HELP - Doubts about TRT

[BSS91]

Hi guys,

33 year old male here, for the last 4 years I have tested my testosterone and it always comes back in the lower range (oscillating between 200s and 300s). At the end of last year, it tested even I the low 200s.

I have depression and anxiety since a young age and a few years ago my sudden interest to a healthy lifestyle helped manage that depression. Started going to the gym and started eating healthy as this gave me hope for the future. I don`t smoke and I don`t drink alcohol so that didn`t change for me.

Testosterone has been a subject of interest in those years and I have been training 4 times a week and have had a pretty solid diet: protein, vegetables, fruits, very little bread or grains depending on the period. Sleeping 8 hours approximately and taking the appropriate supplements. I am actually passionate about health and fitness so in these past years I seeked a healthy lifestyle because I always hoped it would help feel better.

This past year has been the hardest, I slowly lost interest and motivation because my body was just breaking down. I am filled with slight injuries in wrists, knees, hips, that makes it hard for me to continue to train and this has just increased my depression and anxiety.

I have been reading about TRT for a few years now and I finally decided to make the jump this month because I just figured it was my last resort. I researched the topic A LOT in these past few years and I decided that if I would start this would be my protocol:

• 90 mg divided in two or three shots per week.
• 500 iu HCG divided in two or three shots per week because I want to maintain fertility since I am married and we want kids in the near future.

Now I came up with this protocol knowing that there is no sure thing with TRT, but this should make things easier to be dialed in.

The issue is, by researching the topic a lot, I came across so many negative accounts on how TRT made things worse, how it is difficult to be dialed in, how it ruined things for people, how the effects would be awesome at the beginning and then VANISH suddenly (another fear of mine is that is working and then suddenly bringing back to this current state where now, I have to continue to inject myself for life otherwise I would crash and feel worse, etc etc etc)

I figured I would maybe do a trial and see if it works for me BUT I am death scared of the crash.

Honestly feeling worse than I do NOW is a BIG NO NO. Like it would be literally hell for me and I can see that even with a proper PCT, people still feel worse for a few weeks.

Now I feel desperate because I was putting lots of hope on this and was actually pretty excited.

The questions I have for you are:

Am I exaggerating? Are these experiences a tiny fraction of the people going on TRT?



Thank you for reading

 

[Cataceous]

It's reasonable to assume that negative TRT experiences are overrepresented in the forums. Nonetheless, published research shows pretty high churn rates with most forms of TRT, which suggests that a lot of men are dissatisfied. A contributing factor may be that TRT can disrupt 20+ other hormones, which leads to side effects.

I think it's preferable to start with a less intrusive form of testosterone replacement. In this regard, testosterone nasal gel has the most research behind it. It is less suppressive than other forms of TRT, allowing continued HPTA function even while providing high daily peak levels of testosterone. The new Maximus protocol is also of interest. It uses oral testosterone along with enclomiphene to maintain HPTA function. However, it's so new that there is minimal feedback about it, and the use of enclomiphene makes it less natural than a nasal gel.

 

[Phil Goodman]

I would say that having reservations is a natural part of taking such a huge jump. The positive of that, is that it has caused you to do lots of research in order to make a very informed decision. The negative of that, is that it can cause anxiety and worry that can adversely affect how you approach it. Since you have been in the 2-300 range for years despite doing all of the things to live a healthy lifestyle I’d think that you are a perfect candidate for TRT. And if you end up coming off, you’d likely just be back where you are now(in the 2-300 range). I see no reason to think you’d be even worse off.

With regard to your approach, I think your initial protocol looks good for the most part. It’s good to see that you are avoiding the “more is always better” outlook because I think it’s easier to titrate up if needed than it is to go down and deal with that roller coaster. One thing I would mention is that it would likely be better to settle in with just testosterone first before throwing HCG into the mix. It’s preferable to adjust one variable at a time to better understand how that individual compound is affecting you. Then after about 12 weeks of trt you could add HCG if you still want to at that point. And in addition to the fertility it could help with transition if you ever decide to come off since you will have maintained more testicular function. On that note, do you know if you are primary or secondary hypogonadal? In other words, are your low levels caused because your balls won’t produce despite being told to do so or are you not generating the signal(LH and FSH) to tell your balls to get to work. Having that information(where your LH and FSH levels are) may give you a better idea of how much HCG will increase levels when added to your protocol.


