I think it might be useful to share my current protocol after 2 years chasing a protocol that would address all my symptoms and minimize side effects.
I started TRT for one main reason. I was tired ALL the time (i started TRT in my mid 30s). Libido was not great. Erection quality so so. Very low estradiol (i was worried about long term effects of such low estradiol - low single digits before commencing TRT). Despite of eating very healthy and exercise 4-5 times a week my fasted blood glucose was borderline high and lipid levels far from ideal.
After starting TRT my main reason to start got fixed right away. I was no longer tired. Quite the opposite. I had a lot of energy and felt awesome. However my HCT got elevated and I started donating blood which ended up tanking my ferritin. My fertility was negatively affected by TRT (despite using HCG) and my sperm count got as low as 1mm/ml.
After a lot of experimentation i got to the following conclusion: if you are having these side effects it just meant one thing... your testosterone dosage is too high for your body. At the perfect dosage you shouldn’t be having these side effects. With that in mind i tried to reduce my dosage and after months BINGO. I felt awesome and side effect were gone. HCT under control and estradiol within range with no AI. Also results at the gym are great. I know a lot of people start TRT willing to improve body composition. So don’t fear lowering your dosage will kill your gym gains. Also a lower dosage improved something a LOT: sleep. And sleep is very important for someone’s health. My current protocol is:
- 50mg testosterone cypionate 2x a week
- 0.125mg anastrozole 2x a week (despite my estradiol being within range i am prone to gyno so i am still using a small dosage AI)
- 400IU HCG 2x a week
- 40IU FSH 2x a week (for fertility)
- 10mg DHEA daily
- 10mg Pregnenolone daily
My TT is in the low 700s, FT low-mid 20s and estradiol low-mid 20s. My blood glucose in the low 80s (i am using metformin however my blood glucose only improved significantly once i got my protocol dialed in). Lipids look good (HDL was a bit low but i still have to check it again after i reduced my dosage). HCT at 49 and probably getting lower. Fertility is back after adding FSH. Sleep is much better (i have add CALM injections daily and that has helped a lot).
I couldn’t be happier.
I started TRT for one main reason. I was tired ALL the time (i started TRT in my mid 30s). Libido was not great. Erection quality so so. Very low estradiol (i was worried about long term effects of such low estradiol - low single digits before commencing TRT). Despite of eating very healthy and exercise 4-5 times a week my fasted blood glucose was borderline high and lipid levels far from ideal.
After starting TRT my main reason to start got fixed right away. I was no longer tired. Quite the opposite. I had a lot of energy and felt awesome. However my HCT got elevated and I started donating blood which ended up tanking my ferritin. My fertility was negatively affected by TRT (despite using HCG) and my sperm count got as low as 1mm/ml.
After a lot of experimentation i got to the following conclusion: if you are having these side effects it just meant one thing... your testosterone dosage is too high for your body. At the perfect dosage you shouldn’t be having these side effects. With that in mind i tried to reduce my dosage and after months BINGO. I felt awesome and side effect were gone. HCT under control and estradiol within range with no AI. Also results at the gym are great. I know a lot of people start TRT willing to improve body composition. So don’t fear lowering your dosage will kill your gym gains. Also a lower dosage improved something a LOT: sleep. And sleep is very important for someone’s health. My current protocol is:
- 50mg testosterone cypionate 2x a week
- 0.125mg anastrozole 2x a week (despite my estradiol being within range i am prone to gyno so i am still using a small dosage AI)
- 400IU HCG 2x a week
- 40IU FSH 2x a week (for fertility)
- 10mg DHEA daily
- 10mg Pregnenolone daily
My TT is in the low 700s, FT low-mid 20s and estradiol low-mid 20s. My blood glucose in the low 80s (i am using metformin however my blood glucose only improved significantly once i got my protocol dialed in). Lipids look good (HDL was a bit low but i still have to check it again after i reduced my dosage). HCT at 49 and probably getting lower. Fertility is back after adding FSH. Sleep is much better (i have add CALM injections daily and that has helped a lot).
I couldn’t be happier.
So how much of the CALM are you doing and do you inject right before bed? I was considering that as well...
