How to lower TRT weekly dosage safely?

[entreleader77]

I'm 38 years old and been on TRT (200mg weekly) for 8+ years. I'd like to get my dosing down to around 150mg per week.

My test levels have been consistently in the range of 1100-1400 and I honestly don't think it needs to be that high. For most, higher test higher than 1000 and the side effects are accelerated.

Last blood draw - total test: 1142 / free test: 31.9

My hematocrit is always elevated 54+ even with giving blood.

Blood pressure is creeping up and my resting heart is always elevated.

Erections are spot on though, no problems there.

Right now, I inject daily 28mg daily with a weekly total dose of 196. I use 14 units on a 100 unit insulin syringe.

I've tried lowering the dose in the past to 12 units per day which comes out to 168mg per week. I felt awful after a week and bumped it back up.

I'm wanting to try lowering again down from my normal 28mg daily to 24mg daily.

Any insights or past experience?

 

[Cataceous]

It's commendable that you'd like to decrease your dose, given that you've been taking more than double the top testosterone production of healthy young men, and three times the average. Unfortunately, while dose increases typically feel good at first, decreases are the opposite, and it can take weeks to months for the withdrawal symptoms to subside. For the sake of your long-term health it's worth pushing through the unpleasantness.

I include a list of links discussing lower doses. The one by @Blackhawk is worth quoting directly: "I too started at too high a dose when starting injections, 150mg/week dosed E3D. It was living Hell having to reduce dose and go through withdrawal getting it right from there over the course of many months."

Anyone combine injections and cream? How do you feel?

I’m a long term TRT patient, 39 years old. I’ve been on cypionate and inject a total of 154mg weekly in EOD subQ shots of 44mg each. I have been doing some thinking about the potential benefit of keeping dosing the same but experimenting with using a low cypionate base around 80-100mg weekly...

www.excelmale.com

Anyone combine injections and cream? How do you feel?

I’m a long term TRT patient, 39 years old. I’ve been on cypionate and inject a total of 154mg weekly in EOD subQ shots of 44mg each. I have been doing some thinking about the potential benefit of keeping dosing the same but experimenting with using a low cypionate base around 80-100mg weekly...

www.excelmale.com

Anyone combine injections and cream? How do you feel?

Interesting anecdote. I’m curious what what your SHBG and current protocol are? @JoeMatts im curious for this as well

www.excelmale.com

Hello, 60yo starting TRT.

Hi All. I'm 60yo, lucky with relatively few health problems so far. Total T 350-400. After about a year of research/consideration, about to start TRT, plan is just Test C, 150mg per week separated into two subq injections/week into delts/VGs, draw/inject using 29G 1ml. Get labs in ~8 weeks...

www.excelmale.com

Have you ever DECREASED your dose?

Hey guys. I've only been on TRT for about 9 months. I'm on Test Cyp 100 mg Q3.5d with 350iU of HCG IM. I recently (this week) lowered my Anastrozole from 0.5 mg on injection days to 0.25mg to see how it will effect me (side effects, changes in libido, and also then lab values). ****I'm happy...

www.excelmale.com

Hello, 60yo starting TRT.

Hi All. I'm 60yo, lucky with relatively few health problems so far. Total T 350-400. After about a year of research/consideration, about to start TRT, plan is just Test C, 150mg per week separated into two subq injections/week into delts/VGs, draw/inject using 29G 1ml. Get labs in ~8 weeks...

www.excelmale.com

TRT patient feeling better after lowering my prescribed dose

Hey Guys, Hope all's well and Happy 4th! I'm looking for feedback. As a young male battling ED and low T, hopefully sharing my experience on what worked helps someone too. Almost 32 now and I use to have severe ED as long as I can remember, maybe late teens. No clue on cause. Maybe it's...

www.excelmale.com

Dose Change Side Effects

Hi guys, I just switched to a daily protocol of 24mg after spending a few weeks on 100mg E3D. This E3D protocol kicked the shit out of me, I dont think I respond well to having so much T at one time. The anxiety and thoughts were nightmarish plus the lethagy is real. Is there anything that...

www.excelmale.com

 

[DixieWrecked]

I'm 38 years old and been on TRT (200mg weekly) for 8+ years. I'd like to get my dosing down to around 150mg per week.

