californiaconan
New Member
Hey everyone! Just wanted to introduce myself and officially throw my hat in the discussion ring - longtime lurker and huge fan of this site.
I’m 29, and have been on HRT/TRT since I was 22 after consistently coming back with geriatric levels of Testosterone. To summarize and distill a lot of ups & downs throughout the treatment process, I initially responded beautifully to testosterone and HCG (first clinic was Ageless Men’s Health - my college roommate’s dad founded the company and he introduced me to the concept). Things were going extremely well for several years: huge improvement in mood, sense of well-being, libido, and phenomenal success building muscle on doses that never exceeded 200mg Cypionate per week.
Fast forward several years, I got the bright idea to pursue competitive bodybuilding because I’d always had a passion to do it and I’m lucky that my body responded well to lifting, eating well, and (at the time), the benefits of T. I went from a pre treatment weight of 185lbs to 275lbs over several years of consistent training and strict attention to my diet (I was around 15% body fat at my fattest, but I’ve always been naturally on the leaner side). Then I decided to throw caution to the wind and embark on the vain and stupid, although fleetingly enjoyable, hormone rollercoaster as a competitive bodybuilder.
The scope of that journey is outside the purview of this forum and inappropriate, but suffice to say I had some successes until two years ago when shit hit the proverbial fan. Long story short, I dieted too hard for too long while training way too intensely and was running some compounds that delayed the effects of that idiotic move on my behalf, but my system finally gave up the ghost and I had to withdraw from my competitions because I essentially physically and psychologically redlined/burned out. Some people call it “Adrenal Fatigue”, although I suspect “HPTA Dysregulation” is a more accurate nomenclature.
I’ve been fortunate to be a patient of a legend of this forums (Dr Rand McClain) for the better part of 2 years, since all hell broke loose in my body, and while I know that I’m on the road to recovery, it’s been a damned frustrating and sometimes bleak existence. My body doesn’t seem to respond to T like it used to; I used to be able to “feel” the T work after injections (whether 0.25ml or 1ml), but now I can’t feel any benefits. I have all the classic signs of Low T - depression, irritability, fatigue not generally improved by sleep, ZERO libido and/or erections (I haven’t had morning wood in years), low strength, and the inability to keep muscle on despite being even more knowledgeable/wiser/anal about my diet and training than I was when I started (I am practically unable to keep my weight above 250lbs when that used to be the size I would diet down to).
I’m reaching the end of my rope in terms of trying to problem solve this in a vacuum; my wife and I have been traveling extensively overseas and we’ve moved twice in the past 6 months which has made it challenging to focus 100% of my efforts on sorting this out, but I/we can’t do this anymore because it’s affecting everything I do.
Before anyone asks, I have extensive bloodwork on the way (had it drawn yesterday at LabCorp), so I will post those values as soon as I have them. I am scheduled to speak with Dr Mclain or his PA next week to go over the labs and formulate a plan of action, but I believe on drawing from all available resources and this forum is a literal goldmine of men who have years of knowledge & experience and I’d be a fool not to ask for your help & input too.
I’m currently prescribed 200mg of T every 5th day, and originally prescribed 500iu of HCG every other day (haven’t been on for months due to travel and refrigeration issues, but prior to that I found the combo of that much HCG + T problematic) as well as Anastrozole as needed (0.25-1mg). I don’t have my precious labs in front of me, but I’ve consistently come back with SUPER high total T, free T, and free T%, all while feeling miserable. There are many many other values that are important and necessary for y’all to form your hypothesis, I realize that, but I’m curious if I can field one or two specific inquiries until I have my bloodwork back.
First, had anyone here been on TRT concomitantly with an antidepressant(s)/psychiatric meds (60mg Duloxetine/Cymbalta + 20mg Adderall Xr every morning and 50mg Trazadone before bed)? Has anyone found these to be problematic/affecting TRT effects - especially as they relate to libido and sexual health/function? Has anyone who answered yes successfully added or subtracted/problem solved this dilemma?
Second (and all I have time for now), has anyone here had an issue with having too much free T & low SHBG causing you to manifest low T symptoms even though your lab work numbers may “look good”?
