I wish I knew to give each protocol more time between dosing changes and also that I started out TRT with a bunch of deficiencies (iron, potassium, vitamin C) that really held me back.

 

[Phil Goodman]

Yeah, you always see the importance of patience being hammered, but not so much about levels of vitamins and minerals. I’ve lifted and eaten good for 10+ years(11 is technically 10+) and also try to make sure my vitamins and minerals are on point. Got annual physicals forever and never had anything that looked troublesome. I didn’t get one last year for pretty obvious reasons but plan to get one soon. I planned to wait about three months so that I’m at least somewhat settled in to my protocol, but would be interested to see if people think I should do it as soon as possible to get a picture before the bigger imapacts of therapy start taking shape. And on that note I go in about five weeks for labs through my clinic, but they only request total and free T at this point. I can test for anything, but obviously the more I test the more I spend. Don’t have a problem with the money though, especially at this point when I want to capture a decent snapshot early in the process. So I’m certainly open to suggestions about what I should test. This would mainly be hormone-wise, as I will request extensive tests at my physical which insurance will/should cover. Only thing that was tested before treatment was FSH, LH, free and total T, and PSA. Everything was good except total T which was basically at the very bottom of the range(assuming from high SHBG which I plan to test during my next round).

 

[Vince]

Yeah, you always see the importance of patience being hammered, but not so much about levels of vitamins and minerals. I’ve lifted and eaten good for 10+ years(11 is technically 10+) and also try to make sure my vitamins and minerals are on point. Got annual physicals forever and never had anything that looked troublesome. I didn’t get one last year for pretty obvious reasons but plan to get one soon. I planned to wait about three months so that I’m at least somewhat settled in to my protocol, but would be interested to see if people think I should do it as soon as possible to get a picture before the bigger imapacts of therapy start taking shape. And on that note I go in about five weeks for labs through my clinic, but they only request total and free T at this point. I can test for anything, but obviously the more I test the more I spend. Don’t have a problem with the money though, especially at this point when I want to capture a decent snapshot early in the process. So I’m certainly open to suggestions about what I should test. This would mainly be hormone-wise, as I will request extensive tests at my physical which insurance will/should cover. Only thing that was tested before treatment was FSH, LH, free and total T, and PSA. Everything was good except total T which was basically at the very bottom of the range(assuming from high SHBG which I plan to test during my next round).

It would make sure your thyroid is good, before starting trt. Get labs for your TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3 and both antibodies checked

 

[Jurek Kletsy]

1. Trust your research, not your doctor.
2. Don't waste money on expensive tests you don't need.

 

[Phil Goodman]

1. Trust your research, not your doctor.
2. Don't waste money on expensive tests you don't need.

What would you consider “expensive tests you don’t need”?

 

[madman]

Hey guys, new user here and I look forward to joining in on some conversations/learning along the way. I recently started TRT 2 weeks ago after lots of research(a good bit of which came from here). This thread isn’t really to get into my personal journey but I’ll be more than happy to answer questions if you have them. I’m sure I’ll post more about it throughout my time here, but my intention was to keep this thread more focused on key advice from other users. So what would you say is the one or two things you wish you knew when starting TRT, or what one or two things would you change if you could go back and start from scratch?

Most men on trt are using injections (esterified T) or transdermal (gels/creams).

Cypionate/enanthate are the most commonly used esters.

My advice would be to start low and go slow.

Give the protocol a fighting chance (12 weeks).

Patience is key!

Unfortunately many lack the understanding of how exogenous T works.


*This should be hammered into every patient's head before starting trt or tweaking a protocol (dose T/injection frequency).

Keep in mind many fail to realize that when starting trt or tweaking a protocol (dose T/injection frequency) that hormones will be in flux during the weeks leading up until blood levels stabilize (4-6 weeks when using TC/TE) and it is common for many during this transition to experience what we call the honeymoon period where there may be a strong increase in libido/erections and overall euphoric feeling due to increasing T levels/dopamine.

Unfortunately, this is temporary and short-lived for most as the body will eventually adjust.

It is also very common for many men to experience ups/downs in energy/mood/libido/erections/recovery during the transition as the body is trying to adjust which can be very misleading.

Even then do understand that once blood levels have stabilized (4-6 weeks) it will take another 2-3 months for the body to fully adapt to those new levels and this is the critical time period when one should gauge how they truly feel overall regarding relief/improvement of low-t symptoms.

When looking at the big picture the first 4-6 weeks is very misleading for most!




26.What is a reasonable timeline to begin to observe improvements in the signs and symptoms of testosterone deficiency?

*Following the initiation of testosterone therapy, serum concentrations of testosterone are known to correct earlier than the symptomatic, structural, and metabolic signs associated with TD.76,77 As such, patients should be counseled that symptom response will not be immediate. Expectations for treatment response should be established with each patient. Patients can anticipate improvements in many of the common symptoms of TD (libido, energy levels, sexual function) after 3 months of treatment or longer. Metabolic and structural (body composition, muscle mass, bone density) changes may take upwards of 6-months. 77 In addition, patients should be counseled that diet and exercise in combination with testosterone therapy are recommended for body composition changes.

*Appreciating this pattern of response to testosterone therapy is fundamental when determining the impact of treatment and the appropriate timing of follow-up evaluations while on therapy. For example, if patients undergo a symptom review and measurement of testosterone levels too early (< 3 months), it may lead both physicians and patients to conclude that the treatment has not been impactful (i.e. normal levels of testosterone without symptomatic/structural/metabolic benefit). However, if the same assessment was scheduled 3-6 months after the initiation of therapy, the clinical response tends to be more reflective of normalized levels of serum testosterone.

 

[Jurek Kletsy]

What would you consider “expensive tests you don’t need”?

Anything that is just being measured without actual purpose.