My test levels have been consistently in the range of 1100-1400 and I honestly don't think it needs to be that high. For most, higher test higher than 1000 and the side effects are accelerated.

Last blood draw - total test: 1142 / free test: 31.9

My hematocrit is always elevated 54+ even with giving blood.

Blood pressure is creeping up and my resting heart is always elevated.

Erections are spot on though, no problems there.

Right now, I inject daily 28mg daily with a weekly total dose of 196. I use 14 units on a 100 unit insulin syringe.

I've tried lowering the dose in the past to 12 units per day which comes out to 168mg per week. I felt awful after a week and bumped it back up.

I'm wanting to try lowering again down from my normal 28mg daily to 24mg daily.

Any insights or past experience?

I know this is gonna sound broish, but I don't think there is a way of avoiding the struggle. Whenever I give something up the first week or two is the most difficult. You will come out the other side and be ok with T levels at 800-900.

 

[madman]

I'm 38 years old and been on TRT (200mg weekly) for 8+ years. I'd like to get my dosing down to around 150mg per week.

My test levels have been consistently in the range of 1100-1400 and I honestly don't think it needs to be that high. For most, higher test higher than 1000 and the side effects are accelerated.

Last blood draw - total test: 1142 / free test: 31.9

My hematocrit is always elevated 54+ even with giving blood.

Blood pressure is creeping up and my resting heart is always elevated.

Erections are spot on though, no problems there.

Right now, I inject daily 28mg daily with a weekly total dose of 196. I use 14 units on a 100 unit insulin syringe.

I've tried lowering the dose in the past to 12 units per day which comes out to 168mg per week. I felt awful after a week and bumped it back up.

I'm wanting to try lowering again down from my normal 28mg daily to 24mg daily.

Any insights or past experience?

Definitely, a whopping dose of T 196mg/week especially when injecting daily (28mg T).

Although TT 1142 ng/dL is high I would be more concerned with where your FT level truly sits.

Looking over your previous threads same protocol (dose T/injection frequency) your SHBG hovered between 25-30 nmol/L.

If your SHBG is still within the 25-30 nmol/L range then you can rest assured that with a TT 1142 ng/dL your FT would be very high (most likely 40 ng/dL).

Running such levels will surely have one struggling with elevated RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit.

Even then the only way to know where it truly sits is to have it tested using an accurate assay such as the gold standard Equilibrium Dialysis or Ultrafiltration.

FT 5-10 ng/dL is considered low.

FT 16-31 ng/dL (high-end) is healthy.

Most men will do well with FT 20-30 ng/dL.

Some may choose to run higher levels.

Comes down to the individual.


I've tried lowering the dose in the past to 12 units per day which comes out to 168mg per week. I felt awful after a week and bumped it back up.

You already tried back in 2019 and bailed early.

1 week means jack shit.

You have been on the forum since 2017.

Lowering Test Dosage

I've been on HRT now for almost 6 years at a weekly dose of 200mg (cypionate). Up until about a 1.5 years ago my total T would average around the 800 mark. I switched to daily injections 1.5 years ago and my last 3 blood tests have my T levels at 1100-1200. Since I'm over 1000, I think I would...

www.excelmale.com

This has been hammered upon over the years:

Anytime your protocol is tweaked (increasing/decreasing T dose) hormones will be in flux during the weeks leading up until blood levels have stabilized (4-6 weeks TC/TE) and it is common for many to experience ups/downs during the transition as the body is trying to adjust.

Even then once blood levels have stabilized it will take the body time to adapt to these new levels (set-point) and this is the critical time period when one should gauge how they truly feel overall regarding relief/improvement of low-t symptoms.

Every protocol change should be given 12 weeks before claiming whether it was truly a success or failure.

The only time T levels should be increased at the 6-week mark is if trough FT levels were too low (highly doubtful).

No quick fix here.

Patience is key.

Cutting your overall weekly dose by 20-25 mg T is a good starting point.

Going from 200mg T--->150 mg T/week would be a significant jump and most likely result in a very bumpy ride as there will be a big drop in TT/FT levels.