Thank you all for your time and consideration.. I look forward to hearing from you!
I’m 29, and have been on HRT/TRT since I was 22 after consistently coming back with geriatric levels of Testosterone. To summarize and distill a lot of ups & downs throughout the treatment process, I initially responded beautifully to testosterone and HCG (first clinic was Ageless Men’s Health - my college roommate’s dad founded the company and he introduced me to the concept). Things were going extremely well for several years: huge improvement in mood, sense of well-being, libido, and phenomenal success building muscle on doses that never exceeded 200mg Cypionate per week.
Fast forward several years, I got the bright idea to pursue competitive bodybuilding because I’d always had a passion to do it and I’m lucky that my body responded well to lifting, eating well, and (at the time), the benefits of T. I went from a pre treatment weight of 185lbs to 275lbs over several years of consistent training and strict attention to my diet (I was around 15% body fat at my fattest, but I’ve always been naturally on the leaner side). Then I decided to throw caution to the wind and embark on the vain and stupid, although fleetingly enjoyable, hormone rollercoaster as a competitive bodybuilder.
The scope of that journey is outside the purview of this forum and inappropriate, but suffice to say I had some successes until two years ago when shit hit the proverbial fan. Long story short, I dieted too hard for too long while training way too intensely and was running some compounds that delayed the effects of that idiotic move on my behalf, but my system finally gave up the ghost and I had to withdraw from my competitions because I essentially physically and psychologically redlined/burned out. Some people call it “Adrenal Fatigue”, although I suspect “HPTA Dysregulation” is a more accurate nomenclature.
I’ve been fortunate to be a patient of a legend of this forums (Dr Rand McClain) for the better part of 2 years, since all hell broke loose in my body, and while I know that I’m on the road to recovery, it’s been a damned frustrating and sometimes bleak existence. My body doesn’t seem to respond to T like it used to; I used to be able to “feel” the T work after injections (whether 0.25ml or 1ml), but now I can’t feel any benefits. I have all the classic signs of Low T - depression, irritability, fatigue not generally improved by sleep, ZERO libido and/or erections (I haven’t had morning wood in years), low strength, and the inability to keep muscle on despite being even more knowledgeable/wiser/anal about my diet and training than I was when I started (I am practically unable to keep my weight above 250lbs when that used to be the size I would diet down to).
I’m reaching the end of my rope in terms of trying to problem solve this in a vacuum; my wife and I have been traveling extensively overseas and we’ve moved twice in the past 6 months which has made it challenging to focus 100% of my efforts on sorting this out, but I/we can’t do this anymore because it’s affecting everything I do.
Before anyone asks, I have extensive bloodwork on the way (had it drawn yesterday at LabCorp), so I will post those values as soon as I have them. I am scheduled to speak with Dr Mclain or his PA next week to go over the labs and formulate a plan of action, but I believe on drawing from all available resources and this forum is a literal goldmine of men who have years of knowledge & experience and I’d be a fool not to ask for your help & input too.
I’m currently prescribed 200mg of T every 5th day, and originally prescribed 500iu of HCG every other day (haven’t been on for months due to travel and refrigeration issues, but prior to that I found the combo of that much HCG + T problematic) as well as Anastrozole as needed (0.25-1mg). I don’t have my precious labs in front of me, but I’ve consistently come back with SUPER high total T, free T, and free T%, all while feeling miserable. There are many many other values that are important and necessary for y’all to form your hypothesis, I realize that, but I’m curious if I can field one or two specific inquiries until I have my bloodwork back.
First, had anyone here been on TRT concomitantly with an antidepressant(s)/psychiatric meds (60mg Duloxetine/Cymbalta + 20mg Adderall Xr every morning and 50mg Trazadone before bed)? Has anyone found these to be problematic/affecting TRT effects - especially as they relate to libido and sexual health/function? Has anyone who answered yes successfully added or subtracted/problem solved this dilemma?
Second (and all I have time for now), has anyone here had an issue with having too much free T & low SHBG causing you to manifest low T symptoms even though your lab work numbers may “look good”?
Thank you all for your time and consideration.. I look forward to hearing from you!
