Feel Better Off TRT....?

[KEVINK0120]

First time poster here, but great content thank you for all the great info, Nelson. I wonder if anyone has had experience going off TRT and feeling BETTER. Just curious as I recently stopped (three weeks ago) and my erections are stronger, my libido is up, and my penis seems to have returned to its normal "size" - at times on TRT it seemed as if it was "smaller" (maybe just not as erect?). I also notice my mood is a bit more level now. My last bloodwork (about 8 months ago was all normal to very good ranges.)

I am a healthy, 48 yo male, exercise 6 x week with weights and cardio, in very good shape. I was on the basic protocol of TRT for the last 2 years - 200 mg week, 2 x week. Did muscle injects first year then tried subQ on and off for about last year. 250 iu HCG day before injects, AI on every inject day. A normal protocol, I guess you could call it. About a year ago, I went off AI per doc's orders to see if I actually needed it, and supplemented with nutras (stinging nettle, zinc, etc). I also added in semorelin about 3 months ago but have since stopped that as well.
About 4 months ago I noticed marked MPB (absolutely no family history) so believed it was the new TRT protocol and went back to an AI. I also began topical rogaine. The MPB got a little better but then I skipped a week of TRT and immediately noticed a difference. That week became two weeks and now three weeks. I know I am supposed to exit TRT with some protocol but I felt good and my hair seemed to be coming back, erections better, only thing I notice is I've lost some lean muscle mass.

Anyone have similar experiences? Was my protocol off? Everyone says 200 mg is kind of the base level, but is it possible to gain benefit from less test, say 100 mg/week? And, before anyone asks, yes I have labs scheduled for tomorrow.

 

[madman]

Even though you have been of trt for 3 weeks seeing as you were injecting 200mg/week (100mg every 3.5 days) than the exogenous testosterone would take at least 2 weeks since your last injection to clear your system so in essence the first few weeks after your last injection you still had no fully crashed.

You may have notice now you feel better in some ways but give it more time and you will likely feel shitty for awhile and will not truly know where your TT, FT levels will be as I would give it longer than 3 weeks before you have blood work done.

200mg/week trt for most men would be considered a lot and at the high end of replacement unless one had really high SHBG and needed to run a really high TT in order to get their FT up into a health level.

Of course it is possible to gain beneficial effects from less testosterone as many men can hit healthy TT and FT levels at such a dose and again ones SHBG will dictate dose/injection frequency and is critical to the overall effectiveness of trt.

Although TT is good to know it really comes down to where ones FT needs to be in order to experience relief/improvements of low t symptoms and improve overall well being as FT is what really matters since it is the unbound active fraction of testosterone responsible for the beneficial effects of testosterone.

Most men need to have their FT in the 2-3% range of TT to experience the benefits.

Whether one needs to have TT/FT levels in the mid-normal physiological range or in the high-normal physiological range in order to experience relief/improvements of low t symptoms comes down to intra-individual variability- ones SHBG levels, sensitivity of the AR (androgen receptor), possible polymorphism of the AR and CAG repeat length (short/long).