Overcoming the mental hurdles will be the biggest challenge when tweaking your protocol as the first 6 weeks can be very misleading when looking at the bigger picture.

 

[MarcoFL]

After years of being on here and listening to Mad Man and Cataceous-others I have gone from as high as 180mg per week to now down at 12mg per day! There is just no need for most to be that high! I had started to get elevated blood pressure and other issues. At 38 years old you are crazy to be jacking yourself up that high! I did not start T until I was 51 and can not imagine being your age with levels there for another 50 years! Listen to the older guys here and be more conservative.

 

[entreleader77]

Definitely, a whopping dose of T 196mg/week especially when injecting daily (28mg T).

Although TT 1142 ng/dL is high I would be more concerned with where your FT level truly sits.

Looking over your previous threads same protocol (dose T/injection frequency) your SHBG hovered between 25-30 nmol/L.

If your SHBG is still within the 25-30 nmol/L range then you can rest assured that with a TT 1142 ng/dL your FT would be very high (most likely 40 ng/dL).

Running such levels will surely have one struggling with elevated RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit.

Even then the only way to know where it truly sits is to have it tested using an accurate assay such as the gold standard Equilibrium Dialysis or Ultrafiltration.

FT 5-10 ng/dL is considered low.

FT 16-31 ng/dL (high-end) is healthy.

Most men will do well with FT 20-30 ng/dL.

Some may choose to run higher levels.

Comes down to the individual.


I've tried lowering the dose in the past to 12 units per day which comes out to 168mg per week. I felt awful after a week and bumped it back up.

You already tried back in 2019 and bailed early.

1 week means jack shit.

You have been on the forum since 2017.

Lowering Test Dosage

I've been on HRT now for almost 6 years at a weekly dose of 200mg (cypionate). Up until about a 1.5 years ago my total T would average around the 800 mark. I switched to daily injections 1.5 years ago and my last 3 blood tests have my T levels at 1100-1200. Since I'm over 1000, I think I would...

www.excelmale.com

This has been hammered upon over the years:

Anytime your protocol is tweaked (increasing/decreasing T dose) hormones will be in flux during the weeks leading up until blood levels have stabilized (4-6 weeks TC/TE) and it is common for many to experience ups/downs during the transition as the body is trying to adjust.

Even then once blood levels have stabilized it will take the body time to adapt to these new levels (set-point) and this is the critical time period when one should gauge how they truly feel overall regarding relief/improvement of low-t symptoms.

Every protocol change should be given 12 weeks before claiming whether it was truly a success or failure.

The only time T levels should be increased at the 6-week mark is if trough FT levels were too low (highly doubtful).

No quick fix here.

Patience is key.

Cutting your overall weekly dose by 20-25 mg T is a good starting point.

Going from 200mg T--->150 mg T/week would be a significant jump and most likely result in a very bumpy ride as there will be a big drop in TT/FT levels.

Overcoming the mental hurdles will be the biggest challenge when tweaking your protocol as the first 6 weeks can be very misleading when looking at the bigger picture.

Appreciate the input. Not sure where my SHBG is as it wasn't tested on the last labs but free test was 31.9 ng/dL.

I didn't see any real elevation in RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit for the first few years but they have stayed consistently elevated for the past 4-5 years.

I just need to work through the withdrawal portion.

@madman - Do you think dropping to 168mg from 196mg is too big of a drop initially?

 

[entreleader77]

It's commendable that you'd like to decrease your dose, given that you've been taking more than double the top testosterone production of healthy young men, and three times the average. Unfortunately, while dose increases typically feel good at first, decreases are the opposite, and it can take weeks to months for the withdrawal symptoms to subside. For the sake of your long-term health it's worth pushing through the unpleasantness.

I include a list of links discussing lower doses. The one by @Blackhawk is worth quoting directly: "I too started at too high a dose when starting injections, 150mg/week dosed E3D. It was living Hell having to reduce dose and go through withdrawal getting it right from there over the course of many months."

Anyone combine injections and cream? How do you feel?

