Hi All -
Hoping I can get some feedback from the forum on my current treatment...any thoughts would be appreciated!
History: 34 y/o male, 5'8, 200lb feeling generally crappy, loads of anxiety, and loss of libido. Looking back, I was probably like this for about 3 years and getting progressively worse each year. Addressed with physician and eventually found out that my test was on average from 3 tests around 150. Went through several additional labs, mri, testicular doppler, and everything seemed 'normal' so the diagnosis was unexplained secordary hypogonadism.
Trying to start a family and have some existing eye issues so SERM and Test were out of the picture from my endo's perspective. Started me on HCG and arimidex. Physicians likely didn't have much experience with HCG as they prescribed every three days injection of 1000iu and 1mg of arimidex daily upon my request to keep e2 controlled due to earlier childhood gyno issues.
A year later, my protocol has been pretty steady:
*540iu HCG subQ EOD in AM
*.25-.5mg arimidex EOD in AM on injection days
Issues:
*Weight gain -- I just cannot seem to shed weight. I do a lot of cycling and my athletic performance is back to feeling half normal, but I'm having a ton of difficulty getting weight off which wasn't a problem for me before. After starting TRT I quickly gained nearly 10 pounds over the course of a couple months!
*BP -- blood pressure got a little out of hand but added Losartan and is now under control for about a year, but creeping back up now
*Hematocrit -- Has been around 56-57. Hemotologist says not to be concerned as secondary erythocytosis is not proven to cause issues, but is willing to do phlembotomy if I want. I think some of the high bp may be related to the high hct based on a few studies I read that suggest a strong correlation between hypertension and elevated hct.
*Memory -- Probably one of my biggest complaints. My memory just stinks since starting TRT. I think it's at least partially linked to the arimidex as I precieve a difference when I modulate arimidex doses.
*Acne -- mostly on my shoulders...I can deal with it though it's not that bad
*Hair -- god damn I sprouted up hair everywhere -- turning into a yeti.
Summary:
I feel better. Nothing like the first two weeks after starting HCG. I felt awesome, had crazy libido, energy...after about two weeks that faded and I feel improved no doubt, but not a strong libido or great energy I had in the beginning.
Questions:
*Without arimidex I'm on the high side of 'in range' on my E2. The funny thing is that the last two 4 week trials I've done on .5mg Arimidex which effectively doubles my normal dose has resulted in getting into a target e2 zone of the 20's, but my TT dropped considerably from 600's to 300's. My endo, nor my research offer any explanation to this. The results though is much lower anxiety, reduced bloating, reduced libido, softer erections, foggier memory. Maybe I just can't have it all?
*My endo focuses on TT and E2 only. I've asked for several other labs which I'm posting here. I'm curious if there is anything, based on my labs, that anyone would recommend I look into
*My goal is to get my TT to around 600 and e2 in the 20's, but I'm concerned about increasing arimidex beyond where I'm at and hcg. HCG probably isn't a great treatment option for me, but given the fertility priority, it's likely what I have to work with. Wondering if anything has any thoughts on mods to my protocol to get me closer?
*Any thoughts/input would be greatly appreciated!! My lab results are attached below if any cares as much to see what's going on there...all these labs were taken the morning following an injection day.
Hoping I can get some feedback from the forum on my current treatment...any thoughts would be appreciated!
History: 34 y/o male, 5'8, 200lb feeling generally crappy, loads of anxiety, and loss of libido. Looking back, I was probably like this for about 3 years and getting progressively worse each year. Addressed with physician and eventually found out that my test was on average from 3 tests around 150. Went through several additional labs, mri, testicular doppler, and everything seemed 'normal' so the diagnosis was unexplained secordary hypogonadism.
Trying to start a family and have some existing eye issues so SERM and Test were out of the picture from my endo's perspective. Started me on HCG and arimidex. Physicians likely didn't have much experience with HCG as they prescribed every three days injection of 1000iu and 1mg of arimidex daily upon my request to keep e2 controlled due to earlier childhood gyno issues.
A year later, my protocol has been pretty steady:
*540iu HCG subQ EOD in AM
*.25-.5mg arimidex EOD in AM on injection days
Issues:
*Weight gain -- I just cannot seem to shed weight. I do a lot of cycling and my athletic performance is back to feeling half normal, but I'm having a ton of difficulty getting weight off which wasn't a problem for me before. After starting TRT I quickly gained nearly 10 pounds over the course of a couple months!
*BP -- blood pressure got a little out of hand but added Losartan and is now under control for about a year, but creeping back up now
*Hematocrit -- Has been around 56-57. Hemotologist says not to be concerned as secondary erythocytosis is not proven to cause issues, but is willing to do phlembotomy if I want. I think some of the high bp may be related to the high hct based on a few studies I read that suggest a strong correlation between hypertension and elevated hct.
*Memory -- Probably one of my biggest complaints. My memory just stinks since starting TRT. I think it's at least partially linked to the arimidex as I precieve a difference when I modulate arimidex doses.
*Acne -- mostly on my shoulders...I can deal with it though it's not that bad
*Hair -- god damn I sprouted up hair everywhere -- turning into a yeti.
Summary:
I feel better. Nothing like the first two weeks after starting HCG. I felt awesome, had crazy libido, energy...after about two weeks that faded and I feel improved no doubt, but not a strong libido or great energy I had in the beginning.
Questions:
*Without arimidex I'm on the high side of 'in range' on my E2. The funny thing is that the last two 4 week trials I've done on .5mg Arimidex which effectively doubles my normal dose has resulted in getting into a target e2 zone of the 20's, but my TT dropped considerably from 600's to 300's. My endo, nor my research offer any explanation to this. The results though is much lower anxiety, reduced bloating, reduced libido, softer erections, foggier memory. Maybe I just can't have it all?
*My endo focuses on TT and E2 only. I've asked for several other labs which I'm posting here. I'm curious if there is anything, based on my labs, that anyone would recommend I look into
*My goal is to get my TT to around 600 and e2 in the 20's, but I'm concerned about increasing arimidex beyond where I'm at and hcg. HCG probably isn't a great treatment option for me, but given the fertility priority, it's likely what I have to work with. Wondering if anything has any thoughts on mods to my protocol to get me closer?
*Any thoughts/input would be greatly appreciated!! My lab results are attached below if any cares as much to see what's going on there...all these labs were taken the morning following an injection day.