With regards to your protocol, it would be very similar to mine. I take around 100 mg test/week divided into three shots and 750 ius of HCG/week divided into three shots. Have been on this protocol for over a year and it is amazing. I couldn’t imagine willingly going back to my pre trt days. Obviously that’s just an anecdotal n=1 testimony, but the point is that there are a lot of guys who benefit greatly from trt. Though again it is important to not expect miracles and to be willing to move in slowly to minimize any negative sides as your body adjusts to its new normal.

As mentioned above there are other protocols like nasal spray and the new Maximus approach which seems promising. However, there is less data on those so it’s more of an unknown…which means it could be a lot better or it may be worse. I plan to stick with my more traditional protocol right now, and I’m of the opinion that most issues from injections come from poor protocols and/or management from providers. Obviously it won’t be great for everyone, but having a competent provider who can quickly get you on an optimal protocol can make a night & day difference in experience.

 

[BSS91]

It's reasonable to assume that negative TRT experiences are overrepresented in the forums. Nonetheless, published research shows pretty high churn rates with most forms of TRT, which suggests that a lot of men are dissatisfied. A contributing factor may be that TRT can disrupt 20+ other hormones, which leads to side effects.

I think it's preferable to start with a less intrusive form of testosterone replacement. In this regard, testosterone nasal gel has the most research behind it. It is less suppressive than other forms of TRT, allowing continued HPTA function even while providing high daily peak levels of testosterone. The new Maximus protocol is also of interest. It uses oral testosterone along with enclomiphene to maintain HPTA function. However, it's so new that there is minimal feedback about it, and the use of enclomiphene makes it less natural than a nasal gel.

Thanks brother,

I am in Canada so I can`t have that procotol unfortunately.

I have to say I am pretty discouraged by your comment, I think I am just doomed. Nothing else to try then.

Sorry for the negative mental state but at this point, I can`t do anything else, my body is breaking down, can`t train properly, at least before, training use to give me good endorphins and I would wait till the next training session but now even that I can`t have, so don`t know what to try else.

 

[Phil Goodman]

Thanks brother,

I am in Canada so I can`t have that procotol unfortunately.

I have to say I am pretty discouraged by your comment, I think I am just doomed. Nothing else to try then.

Sorry for the negative mental state but at this point, I can`t do anything else, my body is breaking down, can`t train properly, at least before, training use to give me good endorphins and I would wait till the next training session but now even that I can`t have, so don`t know what to try else.

So you read one reply and decide you’re doomed then give up??




Why not try your initial plan?

 

[Vince]

Hi guys,

33 year old male here, for the last 4 years I have tested my testosterone and it always comes back in the lower range (oscillating between 200s and 300s). At the end of last year, it tested even I the low 200s.

I have depression and anxiety since a young age and a few years ago my sudden interest to a healthy lifestyle helped manage that depression. Started going to the gym and started eating healthy as this gave me hope for the future. I don`t smoke and I don`t drink alcohol so that didn`t change for me.

Testosterone has been a subject of interest in those years and I have been training 4 times a week and have had a pretty solid diet: protein, vegetables, fruits, very little bread or grains depending on the period. Sleeping 8 hours approximately and taking the appropriate supplements. I am actually passionate about health and fitness so in these past years I seeked a healthy lifestyle because I always hoped it would help feel better.

This past year has been the hardest, I slowly lost interest and motivation because my body was just breaking down. I am filled with slight injuries in wrists, knees, hips, that makes it hard for me to continue to train and this has just increased my depression and anxiety.

I have been reading about TRT for a few years now and I finally decided to make the jump this month because I just figured it was my last resort. I researched the topic A LOT in these past few years and I decided that if I would start this would be my protocol:

• 90 mg divided in two or three shots per week.
• 500 iu HCG divided in two or three shots per week because I want to maintain fertility since I am married and we want kids in the near future.

Now I came up with this protocol knowing that there is no sure thing with TRT, but this should make things easier to be dialed in.

The issue is, by researching the topic a lot, I came across so many negative accounts on how TRT made things worse, how it is difficult to be dialed in, how it ruined things for people, how the effects would be awesome at the beginning and then VANISH suddenly (another fear of mine is that is working and then suddenly bringing back to this current state where now, I have to continue to inject myself for life otherwise I would crash and feel worse, etc etc etc)

I figured I would maybe do a trial and see if it works for me BUT I am death scared of the crash.