I’m a long term TRT patient, 39 years old. I’ve been on cypionate and inject a total of 154mg weekly in EOD subQ shots of 44mg each. I have been doing some thinking about the potential benefit of keeping dosing the same but experimenting with using a low cypionate base around 80-100mg weekly...

www.excelmale.com

Anyone combine injections and cream? How do you feel?

I’m a long term TRT patient, 39 years old. I’ve been on cypionate and inject a total of 154mg weekly in EOD subQ shots of 44mg each. I have been doing some thinking about the potential benefit of keeping dosing the same but experimenting with using a low cypionate base around 80-100mg weekly...

www.excelmale.com

Anyone combine injections and cream? How do you feel?

Interesting anecdote. I’m curious what what your SHBG and current protocol are? @JoeMatts im curious for this as well

www.excelmale.com

Hello, 60yo starting TRT.

Hi All. I'm 60yo, lucky with relatively few health problems so far. Total T 350-400. After about a year of research/consideration, about to start TRT, plan is just Test C, 150mg per week separated into two subq injections/week into delts/VGs, draw/inject using 29G 1ml. Get labs in ~8 weeks...

www.excelmale.com

Have you ever DECREASED your dose?

Hey guys. I've only been on TRT for about 9 months. I'm on Test Cyp 100 mg Q3.5d with 350iU of HCG IM. I recently (this week) lowered my Anastrozole from 0.5 mg on injection days to 0.25mg to see how it will effect me (side effects, changes in libido, and also then lab values). ****I'm happy...

www.excelmale.com

Hello, 60yo starting TRT.

Hi All. I'm 60yo, lucky with relatively few health problems so far. Total T 350-400. After about a year of research/consideration, about to start TRT, plan is just Test C, 150mg per week separated into two subq injections/week into delts/VGs, draw/inject using 29G 1ml. Get labs in ~8 weeks...

www.excelmale.com

TRT patient feeling better after lowering my prescribed dose

Hey Guys, Hope all's well and Happy 4th! I'm looking for feedback. As a young male battling ED and low T, hopefully sharing my experience on what worked helps someone too. Almost 32 now and I use to have severe ED as long as I can remember, maybe late teens. No clue on cause. Maybe it's...

www.excelmale.com

Dose Change Side Effects

Hi guys, I just switched to a daily protocol of 24mg after spending a few weeks on 100mg E3D. This E3D protocol kicked the shit out of me, I dont think I respond well to having so much T at one time. The anxiety and thoughts were nightmarish plus the lethagy is real. Is there anything that...

www.excelmale.com

This really helpful, thank you @Cataceous

 

[entreleader77]

After years of being on here and listening to Mad Man and Cataceous-others I have gone from as high as 180mg per week to now down at 12mg per day! There is just no need for most to be that high! I had started to get elevated blood pressure and other issues. At 38 years old you are crazy to be jacking yourself up that high! I did not start T until I was 51 and can not imagine being your age with levels there for another 50 years! Listen to the older guys here and be more conservative.

From the age of 18-24 I used anabolics pretty consistently and wrecked myself. Even then, I shouldn't have been put on a 200mg dose to start. I didn't know that then nor would I have cared 8 years ago. I just wanted to feel better. But as mentioned above. I had no elevated RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit for the first few years. Things have increased over the last 4-5.

 

[Systemlord]

I've tried lowering the dose in the past to 12 units per day which comes out to 168mg per week. I felt awful after a week and bumped it back up.

The reason you felt bad is because your levels became unstable and takes 4-6 weeks to stabilize do to the half-life of the ester.

 

[maxadvance]

I think the body adapts, pretty sure I saw Nelson state that his T dose now is half of what it used to be and his levels are the same. I've gone from 180 per week to 80 per week and my last draw had my T at 1300 2 days after my half weekly shot. Maybe I'm still too high.

 

[entreleader77]

I think the body adapts, pretty sure I saw Nelson state that his T dose now is half of what it used to be and his levels are the same. I've gone from 180 per week to 80 per week and my last draw had my T at 1300 2 days after my half weekly shot. Maybe I'm still too high.

@maxadvance I've heard the same thing. What did you do to drop from 180? Small increments?

 

[maxadvance]

180 to 120, and recently to 80(about a month).

 

[madman]

Appreciate the input. Not sure where my SHBG is as it wasn't tested on the last labs but free test was 31.9 ng/dL.

