feel lost with TRT now

[natsar77]

Hi guys,

So after nearly 2 yrs on shots and i tried all protocols for 2xwk to every day always kept dose at around 100mgs however test e I never felt ideal or looked great...infact I looked like shit as compared to how I did prior to TRT esp my face and head. I got my estrogen under control but still has the puffy cheeks and head and got over daily shots so switch to cream 10% compounded...first month was on 1 pump which didnt do much and as youll see my levels dropped alot! Then went to 2 pumps one in morning one evening for the past month and my bloods were done yesterday 2 hrs after cream application and my test has dropped rather than gone up ! But for the first time in 2 yrs my FHS isnt 0 and my LH is 3 now so it seems to me I have actually been in slow recovery from trt on the cream that my body isnt absorbing !

So now Im at a cross roads of do I stop TRT as I actaully like the way I look again but Im weak and smaller and seem to be sick with colds that I cant shake ( low test maybe ?? ) or so I try to go back onto shots again and use less so I can get my test levels back into a health range for a 41 yr old which would be low 20s .....my current level of 12 is that of a 70 yr old!!!

Didnt think it was possible for a 41 yr old on 2 yrs trt to recover but my bloods are showing some signs now what apart from hcg can I take to help me get back on my feet and elevate my test quicker ? clomid ? I cant use hcg as it gives me bad anxiety unfortunately...i also have anastrazole and arimidex but my estrogen is not very high so I could crash it trying to get test up ! Really appreciate some guidance gentlemen

ps. Im getting good erections but my urge to have sex is diminished at present

 

[Vettester Chris]

Here's the problem ... You've put everything all-in with testosterone as the "be all, end all", and you've hit a brick wall!! It's not, it's only one component of many. If your other hormones are off, if you have a thyroid issue, if your cortisol/dhea correlation is off, CBC's, metabolic profile, I can go on ... If those are off and a key area imbalance is in play, it's going to just make a TRT protocol feel miserable. It's like high octane Race Fuel.. If your oil is low, coolant isn't up to snuff, clutch slipping, etc., high octane is just redundant and if anything might just contribute to more problems.

It sounds like E2 is needing managed, but it needs to be reviewed on an E2 sensitive assay. If your taking any AI (e2 inhibitor) and if your low, that will have a myriad of issues, and can be a game changer with your immune system. I would dig deep into the adrenals and the thyroid, and I would go the gamut with your metabolic and CBC profile to get more details.

 

[natsar77]

Hi Chris, my Thyroid is and always has been fine , adrenals not too sure about but its pretty clear the cream has failed me and my body is making some sort of re start and this is what I am seeking help with as I am tempted to try to restart my hpta and get my test as high as I can naturally then decide on a protocol and IF to restart low dose TRT...I just want healthy range test as no longer feel the need to be the most built guy in the gym...i got pretty big off 100mgs a week lol as I know how to train and eat...now I want to just be healthy and look good and I never looked good esp my head lol on TRT and all other levels were normal and healthy

 

[Systemlord]

Hi Chris, my Thyroid is and always has been fine , adrenals not too sure about but its pretty clear the cream has failed me and my body is making some sort of re start and this is what I am seeking help with as I am tempted to try to restart my hpta and get my test as high as I can naturally then decide on a protocol and IF to restart low dose TRT...I just want healthy range test as no longer feel the need to be the most built guy in the gym...i got pretty big off 100mgs a week lol as I know how to train and eat...now I want to just be healthy and look good and I never looked good esp my head lol on TRT and all other levels were normal and healthy

What does thyroid is and always was fine mean, in range?

The way I see it is your looking for help, post thyroid labs and maybe doctors missed something because they saw levels in range and looked no further.

Anyone who hasn't had SHBG tested will find it difficult to choose a worthy TRT protocol, injection frequencies are based off this value. I'm guessing your doctor never tested it.

Being sick all the time indicates immune system failure which is expected for those with hypothyroidism. Having this disease slows down every cell in your body, fighting infections will be impaired.

Healthy TSH = closer to 1.0
Healthy Free T3 = midrange or slightly higher.
Healthy Free T4 = midrange.
Healthy Reverse T3 = under 15 ng/dL

 

[natsar77]

yes Im always in range ...been sick for the past 2 months which coincides with test decline ...im a stressful person so adrenals may be off but Id need to ask for those to be tested especially as not a normal test here...

 

[Systemlord]

yes Im always in range ...been sick for the past 2 months which coincides with test decline ...im a stressful person so adrenals may be off but Id need to ask for those to be tested especially as not a normal test here...

If you're a low SHBG guy, that 35 E2 score will cause more stress. It would provide the same results in myself.

 

[natsar77]

I am low shbg mate ...tried daily shots which were a pain in the ass literally and controlled E on paper but my face and head looked like shit and my job requires me to look as good as possible...so Im at a cross roads...btw thx for the thyroid values I am all good in that area mate ...i dont like the idea of life log AI use and that may be needed on trt so Ill see what my body does in the next 4 weeks and decide if I should re start trt

 

[Systemlord]

Low SHBG explains everything, free estrogen is a big problem for us low SHBG men. A lot of guys can eliminate the AI after weight is lost, aromatase enzyme lives in fat tissue. Even with an estrogen score of 20, free estrogen can be sky high in the same way free testosterone is high.

It sounds like your daily dose was too high, anything higher than 15mg can be a problem.

 

[natsar77]

mate , since being on the cream Ive got abs and am lean as due to IM and training with drop sets and HIT cardio...what protocol are you on may I ask as we seem alike

 

[Systemlord]

mate , since being on the cream Ive got abs and am lean as due to IM and training with drop sets and HIT cardio...what protocol are you on may I ask as we seem alike

Been on 20mg EOD, AI .03125 EOD. Sunday was the first day after lowering my AI dosage from .0625 EOD to .03125 EOD, huge difference!

Three days later I'm feeling awesome, where before I felt like E2 was low. My aromatase enzymes recover very fast. On 25mg EOD my skin was insanely greasy and ache everywhere, in places I didn't even know you could get acne.

 

[Vettester Chris]

As System Lord indicated, the thyroid "in range" can be quite misunderstood. I'd say 90% of the hypothyroidism guys on this forum were "in range". It's almost hard to "not" be in range ... We'll see it more often with autoimmune disorders and estrogen dominance with women, but most will always be in "range". However, does that mean that the FT3/RT3 ratio is good, and FT3 is NOT pooling, and/or hormone is at an optimal level and reaching the cells?? Well, don't know, that's why we like to see labs ...

 

[natsar77]

I understand...will get those done in 4 weeks but do have last blood test ones which may not be valid since I changed my protocol to cream...I have noticed sex is better though and i have more "volume" also FSH is 7 out of a 1-8 range so thats a good sign as has been nil for 2 yrs