Honestly feeling worse than I do NOW is a BIG NO NO. Like it would be literally hell for me and I can see that even with a proper PCT, people still feel worse for a few weeks.

Now I feel desperate because I was putting lots of hope on this and was actually pretty excited.

The questions I have for you are:

Am I exaggerating? Are these experiences a tiny fraction of the people going on TRT?



Thank you for reading

Considering Starting Clomid to Increase my Testosterone, but Unsure.

Good afternoon, This is my first post. I’ve been reading many of the great threads on this website. I am currently thinking of getting on clomid. I’d like to try all my options before going on TRT. My last 2 lab results had my T levels at 333 and 320.I’ve read many posts where guys have said...

www.excelmale.com

 

[Cataceous]

Thanks brother,

I am in Canada so I can`t have that procotol unfortunately.

...

I don't know about affordability, but as far as I can tell Natesto is available in Canada. There's also nothing magical about the Maximus components. If you can source oral testosterone and enclomiphene then you can probably reproduce their results.

 

[Systemlord]

I have to say I am pretty discouraged by your comment, I think I am just doomed. Nothing else to try then.

The TRT affecting many other hormones is overblown! Don't feed into this fear mongering. The majority of men don't have problems. The effects on these other hormone is minimal, only in extreme cases are there problems.

Testosterone replacement therapy is associated with high satisfaction rates: results of a survey study - PubMed

Despite a well-documented increase in both the prevalence of Testosterone Deficiency (TD) and prescription of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), few studies have investigated the preferences of patients receiving TRT and factors associated with increased treatment satisfaction. To...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Systemlord]

I figured I would maybe do a trial and see if it works for me BUT I am death scared of the crash.

I stopped TRT in 2019 for 8 months before restarting TRT, I never experienced a big crash, more of a gradually decline over 8 months. My HPTA restarted in exactly 4.5 weeks after having been on TRT for almost 3 years.

You need to give TRT a fighting chance! It can take years to reach maximum benefits.

Onset of effects of testosterone treatment and time span until maximum effects are achieved - PMC

Testosterone has a spectrum of effects on the male organism. This review attempts to determine, from published studies, the time-course of the effects induced by testosterone replacement therapy from their first manifestation until maximum effects ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects on sexual interest appear after 3 weeks plateauing at 6 weeks, with no further increments expected beyond. Changes in erections/ejaculations may require up to 6 months. Effects on quality of life manifest within 3–4 weeks, but maximum benefits take longer. Effects on depressive mood become detectable after 3–6 weeks with a maximum after 18–30 weeks.

Effects on erythropoiesis are evident at 3 months, peaking at 9–12 months. Prostate-specific antigen and volume rise, marginally, plateauing at 12 months; further increase should be related to aging rather than therapy. Effects on lipids appear after 4 weeks, maximal after 6–12 months. Insulin sensitivity may improve within few days, but effects on glycemic control become evident only after 3–12 months.

Changes in fat mass, lean body mass, and muscle strength occur within 12–16 weeks, stabilize at 6–12 months, but can marginally continue over years. Effects on inflammation occur within 3–12 weeks. Effects on bone are detectable already after 6 months while continuing at least for 3 years.

 

[BSS91]

The maximus protocol is straight up heaven, unfortunately in Canada I can`t find any native test. Enclomiphene I can and I already bought it and used. Made me an emotional Karen with a 6.5 mg every other day.

 

[Melody68]

I'm in Canada also. No, I'm not a young man like you, I'm 68, but have had much the same issues as you for a decade or so. My biggest complaint is fatigue and the fact that I'm constantly sore and seemingly unable to heal (quickly) from all these pesky little injuries. I've also had bouts of anxiety.

I've considered TRT on and off for the last decade; I decided to go with it a few months ago. I made mistakes, and still don't have it right, but let me mention a few things to you that I would do differently if I could do it again.
1. Educate yourself by reading this forum - these are good people and they will often provide a level of insight that no doctor could match.
2. Find a doctor that is capable of administering TRT correctly. This is a HUGE challenge, especially in Canada. I used an endo; you would think he would know - he did not. It could be the same with a urologist. You might have to find a doctor that operates privately. You can tell by the tests that they order for you; many will only order Total Testosterone and a CBC, instead of all the other things you should have such as Free T, Estradiol, DHT, SHBG, etc. If you educate yourself on this board, you should be able to spot a weak and strong contender quickly.
3. Make sure you obtain a complete blood profile BEFORE you start TRT to serve as a baseline and establish whether your pituitary is a culprit in your low T.
4. For myself I chose not to go overly elaborate. A conservative dose of injected T as you've suggested would seem a wise place to start. I only switched to injectibles last week (had a BAD 3 month experience with gels); I've started a conservative 70mg enanthate weekly, split over 2 injections. I figure that if I get any side effects then they won't have a major negative impact since my starting dose is relatively weak. I can always move up from there, but who knows, maybe that dosage will work out well. You never know until you try . . .