I didn't see any real elevation in RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit for the first few years but they have stayed consistently elevated for the past 4-5 years.

I just need to work through the withdrawal portion.

@madman - Do you think dropping to 168mg from 196mg is too big of a drop initially?

Again you would need to have your FT tested using an accurate assay ED or UF to know where it truly sits.

Many are running much higher levels than they think due to using/relying upon inaccurate assays.

Dropping your overall weekly dose from 198-->168 mg T is a good starting point.

Comes down to what levels you are aiming for and you need to be sensible when it comes to reducing your dose as too big a jump may result in a rougher transition let alone if you overshoot your TT/FT level may end up lower than where you want to be.

Do what you feel is best for you.

 

[clayok]

At almost 60 years old now and been on TRT for over 10 years. On a compound daily cream which is 150mg/ml and dose is 1.5ml per day.
Hemocrit ride 51-54 and do blood draws about every 60 days. Tis keeps my levels around FT - 93 and TT - 355. Major test atrophy and ED issues.
Have tried short burst 1-2 weeks of lowering to come off, however side effects of lower energy, feeling down and overall malaise with levels dropping on next blood test to as low as FT - 7.2 and TT - 62.
I would like to lower dose to ultimately see if my levels ever come back.
Was in bodybuilding for years when younger 16-25 and used all type of stuff that messed with my system now older.
Would definitely do differently today.
Main goal is to get hemocrit always in range. I may start donating blood more frequently but that may have issues too. Your thoughts and feedback appreciated.

 

[drkelp]

Could one just very slowly decrease dose over a period of time? If so, how long of a period would work well?

 

[xibxang]

Could one just very slowly decrease dose over a period of time? If so, how long of a period would work well?

I'm curious about this too. I'd like to speak to my TRT provider about reducing my dose and I'd like as much information on the subject as possible.

 

[entreleader77]

@madman @Cataceous Besides the symptoms of "low test" are there other issues that could arise from dropping dose too fast? I'm almost 2 weeks in at 182 (down from 200) at I'm tired and feeling beat up. Would I feel the same if I dropped more to say 168. I don't want to cause issues that can't be fixed by raising the dose if needed like out of control estradiol increases, or something else.

 

[Cataceous]

@madman @Cataceous Besides the symptoms of "low test" are there other issues that could arise from dropping dose too fast? I'm almost 2 weeks in at 182 (down from 200) at I'm tired and feeling beat up. Would I feel the same if I dropped more to say 168. I don't want to cause issues that can't be fixed by raising the dose if needed like out of control estradiol increases, or something else.

You're certainly not going to cause long-term harm or create new problems by going from supraphysiological dosing to physiological dosing. On the contrary, you're more likely to prevent long-term harm. But you do have to be patient as your body adapts to the lower levels. This takes time, weeks to months. Don't forget that 100 mg per week of T cypionate is actually high-normal dosing, in spite of the impression given by the forums. I'm on the equivalent of 44 mg per week and it's the best I've felt on TRT. The only sacrifice versus higher levels has been in athleticism. It's a small price to pay for improved libido, sexual function, cognition and motivation.

 

[entreleader77]

You're certainly not going to cause long-term harm or create new problems by going from supraphysiological dosing to physiological dosing. On the contrary, you're more likely to prevent long-term harm. But you do have to be patient as your body adapts to the lower levels. This takes time, weeks to months. Don't forget that 100 mg per week of T cypionate is actually high-normal dosing, in spite of the impression given by the forums. I'm on the equivalent of 44 mg per week and it's the best I've felt on TRT. The only sacrifice versus higher levels has been in athleticism. It's a small price to pay for improved libido, sexual function, cognition and motivation.

Appreciate the response. I had planned to drop it by 2mg per day every 6 weeks. 28/26/24 and so on. I may drop it a bit faster. I feel like I've been in the red zone of risks for too long. But I have heard some guys crashing their test by dropping too fast so that was why I asked. Thanks again for the response.

 

[Systemlord]

Appreciate the response. I had planned to drop it by 2mg per day every 6 weeks.

You are overthinking it, just lower your dosage and be done with it.