I feel remarkably better just knowing that I have HOPE for a good outcome. Hope is a life force that gives us the motivation to face challenges and to move forward. I sincerely hope . . . things work out for you.

 

[Cataceous]

The maximus protocol is straight up heaven, unfortunately in Canada I can`t find any native test. Enclomiphene I can and I already bought it and used. Made me an emotional Karen with a 6.5 mg every other day.

Not sure what the problem is. All you need is a prescription for Andriol or Natesto and you're there. Or is this a DIY situation?

The TRT affecting many other hormones is overblown! Don't feed into this fearmongering. The majority of men don't have problems. ...

Sure, 63% is a majority, but 37% dissatisfied is quite significant — and highlighting this is hardly fearmongering.

... The effects on these other hormone is minimal, only in extreme cases are there problems. ...

Clearly false. Kisspeptin? GnRH? LH? FSH? These are all crushed for a large majority. I will bet money there are some negative long-term consequences here. Maybe subtle, maybe not. Don't forget loss of fertility, affecting the majority on TRT who don't use ancillaries.

 

[BSS91]

I'm in Canada also. No, I'm not a young man like you, I'm 68, but have had much the same issues as you for a decade or so. My biggest complaint is fatigue and the fact that I'm constantly sore and seemingly unable to heal (quickly) from all these pesky little injuries. I've also had bouts of anxiety.

I've considered TRT on and off for the last decade; I decided to go with it a few months ago. I made mistakes, and still don't have it right, but let me mention a few things to you that I would do differently if I could do it again.
1. Educate yourself by reading this forum - these are good people and they will often provide a level of insight that no doctor could match.
2. Find a doctor that is capable of administering TRT correctly. This is a HUGE challenge, especially in Canada. I used an endo; you would think he would know - he did not. It could be the same with a urologist. You might have to find a doctor that operates privately. You can tell by the tests that they order for you; many will only order Total Testosterone and a CBC, instead of all the other things you should have such as Free T, Estradiol, DHT, SHBG, etc. If you educate yourself on this board, you should be able to spot a weak and strong contender quickly.
3. Make sure you obtain a complete blood profile BEFORE you start TRT to serve as a baseline and establish whether your pituitary is a culprit in your low T.
4. For myself I chose not to go overly elaborate. A conservative dose of injected T as you've suggested would seem a wise place to start. I only switched to injectibles last week (had a BAD 3 month experience with gels); I've started a conservative 70mg enanthate weekly, split over 2 injections. I figure that if I get any side effects then they won't have a major negative impact since my starting dose is relatively weak. I can always move up from there, but who knows, maybe that dosage will work out well. You never know until you try . . .

I feel remarkably better just knowing that I have HOPE for a good outcome. Hope is a life force that gives us the motivation to face challenges and to move forward. I sincerely hope . . . things work out for you.

My friend thank you so much for your message.

Yes as I said, since I researched the topic a lot, the first thing is that I only enquired and did blood tests with private telehealth clinics.

My LH and Fsh were always in the low range and I did a enclomiphene trial twice with no resolvment of symptoms. I researched that also a lot and did a 6.25mg every two days as a start and I suspect it even made me more emotional at a certain point.

Anyway, for the blood tests, I didn’t shy away from asking an shgb add on to the labs because for some reason, canadian clinics think it is not important. I will also ask for dhea and pregenenolone in the future if I decide to do TRT.

For the 70 mg, you know actually it was the thought that soothed me at the beginning, a few weeks ago I was like “i ll just start at 70-80 and assess from there” but then I stumbled on accounts of people starting at those doses and feeling like crap as the weeks went on because they were actually having less test than their low natural levels. It was strange because a healthy natty young male at his epitome should produce 70mg natural so because of the ester, I was thinking that by injecting 70-80 we woulg get approx 50 mg per week and so, this would surely bring more test than my natural test levels….
But then those accounts crushed this logic and I was back to square one: choosing a dose that would less likely make me produce less test than now, which would be aweful and at the same time not too much that it would cause my body to panick at the big surge in testosterone.

 

[BSS91]

Not sure what the problem is. All you need is a prescription for Andriol or Natesto and you're there. Or is this a DIY situation?


Sure, 63% is a majority, but 37% dissatisfied is quite significant — and highlighting this is hardly fearmongering.


Clearly false. Kisspeptin? GnRH? LH? FSH? These are all crushed for a large majority. I will bet money there are some negative long-term consequences here. Maybe subtle, maybe not. Don't forget loss of fertility, affecting the majority on TRT who don't use ancillaries.

Andriol I searched for it and apparently the dosage is ridiculous like to take a decent dose, you have to buy 1 bottle per week which comes at crazy expenses.

There no private telehealth clinics in canada that prescribe natesto at this moment and if there are, I missed it then because from time to time I search and don’t find any clear source for it.

 

[BSS91]

to be more precise, i find natesto in websites of pharmacies in canada but nobody seems to market it…or if i am missing something I would be happy to see it.

 

[Systemlord]

I will bet money there are some negative long-term consequences here.

This guy is about ready to fall apart.

What about the long term consequences of low-T?

Sure, 63% is a majority, but 37% dissatisfied is quite significant — and highlighting this is hardly fearmongering.

I hope you're not trying to insinuate that those 37% of dissatisfied patients are experiencing symptoms related to the TRT shutting down 20+ other hormones.

I wonder how many of those dissatisfied men are from incompetent providers, other undiagnosed medical conditions and also men unwilling to change their bad lifestyles, lack of excersise and horrible diet that lead to the low-T diagnosis in the first place.

You know there's got to be a big portion of that 37 percentage where this is the case.

 

[Phil Goodman]

My friend thank you so much for your message.

Yes as I said, since I researched the topic a lot, the first thing is that I only enquired and did blood tests with private telehealth clinics.

My LH and Fsh were always in the low range and I did a enclomiphene trial twice with no resolvment of symptoms. I researched that also a lot and did a 6.25mg every two days as a start and I suspect it even made me more emotional at a certain point.

Anyway, for the blood tests, I didn’t shy away from asking an shgb add on to the labs because for some reason, canadian clinics think it is not important. I will also ask for dhea and pregenenolone in the future if I decide to do TRT.

For the 70 mg, you know actually it was the thought that soothed me at the beginning, a few weeks ago I was like “i ll just start at 70-80 and assess from there” but then I stumbled on accounts of people starting at those doses and feeling like crap as the weeks went on because they were actually having less test than their low natural levels. It was strange because a healthy natty young male at his epitome should produce 70mg natural so because of the ester, I was thinking that by injecting 70-80 we woulg get approx 50 mg per week and so, this would surely bring more test than my natural test levels….
But then those accounts crushed this logic and I was back to square one: choosing a dose that would less likely make me produce less test than now, which would be aweful and at the same time not too much that it would cause my body to panick at the big surge in testosterone.

So you ignore the numerous accounts of being on doses around 100 mg/week and doing great then focus on the accounts from people with issues. If you are looking for a solution that is 100% grantees to work you aren’t going to find one. And if you’ve already decided you aren’t going to try trt then I’m not really sure what you’re asking for here.

 

[BSS91]

So you ignore the numerous accounts of being on doses around 100 mg/week and doing great then focus on the accounts from people with issues. If you are looking for a solution that is 100% grantees to work you aren’t going to find one. And if you’ve already decided you aren’t going to try trt then I’m not really sure what you’re asking for here.

Look, I know there is no sure thing or guaranteed thing, I am only explaining the psychological process that made go back to anxiety about TRT. Rationally I get that you will find someone having an issue somewhere.

At the back of my head I have that voice that tells me that ``there is a high chance you will no be in the minority`` and I always have to remind myself that people doing great on trt are probably not on forums.

One other thought that is contributing is that I see many accounts of people saying TRT stopped working suddenly and they went back to their depressed, anxious state. I wonder how much lifestyle is to blame there. For example, in my head, it makes complete sense that if someone continues to workout and eat health, with in range hormones, everything should feel normal. Not expecting to be always happy, but at least normal.
I don`t know what you guys think about those people that say that TRT stopped working.

 

[Phil Goodman]

Look, I know there is no sure thing or guaranteed thing, I am only explaining the psychological process that made go back to anxiety about TRT. Rationally I get that you will find someone having an issue somewhere.

At the back of my head I have that voice that tells me that ``there is a high chance you will no be in the minority`` and I always have to remind myself that people doing great on trt are probably not on forums.

One other thought that is contributing is that I see many accounts of people saying TRT stopped working suddenly and they went back to their depressed, anxious state. I wonder how much lifestyle is to blame there. For example, in my head, it makes complete sense that if someone continues to workout and eat health, with in range hormones, everything should feel normal. Not expecting to be always happy, but at least normal.
I don`t know what you guys think about those people that say that TRT stopped working.

I definitely understand about thought patterns, thought loops, and other things that can get people into(and stuck in) negative outlooks. I think pretty much everyone has been there to some extent, though yes some worse than others.


I don’t think trt “stops working”. And by that I mean that once you reach a steady state the testosterone will continue to do what it has always done. If someone says it stops working then I generally think they have gotten used to their new baseline, that excitement has worn off, and some of the same things that were causing them issues in the past start to surface again. For some(or many) people the trt can completely get rid of depression and lots of other issues, but for some(or many) they should also consider other options like counseling, therapy, plant medicine, ketamine therapy, etc. to continue to work towards improving themselves. I think everyone should always seek to improve themselves and optimize their life and the lives of those around them. This requires dedication to improving physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. And it is a journey, not a destination. You don’t go to the gym for a few years, get in shape, say “this is awesome, I look great and have hit all my lifting goals”, then just stop and expect to keep all of those gains. You have to switch towards maintenance and that requires continuing to work indefinitely. The same logic applies to other areas of health like mental and emotional health. You should continue to work on or maintain it.

In your case, it sounds like multiple things may be causing you to have a defeatist attitude(and I say that with no disrespect because everyone has been there at some point). And one of those things is likely your low testosterone levels. Increasing that would likely help with some of those issues, but you should still expect that you’ll have to continue working on things even if you feel better initially. People today want a quick fix, but again it is better to approach health as a journey. And even just taking that approach can help with outlooks, because you realize there is plenty of time to improve. You’re in your early 30’s and still have plenty of time to drastically change your life.

 

[BSS91]

I definitely understand about thought patterns, thought loops, and other things that can get people into(and stuck in) negative outlooks. I think pretty much everyone has been there to some extent, though yes some worse than others.


I don’t think trt “stops working”. And by that I mean that once you reach a steady state the testosterone will continue to do what it has always done. If someone says it stops working then I generally think they have gotten used to their new baseline, that excitement has worn off, and some of the same things that were causing them issues in the past start to surface again. For some(or many) people the trt can completely get rid of depression and lots of other issues, but for some(or many) they should also consider other options like counseling, therapy, plant medicine, ketamine therapy, etc. to continue to work towards improving themselves. I think everyone should always seek to improve themselves and optimize their life and the lives of those around them. This requires dedication to improving physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. And it is a journey, not a destination. You don’t go to the gym for a few years, get in shape, say “this is awesome, I look great and have hit all my lifting goals”, then just stop and expect to keep all of those gains. You have to switch towards maintenance and that requires continuing to work indefinitely. The same logic applies to other areas of health like mental and emotional health. You should continue to work on or maintain it.

In your case, it sounds like multiple things may be causing you to have a defeatist attitude(and I say that with no disrespect because everyone has been there at some point). And one of those things is likely your low testosterone levels. Increasing that would likely help with some of those issues, but you should still expect that you’ll have to continue working on things even if you feel better initially. People today want a quick fix, but again it is better to approach health as a journey. And even just taking that approach can help with outlooks, because you realize there is plenty of time to improve. You’re in your early 30’s and still have plenty of time to drastically change your life.

Yes, completely agree.

At the end I know I am going to do it. These thoughts have been increasing because I actually paid for a clinic already and am supposed to do blood requisition. As said in the post, I tested my T at least 4 times in the last two years but this is the first time I am actually going to do it.

I am married and my wife has been the number one person that had to cope with my low T issues and I really hope this will turn things around because I love her and we want kids soon.

Another thing that I hope for is that I am going to be a good responder to HCG. Read many accounts of people that don`t respond well to HCG and at that point, I don`t know what I would do because FSH or HMG are quite expensive and not available to purchase in Canada apparently. I wonder if clinics prescribe them, I will double check.